TheVerge and Engadget reviews disagree over CPU, battery and display

[Ry]

well, Topolsky always has a soft corner for apple. remember how he praise iphone 4 with glass better and now nexus 4 is breakable.
He didn't have a problem with no LTE in iphone 4 but now it seems like a deal breaker.

Let's do a little research.


Topolsky's iPhone 4S review: iPhone 4S review | The Verge

Verge Score 8.6

GOOD STUFF
Camera is stunning
Retina Display is still best in class
Siri software is incredibly cool and surprisingly useful

BAD STUFF
iOS is beginning to show its age
Improved 3G speeds don’t seem very improved, especially compared to LTE devices
Glass and metal design is beautiful, but easy to shatter

Topolsky's Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) review: Review of Verizon Galaxy Nexus | The Verge

8.7 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Terrific 4G data speeds
Ice Cream Sandwich is a killer mobile OS
Fantastic 720p display

BAD STUFF
Battery life takes a hit on LTE
Camera quality can be spotty
Some older apps not fully compatible with ICS

Oh and here is defending the Galaxy Nexus: Horse | The Verge Forums


Topolsky's Nexus 7 review: Google Nexus 7 review | The Verge

8.8 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Incredible price
Jelly Bean is a big improvement
Solid design that feels great in your hand

BAD STUFF
Tablet app selection remains thin
New Play stores still don't offer enough content
Limited storage options


Topolsky's iPhone 5 review: iPhone 5 review | The Verge

8.8 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Incredible industrial design
Gorgeous display
Blazing fast LTE service
Solid battery life

BAD STUFF
New Maps app a step backwards
Bigger screen size not utilized at all
iOS 6 a retread of familiar territory


Topolsky's iPad mini review: iPad mini review | The Verge

9.0 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Fantastic design and build quality
Software selection second to none
Great battery life

BAD STUFF
Screen is lower resolution than the competition
Can sometimes be a little awkward to hold
Expensive


Take everything comparatively to the landscape at the time. Does this sound like an "iSheep"?

Seriously.

"Waaahhhh. He didn't like the phone as much as we do because like him, we've held it, played with it, and used it too. He MUST be wrong. And if he doesn't like Android, he MUST be an iSheep. Waaaahhhh."

 

[anon(847090)]

Let's do a little research.

see my comment above.

 

[andr0idralphie]

I just read The Verge's review. This guy's definitely a crybaby about speed. My Sensation 4G is hella fast on T-Mobile's 4G. I work ALL OVER NYC (except Staten Island, sorry) every day and get excellent 4G connection almost everywhere. I don't even care about not having LTE.

He cries about the glass back? If I had a dollar for every smashed iPhone screen I've seen... take care of your stuff, man. Get a case!


I mentioned that the Nexus 4 will not ship with LTE radios, and it would be negligent of me to not say how big of a difference this will make if you live in an area where HSPA service is not operating at peak levels. Since I happen to be an AT&T user in exactly that situation, I know exactly how it feels.

Slow. It feels slow.

In Brooklyn, where I did much of my testing, my HSPA connection maxed out at about 5Mbps down and 2Mbps up. On the other hand, a Samsung Galaxy S3 on LTE hit crazy speeds ? over 25Mbps down without breaking a sweat. I don't know what other customers are getting on their T-Mobile or AT&T connections, but that disparity is similar to what I've been seeing since LTE first hit the market. It's a massive gulf, and one which I have trouble ignoring at this point.

Last year I switched to the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon for a time, only to come back to AT&T and the HSPA+ version after being frustrated by the lack of updates ? but I swore that my next device would have LTE no matter what. After testing phones like the iPhone 5, Lumia 920, HTC One X, and Galaxy S3, it's nearly impossible to imagine myself sticking with slower speeds.

