# Previous Gnex owners with SGS3



## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

Any Verizon GS3 owners out there that owned or still own the GNex?

I am looking for comparisons between the two, mainly battery life and signal.

For me, the signal on my Gnex sucks so that inadvertently kills my battery.

I know its only been out a day or so, but how much better is the GS3?

I have an upgrade available and am considering the SG3, I believe that the dev community will be strong for this phone as well.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## kameleongt (Jun 7, 2011)

on my personal experience been on gs3 3 days now i think and my battery life seems to be slightly better i had the extended battery on my gnex. I am also getting 4g places I didn't get 4g with my gnex. so far those 2 things are better but I'm missing having on screen buttons and 4.1.1


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## landshark (Aug 6, 2011)

Bought a GNex through the classifieds here, then upgraded to the SGS3 to lock in unlimited data for two more years. First day I used the SGS3 I noticed a marked improvement in battery and signal/reception. While setting up the phone and playing around with it, the screen was on constantly. I saw I had 47% battery left and looked at the battery stats. Phone was off charger for about three and a half hours with 2 hours and 49 minutes of screen on time. Right now I have 62% battery with 5 hours 45 minutes up time and 1 hour 13 minutes screen on time. My office gets zero reception, so I always had to plug my GNex in while at my desk or I wouldn't make it through a whole day. And that was with the extended battery. I am actually getting a signal (both calls and data) at my desk right now with the SGS3. My calls I place connect right away, instead of having to wait like I did with the GNex. Data connects instantly after waking up the phone. I always had to wait a few seconds on my GNex. Maybe I just got a bad unit with the GNex, but I can definitely tell the difference between the two when it comes to signal/reception and battery life.


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## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

Good to hear. I suppose I'll wait a week or so and see how the development of it goes before taking the plunge.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## joemagistro (Dec 19, 2011)

i get 2 hours 40 minutes screen on time with 11 hours total..... IMO it was a noticibly better experience comparing battery... all of the other features tho, it blows it away.. thats just my opinion... it even feels like its a bunch better made phone.. i love it


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## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

Damn. Its so tempting. Does anyone know if I can swap sum cards between the Gnex and the GS3 and not have to do any type of activation with Verizon.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## landshark (Aug 6, 2011)

Art Vandelay said:


> Damn. Its so tempting. Does anyone know if I can swap sum cards between the Gnex and the GS3 and not have to do any type of activation with Verizon.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


I took the micro SIM from my GNex and put it in my SGS3. Phone activated on my line by itself. I checked my account online, and it now shows the SGS3. I don't know if it would work that way by just swapping the SIM card and turning on the phone, or if you would have to go online and activate the new IEMI.

And I don't know if the info from joemagistro is completely relevant since he is on a T-Mo SGS3. Different carrier and different network (HSPA+ vs LTE), but it seems I am getting similar results.


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## joemagistro (Dec 19, 2011)

landshark said:


> I took the micro SIM from my GNex and put it in my SGS3. Phone activated on my line by itself. I checked my account online, and it now shows the SGS3. I don't know if it would work that way by just swapping the SIM card and turning on the phone, or if you would have to go online and activate the new IEMI.
> 
> And I don't know if the info from joemagistro is completely relevant since he is on a T-Mo SGS3. Different carrier and different network (HSPA+ vs LTE), but it seems I am getting similar results.


lol it is relevant when you said youre getting the same results!!! hahaha

but i understand what youre saying though.. i had verizon for 5 years and JUST switched to tmo this week sooo i forget little things like it being a totally different network... however verizon users i talk to report similar results


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## smalltownbird (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm getting 3-4 more hours of use over my gnex. And when inactivated my phone in my office at work I immediately got 4g where I would barely get 3g before. I'm happy so far!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## CraigHwk (Dec 24, 2011)

This may be an obvious statement, but I feel this phone is more refined than the Gnex. Everything that bothered me about the Gnex seems to work great with the S3. I had signal issues, bluetooth issues, and audio issues before, but none now.

