Nexus 5: First Impressions & Reviews

[Gurilla]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I was recently hosting one of my many black tie charity events when a stunningly attractive woman approached me after I had made my closing speech. "I apologize for being so forward," she said, "but what phone is that?" Her eyes were transfixed on the device resting face down on the black tablecloth. I smiled. I had become used to this sort of thing happening ever since I switched to Android. "This old thing?" I lied. It wasn't old at all. "Why, it's the Nexus 5." I could see her eyes light up as she glanced over the camera, the glossy band, the LG logo.

"Would you like to hold it?" I mused. She was still in awe of it all as I slowly placed the phone into her delicate hands. "Oh my god," she exclaimed under her breath, "is this backing... soft touch plastic?" I gently nodded. "It has such a... premium feel... But how can you tell which side of the phone is up?" she asked. I took the phone and began to sensually lick the Sharpie off of the earpiece grille. Her knees began to visibly shake.

A pink light began to pulse from the bottom of the phone. "W-what is happening?" she whimpered. "Light Flow..." I replied, "I have it set up to send me a notification via Tasker when Instant Heart Rate detects a woman's BPM raising to arousal levels." "But how can it be so accurate?" she said, biting her lip. I leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Optical image stabilization."
We made love long into the night.

Now I only have 10% battery.

 

[mcaspe1]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I've had the phone since Monday. Been getting about 4.5-5 hours of screen time on wifi and mobile network mix and auto brightness and heavy use for the past couple of days. I'm very happy with this. Easily lasts through the day and the battery hasn't even been fully broken in. People need to not worry about the battery life. It will last a full day.

 

[bunique4life05]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Nexus 5 equal smaller beloved Nexus 7(2012) with better specs so yes I love my N5. I do, I do, I do, I dowhooo!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[luckydwg]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Got the phone yesterday. 32GB Oreo. Screen looks great to me and build quality seems great. I really like how it fits in ur hand. I really like the launcher and the snappyness of the OS. Obviously some apps are not working but those will be fixed in due time. I do use this as a phone and the call quality is great on AT&T. Battery life has not been looking good compared to my s4 gpe both with auto brightness on. I have attached some screen shots. I did do the restore option when I set up so I will give it two more days for the battery to settle in and if doesn't get better will do a wipe and install everything new. Oh almost forgot camera seems great. Love the phone just a little worried about the battery right now.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[hubbsj]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Been using it all day. 9.5 hours and still at about 50%.

 

[dylan808]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

First impressions on my N5 are pretty good. I got it yesterday so i can't comment on battery life or anything of that sort yet. But i really like the build of it. It feels solid and the soft touch back allows for a nice grip while using it. Design seems pretty safe to me but I can't bash it. Also the screen is excellent. and it being my first 1080p screen it looks amazing when put next to my old Nexus 4.

 

[anon(5421739)]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

My first impressions have been positive so far. The phone feels great to hold, it's amazingly fast, and the screen looks good. The only quibbles I have are the volume buttons are a bit wobbly and the speaker is faint (especially coming from the HTC One.) Overall though, a solid upgrade.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[DefinedByClass13]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Day 2 and all is well. I love the quick response of the phone, even with a few apps under the hood. I just miss little features that I thought were universal to Android, and not exclusively Touchwiz. Other than that, I think this phone is staying. It was between this and the G2, which I almost purchased in October while waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for official word on the Nexus. Luckily I managed to hold off, but even then G2's weren't too expensive for practically brand new conditions on Craigslist. Anyway, I love the phone.

 

[yancyv8]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Bought the 32gb black, on day2, and I'm loving it! No complaints whatsoever. I've have the spigen hybrid case waiting at my house since before the dang thing came out and it's awesome to have it all nice and protected from the minute I take it out.

Anyone rock the phone naked? I want to SOOO badly but I don't want to dirty it or scratch it in any way. That's my only reasoning for a case. And the case I have is see through on the back so it's like a bumper with added protection.

2 complaints if I had any:

1) The camera is a little iffy. I've taken a bunch of random shots in a bunch of different lightings and I don't think I've gotten a crystal clear shot yet (( a little disappointing since my moms new iphone 5s takes way nicer pictures. I'm a big social media guy with instagram and snapchat so the camera is kind of a must for me. Not enough of a con to dump the phone though.

