[Comparison] Samsung Galaxy Nexus Vs. HTC Rezound

[pyro6128]

I heard on several podcasts that Verizon disabled the NFC chip ability to use google wallet anyways, so NFC not as big an aspect as it could have been

I can tell you from personal experience this is 100 percent wrong. And I'm still on a stock nexus.

 

[bp328i]

I heard on several podcasts that Verizon disabled the NFC chip ability to use google wallet anyways, so NFC not as big an aspect as it could have been

I just use Google Wallet on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus to pay for my coffee at McDonald's so you might want to find new podcasts that have correct information. The several you listen to are 100% wrong about this.

But both phones are awesome devices so you really can't go wrong with either...(cough, cough, cough...nexus)

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[Hallsie11]

Thanks for squashing that before it got loud

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[yakitori]

Android beam and gwallet both work so nfc definitely not disabled. Wallet is usable but I wouldn't use it till official version is released. Its not a question of whether it works or not. Mine worked a whole too. Flawlessly. Then I got a secure element error and can't use wallet anymore. There is no work around at the moment either.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[BenLand150]

Spec(hardware) wise, yes, the Rezound probably does beat the nexus. As does the camera. However, the hardware on the nexus is just fine. It doesn't feel cheap to me at all, is nice and sturdy and not to bulky, and feels great in the hand.
The camera is great too. My pictures come out just fine, its faster, and has much more features. With a phone, I'm not looking for a professional camera, I'm looking for a camera that takes good, decent quick pictures that I can post on social media sites where no one is going to be like, "oh, yep.. he obviously took that with a Nexus"(unless of course its the panoramic view. ).

The point of a nexus anyway is its unlocked boot loader and the dev support that comes with it. So for casual phone users that want a phone, they don't get that aspect. However, for us internet goers, we should know and get that already. But everyone else without a nexus seems to have forgotten that. The reason I bought this is because it truly is a phone that's future proof. It has nfc already, so when CES comes around and phones likely start coming out with nfc capabilities, we're already right in the game with them. And not to mention, we have the amazing dev support and updates coming our way.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[loki993]

Considering these are still phones and there was a noted volume issue with the Nexus how is the call quality on them?

+1 A lot of people don't seem to get the point of the nexus line of phones

I get what your saying but its not everything. I shouldn't have to buy a crappy phone just because I have full control over it and and its totally unlocked. Now don't get excited, I'm not calling the Nexus a crappy phone, I was just making the point that being unlocked is not the end all be all.

That said I did look at a nexus and was not impressed with it. Like others have said it feel cheap and plasticky. The back cover on the one I looked at was actually coming off because Verizon had stuck the security thing to it, but it was coming off because its very very thin.

Aside from the fact that it has ICS and its unlocked its really pretty unexciting, pretty normal, meh.

ICS is a moot point, most of not all of those phones will have it officially early next year and unofficially even sooner, probably already.

That leaves the unlocked thing, which is nice for sure and would be great, but I'm on a D2 and there are ROMs for it.

 

[Juicemane]

Considering these are still phones and there was a noted volume issue with the Nexus how is the call quality on them?



I get what your saying but its not everything. I shouldn't have to buy a crappy phone just because I have full control over it and and its totally unlocked. Now don't get excited, I'm not calling the Nexus a crappy phone, I was just making the point that being unlocked is not the end all be all.

That said I did look at a nexus and was not impressed with it. Like others have said it feel cheap and plasticky. The back cover on the one I looked at was actually coming off because Verizon had stuck the security thing to it, but it was coming off because its very very thin.

Aside from the fact that it has ICS and its unlocked its really pretty unexciting, pretty normal, meh.

ICS is a moot point, most of not all of those phones will have it officially early next year and unofficially even sooner, probably already.

That leaves the unlocked thing, which is nice for sure and would be great, but I'm on a D2 and there are ROMs for it.

You are also making a lot of assumptions. Given androids update history on devices, maybe the top 10 android phones on the market now will recieve ICS. Most people seem to overlook that ICS was designed to work on devices with no physical buttons. Show me one other phone that is lacking buttons.

Not saying other devices will not get ICS, but the point of a Nexus is a pure google experience. We get the latest OS. It is essentially a Dev phone, and for that we are rewarded with the ability to use our phones to any extent we want.

Also, good luck getting ICS on your Droid 2. I hope someone continues support.

 

[islandak]

Considering these are still phones and there was a noted volume issue with the Nexus how is the call quality on them?



I get what your saying but its not everything. I shouldn't have to buy a crappy phone just because I have full control over it and and its totally unlocked. Now don't get excited, I'm not calling the Nexus a crappy phone, I was just making the point that being unlocked is not the end all be all.

That said I did look at a nexus and was not impressed with it. Like others have said it feel cheap and plasticky. The back cover on the one I looked at was actually coming off because Verizon had stuck the security thing to it, but it was coming off because its very very thin.

Aside from the fact that it has ICS and its unlocked its really pretty unexciting, pretty normal, meh.

ICS is a moot point, most of not all of those phones will have it officially early next year and unofficially even sooner, probably already.

