# Finally had enough!



## EsotericPunk (Jul 23, 2011)

I've finally reached my breaking point. My Droid X and wife's Droid 2 were great phones that were severely limited by locked bootloaders. The Galaxy SII never dropped on VZW, despite rocking the world over in sales. Nearly all of the phones I waited excitedly for turned out to be crippled in some major way. My wife's Droid 3 was outdated by the Droid 4 a few months after she bought it and her $200 purchase price dropped to $50 in less than a month after the purchase. Now, we're told there will be no ICS, despite its solid specs. Updates to new OS versions took months on each of these phones. I was outright lied to when I was told that from now on, devices would be supported for the newest OS updates for 18 months after release (this one stings the most... I am outraged that any company as large as VZW can just plain _lie_ to customers and get away with it). My Galaxy Nexus hasn't seen an official update in the 5.5 months since it released, despite two major OS version updates.

I'm done giving Verizon my $160 every month just so they can continue to make piss-poor decisions that hinder my device experience. I want to fiddle with my device. Strip it down. Re-create it. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to. So, with a little trepidation, I transferred liability of my unlimited 4G and 3G family data plans and switched to a T-Mobile monthly plan with no contract. Bought a GSM Nexus and MyTouch 4G Slide and am selling my D3 and LTE Nexus to recoup costs. So far, I've already been surprised that the T-Mobile signal is better in my area than VZW's was. The HSPA+ may not be quite up to LTE speeds, but it's not half bad and I get it by my house, where LTE is nowhere to be found. Freedom with my phones, faster speeds near home, _and_ $90 a month for two unlimited data, text, talk lines? Yea, that's a win.

I hope this stirs up some anger in some of you. I hope some of you take your money away and start to force these carriers to re-think their nasty habits. Anyone else done with these carrier/bullies?


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## WhataSpaz (Feb 20, 2012)

Yeah I'm switching to either AT&T or T-Mobile myself...eventually. 4G is nice to have and all, but it's a battery killer for me (which is why I'm always on wifi)


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## coldconfession13 (Jun 15, 2011)

I mean unless you want them to release buggy updates then I don't see why waiting for a stable release is a problem. I love running cm9 and I'm happy with that.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## ddloco (Oct 21, 2011)

I just left T-Mobile and put my amaze on simple mobile wait till you find out that edge and 4g come out of the same 2gb or 5gb pool so your gonna get throttled no matter what if you go over you can't turn 4g off to save usage that made me hurry up and bounce out on T-Mobile they lie for real

Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2


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## ImaComputa (Sep 8, 2011)

x2. I'm on my moms family plan which has grandfathered unlimited but I'm sick of Verizons bullshit. Always the same shit: a bad ass new phone comes outand they either pass on it or they get it 6 months later but with bloat out the ass and half the specs. Que waiting 6 months for the 1 update you'll ever get. Rinse and repeat. Now they're axing unlimited just so they can put it in your ass deeper. I've been researching T-Mobile and they'll probably be my choice.


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## Ianxcom (Jun 29, 2011)

I'm getting the most out of lte while I can then moving to att when contract is up.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

I have no idea why anyone would want to go to at&t if they want another nexus (well at least if you want one through the carrier, if you're getting through google then no worries). They have yet to get the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus S came to at&t officially months after it was out for tmobile.

Pretty sure that all the official Android phones at&t will carry in the future will also have LTE besides the current hspa.


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## Mustang302LX (Jun 28, 2011)

yarly said:


> I have no idea why anyone would want to go to at&t if they want another nexus (well at least if you want one through the carrier, if you're getting through google then no worries). They have yet to get the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus S came to at&t officially months after it was out for tmobile.
> 
> Pretty sure that all the official Android phones at&t will carry in the future will also have LTE besides the current hspa.


Pretty soon any smartphone will be LTE it seems. All carriers are the same they want your money. Its a matter of coverage and VzW like it or not has badass coverage.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Nexus running AOKP via the RootzWiki app.


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## blaineevans (Jul 11, 2011)

Agreed, OP. November 22nd I'm out and will be shopping non-contract plans on T-Mobile and AT&T (whoever provides the best service in my area will come out on top obviously).

Here's to hoping the rumored Nexus devices launch sometime around then.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## LoyalServant (Nov 26, 2011)

I was one of those people that parroted Verizon's coverage until I found out that their map is actually pretty inaccurate.
I called to report issues to them on several occasions regarding huge holes in their coverage where I was either roaming on Sprint
and eating their crappy data or I had no service... "emergency calls only".

The reps are Verizon actually did not believe me.
Their coverage maps show them as being on-net 3G but... nope.. not for miles around.
Fast forward a year later and those areas are STILL not covered but show on their maps as covered.

I still have Verizon devices obviously but have been using a T-Mobile month to month prepaid plan and the same areas that
Verizon has no service? T-Mobile does... it's EDGE but you can get calls, make calls and at least get a message out if need be.

I have been driving around town using my T-Mobile service on a Galaxy Nexus and enjoying better call quality and better speeds in most areas
than LTE on Verizon.
I can pull 10+ down on T-Mobile where I get 5-7 on Verizon.

Verizon may have the boonies covered for the most part but they are starting to develop gaps in coverage.
There are 2 gaps in Verizon's coverage on my daily route to work.
I am guaranteed to drop calls in those areas.
I have reported it to them and dialed the ### or whatever for a time but gave up on it.

