Now that I have had my Nexus S for five months now, have rooted it, and installed custom ROMs, I thought I should give a bit of an update to personal peeves and enjoyable things I have found about it.
First off, the good. After tinkering with it for some time, I managed at one point to get a custom ROM/custom kernel combination that netted me 45 hours of battery life on one charge. I have since moved on to a newer ROM that isn't that great on battery life, but it shows with the proper settings and software that one can really crank out the battery life on this phone.
Secondly, the minor annoyances. There are really only three types of ROMs at the moment. There are tons of actual ROMs, but all come from the same variances. It's either CyanogenMod 7, AOSP (the basic stock option that comes with the phone initially), and MIUI (a Chinese derived variant with some blendings of Cyanogen and AOSP and custom UI).
I spent a lot of time with Cyanogen because of all the customization that worked so seamlessly. However, CyanogenMod has been unstable at times. It's slowly improving, but not fast enough considering Ice Cream Sandwich will be out by the end of the year and they haven't even managed to lock down 2.3.4 stably enough for daily use. It was my go to ROM until recently.
MIUI, on the other-hand, has just as much customization, if not more, than CM 7. However, I found that certain themes would cause my text to be rendered too dark to read. Because of many of the Chinese oriented themes which clash with my American sensibilities, I found I had to put together a hodge-podge theme. In the end, I couldn't really get the ROM the way that I wanted it in spite of its benefits. I still keep a backup just in case I want to upgrade to newer versions which are improving all the time.
Right now I'm rocking SuperAOSP 8.6 . It's a hybrid ROM combining AOSP with CM 7. This gives it the stability of AOSP with the customization of CM 7. I have to say that I passed up on this ROM for some time. I had a backup of it but did little with it. After dealing with Voodoo color issues, reboots, and other problems, I have abandoned CM 7 for the time being. My current ROM is the most up to date at 2.3.4 with only a few minor quirks like Voodoo color taking a second to kick on after turning my screen on.
Finally, the bad. There seems to an issue with the back capacitive button on my phone. It's fairly intermittent and it seems to span across all ROMs, but I'm not sure if it is a hardware or software related issue. Basically it seems that the button is either difficult to press or outright non-responsive. Sometimes though, like after playing Gem Miner for a bit, the button works flawlessly. My Zagg shield may be partially to blame, but I'm not sure right now.
I've had issues finding a decent case to keep it in. The lightweight plastic is a liability for me and my phone was purchased off contract so I'm not taking any chances with it. I initially used an Amzer Jelly case with my Zagg shield. It was decent, but I wanted to up the protection. I tried TPU cases, but they made it where I couldn't push the power button without difficulty. I already have issues with the back button so I chose to abandon these types of cases. I then moved on to a Trident Aegis case. The case itself is actually wonderfully designed and very unique. However, the plastic part of the case (two piece case) has soft touch material that began to flake off, likely because of how often I put it in and removed it from my pocket.
In the end, I went with the Seidio Convert case. It consists of a snap together soft touch plastic case (materials are better with this case than the Trident one), which can be upgraded to a second case that goes on top of it, making it like a Otterbox Defender case that I had with my Nexus One. It also comes with a belt holster which was something I decided to move to. Having the case on my belt actually saved battery because it was no longer next to my leg giving off heat which causes the processor to work harder. The battery itself heats up as well which is also not good for overall performance. So far the case has been great. The snap together case is difficult to get off if I need to, but not agonizingly so. The back button issue may be exasperated by the case, but I'll take the risk.
Aside from all this, the phone is really good. I'm disappointed that no companies have really jumped on the idea of using the NFC chip for debit transactions. Paypal was supposed to do this, but seems to be slow going to get to it. I was personally hoping that the whole NFC thing would take off, but as of now it is a useless feature that draws battery when its on. I likely see NFC getting big if the next iPhone adopts the technology like everyone predicts it will. Sad to see Apple dictating when people should be adopting technology.