As someone who uses my phone for business, this isn't just about downloading big files ? it's about the device being responsive and quickly updating when I need something. On Android phones more than any other device on the market, a solid and speedy connection can make the difference between a really good or really bad day. When every service you use is connected to the cloud, an extra 20Mbps of speed goes a long way.

There's simply no way to ignore this deficit, at least for the US market.

On the plus side, call quality and reception was excellent on the phone.


The part I have underlined quoted from the article seems to be the only "qualifying" statement regarding his town crying about the lack of LTE on the Nexus 4 and its pathetic at best. Uploading (and downloading) to the cloud (or wherever, honestly) and that concerned over mobile network speed that only LTE will do, you're a professional photographer, videographer who needs to upload his work well before reaching a WiFi connection. Oh, guess what? If you're taking hi-res pictures you're likely not using your phone. I don't know of any LTE DSLR cameras, do you? But, hey, "on the plus side, call quality and reception was excellent on the phone." :-X

 

[Ry]

see my comment above.

What? About picking on Apple lovers? Topolsky clearly isn't an Apple-loving iSheep. And neither is anyone in this thread. When you're wrong, you're wrong.

And if you want to make this personal by picking on me, you've just proved your opinions and views hold no merit. Again, when you're wrong, you're wrong. But go ahead. Pick on me if that makes you feel better about yourself.

 

[anon(847090)]

What? About picking on Apple lovers? Topolsky clearly isn't an Apple-loving iSheep. And neither is anyone in this thread. When you're wrong, you're wrong.

And if you want to make this personal by picking on me, you've just proved your opinions and views hold no merit. Again, when you're wrong, you're wrong. But go ahead. Pick on me if that makes you feel better about yourself.

seriously just calm down.. It was meant to be a joke. I said i will pick on someone else now because he doesnt seem to be one.

 

[ChromeJob]

... He has pretty much said ... if the android had more applications and the nexus 4 had lte he could move to android only.

Yeah, yeah. "And a pony." Have heard it before.

"More applications" my eye.

 

[Ry]

I just read The Verge's review. This guy's definitely a crybaby about speed. My Sensation 4G is hella fast on T-Mobile's 4G. I work ALL OVER NYC (except Staten Island, sorry) every day and get excellent 4G connection almost everywhere. I don't even care about not having LTE.

I mentioned that the Nexus 4 will not ship with LTE radios, and it would be negligent of me to not say how big of a difference this will make if you live in an area where HSPA service is not operating at peak levels. Since I happen to be an AT&T user in exactly that situation, I know exactly how it feels.

Slow. It feels slow.

In Brooklyn, where I did much of my testing, my HSPA connection maxed out at about 5Mbps down and 2Mbps up. On the other hand, a Samsung Galaxy S3 on LTE hit crazy speeds — over 25Mbps down without breaking a sweat. I don't know what other customers are getting on their T-Mobile or AT&T connections, but that disparity is similar to what I've been seeing since LTE first hit the market. It's a massive gulf, and one which I have trouble ignoring at this point.

Last year I switched to the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon for a time, only to come back to AT&T and the HSPA+ version after being frustrated by the lack of updates — but I swore that my next device would have LTE no matter what. After testing phones like the iPhone 5, Lumia 920, HTC One X, and Galaxy S3, it's nearly impossible to imagine myself sticking with slower speeds.

As someone who uses my phone for business, this isn't just about downloading big files — it's about the device being responsive and quickly updating when I need something. On Android phones more than any other device on the market, a solid and speedy connection can make the difference between a really good or really bad day. When every service you use is connected to the cloud, an extra 20Mbps of speed goes a long way.

There's simply no way to ignore this deficit, at least for the US market.

On the plus side, call quality and reception was excellent on the phone.