It's nearly 2 years later and the no service areas are still on their maps as being covered.
Those same spots that drop calls have not been corrected.

On the flip side... T-Mobile has not dropped a call for me yet.
I have dropped Verizon calls at least 3-4 times a week but their reps always give the runaround.
The other carriers are catching up to Verizon.... in my area T-Mobile appears to have passed them.
They better look out.


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## EsotericPunk (Jul 23, 2011)

coldconfession13 said:


> I just left T-Mobile and put my amaze on simple mobile wait till you find out that edge and 4g come out of the same 2gb or 5gb pool so your gonna get throttled no matter what if you go over you can't turn 4g off to save usage that made me hurry up and bounce out on T-Mobile they lie for real


Understandable, and these plans may not work for everyone, but I use less than 2GB per month for nearly every month of my plan, so I doubt throttling will ever be an issue for me. Frankly, I love that if I get throttled badly, I can just pick up and move to Simple Mobile, or Straight Talk, or whoever! At least for now, it feels great to cut that contract cord...


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## LoyalServant (Nov 26, 2011)

EsotericPunk said:


> Shouldn't the company that I'm paying a monthly fee to, or the manufacturer that I pay a fairly large sum for a phone to, be able to get updates out even faster than a team who works off contributions from the community? It doesn't make sense to me.


Spot on.
I have always wondered why our devs here on rootz, xda, etc can get us stable and regular updates with the shoestring budgets they have.
Verizon and Samsung make billions of dollars and take 6 months get an update out.

These guys are more interested in getting crap like City ID to work than improving the user experience.


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## housry23 (Aug 25, 2011)

I just purchased an unlocked limited edition Galaxy Nexus on Ebay yesterday. I put a bid on it a couple days ago, thinking it would go for much higher than it went for, so it was kinda a mistake. Well, I have been considering leaving VZW and all post paid carriers for a while now and have been following a very informative and civil discussion over on XDA about cutting the ties with carriers and going month to month. I have a VZW iPhone 4S, Galaxy Nexus and a Sprint Epic Touch 4G that I can sell to make up for the ETF of cancelling my account. I also have bout 8 iPhone 3G's and 3GS's that I have purchased broken and fixed them to sell that are just sitting around here that collecting dust lol, so cost is not an issue. If you look at the European carriers and how everything works across the pond it is an amazing difference. The are WAY ahead of us and GSM is definitely the way to go. Yes VZW has great coverage and fast LTE, but I pay over $100 for one line on the cheapest plan at VZW. That of course includes the insurance, but I can go to Straight Talk or T-Mobile pre paid for so much cheaper and buy a 3rd party insurance myself.

I could seriously rant on and on about this, but I will spare everyone that. I will say that I am done with post paid and I hope more and more people figure it out so that the carriers will stop strong arming everyone including the phone manufacturers. Also, Think about the costs involved in your contract. You save $ initially on a phone when you sign a 2 yr contract. BUT.....you pay significantly more per month than with pre paid. Most people(not all, but most) could watch their data use and use wifi when at home. If take the amount you save initially on the phone and then figure out how much you would save in monthly charges over a 2 yr contract, you would see that prepaid is cheaper. I understand that not everyone can drop $500+ on a phone, but if you put half the money you will be saving on a monthly basis aside for 2 years you would have enough to buy whatever phone you want unlocked and outright. Imagine the freedom of popping in a sim card when you travel. You could port your # over to Google Voice and still have the same # all the time.

I hope more people will consider cutting the ties from the big 3 and going prepaid. If Google will be offering the Nexus line in the Play Store and will keep the price at around $500 or less, it could make a huge impact on how much power the carriers have here in the US.


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## Rodeojones (Jun 13, 2011)

I would love to do this. I've got four phones on my plan - two of which are smartphones. And even though my plan is still an old Alltel one and is way cheaper than anything VZW has to offer, it's still a lot of money. Unfortunately, as someone already mentioned, VZW's rural coverage is second to none and I live in rural northwestern Wisconsin. I'll probably look into the coverage of other carriers when my current contract is nearing completion in December 2013. Until then I sadly remain a slave to Verizon.


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## wyllic (Sep 5, 2011)

I've been looking really hard at this option recently. For my 2 lines, plus a third dummy line I pay almost $250 a month. I live in Phoenix which has great cell coverage by VZW, ATT and Tmobile. So buying a couple GSM Nexus unlocked from Google + StraightTalk's $45 a month unlimited everything plan seems like a great option. $90 a month for 2 phones vs $250... LTE isn't THAT awesome, nor is Verizon's service really that much better here. All I need to figure out is which network would the phone use, ATT or Tmobile and if I have a choice which one is better.


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## trparky (Sep 3, 2011)

Personally, I'd never give a cent of my money to AT&T. That company cares less about you as a customer than Verizon Wireless does. Just look at how much AT&T invests in their wireless network, or should I say... how much they *don't* invest in their network.

These are the same guys who kept crying about how they couldn't handle the iPhone. Yeah well, if you had invested in your network instead of penny-pinching you would have been able to. AT&T is a company that is *highly* allergic to spending any more money than they absolutely have to. If they only needed to spend a penny to keep their network up and running on a yearly basis, they'd not spend it because well... our CEO needs it more than the network does.

This is what happens when you put a finance guy in the CEO seat. I'm talking about Randall Stephenson here. He is one of the biggest reasons why AT&T sucks and has been relegated to being one of the worst and more despised companies in the US.