Had a standard battery and the S3 is much better. Obviously it's a stronger battery. Other random things.. I thought the Gnex was pushing the limits of what I could handle in the way of screen size. I was hesitant to get the S3 out of concern it would be too big, but it really isn't. I think it feels better than the Gnex. I don't think it's cheap, I think it's wonderfully lightweight.  Love the TouchWIz interface. They really took their time with it and it's well thought out.

The speaker is fantastic, the LED light is maybe slightly better than the Gnex, and so far no problems to speak of.

SO happy I picked it up. Don't care about rooting it really. It would be nice, but hey, whatever.


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## Travisimo (Feb 23, 2012)

Yes everything is better on my s3 except for viewing the screen in bright sunlight and having jellybean (which will come). Hardware wise, it's a nice improvement with better battery life, better signal, bigger screen real estate, better camera, and faster gps lock.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using RootzWiki


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## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

Travisimo said:


> Yes everything is better on my s3 except for viewing the screen in bright sunlight and having jellybean (which will come). Hardware wise, it's a nice improvement with better battery life, better signal, bigger screen real estate, better camera, and faster gps lock.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using RootzWiki


So really the only advantage the Nexus has is dev support, but to be fair its only been out for a day.

I think I'm just going to buy it. I am in a position where I need to use the upgrade and its probably the best choice out. Even if I don't like it, I'll trade back with my fiance and get me Gnex back.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## joemagistro (Dec 19, 2011)

ive said this before and i will say it again... People who have the nexus will tell you that its not a big improvement and you shouldnt waste the upgrade....... and people who had the nexus and DIDDD upgrade will tell you that that phone will blow your mind away..

Youre right about dev support, but in all fairness its only been a few weeks, and just 1 week with verizon users...... support is coming.. AOSP is being worked on and the kinks are coming out... Team liquid, one of the biggest devs on the gnex is working hard on s3 dev .... you will love it i promise...

I on the otherhand dont wanna go back to AOSP... it reminds me of having my nexus again and i didnt spend another upgrade to have the same resemblence.... BTW i love touchwiz.. i didnt think ide ever say that, and others who use it say the same... its a big stepup from samsung.. i didnt think ide like it, but now ive grown attached...


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## GTvert90 (Jun 6, 2011)

I miss somethings from aokp but other than that it's a much better phone. Smoother, better radio, battery, screen. No regrets as with time aosp will get going locked bootloader or not

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## jucytec (Dec 29, 2011)

extended battery in gnex is 2100 mAh
regular batter in s3 is 2100 mAh

i'm too lazy to go down stairs to do a check, but i wouldn't be surprised if they are the same exact battery.

when compared to GNex running AOKP m6, my S3 seems to run longer. BUT... the auto brightness on s3 is WAYYYYY darker when compared to GNex Auto brightness.

in terms of signal, they are about the same, i checked the dBm and they are minor differences all around my house. by numbers s3 does report around -10 dBm or so... pretty consistently vs my GNex.


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## joemagistro (Dec 19, 2011)

Battery is not the same... The contacts are different... To fit, the nfc chip on the nexus battery would be facing the inside of the phone

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2


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## jucytec (Dec 29, 2011)

joemagistro said:


> Battery is not the same... The contacts are different... To fit, the nfc chip on the nexus battery would be facing the inside of the phone
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2


Yea.. i just checked... also touch to beam works across both phones.


