Nexus 4 comapred to Note 2; Who's owned both ?

Zorachus

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I do not want to start a flame war, on which is the best, but real peoples opinion if you have owned both, or at least played with both real hands on experience please.

My past phones have been; Galaxy Nexus...Nexus-S...Nexus-One...iPhone 3G...iPhone. As you can see I have liked the Nexus line of phones.

Right now I have the Note 2, I bought couple weeks ago, because I could not buy the Nexus 4, as was sold out everywhere, last month.

I have tried out a dozen ROM's on my Note 2, but settled on a CM10.1 ROM, because I just love stock Android so much. I like the S-Pen and Touchwiz widgets for the S-Pen, but in two weeks, just didn't use it like i thought I would. And I HATED Touchwiz, with no Group MMS, no quick reply for texting, two things that Samsung should have included stock. I hate the Touchwiz dialer over AOSP dialer and contacts.

But the Note 2 does have a great screen, amazing battery life, very fast on CM10.1. But the size is a mixed bag still, sure it's awesome for YouTube, and reading news sites, and doing e-mails, but it is also hard to one hand operate still, I need to be able to text one handed, or pick up the phone quickly one handed and make a call. The Note 2 is hard for one handed stuff, the weight of it in one hand sometimes almost topples over. Or with one hand, try to reach the notification bar with your thumb, near impossible.

I know the Nexus 4 size, would be similar to my Galaxy Nexus, which was very easy to one hand operate. But how's the battery life on the Nexus 4 ? My Note II has crazy good battery life, my Galaxy Nexus had crap battery life, like 50% less than my Note 2. On my Note 2 I get 6 to 7 hours screen time easily, with 24+ hours standby no problem, my Galaxy Nexus was lucky to get half that, is the Nexus 4 better ?

Overall, if you have owned or played with both the Note 2 and Nexus 4, which do you prefer for everyday use ?

Thanks
 

minnemike

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Not the best comparison unless you counter weight it with cost $$$

Besides that, the Note is kind of it's own category - phablet.
 

vietalogy

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I have both but will be returning the note 2 today. Reason is the size I think it's to big for me as a mobile device. I do like there's a removable battery and extra memory card slot. I'm not very into roming all I'm running run now is stock rom and franco's kernel for battery life.

I'm sure I'll be getting the S4 soon as it's teased because of the removable battery and memory card slot.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

Zorachus

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Thinking out loud, I think I miss owning the newest Nexus phone, while the Note 2 is a fantastic device, probably the best Android available right now. But the size is still hard for me to get used to, mainly regarding one handing texting and typing e-mails, websites, which I do a lot one handed, and on the Note 2 I find it rather difficult.

Other than that, the Note 2 is great, best battery life ever, beautiful screen, very fast, etc...And amazing for watching YouTube.

But portability wise, is the Nexus 4 a better daily driver ? One handed operation mostly during the work day.
 

Doc Marten

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Thinking out loud, I think I miss owning the newest Nexus phone, while the Note 2 is a fantastic device, probably the best Android available right now. But the size is still hard for me to get used to, mainly regarding one handing texting and typing e-mails, websites, which I do a lot one handed, and on the Note 2 I find it rather difficult.

Other than that, the Note 2 is great, best battery life ever, beautiful screen, very fast, etc...And amazing for watching YouTube.

But portability wise, is the Nexus 4 a better daily driver ? One handed operation mostly during the work day.

Find someone who has a Nexus 4, or a shop that sells them. Ask to hold it for a minute or so, make your own mind up!
 

morrsn

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My brother has the N2 and I've had time to play with it. Both are blazing fast so it's all down to personal preference IMO. For instance, I don't like it's size. It's huge and awkward looking. One handed use is out of the question. I suppose it'd be a + if you watched videos and stuff on it.

I can't stand the AMOLED display on any samsung device. It's got a messy blueish tint I hate but I suppose if you're willing to tinker a bit with it you could modify the color values to make it look better just as I did with my N4's screen to make it look more vivid.

Touchwiz gets alot of hate but I think it brings alot to the table stock. If only they made that horrible skin look better.