2) The battery is a little on the weak side on my device. I've been reading that it's good for a lot of people but what exactly are you guys doing? The phone lasted all the way til 2 am and it was at about 10%. If it was at 30%-40% I'd feel a little bit better but from 9-2, I guess thats pretty good. (I had it charging in my car all throught out the day). Another thing I noticed while charging in the car is that it didn't charge it but rather kept it at the same percentage the entire time. I have a 2013 Ford C-Max and I had it charging for almost 2 hours in the car and it dropped percentage by 2% then went back to the way it was before placed on the charger. Not sure what that was about but a little weird.

Other than the two mentioned above, the phone is almost perfect to me with my 2013 Nexus 7 and my HP Chromebook 11, I feel like I have the whole google experience software and hardware!

 

[Shawn Magm]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I was recently hosting one of my many black tie charity events when a stunningly attractive woman approached me after I had made my closing speech. "I apologize for being so forward," she said, "but what phone is that?" Her eyes were transfixed on the device resting face down on the black tablecloth. I smiled. I had become used to this sort of thing happening ever since I switched to Android. "This old thing?" I lied. It wasn't old at all. "Why, it's the Nexus 5." I could see her eyes light up as she glanced over the camera, the glossy band, the LG logo.

"Would you like to hold it?" I mused. She was still in awe of it all as I slowly placed the phone into her delicate hands. "Oh my god," she exclaimed under her breath, "is this backing... soft touch plastic?" I gently nodded. "It has such a... premium feel... But how can you tell which side of the phone is up?" she asked. I took the phone and began to sensually lick the Sharpie off of the earpiece grille. Her knees began to visibly shake.

A pink light began to pulse from the bottom of the phone. "W-what is happening?" she whimpered. "Light Flow..." I replied, "I have it set up to send me a notification via Tasker when Instant Heart Rate detects a woman's BPM raising to arousal levels." "But how can it be so accurate?" she said, biting her lip. I leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Optical image stabilization."
We made love long into the night.

Now I only have 10% battery.

Please post cell phone sex video.

 

[Sauk]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I don't know if it is because of T-Mobile or Nexus 5 but the call quality is simply amazing. It is so damn clear, love it!

Battery life is not good, disappointed. It is iPhone level for me which isn't good.

Overall the screen is great, brightness is great, love the font they used.

I really like the weight of the phone, the feel of the phone.

Speaker phone is solid when taking calls, listening to music isn't great, sounds bad.

Bluetooth has been solid so far.

Network speeds for me in my area is solid, though I don't get LTE I get H+ and get 3 to 5 down.

Overall I do like the phone, just wish I could tryout ATT for free to see if their coverage was better or faster than T-Mobile.

 

[dkhmwilliams]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

After I got the Note 3 I said that I wouldn't get the Nexus 5 but I got one anyway.

Sent from my Nexus 5

 

[Marck527]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Had the phone for a few hours now and I'm so impressed! I got the white 32 gb one. I thought the screen was amazing, crystal clear and just looks great at whatever your viewing. Build quality is top notch as well, but I did not like the wobbly volume rocker. Speaker was disappointing as it's really low and gets distorted at full volume but it's kind of expected for a 400 dollar device.

The camera, as other people have pointed out is meh but not a huge problem for me as it still does the job most of the time.

Also is it just me or the vibration really strong? I like it

Sent from my Nexus 5

 

[Robbie317]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

After a few days I am overall impressed.. It's a super snappy and smooth device.. So far I like Android 4.4.... and for $399 unlocked how can you beat that price for what you're getting internally? Top notch overall specs for just that much????

Battery life is about the same as my nearly 2 year old GS3 I was using before this (and it was rooted and all unwanted programs removed) Would have been nice to have removable battery or at least a slightly larger battery pack but it does hold up with my medium use for 12 hours without needing a charge... with HEAVY use it will last through a work day but would need charging before going out for the night... I also have always made it a habit to plug my phone up roughly 2 hours before I leave work for the day so it had that charge to last the night if needed.... I've pretty much had to do that with every "Smartphone" I've owned....

Phone feels fragile in the hand (32 gig black) to me it almost feels slippery in my hand and it's so light I am afraid to drop it (ordered a case not here yet) The loose/wobbly power button is only annoying when the phone is in vibrate mode.. I figure once the case is installed I won't hear/feel that anymore but it didn't mess with the function of the phone so I am still deciding if I want to raise a warranty issue with Google over the power button being "loose" Overall build quality I'd put at slightly above average... It's not HTC One/iPhone build quality but I'd put it down close to about what the GS3 build quality is...