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## elkniwcire (Jun 22, 2011)

Been using the S3 for a good three days now. I was a little skeptical at first how I would feel about Touchwiz, but I enjoy the feel of it a lot so far. The hardware is just better in every way: battery, camera, and even the screen. It isn't a giant leap forward but it has a lot of subtle improvements that make it a joy to use. Like others mentioned, all of my complaints from the GNex (Bluetooth, camera, signal strength, GPS) are all gone. Dev support is obviously going to be better on the GNex, but the S3 works so much better out of the box.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## sneakysolidbake (Jun 8, 2011)

VZW gnex owner here. I gave it to my dad and do not regret upgrading to the s3. Battery life kills what I was getting before on the extended gnex battery. The phone is faster, I love the bigger screen, form factor, almost everything save the locked bootloader but that can be dealt with. I do want to swap the menu and back buttons but that and TouchWiz are my only other complaints. Nothing deal breaking for me since we have kexec and aosp is just a matter of time.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## inline6power (Jun 20, 2011)

so i still have my gnex as my backup phone and just got my s3 2 days ago. i must say i absolutely love this phone. after the gnex i fell in love with the bigger screens on theses and at 4.8, the s3 suits me perfectly for work and reading emails. 2 things that first stand out over the gnex is #1 battery life. its WAY WAY WAY better than my gnex ever was. #2 WAY WAY WAY better reception. like others i am now getting 4g in places i was only able to get 3g with the gnex. what i miss about my gnex? dev support and all the bean roms. all i gotta do is put my sim card in and get my fix if i need it lol but once the s3 finally has some roms out this phone is going to rock.


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## holden45 (Nov 26, 2011)

Battery life and camera are the biggest two improvements for me. I still have the gnex and do miss jellybean but that will come in time along with dev support. My reception is a little better so I am happy about that 10 to 15 dbm better. Get another keyboard ASAP too I think the stock one us horrible. Auto brightness on s3 is not good so I just run brightness like 1/4 the way up maybe a little more.


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## mattnphuron (Dec 29, 2011)

Hi all, I switched from the Verizon Galaxy Nexus to the Verizon Galaxy S3 primarily because of battery life. I also think the S3 looks much better, but that's not really a reason to make a switch. I've had my Galaxy S3 for 3 days now and while I definitely like the phone - especially the battery life, I find myself missing the GNex for a few reasons:

1) No matter how hard I try, I cannot get used to the combination of physical [background=transparent]home[/background] button and capacitive buttons on the S3.

2) The placement of both the physical and capacitive buttons on the S3 is too low on the device, forcing my thumb to painfully stretch, and half the time when I think I've pressed the button, I really haven't which gives me the illusion of lag which is frustrating. I've turned haptic feedback on the soft keys to help, but the placement is just plain difficult to use compared to the GNex.

3) The S3 feels better in my hand when holding it than the GNex, however, because of the placement of the home button and soft keys, I am always almost dropping the phone when using it one handed - especially when using the physical home button. Pressing the button so low on the phone causes the top of the phone to move away from my hand, making me juggle it unnecessarily. The slick texture of the S3 doesn't help on this point either.

4) The S3 has lag, whether using Touchwhiz or running Apex, although running Apex takes care of most of the lag issues. I find there is lag mostly when using the back soft key. (I disabled S-Voice on the home button which helped the home button lag)

5) The S3's stock Email [background=transparent]app[/background] (non-gmail) forces me to scroll to the bottom of EVERY email to load more detail just to see HTML information. This is highly annoying. Even for simple email, it doesn't render correctly. I have tried all the 3rd party email apps, and I find myself preferring the GNex email app the best and miss it very much. Wish I could use the GNex email apk without having to root the S3.

6) The dialer on the S3 is nicer than the GNex. I like the Contacts better as well, however, on the GNex, I could swipe to the right and left to get from dialer to contacts while on the S3 I have to reach up and hit the tabs at the top which makes it difficult to use one-handed with smaller hands.

7) S3 doesn't have an innate ability to handle scrolling wallpapers effectively without 3rd Party apps. And when it does work with using Apex, I only get a rectangle which cuts most of the image out on the sides. The GNex is able to capture a wider image for wallpaper. Even when it does work on the S3 sometimes it gets cut off when scrolling to the end of the homescreens. I just can't figure it out.

