Considering a G4

[ron561]

Hello all!

So I currently own an iPhone 6 after getting extremely frustrated with the S6 and trading it in. I figured I'll just hold out with my iPhone until the new Nexus devices come out and I will upgrade to those. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the new Nexus 5 will be available for jump on demand users (I'm on T-Mobile) and I'm really missing Android as I anticipated I would. So I'm looking at the G4 as my only option left until new flagships come out next year.

I haven't done too much research just yet, so I was hoping to get some feedback from long time users. My main issues with the S6 were bad ram management, battery, slow updates to fix mode specific issues, wifi calling drain, and overall performance. Some positives were the camera, fast charging, and theme system.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tumultus]

The G4 seems to work out just fine for others but for me, ... not so much! Over the years I've gotten spoiled by Samsung's AMOLED screens - just awesome - and, coming from a Note 4 as well as a S6 afterwards, I guess my expectations were simply too high. The G4 just didn't feel good to me; nothing said premium and even the black leather back felt sort of plasticy. The screen was inferior to what I have gotten used to. The interface felt like using different phones at times. I also never got those awesome shots with the camera which you can find in the dedicated sticky topic. Mine always looked grainy or out of focus. The audio quality didn't come close to the one on my Samsung, so, to keep things short, I am back on a Note 4 ... !

I know there are a whole lot of happy G4 users out there and, probably, the device is worth it. (Much cheaper than comparable Samsung devices.) And, maybe, I would have been able to do more camera-wise with manual settings, however, I am a point-and-shoot kind of guy and, in this Texas sun down here, good luck being able to read the screen and make your settings in bright daylight.

If you know someone with a G4, ask him if he lets you test drive the device for a day. Maybe you like it.

 

[CaptainRafe]

I'm in the UK, have more pressing things to spend money on, and as such remain with a phone for a 24 month period of a phone contract.
Over the years I've had several iPhone's before getting fed up with their 'closed' environment and switching to Android with a Samsung S4.
I am now using a G4 and have been for little over a month. I am very pleased with it and glad I came away from more mainstream choices (Samsung).
To date, I have not suffered with any issues around battery life. I am out of the house 12 hours a day with no access to plug in charging. My G4 will easily last well into the night, and is only charged overnight out of habit.
The camera really is very good. My knowledge is limited so I've only played around with the manual settings. The auto is more than enough for fantastic photos.
The build quality is top notch, better than my previous Samsung.
One of my reasons for picking the G4 was the ability to add an SD card, which I have done. The removable battery is neither here nor there, as I've never swapped out batteries.
I have not suffered any lag. I do tend to close down apps, but I'm trying to wean myself off of this and let Android do its job. I guess its a carry over from needing to do not on early iOS.
I have repeatedly recommended the G4 to others. I have the black leather back and it catches attention.
As above post said, see if you can borrow one for an extended time to get a feel for it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Stwutter]

I have the G4, and came from the Sony Z3 (a great phone, IMO). The key to me was continuing with expandable storage (I have a 200gb SD card - extreme but necessary).

Personally, the pre-conceived build quality thing (glass/plastic/leather) has never really bothered me. If it looks OK, that's fine, and it's nice to have a phone that I'm not terrified of smashing - my Z3 went to the wall after a drop). The G4 display is very nice, but I would agree that it doesn't 'pop' like Samsung's latest displays. However, like the pictures it takes, it's more natural looking. Battery is good - I get 15-20hrs with med-heavy usage, and you always have the nice option of carrying a spare battery about. On quiter days 25 hours is not unusual. Like any battery though, it can drop like a stone if you hammer it. I took 110 photos on auto setting last weekend, and it took 28% of my battery in 90 mins.

So far as lag goes, I do get it. It's fairly sporadic, but noticeable. It's very minor - half second delays once or twice a day when opening an app. or waiting for the keyboard to pop up. To me, it's nothing, and I have 7500 songs, 3000 photos & 250 video clips - I do ask a lot of my phone, so I'm fairly sure the odd hiccup would happen on most top-end devices.

Overall, it's the best top-end phone I've owned (in tie with the Blackberry Bold 9900 of yesteryear...). I can see myself sticking with it until the G5 at least.