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#404340 13-Nov-2010 23:19

magu: Interesting blow to HTC from Google's end.

Very keen on getting one to replace my aging 3GS.

Google always said the Android Developer Platform phones might be made by any vendor....which if you think about it makes this a contestable offering and mark of prestige for the phone maker who steps up with the best capabilities. So HTC has no reason to sad on this score as they made the first 3 ADP phones (G1, Magic 32A, Nexus One).

At the same time, HTC's chances would have been damaged by their inability to supply AMOLED screens for the Nexus One, crippling it in the market. This must be why Google didn't do a big splashy launch. That lack of ability to supply a critical component crippled the availability of the Nexus One globally....and still does.

Samsung can deliver the screens. They are a natural choice now...and the Galaxy S shows they know how to make good phones (lag aside).

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kiwijunglist

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#404376 14-Nov-2010 05:28

with the nexus one who wrote all the software and drivers for it, was any of it done by HTC or was it all done by google. I kinda feel that if samsung handled the hardware and google handled all the software,file system, drivers etc... it would be a great phone. I don't have confidence in samsungs ability to write software.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

mrgsm021

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#404388 14-Nov-2010 08:37

old3eyes: The 3G in the above spec sheet doesn't look too promising..

That spec sheet is based on the model apparently to be released by T-Mobile in the US, hence the US 3G bands.

old3eyes

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#404401 14-Nov-2010 09:23

While they are the AWS frequencies (up 1700 and down 2100) I hope that this is not the final version with the only other as 900Meg..

Regards,

Old3eyes

qupada

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#404412 14-Nov-2010 09:58

athor: I don't know if its just me but I find the galaxy series design quite ugly.

I have a nexus one and those photos just don't make me wanna upgrade.

As a fellow Nexus One owner; no, it isn't just you.
Each new Galaxy S series device seems to look more and more like an iphone 3g, which is not really a desirable goal in my book.

I'm going to stick with my N1 with CyanogenMod for the foreseeable future, I can definitely live without the front camera (frankly I'd be A-OK without any camera at all, but that's another matter entirely), and you'll have to pry my glowy multicolour trackball from my cold, dead hands.
Also while I'm in a SGS-bashing mood, what the hell is up with?
a) The power button on the side of the phone
b) The USB connector on the top of the phone
c) Shiny fingerprint-magnet plastic for all exterior surfaces
d) 4" screens without any more pixels than the 3.7's

Several of my colleagues own the GT-i9000, even taking the 2.1 vs 2.2 bit out of the equation, I'd still buy the Nexus One every time. Between the lower pixel density which makes everything on-screen look less defined (the S-AMOLED screen is slightly nicer, but not a deal breaker there), everything being shiny and covered in finger marks, the gone slightly too far customisation of the OS which just makes it unpleasant versus the "stock" android build on the N1 and things the phone is just missing (notification light, camera "flash" light, some form of d-pad) it just doesn't seem like a smart buy.

Here's hoping by the time this hits the market it has some barely believable feature that makes people wonder how they ever survived without it, otherwise it's just going to be another boring competitor in a sea of feature-wise largely identical phones.

caldazar

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#404548 14-Nov-2010 18:13

a) The power button on the side of the phone
b) The USB connector on the top of the phone
c) Shiny fingerprint-magnet plastic for all exterior surfaces
d) 4" screens without any more pixels than the 3.7's

OMG... you are right. Huge deal breakers right there. Why would I buy a phone like this when I can have a nice brown coloured N1 ;-) Google like MS with the brown Zune should be making huge inroads with their colour selection any day now.

I like the 4" screen. The power button and usb connectors are positioned fine. The fingerprint magnet gets covered by a case anyway.

kiwijunglist

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#404552 14-Nov-2010 18:17

800x480 on 4" phone is fine, I reckon you could go bigger still with this resolution and I would still be happy

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julius

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#404577 14-Nov-2010 19:20

I have a Nexus 1 and the USB on the bottom of the phone absolutely bites for development.

I much prefer the look of the Nexus 1 and I definitely prefer a trackball, but the USB on the top would be sooooo much better.

martyyn

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#404789 15-Nov-2010 11:38

julius: I have a Nexus 1 and the USB on the bottom of the phone absolutely bites for development.

I much prefer the look of the Nexus 1 and I definitely prefer a trackball, but the USB on the top would be sooooo much better.

It may 'bite' for development, but for actually use its by far the best position. How many docking stations do you see floating in mid air ;)

My verdict on the supposed Nexus S is too big, too shiny, too much like an iphone wannabe. Ill keep my Nexus One thank you very much.

NzBeagle

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#404804 15-Nov-2010 12:06

My issue with the samsung's is the plasticky build, when you pay $1000 odd for a phone, you don't expect it to feel that way, if the Nexus S has the same feel as the SGS then i'd take the N1 as a preference, just feels more solid. With Stock Android on the Nexus S, i'd take that over the Touchwiz'd SGS

magu

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#404807 15-Nov-2010 12:10

I believe 'untouched' Android is a given, since it's a Google flagship phone. It's meant to be a showcase of what's possible, just like the N1.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

julius

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#404823 15-Nov-2010 12:58

martyyn:
It may 'bite' for development, but for actually use its by far the best position. How many docking stations do you see floating in mid air ;)

My verdict on the supposed Nexus S is too big, too shiny, too much like an iphone wannabe. Ill keep my Nexus One thank you very much.

If the Nexus 1 cradle could be plugged into a computer for debugging I would agree. But that is not the case. As such you can't stand the device up which creates havoc for orientation debugging etc. Perhaps this phone - unlike all the previous will not become a developers phone. If so... then I guess it's not a problem.

Finch

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#404857 15-Nov-2010 13:52

Doesnt look very appealing to me. The build of it.

NZtechfreak

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#404862 15-Nov-2010 13:59

WVGA is fine on 4inch, and even 4.3inch screens. Its not the resolution that is the problem, its the pentile subpixel matrix, which is more noticeable on the larger screen. Even despite that it wipes the floor with the Nexus One screen (not just for display characteristics, including sunlight legibility, but also for touch response and multitouch accuracy).

Can't help but agree that the choice of materials is subpar, but there are no moving parts and its solid enough that I'll live with it for the superior internals.

Power button on the side of the phone is neither here nor there really, you get used it. Its a Samsung design staple, for consistency between all their devices.

Overall the design is just bland, and as others have said too iPhone like.

TouchWiz isn't a consideration here, since this Samsung will be stock Android, but even for the Galaxy S there is no reason to stay with TouchWiz. LauncherPro/ADW Launcher are both better than TouchWiz and stock.

Notification light is a simple mod away.

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lokhor

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#404868 15-Nov-2010 14:09

The Nexus One is also pretty ugly..

The SGS may look cheap but it's actually quite a high quality build.

Probably the biggest appeal of the SGS though is the 3d graphics capabilities - it's PowerVR SG540 is probably 3-4x more powerful than the Adreno or whatever is in the Nexus One.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

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