I have no use for AT&T. I switched to Verizon Wireless from AT&T because I couldn't even make a damn phone call more than half the time on AT&T. Failed and dropped calls were fairly normal for me on AT&T before I switched. What's the use of a cell phone when you can't even make a damn phone call 75% of the time!


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## wyllic (Sep 5, 2011)

The same unlocked phone works for Tmobile as well, and honestly I can deal with the occasional network hiccup if I'm paying less than half as much as Verizon charges. Their service just isn't worth the insane bill.


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## LoyalServant (Nov 26, 2011)

nocoast said:


> imo cdma is a better technology that has more throughput. I live in city where i ride the subway etc....i still get service down there. I may not like the price but the service is unparalleled.


I think this is regional.

Born and raised in NYC... and go back frequently.... T-Mobile and AT&T have service and Verizon had little to none in most stations.
My Verizon phone sat dead the whole ride while my family members' devices worked.
IIRC there are a few lines that had Verizon repeaters but not nearly as extensive as the others.
It probably has to do with a lot of travelers from abroad bringing GSM devices into the city.


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## akellar (Jun 11, 2011)

I'm still trying to figure out what this has to do with the Nexus?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## Haze69 (Sep 25, 2011)

The only reason i can't make that switch is because all prepaid either throttle or only give you a 2gb data limit, i loved tmobiles coverage and 4g coverage as vzw barely just got 4g in my area and still doesn't work in my house but i wanna keep my grandfathered data plan as long as i can until vzw decide to take it away from us..

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## ms0chez (Jun 23, 2011)

I'm sorry but I can't stand any network other than VZW. Unlike others who don't care for the hiccups (which is super frequent), I do. I need a reliable network with excellent coverage and that's Verizon. Had Sprint. They sucked ***. Boyfriend had T-Mobile for the longest and never received phone calls or voicemails til days later. Hell, something tragic happened and no one was able to get a hold of him because of T-Mobile's shitty network. Now I never had AT&T but I heard enough people complain about them so as I see it VZW is the best option if you actually want a phone for its actual use, to get a hold of someone.


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## LoyalServant (Nov 26, 2011)

akellar said:


> I'm still trying to figure out what this has to do with the Nexus?
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


The OP was venting about Verizon and the lack of updates to the device and the constant problems that a lot of users have.
But... to "right" the thread a little...

I have had no problem with the T-Mobile network on the Galaxy Nexus as stated above.
It just works.
What I recommend to people is this:

If you were like me and thought that T-Mobile had a crappy network you are not alone.
I had no dealings with T-Mobile for several years because I got fed up with poor coverage.
When Verizon screwed me over with the Galaxy nexus that turned out to be dropped call or bad call quality hell
it actually pained me to give up the device because otherwise I loved the hell out of it.
For me it turned into an expensive PDA.

I returned the Nexus and they sent me a Rezound.
I like the Rezound "OKAY" but it's no Nexus.

In comes the GSM nexus with a T-mobile prepaid plan and 5 gigs of data a month.
I use.... 3-4 gigs a month so I think this marriage will work.

Turns out... T-Mobile's network is not half as bad as it was 3 years ago.
Now we do the math....
$400 for a Nexus from Google.
$2 for a sim from T-Mobile
$30 for a prepaid plan with 100 minutes (I don't talk on the phone much)
So.... $432 up front cost...

Verizon per month: $84
T-Mobile per month: $30
That leaves me with $54 a month saved.
Paying Verizon an ETF: $300 - 18 months left on the contract.

In just under 6 months I break even.
In the year after I break even that I would still be married to Verizon I would save $648
It seems to me that even with an ETF getting a Nexus from Google with a prepaid plan is actually a good investment.

Let's couple this with my wife really wanting kids.... I really have to find some ways to pinch a few pennies here and there
over the long term.

I am not saying it's right for everyone but with plans like this you get to keep your Nexus and have freedom.
You get your cake, and you can eat it.


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## vitaligent (Apr 7, 2012)

Just look at the data on RootMetrics.com. If you picked a bad carrier for your region, you have nobody to blame but yourself. (BTW, Verizon wins in almost all regions.) http://www.rootmetrics.com/compare-carriers/


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## jss2 (Mar 4, 2012)

EsotericPunk said:


> My Galaxy Nexus hasn't seen an official update in the 5.5 months since it released, despite two major OS version updates.


just to add a little bit of perspective here, I wouldn't call 4.0.3 and 4.0.4 "major OS version updates" relative to 4.0.2. Sure - it's frustrating not to have the absolute latest, but it's not like v5.0.0 or even v4.1.0 has come out, which is what I would consider a "major OS update". (I'm not going to get into how easy it is to do the updates yourself).


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

4.0.x to 4.1.x is considered a major update in software versioning.

4.0.2 to 4.0.4 is NOT and is considered an incremental update that fixes bugs within the current source tree.

No new features means it is not a major version. Android source can also update and have absolutely no new fixes for a particular device as well.

*Source*: Anyone that has developed/built and maintained software.

Enough hot air in the thread to make me wonder if it accounts for the 90+ degree days here lately


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## russphil (Feb 28, 2012)

In the OP, why bring up the Droid X and Droid 2 having locked boot loaders as a negative, only to complain that your galaxy nexus hasn't received an update?

