Can't decide: Nexus One v's Samsung Galaxy S

[WhyAyeMan]

Right, the time is about to come where I move on from my iphone 3G, and I've decided on either the Google Nexus One and the Samsung Galaxy S.

I've tried a Desire but I had a few little issues with it. Also I am not sure how much I trust HTC to bring out timely updates to Android given the debacle with the Hero, which is why I decided on the nexus one.

Here are the pros and cons of each:-

Nexus One:-

+ Proper google phone, so will get the updates before anyone else
+ Decent quality camera
+ Text to speech
+ Fast performance

- Poor screen performance when outdoor
- Price, a bit expensive compared to rivals
- Little in built storage

Samsung Galaxy S:-

+ Super AMOLED screen - great performance in all situations
+ Fastest processors on the market
+ Lots of inbuilt storage (16 Gb)
+ Cheaper than the Nexus One(!)

- Although updates are confirmed, when? No guarantees.
- Reports of poor customer service from Samsung from some people
- No flash on the camera (how much does this matter?)
- Not a great fan of Touchwiz

So which would you go for and why? I'm stuck

 

[stilicho]

I've had a Nexus One since launch and it drove me nuts. Poor screen calibration, awful colour balance on the amoled screen (everyone looked like a tangerine in photos). I've had 2 Samsung phones in the past - the original Omnia which was awesome and the Omnia 2 which wasn't - mainly due to Samsung's attempts at re-skinning the OS. Hardware wise they were both pretty good. I've got past the will it or won't it get FroYo thing - a phone has to be judged on what it does now not what may happen at some nebulous point in the future. Galaxy S being delivered tomorrow, iPhone 4 being delivered next Thursday. After a thorough comparison one of them will be sold off. Based on what I've gleaned at the moment I think the iPhone will be the one to go.

 

[Dubster]

Right, the time is about to come where I move on from my iphone 3G, and I've decided on either the Google Nexus One and the Samsung Galaxy S.

I've tried a Desire but I had a few little issues with it. Also I am not sure how much I trust HTC to bring out timely updates to Android given the debacle with the Hero, which is why I decided on the nexus one.

Here are the pros and cons of each:-

Nexus One:-

+ Proper google phone, so will get the updates before anyone else
+ Decent quality camera
+ Text to speech
+ Fast performance

- Poor screen performance when outdoor
- Price, a bit expensive compared to rivals
- Little in built storage

Samsung Galaxy S:-

+ Super AMOLED screen - great performance in all situations
+ Fastest processors on the market
+ Lots of inbuilt storage (16 Gb)
+ Cheaper than the Nexus One(!)

- Although updates are confirmed, when? No guarantees.
- Reports of poor customer service from Samsung from some people
- No flash on the camera (how much does this matter?)
- Not a great fan of Touchwiz

So which would you go for and why? I'm stuck

engadget have a review on the galaxy s.They certainly didnt say it was a desire/nexus beater.

 

[stilicho]

Engadget have done a quick preview NOT a review.

 

[justdoit]

Any Amoled screen will have exactly the same problem in sunlight, its the current technology and how it works thats the issue in sunlight not the manufacturer, think how LCD's were 10 years ago! As for the problems the other poster mentioned, my photos look great, sometimes the screen appears to go haywire then either I realise that it's an additional finger thats holding the fone is touching the screen causing it or I hit the top button to lock, swipe to open and everything is all fine n dandy again. Can't comment on Samsung's skinning other than tried one of their fine's a few years ago n hated the menu system so have avoided ever since but that wasn't one that was running Android obviously.

 

[funkyspider]

I'm not sure that the nexus being a google phone will mean regular updates of android.

Android may move beyond what the hardware in the nexus can handle. Plus google have all but stopped selling the nexus themselves as they decided that customer support for hardware via call centres wasn't a worthwhile addition to their business model.

 

[WhyAyeMan]

I'm not sure that the nexus being a google phone will mean regular updates of android.

Android may move beyond what the hardware in the nexus can handle. Plus google have all but stopped selling the nexus themselves as they decided that customer support for hardware via call centres wasn't a worthwhile addition to their business model.

Yes I guess you could be right, in which case, there is no guarantees whatever you buy...

I've watched a few videos of the various smartphones recently though, and I have to say, the Galaxy S appears to be a seriously quick and smooth phone even compared with the Desire and NX1.

 

[justdoit]

I'm not sure that the nexus being a google phone will mean regular updates of android.

Android may move beyond what the hardware in the nexus can handle. Plus google have all but stopped selling the nexus themselves as they decided that customer support for hardware via call centres wasn't a worthwhile addition to their business model.

Sorry but your missing the point of the Nexus! Yes in the future it may be underpowered but its still the only truly vanilla Android experience available, good or bad but its built around the basis of what Google want a handset to be and they may have decided that the direct selling idea wasn't the best but it is still currently available via both them and 3rd parties and I'm sorry but it will always be the 1st current handset to receive upgrades because it doesn't require any tweaking by a 3rd party.

 

[stilicho]

Okay, my Samsung Galaxy S arrived this morning. So far I am very impressed. Yes it's made of lightweight plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap, just very light. The screen is the best of any phone I've ever used (and I've had them all). At first I thought the video capabilities had been overstated as my first video was juddery and the sound was out of sync, but playing it back through another player produced perfect, stunning looking, in-sync video. Samsung need to produce a better player. Very sunny day today, took it outside and had no difficulty seeing the screen. It isn't crystal clear but I don't think anything would be under these conditions and it is a significant step up from the Nexus. Colours are bright and vivid but not oversaturated. One slight annoyance is the message notifications for text messages don't clear on opening the thread, you have to actually open the message itself. Hopefully this will be fixed. Not a deal breaker because they can be cleared manually. Overall a significantly better phone than the Nexus One & the Desire. Touchwiz is hardly even noticeable unlike the old Omnias. And it's extremely quick.

