Google Nexus 5 - What should I know ? New android user

[tomz997]

Hi,

I'm a kind of IOS specialist but I don't know anything about Android. I will probably receive my Nexus 5 tomorrow and my question is: What should I know about android ?

What are the "must have" apps ?
My iPhones and iPads are Jailbroken ..... Do I have to "root" my nexus ? Can I install "cracked apps" ?

etc.....

Do you have good reference doc for android and nexus 5 ?

 

[Paul627g]

Hello.

Welcome to the other side, Android!

The Nexus is and should be an awesome device. You will be running the latest and greatest version of Android OS which is Android 4.4 ( KitKat ). You will be lucky to receive any and all updates as soon as Google pumps them out directly from them. Along with that the promise of a device that is built to be played with. By that I mean it has a friendly and easily unlocked bootloader which allows you to install custom built OS software for the device, Also in the event you mess something up or something unforeseen happens you can obtain the " Factory Images " directly from Google themselves online to download and " Flash " your device right back to stock as it came out of the box.

As far as doing what I described above which is rooting your Nexus device, that is up to you. Android has arrived at a stage where user end customizations and little tweaks and mods are now part of stock Android and more people are finding less reasons to root their devices today. Even something like making backups of your apps/data was always a root required action in the past and now with applications like Helium from the Google Play Store you can do this without the need for root access.

As far as " cracked apps " that is something we don't support or condone at Android Central. Especially when your speaking of copyrighted or paid applications. We respect our independent and commercial developer community and support them by obtaining and using their applications the way they are intended to be.

You should find references and questions here in our forums to help you along and if there is something your unsure of, then feel free to start up a thread or post a question in an existing topic related to your question. Our community and AC forum Ambassadors are here to help make your experience the best it can be.

Paul
Forums Moderator.

 

[JeffDenver]

I'm a kind of IOS specialist but I don't know anything about Android. I will probably receive my Nexus 5 tomorrow and my question is: What should I know about android ?

1) You no longer have to use the vendor default. You can use any app for any default. Chrome is very good, but if you want to default to firefox instead, Android lets you do that.

2) The UI is what you want it to be. Explore other launchers and decide which UI you like best. There are even launchers that will replicate iOS. You stand to lose nothing...they all operate independently. If you decide you don't like it, you can just uninstall it, and your original launcher is restored exactly how you left it.

What are the "must have" apps ?

Dropbox/box.com
Google Drive
A file manager (Astro is a good free option...Solid Explorer is also good)

Everything else is either pre-installed or a matter of opinion. I think everyone would use the apps above though.

My iPhones and iPads are Jailbroken .....

Rooting is more involved than jailbreaking. But most of the things you had to jailbreak for on the iPhone, you can already do by default on Android. That is why most people do not root on Android. There is no reason to most of the time.

Do I have to "root" my nexus ?

You do not need to root, and most people don't. You should only root if you have a specific reason to root (like an app or function that you can't do without rooting). I am an advanced user and have been rooted before, but so far have not had a reason to root the Nexus 5.

Can I install "cracked apps" ?

You can install whatever you want. Installing stuff not on the official market is called "sideloading". You need to go into your security settings to uncheck a box. But once you do that, you can install any APK file you want, or even use alternative markets like Amazon. None of this will interfere with the official market...that will work the same as it always did.

Google will not peek over your shoulder like Apple did. You can generally install whatever you want, just like you can on a PC.