Just root the damn thing and install the update yourself.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

russphil said:


> In the OP, why bring up the Droid X and Droid 2 having locked boot loaders as a negative, only to complain that your galaxy nexus hasn't received an update?
> 
> Just root the damn thing and install the update yourself.


Most likely because they wrote it in an emotional state where they were not rationally thinking through everything they put in the OP. Generally these types of threads are like that. Chock full of all sorts of emotions, frustrations and yet the sources of those frustrations will never see any of this. A thread like this seems to happen in every popular subforum every couple of weeks.


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## metal (Feb 8, 2012)

LoyalServant said:


> The OP was venting about Verizon and the lack of updates to the device and the constant problems that a lot of users have.
> But... to "right" the thread a little...
> 
> I have had no problem with the T-Mobile network on the Galaxy Nexus as stated above.
> ...


i might go that route, but i want to see the new nexus program first. no doubt in my mind that I will be cancelling verizon, because they are just too expensive compared to all other carriers

the boom in "wireless data" is all good and all, but at work and at home, i have a very strong wifi connection. out and about, I don't know if i need LTE speeds to get stuff done when hspa is good enough, and doesn't chew into your battery

i love lte but im not gonna hamper myself again with this piss poor battery life. i can't be plugged into a wall socket all day. maybe the carriers should assist the innovation... as opposed to having me try to purchase vzw navigator, a function that my phone can do for free

and then the cost. i get you don't have spectrum, but i cant be paying 30 dollars to vzw and 50 dollars to vz fios a month for internet access. make this stuff cheaper cause you carriers are going to get to a point where you price us all out. if you cant make this cheaper, go the tmobile route and understand your customers may not even want 400 minutes.

but nah this all wont happen. fuck these guys. ill just let the spirit of competition decide what im doing come thanksgiving. and if not, then ill go purchase a hopefully then released nexus tab, hop onto the wifi connection i own -- download all the mp3s i want -- and sync any sort of data at one of the THOUSANDS of available wifi hot spots in new york city (other states ymmv)

and buy a 10 dollar tracfone for that rare phone call


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## wyllic (Sep 5, 2011)

vitaligent said:


> Just look at the data on RootMetrics.com. If you picked a bad carrier for your region, you have nobody to blame but yourself. (BTW, Verizon wins in almost all regions.) http://www.rootmetri...mpare-carriers/


VZW, AT&T and T-Mobile are all pretty much the same in Phoenix, so it's basically a wash and boils down to cost. Verizon comes out slightly ahead, but not at nearly triple the cost


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## trparky (Sep 3, 2011)

As far as I'm concerned... if you are a geek, you own a Galaxy Nexus, and you haven't rooted it and ROMed it, then what the hell are you waiting for? Root and ROM the damn thing! This phone practically begs you to ROM it!

If you haven't ROMed it yet... please hand your geek card over.


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## ms0chez (Jun 23, 2011)

LoyalServant said:


> I have had no problem with the T-Mobile network on the Galaxy Nexus as stated above.


What you did does sound pretty awesome ($30 a month!) if I lived in a area where T-Mobile actually thrives. Unfortunately the city I live only VZW seems to have good and decent service. It all depends where you live. I would love to do what you did but can't unless I move to Orlando or something. But VZW does seem to have overall good coverage though so I know mostly wherever I go I'll have decent signal to at least make a phone call.


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## LoyalServant (Nov 26, 2011)

trparky said:


> If you haven't ROMed it yet... please hand your geek card over.


This may sound absolutely crazy to some people but.... my GSM version I have not rooted it nor installed a custom rom.
I can explain....

The reason I rooted the Verizon version is to yank off some Verizon apps and install the leaked updates in the hope for a fix
to the bad call quality and bugs that existed in the stock version.

The GSM version, not only have I not unlocked it but not rooted it either.
When I first powered it on and it got an active internet connection it downloaded the OTA to 4.0.4 and updated itself.
There are no apps that I don't want on the device now and it does not have any issues that bother me.

It.... just works.
This was the experience that I truly expected from the Verizon variants that I was robbed of by Verizon.

I honestly think that in this case carrier intervention and control is what has hindered this otherwise exceptional device.


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## trparky (Sep 3, 2011)

The main reason why I rooted and ROMed my phone was to get a true Android experience. By ROMing the phone I feel like the phone is truly *my* phone. Myself, I can't live without Titanium Backup.

There are some aspects of the third party ROMs that the stock ROM doesn't have that simply makes the third-party ROMs ten times better than stock. The number one reason, at least for me, is the drop down function toggles that can be accessed from the pull-down menu. Being able to turn Wifi, Bluetooth, Mobile Data, and GPS off with a flick on the finger instead of having to drill through menu after menu makes the Android experience for me that much better. LiquidSmooth, the ROM I run, keeps adding more features that simply puts the stock ROM to shame. LiquidSmooth also seems faster than stock. The third-party kernel developers have also done a great job in making the phone faster too.


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

I don't see a problem with being on stock, as long as you're content with being on stock. The OP however is not and as these sort of threads go, posts the fact he is not happy with it on a forum about modding, after market development and rooting. Heck, version 4.0.4 from Verizon was leaked too. However, since it didn't come magically from his phone without doing any footwork, he's up in arms about it. All of that is sort of a contradiction from him saying "I want to fiddle with my device. Strip it down. Re-create it. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to."