Anything specific anybody wants to know just ask.

 

[stilicho]

Also I forgot to mention, it connected to my Freelander 2 quicker than anything except the iPhone. Most HTC devices take two or three attempts if they connect at all. And I've been trying an Xperia X10 and X10 Mini for the last week or so and only got a pathetic Edge connection and lots of Network failure messages. The Galaxy in exactly the same places is giving me full HSDPA.

 

[WhyAyeMan]

Well, I went to Vodafone today, and they didnt have an actual Galaxy S to look at, but all I can say is, I hope the quality of the final handset feels better than the dummy I handled, as the quality was shockingly bad (I tried 2 different dummy models in two different shops too), pretty much as bad as a £20 PAYG phone IMO. Virtually enough to put me off straight away no matter how good it may be, it feels like it would break if you stared at it long enough, never mind actually manhandling it!

Like I say perhaps the proper phone will feel better; I hope so or its a none starter for me.

I also tried the Nexus one, and I'm afraid I was a bit "meh" about that as well. I think the Desire was a nicer phone to use, and is cheaper. Oh well...

I'll have another look at the Galaxy S when they get a proper phone in to look at, but it very much looks like I'll either keep my iPhone 3G and wait until xmas when there might be some better models around, or plump for the iPhone 4 after all.

 

[Dubster]

Engadget have done a quick preview NOT a review.

Did i miss the p still preview or review it doesnt sound that overly great.

 

[lyonnesse]

I'm giving my iphone3 the order of the boot, too. I am weighing up between HTC Evo, HTC Desire HD and Samsung Galaxy S.

I had a Samsung Omnia running WinMo before my iphone, and had a lot of niggles with it, making the iphone a joy to use after. I'm getting comments about the Galaxy that remind me a lot of the Omnia.

Wondered what folks think about the HTC options compared to these? Or even and iphone 4 for that matter

 

[WhyAyeMan]

Well I'm the thread starter, have had both of those phones, and am now using an iphone 4. Make of that what you will !

(I'll admit to being quite surprised to see this thread again!)

 

[lyonnesse]

Strangely enough, I'm leaning the same way the more I read.

A good screen is paramount for me, especially as my ageing eyes are increasingly necessitating reading glasses. Despite the smaller size, the consensus seems to be that the resolution makes the iphone more readable. I plan to compare the iphone with the HTC side by side, to see if the theory holds good.

As a photographer I do agree with Jobs' claim that there is more to a good picture than pixels, so I'll check that holds good too. I find I use the camera on my iphone 3g more than I expected.

Having had an iphone, upgrading is going to be easy, and I have all the accessories, like the Bose, my night stand and car charger, so that's another thing to weigh up.

I've been badly let down by my iphone this year, with the alarm failing on 3 different occasions and the phone crashing and restoring with data roaming on, just long enough to incur data roaming charges while I was out of the country. Apple knew about this and could have warned us so we could take evasive action. It was arrogant of them not to. That said, Samsung have a poor record on sorting out faults as well.

 

[birdyboyuk]

Galaxy S owner here!
Highly recommended!

 

[Spafon]

Another Galaxy S owner here.
Get the Nexus.
The Galaxy has a great screen, but the GPS is knackered - and Samsung are doing nothing to fix it - and the firmware is buggy.
Biggest mistake I ever made getting this rubbish and I've still got a year of my contract to run

EDIT - just saw how old the thread is. I guess you know what I say is true then

 

[rodman]

nexus is nice but too expensive at the moment compare to galaxy s

 

[Deleted member 39001]

Well both of those phones have now been replaced:

Nexus S review -- Engadget
Samsung's Galaxy S is set for an 'evolution' at MWC in February -- Engadget

Both now made by Samsung haha
I should imagine with the Nexus you'll still be the first for updates though but it's possible the new Galaxy outshines it in the hardware department, you'll need to wait until February 1st or 13th to find out though.

As for the iPhone, I would wait for the next one before buying, whilst my iPhone 4 is great, it is very locked down and the camera is poor in low light, on the screen everything is yellow! But in good light the camera is awesome. The Nokia N8 can beat it though.

 

[WhyAyeMan]

Bit late since I already got an iphone 4! It is locked down, but the camera and screen are better than both the Nexus One and Galaxy S, and it's more stable and with better apps than both.

I'll certainly look again at Android offerings again some time in the future but for the time being, the iphone is still the best all rounder.

 

[Deleted member 39001]

Bit late since I already got an iphone 4! It is locked down, but the camera and screen are better than both the Nexus One and Galaxy S, and it's more stable and with better apps than both.

I'll certainly look again at Android offerings again some time in the future but for the time being, the iphone is still the best all rounder.

The iPhone has the apps and a very good screen but the camera is useless in low light, it makes everything yellow! I also don't think Android is any less stable? But I am yet to have an Android phone.
But as long as you are happy and the iPhone certainly has many things going for it, I got one, actually had a 3GS now on the 4.

 

[WhyAyeMan]

the camera is useless in low light, it makes everything yellow!

Not had that problem with mine and I take lots of low light pictures.

 

[RobM]

Low-light camera performance is one of the biggest improvements of the iPhone 4 over previous generations, IMO. The backlit sensor improves things and the flash is decent enough. Certainly no yellow problems.

 

[lostonions]

Galaxy S if you want to fiddle. Android & Windows Phone: Tablets, Apps, & ROMs @ xda-developers

Nexus One out of the box.

Only thing galaxy s doesn't have is the LED flash

 

[dipstick99]

galaxy everytime