Is the nexus 4 the fastest phone available?

**PhilSterBoy** · 01-27-2013, 05:38 PM

I'm new to android and I was just wondering, is this phone the fastest android phone? Also what other Android phones use the same processor?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**still1** · 01-27-2013, 05:47 PM

one of the fastest with top of the line hardware.

**boparunsxc** · 01-27-2013, 07:13 PM

as for other phones, the N4, Optimus G, Droid DNA, and Xperia Z are all the phones I know about that have an S4 Pro... anyone feel free to add to this list

**gone down south** · 01-27-2013, 07:20 PM

All the flagship phones are about the same this year.

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**Jnorton2724** · 01-27-2013, 07:38 PM

One of the fastest phones for sale and the most affordable high end Android phone.

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**Hubertsng** · 01-27-2013, 07:53 PM

one of the fastest and the reason everyone wants it is because of the low price and vanilla android.

**minnemike** · 01-28-2013, 08:25 AM

Galaxy NOte II is probably the most powerful right now of Android choices.

Here is a good breakdown:

**zedorda** · 01-28-2013, 09:22 AM

I don't know when ever I toss mine across the room it is the same speed no matter which one I am mad at atm.

**Victor Chan1** · 01-28-2013, 03:50 PM

anywhere can i find the nexus4

**still1** · 01-28-2013, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Victor Chan1

anywhere can i find the nexus4

t-mobile stores or wait for Google play store to get stock

**YourMobileGuru** · 01-28-2013, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Victor Chan1

anywhere can i find the nexus4

EBay but you'll pay about twice the Google Play price

**planoman** · 01-28-2013, 11:15 PM

Craigslist. You will pay a premium but not too bad. I picked mine up still sealed. Who knows when it will be back on the play store...hopefully soon. I want to get my wife one

Updated : 1/29/13- People on Craigslist are crying today since the N4 hit the play store today!

**nj1266** · 01-29-2013, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by minnemike

Galaxy NOte II is probably the most powerful right now of Android choices.

Here is a good breakdown:

I find it stunning that despite the 4 cores on the Note 2, it is still slower than the iPhone 5 according to the results on the website you linked us to. Android OEMs must find a way to make the software work faster with the hardware rather than throw bigger hardware are the problem. They need to optimize the software to the hardware.

Sent from my iPhone 7

**YourMobileGuru** · 01-29-2013, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by nj1266

I find it stunning that despite the 4 cores on the Note 2, it is still slower than the iPhone 5 according to the results on the website you linked us to. Android OEMs must find a way to make the software work faster with the hardware rather than throw bigger hardware are the problem. They need to optimize the software to the hardware.

Sent from my iPhone 7

Benchmarks are decieving. The iPhone lacks true multitasking so of course its going to perform better. There are fewer background tasks to use processor cycles.

More cores does not mean faster it just means they it can do more at once and if the benchmark isn't designed to take advantage of the multiple cores its worthless. Benchmarks mean next to nothing in real world performance. That's why AC stopped using them in their reviews.

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**nj1266** · 01-29-2013, 01:53 AM

Originally Posted by YourMobileGuru

Benchmarks are decieving. The iPhone lacks true multitasking so of course its going to perform better. There are fewer background tasks to use processor cycles.

More cores does not mean faster it just means they it can do more at once and if the benchmark isn't designed to take advantage of the multiple cores its worthless. Benchmarks mean next to nothing in real world performance. That's why AC stopped using them in their reviews.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Android Central Forums

I sense sour grapes. I bet if the numbers were reversed you would not be posting this. BTW, do read what the tests are all about. They do have a section on the site what the tests measure. They seem to be straight forward tests of CPU/GPU speeds.

Nowhere does the description of the tests mention the impact of multitasking on the CPU.

Take the integer math test of the CPU:

"The Integer Math Test aims to measure how fast the CPU can perform mathematical integer operations. An integer is a whole number with no fractional part. This is a basic operation in all computer software and provides a good indication of 'raw' CPU throughput. The test uses a large set of random 32-bit and 64-bit integers and adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides these numbers."