It's about like being a Windows user, going to a Linux Forum and complaining about Windows not being moddable, but still using it.


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## holden45 (Nov 26, 2011)

I feel your anger with Verizon I live in Maine and choices are limited. I got the nexus because I always root and rom my phones well this past month had issues with Verizon and some fees so I was ready to bail then add in the crappy reception my nexus has but choices are extremely limited and sadly us cell upped there data cost big time, was gonna go to them cause they actually have 4g in my area. So sadly here I sit with my poor reception nexus and no real other choices. Well maybe flash a phone to straight talk.


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## trparky (Sep 3, 2011)

It really comes down to this...

If you don't like something about your phone, don't just sit there and wallow in self pity and complain about it, get up and do something about it! Android gives you the power to do so! This isn't the iShit where you're told it's their way or the highway. This is Android! Change what you don't like!


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## WhataSpaz (Feb 20, 2012)

trparky said:


> It really comes down to this...
> 
> If you don't like something about your phone, don't just sit there and wallow in self pity and complain about it, get up and do something about it! Android gives you the power to do so! This isn't the iShit where you're told it's their way or the highway. This is Android! Change what you don't like!


Open source only applies to a handful of phones though if you know what I mean


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## lostnuke (Jul 15, 2011)

Drop your cell phone all together. Go back to land lines only.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

WhataSpaz said:


> Open source only applies to a handful of phones though if you know what I mean


But but, <insert spammy doesn't know what they're talking about android blog> told me the sources for <insert android device here> OS were released







.

I hate when blogs do that and then some user sees that and then comes to the forums posting about it. Any blog that can't distinguish between the kernel source being released and all of the Android OS source for the device should be ignored for credible Android news.

Of course we all know Cyanogen and others work on getting around those issues by rolling their own source for the areas modded by the OEM, but the actual OS source to device from the OEM is never open as already mentioned (other than Nexus devices and even those have some proprietary issues on both GSM and CDMA versions). Even then, nearly every device still has some binary blobs in it that are just added in and not compiled.

I think the Galaxy s2 was the only Android device so far to have a kernel totally free of any binary blobs. → link also has some interesting information as to why certain parts are closed:



> angusgr 68 days ago | link
> 
> The Mali (GPU) kernel module source is there, but not the proprietary userland libraries. So the situation is as you say.
> 
> ...





> rys 68 days ago | link
> 
> We're not paranoid; that resistribution restriction on our driver didn't come from us (I work for PowerVR). As a rule of thumb, it's the device or SoC vendor that calls those shots and controls redistribution.


↑ powervr makes the gpu drivers for the galaxy nexus as well.


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## big_limits (Sep 23, 2011)

Love it... Fascinate drama all over again. I loved that phone


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## EsotericPunk (Jul 23, 2011)

OK, please allow me to clear a few things up:

1) I'm sorry that I referred to the updates to 4.0.3 and 4.0.4 as "major." I stand corrected. I'm not a dev, so I didn't realize that there was a difference in definition from what I had intended. I was thinking of them as major because they fixed a number of bugs that were plaguing users, the most notable seeming to be the random restarts that were occurring on 4.0.2 and radio issues that were causing problems with connectivity. In fact, to me personally it was major because I couldn't even hardly make a phone call until new radios came out... the 4.0.2's just never seemed to work well for me. This isn't about *me* not being happy on stock, it's about the carrier not allowing Google's updates to make the stock experience better for everyone. All semantics aside, I still feel that it isn't right that we should have 1 update when the GSM version has had all 3 available to it so far.

2) Since someone asked, the reason I mentioned the Droid X and Droid 2 is that, from all the bootloader unlock petition drama that arose over them (and a few others) last year, it finally seemed to come out that the carrier (namely Verizon) was the one forcing Motorola's hand in locking bootloaders. This may not be the whole truth, but it seems to be Motorola's stance in the Moto forums that I posted in before. Also, the thread was not particularly intended to be about the Nexus only (see #4).

3) I do unlock, root, and ROM my phone and I don't feel that this is contradictory to my frustration with updates. I said that I was fed up with Verizon, not the Nexus itself. I understand that nearly all the issues with the phone will eventually get fixed. I usually don't wait for carrier updates... I jump into the development section and start playing with ROM's. However, not all users are ROM-savvy. I know a couple people through work that don't hack their phones and they are disappointed with some of the problems the Nexus has. I tried to explain to them how the development community can help and even went so far as to offer to throw a ROM on for them to try, but they don't want to add that layer of complexity to their phone experience. I can appreciate that. In their eyes, a ROM can void their warranty and cause issues that they need to rely on someone else to fix. They just want a phone that works. I actually feel bad because I was the one who got one of them really excited about the phone. Now he's a little frustrated that there's still issues after five and a half months. My purpose in the OP was to convey my dislike for Verizon's handling of the updates. Which brings me to point #4...

4) Whoever said it a couple pages ago was right, this thread isn't particularly about the Nexus. I didn't actually realize until someone pointed it out that there was a Verizon issues thread. Mods, please feel free to move this over there. I apologize for posting in the wrong forum.

5) That root metrics site is funny. It says the only carrier that even _has_ any service at my house (albeit poor) is AT&T. Ironically, that's the only carrier that gets absolutely nothing here (which actually cracks me up when all my sister-in-law's android bashing, iPhone toting friends lose reception).