The part I have underlined quoted from the article seems to be the only "qualifying" statement regarding his town crying about the lack of LTE on the Nexus 4 and its pathetic at best. Uploading (and downloading) to the cloud (or wherever, honestly) and that concerned over mobile network speed that only LTE will do, you're a professional photographer, videographer who needs to upload his work well before reaching a WiFi connection. Oh, guess what? If you're taking hi-res pictures you're likely not using your phone. I don't know of any LTE DSLR cameras, do you? But, hey, "on the plus side, call quality and reception was excellent on the phone." :-X

Where he tested, HSPA fauxG wasn't good. That was his experience. Of course his will differ from yours.

LTE is going to be an issue in every mainstream review simply because of the big four, three have LTE and all three are rolling out LTE aggressively (Verizon of course being the most aggressive). For regular customers, not having LTE is a step back in their eyes. People that go on forums like this one are the minority.

He cries about the glass back? If I had a dollar for every smashed iPhone screen I've seen... take care of your stuff, man. Get a case!

Regarding the iPhone, from his 4S review "Glass and metal design is beautiful, but easy to shatter." I bet if he reviewed a Windows Phone with a glass back, he'd say the same thing.

 

[TheUI]

Let's do a little research.


Topolsky's iPhone 4S review: iPhone 4S review | The Verge

Verge Score 8.6

GOOD STUFF
Camera is stunning
Retina Display is still best in class
Siri software is incredibly cool and surprisingly useful

BAD STUFF
iOS is beginning to show its age
Improved 3G speeds don’t seem very improved, especially compared to LTE devices
Glass and metal design is beautiful, but easy to shatter

Topolsky's Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) review: Review of Verizon Galaxy Nexus | The Verge

8.7 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Terrific 4G data speeds
Ice Cream Sandwich is a killer mobile OS
Fantastic 720p display

BAD STUFF
Battery life takes a hit on LTE
Camera quality can be spotty
Some older apps not fully compatible with ICS

Oh and here is defending the Galaxy Nexus: Horse | The Verge Forums


Topolsky's Nexus 7 review: Google Nexus 7 review | The Verge

8.8 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Incredible price
Jelly Bean is a big improvement
Solid design that feels great in your hand

BAD STUFF
Tablet app selection remains thin
New Play stores still don't offer enough content
Limited storage options


Topolsky's iPhone 5 review: iPhone 5 review | The Verge

8.8 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Incredible industrial design
Gorgeous display
Blazing fast LTE service
Solid battery life

BAD STUFF
New Maps app a step backwards
Bigger screen size not utilized at all
iOS 6 a retread of familiar territory


Topolsky's iPad mini review: iPad mini review | The Verge

9.0 VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF
Fantastic design and build quality
Software selection second to none
Great battery life

BAD STUFF
Screen is lower resolution than the competition
Can sometimes be a little awkward to hold
Expensive


Take everything comparatively to the landscape at the time. Does this sound like an "iSheep"?

Seriously.

"Waaahhhh. He didn't like the phone as much as we do because like him, we've held it, played with it, and used it too. He MUST be wrong. And if he doesn't like Android, he MUST be an iSheep. Waaaahhhh."

Critical anaylsis = crying. Okay. I'm done here.

Sent from my iPad 2 tethered to my 4s.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

Here's the thing, guys, and I pointed this out earlier. Topolsky did his review in Brooklyn. The same Brooklyn that was just hit with a hurricane. He's on AT&T, which is sharing towers with T-Mobile in the aftermath of Sandy. And he's complaining about the slow HSPA+ speeds? Of course its slow...they just had a HURRICANE!!!

I can understand the frustration of going backwards if you're used to LTE speeds, but to rant over the network speeds when the area you're in just had a natural disaster is just shortsighted and ridiculous.

 

[Winterfang]

That Verge review points the device as a fantastic one. The Engadget one is a little worrying, so is the fact that they completely disagree in some things. I hope I get a good one, I have terrible luck with eletronics.

 

[andr0idralphie]

Where he tested, HSPA fauxG wasn't good. That was his experience. Of course his will differ from yours.