It is simply fast addition/subtraction/division and multiplication of integers. It has nothing to do with multitasking.

Sent from my iPhone 7

**joshua_sx1** · 01-29-2013, 08:41 AM

I want this phone but no luck to get one... so, I settled with HTC One X+... speaking of, I believe this is the fastest mobile now in the market having quad-core 1.7Ghz... the only downside is its RAM... still at 1GB...

**YourMobileGuru** · 01-29-2013, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by nj1266

I sense sour grapes. I bet if the numbers were reversed you would not be posting this. BTW, do read what the tests are all about. They do have a section on the site what the tests measure. They seem to be straight forward tests of CPU/GPU speeds.

Nowhere does the description of the tests mention the impact of multitasking on the CPU.

Take the integer math test of the CPU:

"The Integer Math Test aims to measure how fast the CPU can perform mathematical integer operations. An integer is a whole number with no fractional part. This is a basic operation in all computer software and provides a good indication of 'raw' CPU throughput. The test uses a large set of random 32-bit and 64-bit integers and adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides these numbers."

It is simply fast addition/subtraction/division and multiplication of integers. It has nothing to do with multitasking.

Sent from my iPhone 7

Lol dude I'm very platform agnostic. I may prefer Android but I have devices on the BlackBerry, Windows Phone (just got a Lumia 920 on Sunday), WebOS, and yes iPhone (4S). I don't have a 5 yet because I am waiting on the 5S but that's a choice I've made and I could have one if I wanted.

Weather the benchmark measures the multitasking is beside the point. Your phone is a computer in your pocket and has processes running in the background. These consume power cycles whenever the phone is doing something else including running benchmarks. iOS had fewer of these than android. That's just a fact.

Please dont go making assumptions about my motives.

**bakeri666** · 01-29-2013, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by nj1266

I sense sour grapes. I bet if the numbers were reversed you would not be posting this. BTW, do read what the tests are all about. They do have a section on the site what the tests measure. They seem to be straight forward tests of CPU/GPU speeds.

Nowhere does the description of the tests mention the impact of multitasking on the CPU.

Take the integer math test of the CPU:

"The Integer Math Test aims to measure how fast the CPU can perform mathematical integer operations. An integer is a whole number with no fractional part. This is a basic operation in all computer software and provides a good indication of 'raw' CPU throughput. The test uses a large set of random 32-bit and 64-bit integers and adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides these numbers."

It is simply fast addition/subtraction/division and multiplication of integers. It has nothing to do with multitasking.

Sent from my iPhone 7

The test may have nothing to do with multi tasking but can be affected by it. If background tasks are running alongside the task it will mean the "simply fast addition/subtraction/division and multiplication of integer" is sharing cpu time with other integers being manipulated... therefore slowing it down

**YourMobileGuru** · 01-29-2013, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by joshua_sx1

I want this phone but no luck to get one... so, I settled with HTC One X+... speaking of, I believe this is the fastest mobile now in the market having quad-core 1.7Ghz... the only downside is its RAM... still at 1GB...

More RAM does not equate speed. More RAM just means the phone can do more at once.

**siriusnoodles** · 01-29-2013, 10:57 AM

And it is a problem, especially since the HTC One X+ runs Sense UI. My father has an HTC One X+, and I checked its system processes. 758 MB out of 813 MB of RAM were being used even though there were no applications running, just the system services. Multitasking was also non-existent, every time that he pressed the recent apps button and went to a different app, he had to wait for the app to load up again. On my Nexus 4, in contrast, 660 MB out of 1200 MB are being used while Facebook, Google+, Avast, Xfinity Player, and a live wallpaper are running at the same time, and it multitasked without breaking a sweat. What gives? I had to install Nova Launcher on my dad's phone so that it would show the closing app animation correctly.