8) The screen display in my experience is better on the S3 than the Gnex looking at them side by side&#8230; the S3 has truer and better whites while the GNex seems a bit yellowish. I know screen calibration can vary from phone to phone and even the type of screen protector can have an effect. In the end if you didn't compare them side by side, you wouldn't even notice in all likelihood.

9) I tried to overcome my bobbling and juggling the phone due to button placement by using several cases and was mostly unsuccessful.

10) The battery life on the S3 is about 40% better than my GNex which is a huge plus. (this is a rough estimation/perception)

11) I think the OS runs smoother on the GNEX (less lag ICS) than on the S3 - even using Apex.

12) I have set up my hotmail (live.com) on both the hotmail and exchange (activesync) profiles on the S3. In both scenarios, the S3 doesn't receive email as consistently as the GNex. Sometimes it simply doesn't push, new email may come in on push one time, and the next time I have to open the app and then it syncs. Yes I have the email set to push. I have my GNex running right next to S3 and over the last 3 days, the Gnex consistently gets pushed every time, while the S3 is a crapshoot as to whether I'll get the email. It is not a peak or off peak settings issues. Bottom line in my experience is that email is more reliable and timely by a large margin on the GNex than the S3.

13) The outgoing name on my email using the S3 is in the format of name.name rather than name name. The GNex has name name correctly. Odd.

Some of you may think I'm crazy but I gave the wife the S3 and went back to the Nexus. Email was the bottom line and Jelly Bean


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## Rrrracer (Dec 20, 2011)

I loved my Nexus (especially after putting JB on it) but traded it to my brother who wanted to get his upgrade before he lost unlimited data but didn't want to spring the $250 for the S3.

The S3, for me, definitely has better reception. My shop is in a very solidly constructed building; very rarely would the GN actually pull in 4G there, but most of the time it was 2-3 bars of 3G, which did not work for me because I use it for my PCs internet connection. The S3 stays locked on 2 bars of 4G which is plenty fast.

It also has noticeably improved battery life over the stock GN setup. Screen is gorgeous but doesn't seem quite as bright, especially outdoors.

The camera is loads better for sure, and doesn't rattle like the Nexus one did. Much better image clarity and way less noise.

The S3 feels better in terms of build quality and in hand. It's noticeably thinner than the Nexus. I appreciate having the physical home button and full screen real estate instead of hacking around the virtual buttons on the GN. Plus it has a SD card slot, a big bonus to me.

The Nexus definitely had a smoother UI experience running Jelly Bean as opposed to the S3 with ICS/TouchWiz, and there are other things that I miss about it, but they are primarily software-related and will be taken care of in time with further development of the phone. Otherwise, the S3 is superior in nearly every way IMO. Can't wait for some AOSP/AOKP JB love on this thing, then it will be near perfect.

Hope this helps! Let us know what you decide!


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## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. I think its ultimately going to come down to if the BL gets unlocked.

But my battery life is terrible. I barely used the phone today, about 45 minuted screen on time, and with 11 hours of up time, I have 6% battery left.

Its only this bad because my signal is usually 1-2 bars of 3g all day because of where I live and work. If I am in an area with full 3g signal my battery life basically doubles, but unfortunately that is not possible for me.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## CraigHwk (Dec 24, 2011)

A bit off topic, but maybe look into the 3800 mAh extended battery. Yes, it adds thickness, but I found the thickness to be nice. I was able to grab onto the phone much better. Perhaps it's worth a shot if the bootloader deal doesn't work out for ya.


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## Art Vandelay (Jan 4, 2012)

CraigHwk said:


> A bit off topic, but maybe look into the 3800 mAh extended battery. Yes, it adds thickness, but I found the thickness to be nice. I was able to grab onto the phone much better. Perhaps it's worth a shot if the bootloader deal doesn't work out for ya.


Not fond of this idea, but thanks for the suggestion. In addition to the terrible battery life, using data with 1-2 bars of 3g is painfully slow and almost not worth it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## jbzcar (Feb 3, 2012)

I came from a GNex. 

