I'm on the OG Droid but my boss offered to buy me a new phone (probably figures I'm way overdue for a raise) but regardless, I think I'm goin galaxy nexus over sg3. Just based on the fact that I love flashing new things, only real difference is camera which isn't really a big deal to me, and the 2gb RAM. And I don't want any touchwiz or any other crap, just pure android. Anybody see any problems with my views or leaning this way?
Hearing stories of cracked screens and cases coming apart scares the bajesus outta me, knowing I'm trying to avoid getting insurance. I'd hate not to capitalize fully on the upgrade and get the latest device, but Just don't want it to come back and bite me.
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It's more than a little off-topic, but I'll go ahead and provide some feedback based on my experience.
If flashing ROMs and having stock Android is a big thing for you, then the Galaxy Nexus is the best (and only) choice on Verizon. If those are two of your most important "must haves," then there's no need to even look at another phone. If that's entirely the case for you, then there's no need to even bother reading the rest of my post.
That said, having owned both the Galaxy Nexus and the S3, I'll toss out a few things to consider based upon my experience.
The reception is better on the S3. I went through four brand new devices with the Galaxy Nexus, and the reception was horrible with all three. The reception has improved a bit with the last update, but it still falls short of pretty much any other smartphone on Verizon. While I loved pretty much everything else about the Galaxy Nexus, without a usable data or voice connection, it was often a paperweight for me. With the S3, while it has weaker reception than the MAXX or Rezound, I've not had any problems with constant dropouts or the inability to get a signal. It's been surprisingly solid after my experience with the Galaxy Nexus. Different people have different experiences with reception, but if you live, work, or spend a lot of time in an area with poor reception, it's definitely something to consider. The MAXX, RAZR, and Rezound have the best reception on Verizon right now, but the S3 is definitely a step up from the Galaxy Nexus.
The 2GB of RAM and the difference in the processor makes the S3 noticeably snappier than the Galaxy Nexus on ICS, even with Touch Whiz. With Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Nexus surpasses the S3 in smoothness and responsiveness, but that 2GB of RAM is still noticeably beneficial. I didn't think it would be, but it is if you're a heavy user. Once the S3 gets Jelly Bean, even with Touch Whiz, I'd expect it to be just as fast, if not faster, than the Galaxy Nexus.
The screen difference is quite noticeable. On paper, it doesn't seem like a huge difference (4.8" vs. 4.6" ). But with the Galaxy Nexus, you have the on-screen buttons taking up close to 0.3" most of the time. So the usable area is close to 4.8" vs. 4.3". Some people may not think this is a big deal, but if you like a large screen, you'll appreciate the extra half an inch that the S3 provides while still keeping the overall width and height pretty close to the Galaxy Nexus. If you think 4.8" is just too big, then this works in the favor of the Galaxy Nexus.
The build quality of the S3 is on par with the build quality of the Galaxy Nexus. The S3 feels cheap, but it's actually pretty well built. The plastic body gives more flex, and in many types of drops and falls, that can be better for the phone than the more rigid body seen in a Motorola device. And the back piece popping off in a fall is actually a good thing in most situations as it relieves the stress and pressure of impact. I think Samsung can improve a lot on build quality, but anyone claiming the S3 is built poorly doesn't know a lot about the engineering and design behind it. That said, one person could drop a device 100 times and never have any problems. A different person can drop the same device once and essentially see it totaled. This is the case with any phone out there. But personally, I wouldn't let build quality be a determinate between the S3 and the Galaxy Nexus, or between either of those with any other phone on Verizon right now. They're both built far better than you'd think at a glance.
Just a few other notes: Battery life is similar between the two when the Galaxy Nexus has the OEM extended battery (although I'd give the edge to the S3). You said you don't really care about the camera, but the S3's camera blows the camera on the Galaxy Nexus away. The S3 is a little bit thinner and lighter. You'll find a lot more accessories for the S3 since all of the versions around the world and on various carriers are the same size (except for the Korean LTE/quad-core version). The Galaxy Nexus will see longer and more in-depth support from developers due to it's unlockable bootloader and status as a Nexus device. The Galaxy Nexus will also see quicker updates than the S3.
So again, if stock Android and flashing ROMs are two of your must haves, go with the Galaxy Nexus and don't give anything else another thought. If reception and features are more important, give the S3 a second look (and I'd argue that you should look at both the Rezound and the MAXX as well - two incredibly solid phones). All of them are good phones, but each comes with their own pros and cons.
I tend to agree with u on basically all of your points... I guess I was just hoping I could get the best of both worlds (features, reception, combined with stock android and more development). Tough choice indeed... I am sorta leaning sg3 but those threads about the screen randomly cracking and small gaps in some cases is making me question that. Sucks that bootloader is locked, but I think eventually somebody will find a workaround. I.guess I'm Just being kinda paranoid at this point, as I've never had insurance on my phone, and got it in November '09.