I'm a little depressed at the limited accessory offerings. Unlike the Nexus One, that has a wonderful desktop dock and car dock, the Nexus S desktop dock is really rather bland, costly, and can only be ordered through Samsung's site. I don't really have an opinion of the car dock. Neither were available through the website for some time before the desktop dock was finally made available. I sense that the Nexus S isn't doing as well as one would hope from its limited accessory offerings. I see this as a problem from Google. Had they utilized a different chipset (the first gen Hummingbird could only do 7.2 mbps max), or chose to not try to cram in a NFC chip when the tech wasn't being adopted (it's the reason why the Nexus S doesn't have 720p recording because of the front facing camera and NFC taking up a great deal of space) they might have succeeded better. The loss of the SD card for this phone is really the baffling part as all Android phones, down to the crappiest one you can find, have SD card slots.
Still, the phone is good in spite of its shortcomings. It will definitely hold me until the rumored Nexus Prime comes later this year. Hopefully, Google is willing to do what they did with the Nexus One and push the bar while providing a good mix of future proof technology.
Showing posts with label Nexus S. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nexus S. Show all posts
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Why doesn't Google work with CyanogenMod?
Well a recent announcement from T-Mobile said that the Cliq XT would not be getting an upgrade to 2.1. What I've learned is that the majority of the first generation Android phones weren't very future proof. However, if a lone developer can make Froyo work for the Behold II, why can't an elite team of developers do it for the Cliq XT?
I've always wondered why Google doesn't just accept help from CyanogenMod and his team of developers. The way I see it, Cyanogen is ahead of Google in development. While I suppose you could say that Google merely lays the framework for anyone else to fork off of, their attempt to pretty up Android with Gingerbread and Honeycomb says else wise. Hell, if you're having that much problem putting user interface polish on your operating system Google, then contact the developers of MIUI or some of the people that work on themes for Android ROMs.
I like what Google has done with Android so far (being that I started with version 1.5) and I'm really excited about some of the changes that they have made for Gingerbread and Honeycomb. That said, I think it seems like the Android team is a bit stretched thin. Unless there is a separate development team for the Google apps and Android itself, they're running into difficulties. Case in point is Gingerbread for the Nexus S. While it is relatively stable, there have been some hideous bugs like the SMS bug and the random reboot bug.
Google should have taken their time with Gingerbread instead of attempting to meet some arbitrary deadline. Had they have given Gingerbread a few more months we could have seen more phones get ready for it and older phones given the time to get to Froyo. The Nexus S might have been released with the dual core Orion chip set rather than the tried and true Hummingbird.
The word on the street is that Honeycomb is going to be for tablets and separate from the phone development. Then, after some time when cell phones are on par with the power of the tablets, the two lines will merge. Seems like a bad deal if you ask me. We already have rampant fragmentation. While fragmentation is beginning to wind down with almost every phone being released now with Froyo, there's still a long way to go.
With the speed that CyanogenMod is working on version 7 of their OS, you'd figure that Google would recruit them. They certainly have the additional resources to spare as Eric Schmidt went on to say that Google would make a billion dollars in advertising revenue this year from Android alone. I think with a dedicated team like CyanogenMod, Google could speed up development, identify and patch bugs more quickly, and add new unique features to Android to please the general public. It's not too much to ask is it?
I've always wondered why Google doesn't just accept help from CyanogenMod and his team of developers. The way I see it, Cyanogen is ahead of Google in development. While I suppose you could say that Google merely lays the framework for anyone else to fork off of, their attempt to pretty up Android with Gingerbread and Honeycomb says else wise. Hell, if you're having that much problem putting user interface polish on your operating system Google, then contact the developers of MIUI or some of the people that work on themes for Android ROMs.
I like what Google has done with Android so far (being that I started with version 1.5) and I'm really excited about some of the changes that they have made for Gingerbread and Honeycomb. That said, I think it seems like the Android team is a bit stretched thin. Unless there is a separate development team for the Google apps and Android itself, they're running into difficulties. Case in point is Gingerbread for the Nexus S. While it is relatively stable, there have been some hideous bugs like the SMS bug and the random reboot bug.
Google should have taken their time with Gingerbread instead of attempting to meet some arbitrary deadline. Had they have given Gingerbread a few more months we could have seen more phones get ready for it and older phones given the time to get to Froyo. The Nexus S might have been released with the dual core Orion chip set rather than the tried and true Hummingbird.