S-pen suite? Depends on what you use your phone for. Personally I think it's a gimmick. My brother bought into the s-pen thing because he's in college and you know, notes and stuff. I've yet to see him take one on the N2 tho lol.

Battery? It destroys the nexus. Hell, I think it's better than any other smartphone out there. He constantly play games and emulators on it and still gets better battery life than me lol.

Oh yeah, and expandable storage. We don't get that. :(
 

planoman

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I have both currently and have owned the international gnote and gnote on att before the note 2. I do not have overly large hands and think the size issue is not a big deal. I guess I am used to it now but it is very manageable for me during the week while working. I use the spen feature everyday.

First off, I think the note 2 is the best or among the best devices on the market currently. It does everything well and really has no compromise in terms of features and performance.

Size, speed, LTE, expanded storage, spen, battery life, camera, multiview, not to mention a great developer community.

Having said all of that the Nexus 4 is great. I use play music and google drive with it so storage has not been an issue even though I am not a 100 app person or 1000 song person. The nexus 4 has a good feel and heft to it. It is very smooth and of course, has a working google wallet out of the box! The battery is on par with a galaxy s 3 which for me means about 12 hours a day maybe a top off for 30 minutes a day to keep it going. I primarily use it on the weekends when I do not use the battery as much, it is more portable. I wish it had LTE, but HSPA+ is good in my area and bearable for a few days at a time. Of course I will really love it when I get KLP ahead of other devices.

There is no doubt there is a fair amount of hype and buzz around the N4 due to it availability or lack thereof....It is a nice Nexus with top notch components but a bit fragile on the exterior. It is a nice to have phone, but not necessarily a need to have and certainly not over a Note 2.

So they both have their place. If I had to have only one, I would pick the note 2 in a heartbeat. I guess note 2 users love their phone and have a strong attachment to it; some have even called us a cult lol!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317
 
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bigkevbosky

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I've been using the Nexus 4 for a couple of days and I really like it - but if someone offered me the Note 2 in a straight up trade, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
 

Zorachus

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Just went to the T-Mobile store near me, to play with a real Nexus 4.

KEEPING MY NOTE 2 FOR SURE NOW

I am a big Nexus fan, but the Nexus 4 now after having the Note II for couple of weeks, feels very small, and toy like, almost felt like an iPhone to me ( which is not good ) The screen colors looked washed out, and drab, the build of it, looked nice, but not crazy awesome like I hear people say, the iPhone 5 still the best industrial tight designed phone to me, the Nexus 4 sort of comes half close to that, but then the plastic chrome ring around the edge looked cheesy. The exterior design and build seem a mix bag of designs, just strange looking all around, not one single design. I like the glass back and pattern, but then the rubber edges and chrome ring seem out of place, and then the top black plastic doesn't go with the mirrored glass back, hmm...

Running CM10.1 on my Note II looked and felt way better than the Nexus 4, the size and design, just didn't seem right to me on the N4. Call me crazy, but I like the Galaxy Nexus better, minus the outdated components of course.

Google better get HTC, Sony, or Samsung on the next Nexus, LG made a boring average device, in my first impression.
 

SOLGarion

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I've been using the Nexus 4 for a couple of days and I really like it - but if someone offered me the Note 2 in a straight up trade, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

So would I. Sell note 2 on eBay for 500-600+, buy another Nexus 4, rinse, repeat.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums
 

msavic6

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Do you feel that not owning a nexus device and not having access to the latest updates first is a deal breaker to you. All my android devices so far have been nexus devices but I'm tempted to sway away and get either the s4 or note3.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums
 

minnemike

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Just went to the T-Mobile store near me, to play with a real Nexus 4.

KEEPING MY NOTE 2 FOR SURE NOW

I am a big Nexus fan, but the Nexus 4 now after having the Note II for couple of weeks, feels very small, and toy like, almost felt like an iPhone to me ( which is not good ) The screen colors looked washed out, and drab, the build of it, looked nice, but not crazy awesome like I hear people say, the iPhone 5 still the best industrial tight designed phone to me, the Nexus 4 sort of comes half close to that, but then the plastic chrome ring around the edge looked cheesy. The exterior design and build seem a mix bag of designs, just strange looking all around, not one single design. I like the glass back and pattern, but then the rubber edges and chrome ring seem out of place, and then the top black plastic doesn't go with the mirrored glass back, hmm...

