Android!

[01101010]

So it seems once you link a gmail account to a phone, you can't unlink that one again without resetting the phone and are stuck with it.

I find that to be a terrible oversight, especially because my GF has over 4000 adresses on her gmail account that are annoying her on the phone (since you can't tell search to ignore those entries).

WTF google? Why do you make me regret giving her an android phone. Do you personally hate me? What have I ever done to you?

Google linking a google account to an Android OS? How is this surprising? And why can't you reset the phone and link a sockpuppet account to it? (genuinely curious)

[Tebonas]

You can't switch to a second account and delete the first one. Thats quite surprising and shows a lack of foresight not usually seen with google.

And I can't reset the phone because the missus doesn't want her phone reset. She just wants those adresses gone without all her other data being touched, this being her work phone and all.

A little more detail. GF exported all her phone numbers from her old phone to google. Old phone was stupid and exported it in a way that the telephone numbers weren't put into the "telephone" field, but under notes. She worked on the new phone for a few months, entering some more patient numbers into the phone without backing up that data (because who backs up? Not normal people). Links her phone to google account for unrelated reason, google syncs the contacts into her phone. GF searches number of patients on her phone, gets multiple entries per patient, one of which contains the number (from the phone), others which just have a useless comment field you can't click to call the numbers.

GF wants me to fix this because it annoys her. Rightfully so. But google are stupid poopyheads and don't let me fix that without deleting all those contacts on google (not permitted) or manually editing every entry to put the numbers into the right field (over 1000 contacts, not happening).

[Draegan]

Suck it up.  I had to manually do that for my wife and 300 contacts last year.

[Tebonas]

This is the phone equivalent to "Well, we had to grind to max level painfully slow, so I am against making the game easier for those damn newbies!" 

[Draegan]

lol 

[ffc]

Just got a GSM Galaxy Nexus.  The deciding factor between this and the other top HTC and Samsung phones was totally superficial: no soft keys on the front.  Going to use it on a cheapy T-Mobile no contract plan.  I read some reviews prior to getting the phone and I disagree with those who think it feels plasticky or that the screen is too big.  It's glorious.  

ICS has neat browser labs options (just read that it started on 3.0).  The fullscreen option takes away the status bar for more screen real estate, and the quick controls let you switch/manage tabs, search, and access settings by sliding your finger on the edge of the screen to open up a rotating menu.

I just wish it was easier to tell the phone which picasa albums to sync, and then delete the albums it ninja sync'd.

EDIT:  If anyone gets the GSM Galaxy Nexus (if on Verizon, stop reading), download and run this app and if it says you have "yakju" then you get updates from Google, otherwise you wait for Samsung.  My unscientific survey has found flashing to yakju from yakju(x)(x) results in an almost immediate 4.0.2 update.  It's an easy flash to yakju and I will write up the steps if someone needs them.

[Quinton]

All Galaxy Nexus OTA updates are deployed by Google.  Samsung does some minor build customization for various regions (usually default APN configurations, etc) but that's about it.  This is not like their standard Galaxy product line with heavy customization, TouchWiz UI, etc.

[ffc]

I'll obviously defer to you but I think the issue is the delay itself for non-yakju phones, not what the update customizations entail.  As soon as someone on xda flashes to yakju with this factory image they get the OTA update notification that they weren't getting with the Samsung customized build.

[sigil]

Chrome for Android is really nice, even as a beta.

[MuffinMan]

I've often wondered why the Android browser hasn't just been named Chrome all along.

[luckton]

I've often wondered why the Android browser hasn't just been named Chrome all along.

(Forgive me if I get some or even all of this wrong...going off of what has been interpreted to me.)

The Chromium Project is an open-source browser/OS code thing that Google's funding.  The intent was that the final product that the Chromium team puts out would be Chrome, but because it's open-source many people can take the code and do what they want with it.  The Android browser is an internet browser created by the Android team, totally separate from the Chromium Project.  The hope is that once get Chrome working on the Android, the Android dev team can reorganize it's resources to supporting and enhancing other 'Droid aspects and leave the browser bit to Chrome.