I realize this is an anecdotal thread. That's OK, I intended it to be. I'm not trying to say that dropping your VZW plans and heading off into the monthly plan sunset is going to work for everyone, I just wanted to share my thoughts and experience (and it's even OK by me if you don't care). I'm just tired of VZW charging me a premium for service that I feel is sub-standard.

So, to summarize (for those that feel my OP was disjoint):
- VZW strong-arms manufacturers into limiting devices (evidence: Droid X and Droid 2 locked bootloaders)
- VZW process adds to long delay times for updates (evidence: DX, D2, D3, GNex, nearly every OS version change from Google)
- VZW makes poor choices (IMO) for phone software/hardware (evidence: Bing on Fascinate, no GSII despite global success, D3 outdated within months, RAZR MAXX more or less replacing RAZR in about a month and a half)
- VZW lies to customers (evidence: 18 month device update support, claims that Google is holding back the GNex updates)


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

EsotericPunk said:


> OK, please allow me to clear a few things up:


I mostly agree with everything you said, though I'm not sure how much of Moto locking stuff is them being strong armed, versus Moto just being control freaks. I think the only phone they have unlocked totally were the "developer's" models they released recently that came with no warranty and a $500+ dollar price tag. In the past, when people have complained to them, they have basically said in reply, "If you don't like the fact we lock bootloaders, then go buy someone else's phones." Also, I don't know if they really blamed Google for the update issues. Hardware choices are also mostly what the OEM wants, though I believe the carrier can object or recommend as well.


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## evolution (Oct 6, 2011)

I think I'll be looking to either sprint or T-Mobile in the next year myself.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## throwbot (Jan 2, 2012)

Dude i would switch n a heartbeat if I didn't live in the mountains. Verizon's the only one it sucks


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## miketoasty (Jun 10, 2011)

EsotericPunk said:


> So, to summarize (for those that feel my OP was disjoint):
> - VZW strong-arms manufacturers into limiting devices (evidence: Droid X and Droid 2 locked bootloaders)
> - VZW process adds to long delay times for updates (evidence: DX, D2, D3, GNex, nearly every OS version change from Google)
> - VZW makes poor choices (IMO) for phone software/hardware (evidence: Bing on Fascinate, no GSII despite global success, D3 outdated within months, RAZR MAXX more or less replacing RAZR in about a month and a half)
> - VZW lies to customers (evidence: 18 month device update support, claims that Google is holding back the GNex updates)


Motorola locks down their bootloaders, not Verizon. It seems that the HTC One X, a global phone from a different company, was also locked down pretty tight. This isn't the carriers doing, it's the Manufacturers.

I have seen very few devices on any other carrier that has gotten ICS, please name a few that you have noticed? I am not talking recently released, the Galaxy SII which was one of the hottest phones of last year, is still not getting ICS officially. But lets blame that on Verizon as well?

Again, Verizon supports the carriers who actually makes the phones. It doesn't make sense for Verizon to support the Droid 1, 2 and 4 just because they know that the 3 will be outdated in a couple months. It looks bad and it doesn't really cost them anything. If anything get up in arms against Motorola for releasing phones so quickly.

Again updates are done by Motorola, Motorola was the one who said the Droid 3 will not be updated due to hardware limitations, not Verizon.

As for the Galaxy Nexus updates, it could be held back by a number of different people/groups/company's but my guess is it isn't Verizon, out of all of the company's out there Verizon is losing the most money by having to exchange phones or give out different phones due to a buggy 4.0.2. If anything I would think they would be pushing for a release.

I understand your frustration with the phone / Verizon but just going out and blaming it on the carrier isn't going to get you very far. If you want to switch to another carrier, go right ahead, I hope you have a better experience, but for me this phone has been rock solid on Verizon. I am on 4.0.4, and get 4G download speeds of 20 Mb+. Sorry you can't say the same.


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## Drkknight74 (Dec 14, 2011)

Tldr holy crap but people who said go to T-Mobile, you're out if your mind. Worst coverage and slowest speeds I've ever seen.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## SpinningHook (Jun 15, 2011)

This thread reminds me of Louis CK:

_"We're all just so mad &#8230; people say the craziest shit. 'I HATE Verizon!' Well make your own then. You go make one. Make your own network. Get some hubcaps and climb some trees, see how close yours is to perfect."_

_Edit: even better (if you are easy offended by "bad words," don't read; also, if you find this funny and aren't fimiliar with the source material, check out Hilarious):_

"*We have these phones now that you can call in an air strike with! You can look at the top of your own head! It's amazing, this shit, and it's wasted on the shittiest generation of piece of shit assholes that ever fucking lived. I swear to god. We are. We're the worst people so far. Because we have this beautiful thing and we hate it! I never saw a person going "Look at what my phone can do!" Nobody does that. They all go "This fucking thing, it sucks! I can't get it to&#8230; ugh!" Give it a second, would ya? Could you give it a second? It's going to space, can you give it a second to get back from SPACE?! Is the speed of light too slow for you, you noncontributing product sponge ****?! Can ya just wait? Can you just take a little breath and wait for that picture of Axl Rose to get on your phone? Like it even fucking mattered what you were doing. Like it was even important. We're all just so mad. "I hate my phone, it sucks!" No, it doesn't! It's amazing! The shittiest cell phone in the world is a miracle! Your life sucks, around the phone! Why are you so mad at it? People say the craziest shit. "I hate Verizon!" What are you talking about?! How can that feeling exist?! "I hate Verizon!" Why, did they fire you and take away your pension? NO! "A couple of times it was weird for a second! I hate them! I hate Verizon!" Well, make your own then. You go make one. Make your own network. Get some hubcaps and climb some trees. See how close yours is to perfect. Why would it be perfect? Really! It's as good as it is! Why do we expect it to be fuckin' perfect all the fuckin' time! We're not contributing, we're not helping it be perfect! We don't even know what is involved! Do you have any idea what is involved in taking your thing that you said that nobody needs to ever hear, ever, when you go "Hey, what's up dude?!" and a little invisible magic angel takes it! Goddamn it! "When did you send me that text?!" If I sent it to you a month ago, it's amazing! Whenever it gets to you, it's amazing! Whenever it gets to you in your chosen fuckin' font. It's incredible!*"