Screen is amazing when compared to my GS3 and even if you compare it to the Note 3, the LG G2 and the GS4 and HTC One I think your really splitting hairs when really trying to say which one is better than the other.. Putting it side by side with my wife's HTC One and going to the local Best Buy or Sprint store and running the same web pages or you tube video your just looking for something to complain about if you think any of those screens are head and shoulders over the other.. I don't think the N5 has the best screen out of that group but my lord if it's finishing last among those phones it's only a fraction behind....

Speaker is a little disappointing.... It's not bad if your alone in a quiet room but any surrounding noise really reduces the ability to hear very well... Could have been better but for the price they had to cut SOME corners... if you put it up against the HTC One it gets blown away... up against my older GS3 it was about the same..

Call quality has been amazing (I am using the phone on Sprint until my contract is up in February) crisp and clear on my end and so far no one has had any complaints on their end.. I get a slightly better signal overall vs my GS3... Although I have noticed when the phone switches from 3G to LTE it seems to have a lag while switching to where it goes to completely no signal at all for a couple of seconds and then the LTE signal kicks in and then the same happens when it switches back to 3G... It does not appear to be a smooth transition between radio's... Not sure if that is a Sprint issues or an issue with the phone and how it makes the switch??? In all the same places I live, work and play my speed test numbers have been just a hair better than on my GS3 and on Wi-Fi it's a lot better (I do have an AC router so that might be why since the GS3 was only N)

I've so far found the camera to be pretty solid overall... At least when you consider what I use it for.... Those quick snap shots of the kids, the dogs or something odd or strange I see while out and about it does a great job. I have a Nikon Digital SLR if I am going to an event that I want "Great" pictures... but 99% of what I take from my phone is for sharing on social media or texting/emailing to family or friends.. not an art gallery or photo contest... My dad owns a recording studio and does photography and he would nit pick the device and quality to death but for the average every day person it does a good job of taking in random off the wall pictures.. The camera app is a little clunky and I am shocked that considering people do rate the camera high on their wish list that the camera app and function is not done better... You'd think they'd spend more time and effort to improve the camera app and it's function. it's almost a 50/50 split between hardware and software that makes a camera better or worse and Google still hasn't figured that out very well... I have not made any video's with the thing yet.... and I don't ever use the front facing camera..

 

[austriak]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

I've had the Nexus 5 for a couple days and thought I would update my impression/review. This might be surprising but I am going to return the phone. I was amazed when I first got it but it has worn off quickly. There are three main reasons I am not keeping this phone:

1. Battery life - Not the worst but definitely not the best. It is just not good enough for my needs.

2. Screen - I know this is a 1080p screen but it looks awful with HD videos. The colors are washed out. I've had the HTC One and Moto X and both their screens are leaps and bounds ahead of this one when it comes to this.

3. Cellular radios - The cellular radios are a little bit on the weak side. At home and outside, it was fine, maybe a little bit weaker than my other phones. But in some stores where I have great LTE, the Nexus would drop to HSPA+ and have 1 bar.

I would exchange it if I thought these were defects with this specific phone, but you can read reviews and see that these are all common issues. There were other more minor things but these were the bigger ones. The camera was hit and miss. Sometimes you could take some great pictures and sometimes they looked terrible. However, I think the camera is better than the Moto X's camera.

Ever since this phone was rumored and released, everyone has been talking about how it is such awesome specs at an amazing price and how other OEMs are overcharging for their phones or that Google doesn't care about making money off the hardware sale of this phone. It does have some great specs (e.g., processor, ram). However, it feels more like a budget phone than a premium phone to me.

To those considering this phone, this is my advice. If you already have an HTC One, LG G2, Moto X, or any of the 2013 flagships, don't switch to this. Your phone is much better and will get android 4.4 soon. If you do not have a 2013 flagship phone and you are on contract or will be on contract, go with the LG G2 or Moto X. If you are on prepaid and have a tight budget, this phone may be good for you. If you are on sprint (I'm not sure why you would be, worst cell service) and considering getting this at the "subsidized" price, you are crazy.

I have personally had the HTC One and Moto X and the quality is much better. I know my opinion will not be popular with some but this is based off my personal experience and my needs/wants. And just to throw it in there, I am a fan of stock android. I prefer it over skins. My opinion has nothing to do with android 4.4. For the most part, android 4.4 is a nice minor update.