Herein lies the problem. He is a professional reviewer and should have gone out of his way to spend more time outside of his neighborhood before feeling comfortable on signing off on this article rather than give himself a crutch for his readers to accept for him to be a salesman for "LTE as a prerequisite" for a new phone.

LTE is going to be an issue in every mainstream review simply because of the big four, three have LTE and all three are rolling out LTE aggressively (Verizon of course being the most aggressive). For regular customers, not having LTE is a step back in their eyes. People that go on forums like this one are the minority.

I agree. Whatever the teevee tells us we need to spend our money on... my high school photography teacher put it most succinctly; "Advertising is about creating need..."

Regarding the iPhone, from his 4S review "Glass and metal design is beautiful, but easy to shatter." I bet if he reviewed a Windows Phone with a glass back, he'd say the same thing.

My only retort can possibly be that this point of his [is] moot filler. This phone design paradigm isn't going anywhere.

 

[Jon Jennings]

Anyone else notice how HORRID the Photosphere is looking in these review photos? I will say that my wife's panorama mode on the iPhone is awesome! Hopefully Photosphere will improve with time.

Photospheres I've seen so far have been uploaded to Google+ and I think that downsizes them to about 2000px wide.

To really see what they look like I think we're going to have to wait until sites start supporting them at full resolution (odd that G+ doesn't have it right now, but I'd expect them to have something fancy for them soon)

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Here are some facts that can't be refuted.

1) The Snapdragon S4 Pro in this phone is unmatched in raw horsepower, no matter what phone we're talking about (the GPU in the new NEW iPad is probably more powerful, but the CPU side isn't).

2) The display is also a technical advancement, with it placing somewhere along the lines of the One X, any new Sony 720p panel, and the iPhone 5 (they all contain pretty much the same technology).

3) The battery is 2100mah. That's it. No more, no less. Too many factors go into battery life for any one person to tell any other person how good or bad battery life will be on a phone.

Don't pay attention to what any reviewer says about benchmarks. Guess what? THEY DON'T MATTER.

 

[anon(1019781)]

Oh and here is defending the Galaxy Nexus: Horse | The Verge Forums

This seems more like a rabid display of his Liberal worldview than any concrete defense of the Galaxy Nexus.

 

[Ry]

Herein lies the problem. He is a professional reviewer and should have gone out of his way to spend more time outside of his neighborhood before feeling comfortable on signing off on this article rather than give himself a crutch for his readers to accept for him to be a salesman for "LTE as a prerequisite" for a new phone.

So I take it Phil should drive all around town, visit other cities, just for the review.


Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[Ry]

Don't pay attention to what any reviewer says about benchmarks. Guess what? THEY DON'T MATTER.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[dmmarck]

So I take it Phil should drive all around town, visit other cities, just for the review.


Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

Yes. He's currently in Death Valley on a spirit quest. We'll find out about battery life soon enough!

 

[andr0idralphie]

So I take it Phil should drive all around town, visit other cities, just for the review.

I don't know... does he take himself and his readers seriously?

 

[ChromeJob]

.. My only retort can possibly be that this point of his [is] moot filler. This phone design paradigm isn't going anywhere.

You're right. That statement is about as pithy as "battery life may vary based on your usage." *ORLY*

 

[Anthimus]

Engadget: CPU not so fast, battery life poor, display great.
TheVerge: CPU very fast, battery life great, display looks washed out.

Hmm...

This thread seems a bit off topic to me. Seems like there is an awful lot of energy going into bashing the reviewers rather than trying to figure out why the reviews agreed on almost everything but the 3 quoted points. Likely the pre-production units, running pre-production software have flaws. I would not be surprised if each reviewer had a different revision of the phone.

That said, I would love to see what others who actually have the phone says about the CPS speed, the battery life, and the display quality. Anyone here with a Nexus 4 care to comment on the 3 specs in question? I know Phill has been posting his observations here: http://forums.androidcentral.com/go...ave-nexus-4-you-have-questions-fire-away.html

Thanks in advance,

Matt