My new 32GB White GSIII destroys my GNex in just about everything.  /









Battery life has been insane thus far. 3+ hours of screen on time. Never got close to that with my GNex. And I am using the overclock kernel on my GSIII, too.


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## wera750 (Sep 23, 2011)

Screen on battery life is way way better than gnex for me. The screen resolution is way better. It's faster IMO out of the box than my gnex ever was. I get better LTE reception, but slightly worse 3g reception. But..... the bootloader issue is yet to be decided....

Sent from my SCH-I535 using RootzWiki


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## idelgado782 (Aug 23, 2011)

I ported my number over to Verizon at the end of June and pre ordered the galaxy s3. While I waited for it to be released I tried the razr, it was ok but not for me so I switched to the gnex. I immediately rooted and installed a jb rom and I was loving the phone. I had it for about a week before I got the GS3. The battery life is better and I love how sleek it is. I rooted and installed a deoxed and strip stock rom, installed nova launcher along with the prime add on and I am LOVING the phone. I too miss the on screen and menu buttons, those were awesome and I think that all phones should have implemented them. But you get used to the buttons on the GS3. The more I use the phone the more I like it.

Sent from a sexy a** Galaxy S III


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## MistaWolfe (Oct 10, 2011)

Yeah, but can you load pure AOSP and any kernel you want?









In all seriousness though, not a bad phone. I played with one yesterday and fell in love with the screen. I had my Jellybeaned Nex next to it and it (Nex) felt much faster. Everyone always wants the new shiny stuff, usually getting caught up in the launch hype and exaggerating said features.

I have an upgrade waiting for me on my ghost line, one that I can use and keep my data on my primary. Still up in the air. Waiting to see development or bootloader progress...

Then it's down to white or blue


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## hotelmrrsn (Jul 11, 2011)

I actually went the other direction. Had my sg3 for a little over a week and traded it in for a gnex. Could not be happier. The boot loader was the final decision factor in my decision. I truly hope that the awesome devs we have for our devices get you guys unlocked and our from under that lock so you can fully enjoy your devices. Not sure I'll go to another non nexus devices going forward (even if it means switching carriers) good luck everyone and enjoy your devices!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## MistaWolfe (Oct 10, 2011)

I'm with ya on that one.

Pretty much Nexus or die here....


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

hotelmrrsn said:


> I actually went the other direction. Had my sg3 for a little over a week and traded it in for a gnex. Could not be happier. The boot loader was the final decision factor in my decision. I truly hope that the awesome devs we have for our devices get you guys unlocked and our from under that lock so you can fully enjoy your devices. Not sure I'll go to another non nexus devices going forward (even if it means switching carriers) good luck everyone and enjoy your devices!
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


I know I'm biased since I own one, but once you have a Nexus and realized just how many hoops you had to go through with previous phones at times, you most likely don't want to go back to something else. I'd keep my Nexus for 2-3 years over fighting with Verizon's bs. Sammy is pretty good at helping out developers on their non nexus devices compared to HTC or others (as sammy gives you what you need to compile AOSP right away while HTC just gives you the kernel), but when Verizon gets in the way of that, all bets are off.

Besides, Android versions and application best practices in developer's guides are design to be the most optimal on the Nexus. Doesn't mean they won't function well on other devices, but Google develops their OS with their own preferred device in mind first and lets the OEMs change it as needed.


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## MistaWolfe (Oct 10, 2011)

I started with an OG Droid, went to an X2 (worst mistake ever) > bionic > bionic > razr > GNex.

It took me that long to get back to where I started --- unlocked BL. Once you have it, it's hard to even think of going back.

Not to mention the countless other devices I've helped friends/coworkers/girlfriend out with. Flat out --- it just sucks having to go through all of the shenanigans of a locked BL.