That leaves the unlocked thing, which is nice for sure and would be great, but I'm on a D2 and there are ROMs for it.

I agree with the review in the OP. And I own a Galaxy Nexus. A non-modding friend (root only) asked if he should get a Rezound or a GN. I suggested the Rezound. It DOES have the better hardware. For myself? I was drooling over the possibility of so many developers on an open device again.

The build on the Nexus isn't cheap, IMO. Pick up a Charge and tell me they feel the same. To me, it's very comparable to the RAZR. I realize this is subjective. The back cover isn't nearly as flimsy as it seems in the store. Really, how often do you need to remove it? Mine stays in place and doesn't feel like a thin piece of plastic while mounted.

I had a D2G. I had a few less choices than you, but there are some great developers/ROMs. However, the level of customization (ROMs, themese, kernels) never got close to the unlocked-bootloader Original Droid. D2 did get a lot more support than the D2G (because of the GSM chip). Do you remember when themers had to rush to port for all the different ROM developers? I do, and I'm excited.

 

[loki993]

You are also making a lot of assumptions. Given androids update history on devices, maybe the top 10 android phones on the market now will recieve ICS. Most people seem to overlook that ICS was designed to work on devices with no physical buttons. Show me one other phone that is lacking buttons.

Not saying other devices will not get ICS, but the point of a Nexus is a pure google experience. We get the latest OS. It is essentially a Dev phone, and for that we are rewarded with the ability to use our phones to any extent we want.

Also, good luck getting ICS on your Droid 2. I hope someone continues support.

I'm really not though. they said the Rezound was getting it when the announced the phone, they didn't say when, but its getting it. I think the others, Bionic, Razr, D4 whenever it comes out its been said they're getting it as well. I'm not sure anything official has come out, but its not a huge leap of faith to think they're getting it sooner rather then later.

IF for some reason a phone doesnt get it officially, which I know a lot wont, We also have such a great dev community. If a phone doesn't get it, chances are someone will find a way to get it on a phone. ICS/CM9 is already running on some phones and is being developed for may others.

As for the "pure" google experience, I don't even know what blur looks like on my D2, its never had it on it. Its been running vanilla android in some for or another the whole time Ive had it. So its definitely possible without having a dev phone.

Also my D2 is running ICS right now as a matter of fact. Its still a pre beta release, but its working enough for me to be able to use.

All I'm saying is that I'm not going to buy a phone just because of the OS its running, that actually probably the lowest on my list of priorities for a phone. If it has something on it I don't like its just a root and a flash away and its gone.

Yes the Nexus will have a ton of ROMs for it and yes Id like to try them out, but I'm not running out and buying a phone just because of that, not if I don't at least feel its a quality device, especially for 300 dollars. Maybe it just feels cheap and isnt actually, but to find that out it needs to be out there for a while to see. Ill wait, Im ok for now. Take away ICS and you have a phone with good hardware, but nothing groundbreaking.

 

[jntdroid]

Well if you're affected by the data outage today, you'll probably wish you had a Rezound.

 

[tjk629]

Well if you're affected by the data outage today, you'll probably wish you had a Rezound.

I know! Or at least the TB.

 

[pyro6128]

Considering these are still phones and there was a noted volume issue with the Nexus how is the call quality on them?



I get what your saying but its not everything. I shouldn't have to buy a crappy phone just because I have full control over it and and its totally unlocked. Now don't get excited, I'm not calling the Nexus a crappy phone, I was just making the point that being unlocked is not the end all be all.

That said I did look at a nexus and was not impressed with it. Like others have said it feel cheap and plasticky. The back cover on the one I looked at was actually coming off because Verizon had stuck the security thing to it, but it was coming off because its very very thin.

Aside from the fact that it has ICS and its unlocked its really pretty unexciting, pretty normal, meh.

ICS is a moot point, most of not all of those phones will have it officially early next year and unofficially even sooner, probably already.

That leaves the unlocked thing, which is nice for sure and would be great, but I'm on a D2 and there are ROMs for it.

Yea I had a d2 and a d3 (d1 before those). The roms for the d2 and 3 are nothing compared to the roms that were available for the d1 and the nexus line. That is simply fact. My point is to disregard ICS and the unlocked bootloader/dev community is to miss the point of the nexus completely. The nexus was built for ICS. They will work better together than any rom the rezound may get with its locked bootloader. That is another fact that can't be argued. Its kind of like the difference between people who buy macs, and people who build their own computers. Some people just want their comp to work (I have a mac and I'm one of those people). Others want to tailor their comp to their liking in every way they can. When it comes to my phone, I want to be able to control every aspect of it. You simply can't do that with a rezound. So for people that just want a cool smartphone, the rezound is fine, but its not an accurate comparrison to ignore the nexus' greatest strengths. Not to mention direct updates from googles servers. People keep throwing around, oh the rezound and the razr will get ICS soon. Do people not remember all of the past phones with sense and blur and how long updates actually take? The nexus will most likely be a couple of versions ahead of whatever ICS version finally gets pushed to the rezound. Then theres the fact that the nexus will be getting the next version of android before the rezound, that is another fact.