[Count Nerfedalot]

Chrome for Android is really nice, even as a beta.

I'm jealous. Based on past performance I figure Verizon and HTC will finish ICS for the Droid Incredilble roughly about the same time as the last one in existence crumbles into dust.

[bhodi]

Just flash your incredible with cyanogen like everyone else.

[01101010]

Just flash your incredible with cyanogen like everyone else.

If it were only that easy. I am still waiting for a functional ICS/CM9 build ... and waiting...and waiting. (for the Incredible 2 that is)

[JWIV]

The wife's droid died the other day, and mine was looking to follow shortly, so we went ahead and spluged a bit on replacing the phones with a Galaxy Nexus.   She was sad to lose the Droid's keyboard (and the Droid 4 keyboard really does feel fantastic in the store), but she's had so many problems with her phone for so long before it died (and had already been replaced once under warranty), she wasn't entirely comfortable with Motorola this time around - especially since while there are plans for ICS to be released for it, there's no word as to when.

So far, both she and I are completely in love with the purchases.  The screen is beautiful, and while it may seem large to some, it's just about the right size for me to feel comfortable watching videos and playing games on it, without feeling I was looking at a postage stamp.   A lot has been also made about the 5mp camera.  It's not ideal in all situations (low/odd lighting seems to confuse the white balance a bit), but otherwise, it takes vibrant, clear shots.  Ideally at some point, the consumer market will understand that more megapixels are not always better. 

Weighing over just 5 oz, the phone is lighter than my original Droid, even with the extended battery.  Which you most likely should buy - at least for the Verizon LTE version.   LTE phones apparently like to chew through their battery, and this phone is no exception. 

[eldaec]

I've just entered the 'sign a new contract early and get a new phone before you go out of contract and can be tempted by those horrible other networks' period on my phone which is annoying as hell as I want to switch to Vodaphone (currently on Orange) but want my Nexus now goddammit. I have found holding by breath until I turn blue to be ineffective.

This post has no real content I just thought I would share.

[MuffinMan]

Breathed some new life into my Epic 4g last night by rooting and installing ICS. Chrome Beta is pretty great, especially syncing bookmarks with my desktop without any third party apps.

[ffc]

Chrome Beta is pretty great, especially syncing bookmarks with my desktop without any third party apps.

I recently noticed my bookmarks in my PC Chrome browser already sync with the Android stock browser (at least in ICS).  Also syncing tabs with the Chrome Android browser is really cool but I still prefer (for now) the stock browser because of how it renders webpage text and formats it after zoom, and being able to go full-screen.

[MuffinMan]

You're right, maybe the bookmarks sync is part of ICS and not Chrome. Regardless, I'm happy that I can finally switch from Google Bookmarks which Google canceled support for some time ago.

I've been using the "Chrome to Phone" extension and app to send pages/maps to my phone for a while so the automatic syncing nixes having to use both of those. I do worry about how often it attempts to sync with the desktop since I don't really need that feature much.

[JWIV]

Welp, stock lasted just under 10 days.  Rooted this damn thing to get around some bullshit.  Completely trivial, except for the fact that once I had it rooted, I ran into an issue getting the fucking authentication to verify me.  I eventually just had to kill authentication on my account to get things to work properly.    So I'm now running CM9 on this thing, and other than a brief issue with a boot loop because I forgot to wipe the phone first, the install (ignoring the bullshit verification/account setup) was pretty painless.

[TripleDES]

There better be something in store for MWC, because the lack of updates to 4.0.3, 4.0.4 and maybe the ostensibly existing 4.0.5 and 4.1 is getting disappointing 

Can't be this fucking Nexus S has already 4.0.4 ROMs floating around, while the Galaxy Nexus is still at 4.0.1 and 4.0.2 depending whether you have a yakju version or one of the Samsung bastardized ones.

[eldaec]

Whole slew of galaxy III stories today, all claiming it will arrive in April, 1080 4.8" screen, funky ceramic case etc.

http://m.techcrunch.com/2012/03/02/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-to-launch-in-april/

[Quinton]

1080p @ 4.8" seems a little over the top to me.