 

[DamianP]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Can you(or anyone else) comment further on the quality of the microphone? Perhaps a demo recording?

 

[joe767]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

I've had the Nexus 5 for a couple days and thought I would update my impression/review. This might be surprising but I am going to return the phone. I was amazed when I first got it but it has worn off quickly. There are three main reasons I am not keeping this phone:

1. Battery life - Not the worst but definitely not the best. It is just not good enough for my needs.

2. Screen - I know this is a 1080p screen but it looks awful with HD videos. The colors are washed out. I've had the HTC One and Moto X and both their screens are leaps and bounds ahead of this one when it comes to this.

3. Cellular radios - The cellular radios are a little bit on the weak side. At home and outside, it was fine, maybe a little bit weaker than my other phones. But in some stores where I have great LTE, the Nexus would drop to HSPA+ and have 1 bar.

I would exchange it if I thought these were defects with this specific phone, but you can read reviews and see that these are all common issues. There were other more minor things but these were the bigger ones. The camera was hit and miss. Sometimes you could take some great pictures and sometimes they looked terrible. However, I think the camera is better than the Moto X's camera.

Ever since this phone was rumored and released, everyone has been talking about how it is such awesome specs at an amazing price and how other OEMs are overcharging for their phones or that Google doesn't care about making money off the hardware sale of this phone. It does have some great specs (e.g., processor, ram). However, it feels more like a budget phone than a premium phone to me.

To those considering this phone, this is my advice. If you already have an HTC One, LG G2, Moto X, or any of the 2013 flagships, don't switch to this. Your phone is much better and will get android 4.4 soon. If you do not have a 2013 flagship phone and you are on contract or will be on contract, go with the LG G2 or Moto X. If you are on prepaid and have a tight budget, this phone may be good for you. If you are on sprint (I'm not sure why you would be, worst cell service) and considering getting this at the "subsidized" price, you are crazy.

I have personally had the HTC One and Moto X and the quality is much better. I know my opinion will not be popular with some but this is based off my personal experience and my needs/wants. And just to throw it in there, I am a fan of stock android. I prefer it over skins. My opinion has nothing to do with android 4.4. For the most part, android 4.4 is a nice minor update.

Well thanks for you opinion, but it seems you have some issues about the phone. If you are right then all the reviewers must be lying big time about this phone. Mine is still waiting for me at home and I'll judge for myself in a few days. By the way I returned my moto X, didn't enjoy the phone as much as everyone else.

 

[vbockius]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Dropped the ball, really? There isn't a single OEM clamoring to copy BoomSound and given the lack of sales for the One I don't think anyone will. It's a well executed gimmick but most people listen to music with headphones so having stereo sound coming out of the speakers is lost on most people.

Totally disagree....with or without headphones Toggle boom sound on and off while listening to a song...makes a big difference in sound and depth, even plugged into extension speakers N5 isn't as loud as the HTC One...slept through N5 alarm this morning and at work with background noise I can barely hear N5 notifications....hoping with some time (just got it yesterday) my ears will adjust

 

[RickInHouston]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I read where others state it's actually a more premium feel than the Nexus 4. I didn't think that was possible from the pictures, but it is. Ceramic buttons are really a nice touch. The feel is finer on the buttons. Phone is thinner. The front edge glass is sharper / miss the Nexus 4 bevel. All-in-all I like the changes made. Most all changes for the better. May have to work on the APN settings.

 

[gmanunited]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

Well I've had the Nexus 5 for a few days now and here are some quick thoughts from my perspective.
Currently using the AT&T Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Nexus. I will just talk in general.....

1)Not as excited about the N5 as I was with the GNEX a few years ago.
2)Screen on the N5 is a little washed but not too bad also can see the Screen in direct sunlight. (unlike the GS4)
3)Power button/placement is annoying and small
4)Not too happy about the KitKat 4.4 Google now Home Screen. Also all Home Screens have to be placed on the Right the home screen button will only go the one next to google now...Unless you guys tell me other wise....I hope I am wrong. I like to have my Main screen flanked on the Left and Right.....
5)Phone is fast. Camera is Okay but this what I expected.
6)I would love to have a chance to play with the GS4 or HTC One GPE
7)Coverage seems to be good and fast wherever I am even in rural areas.

Still thinking about returning the phone. But......