Like everyone said, they're both nice phones and both cater to different types of consumers. But to completely disregard the greatest strengths the phone has simply because you're not interested in it means that it is not an accurate comparrison. If you're going to compare strengths and weaknesses, you can't cherry pick the ones that suit your needs. If you do, it shows a clear bias which should have no place in a side by side comparison.

And if you want to see how beats audio is a gimmick, this video shows you (I've posted it around because I hate when people fall for silly marketing). There is an actual analysis of what is happening with beats audio. Its all eq

HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio review -- Engadget

Again, not hating on the rezound, I would never buy one, but I can see how some people would. And its still a very nice phone. But after coming from an og droid, then going to the d2 and d3, I refuse to go back to a locked down phone where updates take forever and customization is limited. As long as we're all happy with our phones then its all good!

Thats not to say I won't still take the occasional cheap shot at the razr or rezound, but its all in good fun DancingNexus

 

[Stelv]

Nice review. I personally would take the Rezound, Razr or Bionic over the GNex anyday. I am very disappointed that Google choice Samsung...they were probably the only ones that would agree to unlock the bootloader. Samsung has given me and my family nothing but grief...and then just when I though maybe they got their stuff together I hear they are having the "typical Samsung" radio issues...hopefully it's not a hardware thing. I have wanted a Nexus for a while now, but not if its Samsung...I need a data connection.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[loki993]

You are also making a lot of assumptions. Given androids update history on devices, maybe the top 10 android phones on the market now will recieve ICS. Most people seem to overlook that ICS was designed to work on devices with no physical buttons. Show me one other phone that is lacking buttons.

Not saying other devices will not get ICS, but the point of a Nexus is a pure google experience. We get the latest OS. It is essentially a Dev phone, and for that we are rewarded with the ability to use our phones to any extent we want.

Also, good luck getting ICS on your Droid 2. I hope someone continues support.

Yea I had a d2 and a d3 (d1 before those). The roms for the d2 and 3 are nothing compared to the roms that were available for the d1 and the nexus line. That is simply fact. My point is to disregard ICS and the unlocked bootloader/dev community is to miss the point of the nexus completely. The nexus was built for ICS. They will work better together than any rom the rezound may get with its locked bootloader. That is another fact that can't be argued. Its kind of like the difference between people who buy macs, and people who build their own computers. Some people just want their comp to work (I have a mac and I'm one of those people). Others want to tailor their comp to their liking in every way they can. When it comes to my phone, I want to be able to control every aspect of it. You simply can't do that with a rezound. So for people that just want a cool smartphone, the rezound is fine, but its not an accurate comparrison to ignore the nexus' greatest strengths. Not to mention direct updates from googles servers. People keep throwing around, oh the rezound and the razr will get ICS soon. Do people not remember all of the past phones with sense and blur and how long updates actually take? The nexus will most likely be a couple of versions ahead of whatever ICS version finally gets pushed to the rezound. Then theres the fact that the nexus will be getting the next version of android before the rezound, that is another fact.

Like everyone said, they're both nice phones and both cater to different types of consumers. But to completely disregard the greatest strengths the phone has simply because you're not interested in it means that it is not an accurate comparrison. If you're going to compare strengths and weaknesses, you can't cherry pick the ones that suit your needs. If you do, it shows a clear bias which should have no place in a side by side comparison.

And if you want to see how beats audio is a gimmick, this video shows you (I've posted it around because I hate when people fall for silly marketing). There is an actual analysis of what is happening with beats audio. Its all eq

HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio review -- Engadget

Again, not hating on the rezound, I would never buy one, but I can see how some people would. And its still a very nice phone. But after coming from an og droid, then going to the d2 and d3, I refuse to go back to a locked down phone where updates take forever and customization is limited. As long as we're all happy with our phones then its all good!

Thats not to say I won't still take the occasional cheap shot at the razr or rezound, but its all in good fun DancingNexus

I completely understand what your saying and yes there will be more ROMS for the nexus then just about anything else. Your right that cant be argued. All Im saying is that don't ignore other possible major issues with the phone, because it has that functionality. Again I'm not saying the Nexus is a bad phone, I'm just really not sure about the build quality. If I could get past the cheapness of it I would be ok with it.

Also don't think Im defending the Rezound here either, I honestly don't really like any of the phones that just came out, at least not enough to go out and buy one. If I really had to choose id probably go with the Razr, but honestly I think ill wait to see the D4.

Its also not really like windows vs mac, Its actually kinda more like buying a mac and then putting windows on it lol. then I get what I want and I have full control over it. Because I'm not leaving any phone I get stock.

 

[tjk629]

Nice review. I personally would take the Rezound, Razr or Bionic over the GNex anyday. I am very disappointed that Google choice Samsung...they were probably the only ones that would agree to unlock the bootloader. Samsung has given me and my family nothing but grief...and then just when I though maybe they got their stuff together I hear they are having the "typical Samsung" radio issues...hopefully it's not a hardware thing. I have wanted a Nexus for a while now, but not if its Samsung...I need a data connection.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

I believe they stayed with Samsung so they could use the Galaxy name. Outside of the DROID name, Galaxy is the next highly recognizable android brand.