**siriusnoodles** · 01-29-2013, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by YourMobileGuru

More RAM does not equate speed. More RAM just means the phone can do more at once.

And it is a problem, especially since the HTC One X+ runs Sense UI. My father has an HTC One X+, and I checked its system processes. 758 MB out of 813 MB of RAM were being used even though there were no applications running, just the system services. Multitasking was also non-existent, every time that he pressed the recent apps button and went to a different app, he had to wait for the app to load up again. On my Nexus 4, in contrast, 660 MB out of 1200 MB are being used while Facebook, Google+, Avast, Xfinity Player, and a live wallpaper are running at the same time, and it multitasked without breaking a sweat. What gives? I had to install Nova Launcher on my dad's phone so that it would show the closing app animation correctly.

**nj1266** · 01-29-2013, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by bakeri666

The test may have nothing to do with multi tasking but can be affected by it. If background tasks are running alongside the task it will mean the "simply fast addition/subtraction/division and multiplication of integer" is sharing cpu time with other integers being manipulated... therefore slowing it down

There is no other integer being manipulated. You would know that had you bothered to read the test procedure:

"Background Activity
It is strongly recommended during benchmarking that the device not be used. This includes touching of the screen or pressing any buttons. Any background application and/or services can also affect the system score."

Background applications are to be turned off. So you shut down the apps running in the background when you do the test. So app multitasking is INACTIVE during the test.

I have a SGS3 and an iPhone 5 and I did the test on both. My numbers are very close to the numbers on the website for the S3 and the iPhone 5. I trust the results from the website because I was able to replicate them on my own handsets. I suggest you do the same for your handset and see the scores.

Sent from my iPhone 7

**Hubertsng** · 01-29-2013, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by nj1266

There is no other integer being manipulated. You would know that had you bothered to read the test procedure:

"Background Activity
It is strongly recommended during benchmarking that the device not be used. This includes touching of the screen or pressing any buttons. Any background application and/or services can also affect the system score."

Background applications are to be turned off. So you shut down the apps running in the background when you do the test. So app multitasking is INACTIVE during the test.

I have a SGS3 and an iPhone 5 and I did the test on both. My numbers are very close to the numbers on the website for the S3 and the iPhone 5. I trust the results from the website because I was able to replicate them on my own handsets. I suggest you do the same for your handset and see the scores.

Sent from my iPhone 7

got an iphone 7? :P

**nj1266** · 01-29-2013, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by YourMobileGuru

Weather the benchmark measures the multitasking is beside the point. Your phone is a computer in your pocket and has processes running in the background. These consume power cycles whenever the phone is doing something else including running benchmarks. iOS had fewer of these than android.

So even after you kill app multitasking on both iOS and Android devices, the iOS devices are faster. This is what I originally said about optimizing the software to the hardware. iOS is very efficient and therefore requires less CPU cores to run. By contrast Android is not as efficient and required 4 cores on the CPU and is still slower than an iOS device. This is what the data shows on the website.

Sent from my iPhone 7

**YourMobileGuru** · 01-29-2013, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by siriusnoodles

And it is a problem, especially since the HTC One X+ runs Sense UI. My father has an HTC One X+, and I checked its system processes. 758 MB out of 813 MB of RAM were being used even though there were no applications running, just the system services. Multitasking was also non-existent, every time that he pressed the recent apps button and went to a different app, he had to wait for the app to load up again. On my Nexus 4, in contrast, 660 MB out of 1200 MB are being used while Facebook, Google+, Avast, Xfinity Player, and a live wallpaper are running at the same time, and it multitasked without breaking a sweat. What gives? I had to install Nova Launcher on my dad's phone so that it would show the closing app animation correctly.

The amount of free ram is irrelevant. Android will automatically kill unneeded processes but my point is that Android has more mandatory background processes than iOS. And yes Sense and Touchwiz have more than stock android.

The multitasking issue you describe is a side effect of HTC being TOO aggressive in killing background processes.

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