I received my phone earlier today and while obviously I can't say anything about battery life yet I wanted to add my initial impressions of the new Nexus as an owner of the previous Verizon variant. I thought that there might still be some people who aren't sure if it is a big enough upgrade or are simply waiting on their phone to arrive and want to hear more about it.
Taking it out of the box I was immediately struck by how thin it is compared to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. I think it has to do with the hump more than anything else, because it looks very similar in thickness and it feels about the same weight. After holding both phones I was immediately conflicted. The GN felt more secure in hand due to the extra weight in my palm. It oddly seems like a natural fit, though that may be due to my familiarity with it. Even more disappointing, the satisfying press on my volume and power buttons has been replaced by something with less travel. On the plus side the extra width of the screen is noticeable and very much appreciated. The minor negatives I noticed about the feel pretty much melted away once I took in the beauty of this magnificent black slab. The back is a huge improvement over the GN in looks, and the phone overall is much prettier in person than any pictures will show. I actually feel like I want to show off the outside of the phone rather than simply show people the OS. (This will be hard to reconcile with the case I will probably put on it)
The screen! I didn't understand what the hell everyone was talking about when they mentioned how buttery smooth the glass was. I mean it's all going to be similar right? Wrong. I couldn't help but smile while gliding my fingers along the surface of this device. I'm considering forgoing the screen protector just for this. The way it melts over the side is pretty neat and definitely feels better than running into a hard edge like on the GN. The colors/brightness are hugely improved over my old phone, though I can see why people might think it to be "washed out". My eyes are used to the oversaturated colors of an AMOLED screen but I can definitely tell that this IPS screen is far more accurate just by comparing the chrome icon on both screens. It's also much more responsive to touch and the vibration feels more noticeable/pleasant than before.
As far as performance goes I was surprised by how much of a difference a nice jb rom made on my GN. The only times I really had issues were with the chrome browser, auto rotate, and multi-tasking more than two apps at a time. With that said the N4 obliterated any lag I had previously experienced in those areas. I'm going to see how far I can push it but I'm really impressed. So impressed that I don't think I will be considering particular processors in the future on the basis of anything besides what battery saving features they offer. (I don't game on my phones)
I may add some more thoughts as I continue using the device but I want to end by saying that this is definitely a big upgrade to the Galaxy Nexus. Side by side the N4 makes it look absolutely ancient, mostly due to the screen. I was preparing for the worst after reading some of the threads here but I'm satisfied with my purchase. On the other hand waiting another year is not a bad option either (I still like my GN), but quick multitasking proved to be too important for me. Luckily my device doesn't seem to have any defects that I have been able to notice, (no yellow screen or overheating) which may be part of why it seems so much better. I really feel for you guys that received faulty phones after waiting for so long but I hope that once everything is finally settled you can enjoy your phones as much as I'm enjoying mine.
Edit: Oh one surprising thing I forgot to mention. Wifi reception is far better than on the GN. I used to barely get one bar in my basement with the router up on the second floor, now I get four.
Taking it out of the box I was immediately struck by how thin it is compared to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. I think it has to do with the hump more than anything else, because it looks very similar in thickness and it feels about the same weight. After holding both phones I was immediately conflicted. The GN felt more secure in hand due to the extra weight in my palm. It oddly seems like a natural fit, though that may be due to my familiarity with it. Even more disappointing, the satisfying press on my volume and power buttons has been replaced by something with less travel. On the plus side the extra width of the screen is noticeable and very much appreciated. The minor negatives I noticed about the feel pretty much melted away once I took in the beauty of this magnificent black slab. The back is a huge improvement over the GN in looks, and the phone overall is much prettier in person than any pictures will show. I actually feel like I want to show off the outside of the phone rather than simply show people the OS. (This will be hard to reconcile with the case I will probably put on it)
The screen! I didn't understand what the hell everyone was talking about when they mentioned how buttery smooth the glass was. I mean it's all going to be similar right? Wrong. I couldn't help but smile while gliding my fingers along the surface of this device. I'm considering forgoing the screen protector just for this. The way it melts over the side is pretty neat and definitely feels better than running into a hard edge like on the GN. The colors/brightness are hugely improved over my old phone, though I can see why people might think it to be "washed out". My eyes are used to the oversaturated colors of an AMOLED screen but I can definitely tell that this IPS screen is far more accurate just by comparing the chrome icon on both screens. It's also much more responsive to touch and the vibration feels more noticeable/pleasant than before.
As far as performance goes I was surprised by how much of a difference a nice jb rom made on my GN. The only times I really had issues were with the chrome browser, auto rotate, and multi-tasking more than two apps at a time. With that said the N4 obliterated any lag I had previously experienced in those areas. I'm going to see how far I can push it but I'm really impressed. So impressed that I don't think I will be considering particular processors in the future on the basis of anything besides what battery saving features they offer. (I don't game on my phones)
I may add some more thoughts as I continue using the device but I want to end by saying that this is definitely a big upgrade to the Galaxy Nexus. Side by side the N4 makes it look absolutely ancient, mostly due to the screen. I was preparing for the worst after reading some of the threads here but I'm satisfied with my purchase. On the other hand waiting another year is not a bad option either (I still like my GN), but quick multitasking proved to be too important for me. Luckily my device doesn't seem to have any defects that I have been able to notice, (no yellow screen or overheating) which may be part of why it seems so much better. I really feel for you guys that received faulty phones after waiting for so long but I hope that once everything is finally settled you can enjoy your phones as much as I'm enjoying mine.
Edit: Oh one surprising thing I forgot to mention. Wifi reception is far better than on the GN. I used to barely get one bar in my basement with the router up on the second floor, now I get four.
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