Making the switch to Android

Posted by zb on April 25, 2012 04:59 pm 19

Hello guys, so I am looking to make the switch to Android and I just have a few questions that will hopefully make me take the final jump to switching when answered.

So, currently I am on AT&T with an iPhone 4 and a grandfathered unlimited plan. I had thought about switching to Verizon for LTE variants Android phones such as the Galaxy Nexus or Moto RAZR MAXX, however, I do not want to lose my unlimited plan, nor switch to CDMA as I do use my phone abroad a lot, so GSM is the way to go for me.

So to revise my earlier statement, I KNOW I want to switch to Android. iOS has gotten boring and I don't like the closed-source platform. I have experienced Android, more specifically a stock ICS, through my HP Touchpad and I fell in love with the operating system. I now want the same experience on my mobile device. I rely heavily on my phone for texting, email (literally all day between work, personal, and school), music (mostly Pandora/Google Music), movies (Netflix / Movies on my device) and the casual gaming (Although I love the nostalgia of playing N64/PSX games that Android offers), and taking pictures while I travel/family/friends/etc.

So my iPhone is starting to crap out after almost two years of extremely heavy use, jailbreaking constantly, restoring, and regular wear and tear and I'm looking for a new device. The scope of my Android phone knowledge ends with using phones in my local AT&T/Verizon store. I have been weighing the options for months and still haven't decided on a device. I think I have narrowed it down to either an unlocked Galaxy Nexus or the AT&T Galaxy Note.

I have been bouncing back and forth between the two devices and I just have a few questions that may sway my option:

1. Is LTE worth it? I live in an AT&T LTE area and I've never experienced it. How different is it from HSPA+, as that is what the Nexus would offer me?

2. How bad is Samsung's updating scheme? I want a phone that could be considered "future-proof" (Or something to last my contract, or lack there of if I choose the Nexus). I know the Note does not have an official ICS build now and that kind of turns me off compared to the Nexus' fast upgrade scheme. Is it that unbearable?

3.Do skins ruin the phone? I love the stock ICS, and am really skeptical of going to Touchwiz. So much so, that if I got the Note I would definitely flash a custom ICS rom. So I guess another question is, how reliable/usable are custom ROMs?

4. How do the cameras compare? I want a better camera than my iPhone 4, and I know the Note has more MP than the Nexus, but I don't know much about cameras and was wondering if someone could clear this up.

5. Hardware, how old is the Nexus' hardware and now long will the Note still remain a strong competitor? I am also against the Nexus for not having an SD slot, but I do stream a considerable amount of my media. I want something that can keep up with my usage.

Or should I just wait? The One X isn't really enticing to me, no SD, no stock, and generally not a fan of HTC. I suppose I could wait for the SIII, but who knows when it will actually come out, and I am getting really, really sick of my iPhone. So I guess it comes down to Note, Nexus, or is it too late and I'm better off waiting for the next iteration of the Nexus or something for my money?