The word on the street is that Honeycomb is going to be for tablets and separate from the phone development. Then, after some time when cell phones are on par with the power of the tablets, the two lines will merge. Seems like a bad deal if you ask me. We already have rampant fragmentation. While fragmentation is beginning to wind down with almost every phone being released now with Froyo, there's still a long way to go.
With the speed that CyanogenMod is working on version 7 of their OS, you'd figure that Google would recruit them. They certainly have the additional resources to spare as Eric Schmidt went on to say that Google would make a billion dollars in advertising revenue this year from Android alone. I think with a dedicated team like CyanogenMod, Google could speed up development, identify and patch bugs more quickly, and add new unique features to Android to please the general public. It's not too much to ask is it?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The sad realization of Android and handsets...
Samsung's piss poor support aside, I'm still getting the Nexus S next month. I'll be replacing my trusty Nexus One. It was at this point that I really began to think about why I was replacing it.
The Nexus One was a major technological leap for Android. It was the first one with a 1 GHz processor, Android 2.1, a new method of purchasing, and one of the phones (the Motorola Droid being the other one) that I believe started the Android revolution.
I then thought about the shortcomings of the Nexus One. Probably the biggest was the touch screen sensor. The Clearpad 2000 was terrible and it shows since the two finger rotation in Google maps 5 is disabled. The GPU is also pretty weak and the phone's got a pretty limited storage (though I've never had much of an issue with this).
I next thought about the Nexus S. It has a better touch screen sensor, GPU, a front facing camera, the NFC chip, super AMOLED display, and a unique design. Clearly, this phone would be worthy of long time ownership.
However, what bothers me now is all of the new phones coming out. No, I'm not having second thoughts about what to get. If I really wanted to, I could just spend the money on another phone and alternate. I realized that Android and the phones have became like PCs. While I have echoed this for some time that Android and smartphones would be like portable computers, I now see the downside.
There is a lot of growing concern with enthusiasts of Android about the fragmentation. There's really no problem on Google's end. They continue to produce the OS and new versions arrive quite quick. Almost too quick. No it seems that the carriers and manufacturers have entered in to the game of PCs.
PCs have always had one terrible stigma as long as I have used them and that's a new computer will be out in less than 3 months that is far better than the one you bought. We're still seeing some major leaps in computers, but we've hit the point where a decently priced unit with good specs will last you several years without the necessity to replace it. However, we're now stuck in the 90's with smartphones.
New smartphones are hitting the market everyday with better and better specs. However, there's a problem with this. The market is growing, but not nearly as fast as the PC market was. Adoption to PCs was quick and widespread because they were useful to the entire family or businesses or just a regular Joe. The cost of ownership was what you paid upfront. The choice to upgrade components or the operating system wasn't a necessity.
The problem with this rapid influx of new smartphones is the adoption rate of them is dramatically slower than with PCs. There are really only around 250 million smartphones worldwide roughly compared to the billions of computers (some households such as mine own multiple computers). The cost of ownership is much higher. One typically must enter into a contract with a cell phone carrier which will give them a subsidized cost on the phone varying anywhere from free to $200. These contracts (particularly in the US) usually have to keep a data plan on them costing around $30 generally. Contracts are signed the majority of the time for 2 years. Even if you obtain the lowest basic plan for talking and a $30 dollar data plan (you can sometimes get $15 plans, but the amount of data is so small it renders the main portion of the phone useless if you ask me), costing on average around $70 a month with the hottest, newest phone at $200, you're looking at around $1900. You could buy almost 4 to 5 decent PCs for that amount.
Since the customer is locked in the contract and can usually only upgrade 2 months before it ends, choosing a smartphone is almost like purchasing regret. Newer phones are being brought out monthly that make your purchase look inferior. The only choice at that point is to purchase a phone unsubsidized which usually runs $400 to $500 for a high end Android phone.
Do I think I'll feel regret after purchasing my Nexus S? Not likely. I still own the same laptop that I bought two years ago because it's still powerful. It may not run with the new big dogs out there, but it gets the job done for me. Likewise with the upgrade from Nexus One to Nexus S, I'm going to a much higher end phone in terms of graphical power, efficiency, and features.