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## wyllic (Sep 5, 2011)

While that's funny, his logic is completely irrational. What it boils down to is that since the technology is awesome I shouldn't complain. That's like saying even though I paid for a Ferrari but the dealership gave me a Gremlin instead I shouldn't complain because cars are awesome and if I have a problem with that I should build my own from scratch.

You have a right to certain expectations regarding items you pay for, it's part of our consumer driven economy. If a restaurant messes up my order I let them know and they fix it, if I like a certain item I buy on Amazon, Newegg, or seller on Ebay I leave a positive comment or review.

That and the whole 1st amendment protecting my right to bitch about Verizon's high cost of service. Yes, I choose to pay, but nowhere in my contract does it take away my right to bitch about it on the internet. =) Yet...


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## miketoasty (Jun 10, 2011)

SpinningHook said:


> This thread reminds me of Louis CK:
> 
> _"We're all just so mad &#8230; people say the craziest shit. 'I HATE Verizon!' Well make your own then. You go make one. Make your own network. Get some hubcaps and climb some trees, see how close yours is to perfect."_


(Not going to quote the entire thing) Jesus that was good. I wish people would spend more time enjoying what they have instead of being on here whining about how they don't have .4 they only have .2 which is apparently causing your life to suck miserably. That two versions that you are missing out on (When 95% of the world doesn't even have ICS yet!) completely ruins your life (At least that is the way some people make it sound).

@wyllic You are taking the quote wrong, it's like saying you bought a Ferrari and because your car only gets 2 MPG instead of 3 you go back to the dealer and whine miserably about how terrible the car is. It still works and it is still one hell of a car but that one issue that it has causes your entire life misery and makes the car completely unusable.

Personally, I love this phone. I have owned a Droid 2 and a HTC Thunderbolt before getting this and straight out of the box this phone has never even come close to the issues I have had with those other phones. I get a stock ICS experience that is blazing fast with no* bloat. I can unlock it without having to go through downgrades or install special applications on my phone / computer. It works. It may not rotate at an amazing speed but it does. How much time does this run me per day? Maybe 2 minutes of waiting for it to rotate and of course it bothers me so I did something about it (Rooted the phone) but if I didn't have the rooting option would I have lived with it? Of course!

The phone works, it has some issues which is to be expected but I am grateful that I finally own a current phone that doesn't make me regret purchasing it 6 months later. Sorry everyone doesn't agree or have issues that cause your phone to be "Unusable", that is why Verizon gives you a return period so if those issues come up you can get something else.


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## SpinningHook (Jun 15, 2011)

Just to clarify, my posting that isn't meant to be directed at anyone in particular (including the OP). I just find it to be an interesting perspective on the topic.

My interpretation of it being that one should take the time to appreciate the things that you have and to pick your battles when it comes to what you find truly frustrating. Really, it's meant to be a broader indictment of consumer culture and all its trappings. it just so happens to be about cell phones and this just so happens to be a forum largely centered around said items.


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## ALDO101T (May 4, 2012)

We'll people it's all about MONEY! Nothing else


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## MikereDD (Jun 6, 2011)

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=WCkOmcIl79s&v=WCkOmcIl79s&gl=US

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Shiftyshadee (Jun 7, 2011)

Here, I'll put this all in perspective. Some people somewhere, maybe down the street from you aren't going to eat today. Be thankful for what you have.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## blaineevans (Jul 11, 2011)

Liberals.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## SpinningHook (Jun 15, 2011)

Exsanguinate their hearts. Then they can't bleed from them anymore.


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## EsotericPunk (Jul 23, 2011)

SpinningHook said:


> Just to clarify, my posting that isn't meant to be directed at anyone in particular (including the OP). I just find it to be an interesting perspective on the topic.


I never imagined there was any offense meant. In fact I heard that a couple years ago and thought it was hilarious. I just get frustrated watching big companies lie to me over and over as I keep handing over my money. That's why I acted and changed companies. Frankly, I've been much happier since switching. Turns out T-Mobile has a stronger, faster signal at home, and service at work is even slightly better.

Also, to those that have recommended that I direct my anger at Motorola, believe me, I have. I likely won't be buying a Moto product again unless they revise some of their policies. The bootloader thing I overlooked when I bought my wife's phone because she could care less about a custom ROM. But the 5 month lifespan of the Droid 3 is kind of irritating. I just don't trust that if I buy something from them, it won't be dropped a few months later.