Running CM10.1 on my Note II looked and felt way better than the Nexus 4, the size and design, just didn't seem right to me on the N4. Call me crazy, but I like the Galaxy Nexus better, minus the outdated components of course.

Google better get HTC, Sony, or Samsung on the next Nexus, LG made a boring average device, in my first impression.

You were able to install CyanogenMod on a Tmo store N4?
 

Zorachus

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You were able to install CyanogenMod on a Tmo store N4?

The store phone, was not rooted, so I couldn't install CM10.1 there. I am sure a good ROM on the N4 would be blazing fast, that's not my problem with the phone, It was the screen, seemed washed out and drab, even compared to my old international One X, and my Note 2 with AMOLED I have gotten used to Samsung's cartoony vibrant colors. And the size seems a bit small, I am ready for 5" Nexus phone. And the design build quality, just seemed strange, glass back, plastic front, chrome ring around edge, with rubber, just too many different materials all over. Just pick one type of material, and use it throughout. I still think the white One X is one of the better looking Android designs, very tastefully done, and still looks really good.
 

bluenumber6

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REAL LIFE USER OF BOTH HERE!
YES I have used both. It all started when I craigslisted the note 2 for a whooping $480 for T-mobile. it was an amazing phone in my hand. I would pull it out in bed and read articles and check facebook and email and do all sorts of things! It was amazing! I was so touched that I wanted to wait for the note 3 so i sold the note 2 and found a cheaper deal... the nexus 4 for only 299. it was a beater phone for now. but you know what? pure android is freaking amazing!!!!! it reminds me of how the iphone did it right because it was pure iOS! now I see why most people perfer iOS is because of its purity, no spam from the carrier! and google finally got it right with the nexus 4! I am still using the nexus 4 right now and let me tell you... not a single hiccup from the phone. its blazing fast! blazing blazing fast!! android has been known to me that after using it for a long period of time. and i mean months, you notice all yoru downloads and saved programs on the phone begin to slow down the phone itself. you got to restart the phone once in a while.
touchwiz is so terrible! im serious, all that extra features on the note 2 from samsung like the hub and extra samsung only apps are pure garbage! i never even used them when i had the note 2. sadly now the galaxy s4 is out and samsung somehow thinks continuing on with its "childish looking touchwiz" will make them the best. I HATE TOUCHWIZ, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR BABY'S AND COLORFUL BALLOONY PICTURES ON MY PHONE. vanilla android is so clear and right to the point. i even notice the nexus being more snappier than the note 2. on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the fastest. i would say the nexus 4 is at a 10 while the note 2 is maybe an 8.5 to 9. which you will likely tell is noticably faster. i mean try closing a program on your note 2. it looks like it lags so much that even if you turn off all animations, its still slow. now try closing your phone app on the nexus 4... what do you get... you get a SNAP! and its gone. That's what I like. a fast snap with the snap sound too which probably tricks me into thinking its faster. but hey, if the note 2 could be rooted with 100% solidly build CM10 then the note 2 would definitely win. as for the price of the nexus 4, its a no brainer. nexus 4 wins. but if you asked for an even trade? i'd take your note 2 and try and root it to vanilla android.
 

Donnie1971

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The Nexus 4 screen looks "washed out" compaired to Note 2? Really? My experience is just the opposite, I traded my Nexus 4 for a Note 2 straight up and the Nexus 4 display smokes the Note 2 in ever way except size. Speed isnt much difference but the Nexus 4 was a bit faster. I think the Nexus 4 is a much better looking phone also. I wouldnt trade back for the Nexus 4 because the battery life was horrible and I like the Note 2 screen size but everything else the Nexus 4 definitely wins. Did I mention the battery life on the Note 2 is awesome!!
 

wildmangk

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I came from the GN2 and Im not regretting it one bit. I actually enjoy being able to thpe up an email or text msg with 1 hand. I do find the N4 a little faster than the Note 2. The only thing I miss about the Note is the camera, so many options. Hopefully Google will update the camera settings on the Nexus soon.


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