Still, the manufacturers are over-saturating the market right now and the game is rigged. Manufacturers make all of their money on the initial purchase of the phone where the carriers rake in all the future dollars. With the carriers wanting to strip Android of specific features so that consumers must purchase their services and manufacturers having no urge to upgrade phones when you can purchase a new one, the consumer is getting screwed. All capable phones should be on 2.3.2, the latest version of Android, but these two knuckleheads are preventing it from happening to bend the customers over the rails. This is the sad state of Android and its openness. Open for manufacturers and carriers so that they can close the door for consumers.
The Nexus One was a major technological leap for Android. It was the first one with a 1 GHz processor, Android 2.1, a new method of purchasing, and one of the phones (the Motorola Droid being the other one) that I believe started the Android revolution.
I then thought about the shortcomings of the Nexus One. Probably the biggest was the touch screen sensor. The Clearpad 2000 was terrible and it shows since the two finger rotation in Google maps 5 is disabled. The GPU is also pretty weak and the phone's got a pretty limited storage (though I've never had much of an issue with this).
I next thought about the Nexus S. It has a better touch screen sensor, GPU, a front facing camera, the NFC chip, super AMOLED display, and a unique design. Clearly, this phone would be worthy of long time ownership.
However, what bothers me now is all of the new phones coming out. No, I'm not having second thoughts about what to get. If I really wanted to, I could just spend the money on another phone and alternate. I realized that Android and the phones have became like PCs. While I have echoed this for some time that Android and smartphones would be like portable computers, I now see the downside.
There is a lot of growing concern with enthusiasts of Android about the fragmentation. There's really no problem on Google's end. They continue to produce the OS and new versions arrive quite quick. Almost too quick. No it seems that the carriers and manufacturers have entered in to the game of PCs.
PCs have always had one terrible stigma as long as I have used them and that's a new computer will be out in less than 3 months that is far better than the one you bought. We're still seeing some major leaps in computers, but we've hit the point where a decently priced unit with good specs will last you several years without the necessity to replace it. However, we're now stuck in the 90's with smartphones.
New smartphones are hitting the market everyday with better and better specs. However, there's a problem with this. The market is growing, but not nearly as fast as the PC market was. Adoption to PCs was quick and widespread because they were useful to the entire family or businesses or just a regular Joe. The cost of ownership was what you paid upfront. The choice to upgrade components or the operating system wasn't a necessity.
The problem with this rapid influx of new smartphones is the adoption rate of them is dramatically slower than with PCs. There are really only around 250 million smartphones worldwide roughly compared to the billions of computers (some households such as mine own multiple computers). The cost of ownership is much higher. One typically must enter into a contract with a cell phone carrier which will give them a subsidized cost on the phone varying anywhere from free to $200. These contracts (particularly in the US) usually have to keep a data plan on them costing around $30 generally. Contracts are signed the majority of the time for 2 years. Even if you obtain the lowest basic plan for talking and a $30 dollar data plan (you can sometimes get $15 plans, but the amount of data is so small it renders the main portion of the phone useless if you ask me), costing on average around $70 a month with the hottest, newest phone at $200, you're looking at around $1900. You could buy almost 4 to 5 decent PCs for that amount.
Since the customer is locked in the contract and can usually only upgrade 2 months before it ends, choosing a smartphone is almost like purchasing regret. Newer phones are being brought out monthly that make your purchase look inferior. The only choice at that point is to purchase a phone unsubsidized which usually runs $400 to $500 for a high end Android phone.
Do I think I'll feel regret after purchasing my Nexus S? Not likely. I still own the same laptop that I bought two years ago because it's still powerful. It may not run with the new big dogs out there, but it gets the job done for me. Likewise with the upgrade from Nexus One to Nexus S, I'm going to a much higher end phone in terms of graphical power, efficiency, and features.
Still, the manufacturers are over-saturating the market right now and the game is rigged. Manufacturers make all of their money on the initial purchase of the phone where the carriers rake in all the future dollars. With the carriers wanting to strip Android of specific features so that consumers must purchase their services and manufacturers having no urge to upgrade phones when you can purchase a new one, the consumer is getting screwed. All capable phones should be on 2.3.2, the latest version of Android, but these two knuckleheads are preventing it from happening to bend the customers over the rails. This is the sad state of Android and its openness. Open for manufacturers and carriers so that they can close the door for consumers.
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