I mean 720p at 4.6" was pretty crazy (though it does look nice), but this would be 2.25x the pixels in only a slightly larger physical area.

That's some extreme density right there.

Not six years ago HVGA (320x480) was a lot of pixels on a cellphone.

[eldaec]

It's over 450 ppi.

Professional photo printing is usually only 250-300.

OTOH, I guess you do look at these screens closer than about anything else.

[Draegan]

If you could purchase any phone right now on Verizon, which one would it be?  I'll be purchasing a phone in 2-4 weeks and have not kept up to date on what the latest and greatest is.  Cost is no issue.

Edit: Or is there some monster phone, like the one linked above, coming out soon after?  I know the S2 wasn't on Verizon.

Edit2:  I've been leaning towards the Galaxy Nexus 2 (I think that's the model) that had just come out in the last few months.

[MuffinMan]

I'd wait for the aforementioned Galaxy S III if I had an upgrade right now. It might be a little beyond four weeks, though.

[Draegan]

I'm not in a rush so I can wait.  At least until they officially announce it and show that Verizon is getting it.

[eldaec]

Nexus if you don't mind a shitty camera and only 16Gb storage, or wait for the Galaxy III.

Everything else is still waiting for ICS. Though apparently the Galaxy II gets it next week.

I don't know how 'Verizon' fits into this because I am in europe and therefore don't have to put up with your communist phones-limited-by-network bullshit.

Also, Samsung has now said the April thing is bullshit, but it will be here in Q2 and before summer. So May I guess.

[MuffinMan]

I think whether or not I upgrade when I can in July hinges on how the camera performs on the S III which is rumored to be 12mp. I know megapixels isn't everything but if the sensor is amazeballs I'll probably go for it.

[Segoris]

Nexus if you don't mind a shitty camera and only 16Gb storage, or wait for the Galaxy III.

Everything else is still waiting for ICS. Though apparently the Galaxy II gets it next week.

I don't know how 'Verizon' fits into this because I am in europe and therefore don't have to put up with your communist phones-limited-by-network bullshit.

Also, Samsung has now said the April thing is bullshit, but it will be here in Q2 and before summer. So May I guess.

AFAIK the only major adjustments for Euro vs VZW is that VZW GNex is only available with 32gb storage and due to VZW's LTE network it runs through the battery a little bit faster (extended battery has been half off and selling for $25 so I can't even comment on the stock battery, but the extended has been good). The upside is that the 4g LTE is fast enough I don't even care about turning on wifi anymore.

Even with some minor issues I have with my GNex, it has still been a solid buy that I'm happy with.

[MuffinMan]

In related Android news, Android Market is no more and is now Google Play.

[Draegan]

Well vzn didnt ger the S2 at release.  That's my only concern.

[JWIV]

Nexus if you don't mind a shitty camera and only 16Gb storage, or wait for the Galaxy III.

Everything else is still waiting for ICS. Though apparently the Galaxy II gets it next week.

I don't know how 'Verizon' fits into this because I am in europe and therefore don't have to put up with your communist phones-limited-by-network bullshit.

Also, Samsung has now said the April thing is bullshit, but it will be here in Q2 and before summer. So May I guess.

Camera on the Nexus isn't complete shit.   It's just not the iphone 4s.  That said though, I suspect I'm going to be envying the Galaxy III.

[eldaec]

I think whether or not I upgrade when I can in July hinges on how the camera performs on the S III which is rumored to be 12mp. I know megapixels isn't everything but if the sensor is amazeballs I'll probably go for it.

Megapixels isn't just not everything, megapixels are nothing.

It is a stupid metric which bears no relationship to picture quality, so long as you have at least 2 megapixels.

Colour reproduction is probably the first thing to look at, also speed and sharpness (which determined by optics and focus software)

[Xuri]

Picture quality on my N1 goes up considerably once I remove the battery cover & plastic "lens" in front of the camera :P