To the folks attempting to make analogies using cars, let me have a crack at it: how would you feel if you bought a brand new car that you loved immediately, but then found out that the engine was having an issue that caused a sudden loss of power while driving? So now you have to pull over at random times and restart the car. Then you take it in only to find out that the dealer and manufacturer say that there are updates to the cars computer control system but that they can't give them to you because you own the American version of the car. Meanwhile the European version of the same car has had the problem completely fixed for months. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt that would go over well.


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## housry23 (Aug 25, 2011)

OK, I had this big long post ready, but didn't push the post button. I will just sum it up in a few sentences.

People have different opinions and different experiences. Certain carriers are better in certain areas. It is not the same everywhere. Everyone has a right to their opinion and the OP did something about his problem.

It is amazing to me that people are not allowed to think differently than you. If you feel differently than the OP, there is no need to post here, OR if you do, say something along the lines of: 'I am sorry about your experience. VZW has been great for me.'

Technology is great. Louis CK is right about what he said to a certain extent. If I am giving someone $100+ of my hard earned money every month, than I expect them to live up to their end of the contract, just like they expect me too.

Everyone has a right to their opinion without ridicule. Goodbye.


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## flashback7 (May 4, 2012)

My last bill was 109.14$, (Sprint) it was over what it normally is just a hair.. Vzn will not work at my house. Lol. (Or in my yard) Only Cspire and Sprint. (Tested myself) Fixing to be working in a different location ..Thinking about gettin a Vzn line for work. If they worked at my house I would switch. I know my bill will be high though if I do make the switch.. I use about 10 a mo  or more.. Need to move but own the damn place. Lol. I messed with my friends Gnex on Vzn and man it was like 13mbps upload!!! Sonofa!!







ill eventually make the switch If Sprint doesn't get with it.

~Sent from my Franco powered Galaxy Nexus~


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## The Nexus Project (Jan 1, 2012)

The LTE version has more storage & an LTE radio and is.53mm thicker. But I chose the GSM version. The CDMA is not a true Nexus phone. I don't care what the bias people who own CDMA devices say. There's carrier branding, bloatware & carrier restrictions. Everything that a Nexus device is suppose to go against. Ask yourself this? What Nexus is Google selling on Google Play?

Sent from my i9250(GSM) Galaxy Nexus


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## jr313 (Jun 10, 2011)

Mouse said:


> The LTE version has more storage & an LTE radio and is.53mm thicker. But I chose the GSM version. The CDMA is not a true Nexus phone. I don't care what the bias people who own CDMA devices say. There's carrier branding, bloatware & carrier restrictions. Everything that a Nexus device is suppose to go against. Ask yourself this? What Nexus is Google selling on Google Play?
> 
> Thats funny i couldve swore i bought a nexus on verizon the box and manuals and phone info also say so....
> 
> Sent from my i9250(GSM) Galaxy Nexus


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## miketoasty (Jun 10, 2011)

Mouse said:


> The LTE version has more storage & an LTE radio and is.53mm thicker. But I chose the GSM version. The CDMA is not a true Nexus phone. I don't care what the bias people who own CDMA devices say. There's carrier branding, bloatware & carrier restrictions. Everything that a Nexus device is suppose to go against. Ask yourself this? What Nexus is Google selling on Google Play?
> 
> Sent from my i9250(GSM) Galaxy Nexus


Your definition of Nexus is far from what Google thinks it is. The "Carrier branding" is something that Google allowed to be there, they wanted to be on Verizon so they made some compromises.

Bloatware? There is 2 Verizon apk's on the phone, both of which can be removed from the get go. One is actually kind of useful if you have a tiered data plan.

What carrier restrictions? I own the LTE Nexus and can do the same things you can do.

Nexus is just stock Android. Nothing more, you can try and make it more than that but Google never meant for it to be any more.

Google doesn't have rights to sell the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, why would that change what makes a phone a Nexus?

Oh but I guess I am just one of those bias people who own the CDMA version. Sorry I guess I don't know anything because I bought a phone with a different radio in it.


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## gsxraddict (Jul 16, 2011)

Mouse said:


> The LTE version has more storage & an LTE radio and is.53mm thicker. But I chose the GSM version. The CDMA is not a true Nexus phone. I don't care what the bias people who own CDMA devices say. There's carrier branding, bloatware & carrier restrictions. Everything that a Nexus device is suppose to go against. Ask yourself this? What Nexus is Google selling on Google Play?
> 
> Sent from my i9250(GSM) Galaxy Nexus


Cause selling the GSM covers a wider range of carriers. Doesn't make it better just good business sorry lol

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## yarly (Jun 22, 2011)

He's just flaming anyways, but at least it's done more tastefully than his last (removed) post. I had to remove his first post because it was far far worse than that and just the type of post where someone writes a bunch of stuff without thinking about what they're writing beforehand. His second one (although I don't agree with it), is at least removed of the unneeded flamebait.

If you disagree with someone/something, that's fine and acceptable. However, if you post your reply so you're just stirring up unrest and other's emotions and cannot say it without cursing, then you need to rewrite what you're trying to say.

Take 5 minutes and think before you post when you're stirred up about something emotionally. It does a lot of good towards what a discussion is supposed to be. Otherwise, posts like that tend to be the ones that get a thread closed.

Anyways, back to whatever this topic was supposed to be about.


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## throwbot (Jan 2, 2012)

Back to our regular scheduled programming:

"Screw the man!"

Suprisingly sent from an lte nexus that's late on the bill


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