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## DroidOnRoids (Sep 20, 2011)

I came from a Galaxy Nexus but if this bootloader for the S3 does not get unlocked, my ass is going to Swappa to buy another Nexus. I loved the fact that there were tons of options to flash for the Nexus. Also, F*ck you Verizon.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## gearsofwar (Oct 24, 2011)

Came from a nexus. I said fuck it and ate the cancellation fees and mived to at&t. I didnt have and upgrade at verizon so its better than wating full cost.

I love my sg3. So much better i think but thats just me. To each its own.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2


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## dhaliwal925 (Jun 7, 2011)

If someone could shed some light on why the battery life on the SGS3 is so much better than the Nexus? I just recently got one and honestly this reminds me of Droid x days..the phone lasts forever (comparatively).

So what has changed since the Nexus? I notice the problem with the nexus was the battery drain caused by the phone sitting idle connected to 4g. Have they really improved power consumption of Lte radios by that much? I keep my 4g pretty much all day..I used wifi today for a total of about 2-3 hrs and as I type this I have 5% battery left with 3 hrs or screen time more than an hour on the phone and total usage of about 17hrs..stock everything.&#8230;HOW??


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

dhaliwal925 said:


> If someone could shed some light on why the battery life on the SGS3 is so much better than the Nexus?


Because it's battery is larger and the LTE chipset is integrated within the CPU unlike most other LTE phones.


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## cracker (Apr 19, 2012)

Vast improvement u won't be sorry

my stubburn ass s3


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## Goose306 (Sep 12, 2011)

dhaliwal925 said:


> If someone could shed some light on why the battery life on the SGS3 is so much better than the Nexus? I just recently got one and honestly this reminds me of Droid x days..the phone lasts forever (comparatively).
> 
> So what has changed since the Nexus? I notice the problem with the nexus was the battery drain caused by the phone sitting idle connected to 4g. Have they really improved power consumption of Lte radios by that much? I keep my 4g pretty much all day..I used wifi today for a total of about 2-3 hrs and as I type this I have 5% battery left with 3 hrs or screen time more than an hour on the phone and total usage of about 17hrs..stock everything.&#8230;HOW??


Battery's bigger. Processor and radio are more efficent than GNex radio/processor. Smaller die process on manufacture = more efficient.

Really, that's about it afaik. Bigger battery+more efficient radio+more efficent processor.

EDIT: Oh and apparently when I load up a page it doesn't load responses from the last 12 hours... lol


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## kameleongt (Jun 7, 2011)

dhaliwal925 said:


> If someone could shed some light on why the battery life on the SGS3 is so much better than the Nexus? I just recently got one and honestly this reminds me of Droid x days..the phone lasts forever (comparatively).
> 
> So what has changed since the Nexus? I notice the problem with the nexus was the battery drain caused by the phone sitting idle connected to 4g. Have they really improved power consumption of Lte radios by that much? I keep my 4g pretty much all day..I used wifi today for a total of about 2-3 hrs and as I type this I have 5% battery left with 3 hrs or screen time more than an hour on the phone and total usage of about 17hrs..stock everything.&#8230;HOW??


I've had both and the gnex was on the 2100 extended battery. So with that being said both had same capacity and I easily noticed the gs3 longer battery life. I would have to say i get about 45min of more on screen time

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## jr313 (Jun 10, 2011)

I have both phones and the battery life on the sgs3 is way better than the nexus imo. The signal is on par I always had strong 4g on both with 4 full bars. The nexus has it on dev support with all the different roms out but the sgs3 is a straight beast and hopefully we will see more devs but we do have the big 3 when it comes to aosp. I like the camera on my s3 better also. Both phones are awesome and I have my nexus on my nightstand ready to pop my sim in to use.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using RootzWiki


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## dhaliwal925 (Jun 7, 2011)

Thanks guys! I also had my Gnex on the 2100 extended battery..that's why I was so dumbfounded..but now it makes sense why we got the snapdragon instead of the quad..thanks!


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