few questions

[RavenSword]

So, I have my new nexus 4 and am loving it so far.

But I do have some questions:

1. Should I download swift key? Is it better a a actual keyboard than the stick one?

2. Is there supposed to be vertical banding on the screen? Its light, but I just wanted to make sure it was normal? (Maybe im just used to iPhone retina screens)

3. Is the phone supposed to get warm on the top back part where the nexus logo is? (Again, I just want to be sure my device is acting normal and isn't defective)

4. Is there best practices to save battery life on android outside of the usual "turn brightness down" "turn off GPS" etc?

5. Anyone have a few must have apps or downloads?

 

[zxcv106106]

So, I have my new nexus 4 and am loving it so far.

But I do have some questions:

1. Should I download swift key? Is it better a a actual keyboard than the stick one?

2. Is there supposed to be vertical banding on the screen? Its light, but I just wanted to make sure it was normal? (Maybe im just used to iPhone retina screens)

3. Is the phone supposed to get warm on the top back part where the nexus logo is? (Again, I just want to be sure my device is acting normal and isn't defective)

4. Is there best practices to save battery life on android outside of the usual "turn brightness down" "turn off GPS" etc?

5. Anyone have a few must have apps or downloads?

1. I personally use Swiftkey a lot. Although I think default google keyboard is getting better as well. In this case, I will say it's better for me personally.

2.I have nothing on my screen...If you can, can you take a picture of your device..? Not really sure what you are saying...

3. My phone get warm while charging. get warm as well when I'm surfing the internet or playing game. As long as it wont get hot, I think you will be in good shape.

4. best battery thread (guide) please refer to here [INFO] *UPDATED -17 June 09* Battery life problems? Stop here! - xda-developers

5. I will just skip this question...for me there are just too many...

 

[RavenSword]

1. I personally use Swiftkey a lot. Although I think default google keyboard is getting better as well. In this case, I will say it's better for me personally.

2.I have nothing on my screen...If you can, can you take a picture of your device..? Not really sure what you are saying...

3. My phone get warm while charging. get warm as well when I'm surfing the internet or playing game. As long as it wont get hot, I think you will be in good shape.

4. best battery thread (guide) please refer to here [INFO] *UPDATED -17 June 09* Battery life problems? Stop here! - xda-developers

5. I will just skip this question...for me there are just too many...

The banding isn't too noticeable. I notice it really only on grays and light blues or whatever. I doubt it'll even show up in a picture

 

[Rizy7]

Swiftkey is better than the stock one but its all about whether you will like it or not.. I'm pretty sure you can get a trial if you go to the swiftkey website.
Depends what you mean on the vertical banding...?
Its not really supposed to get hot unless you're using the full power of the phone.. I'd download a battery monitoring app that lets you keep an eye on the temperature
I usually turn off everything I'm not using.. But the battery really isnt that bad
Take a look at my thread.. Its in my sig

 

[yubeie]

>1. Should I download swift key? Is it better a a actual keyboard than the stick one?

I guess it boils down to personal choice. But unless you try both (since a lot of factors could play a role like key spacing, finger size etc.) it is very difficult to decide. I've used both and in terms of word prediction during typing, swiftkey does a better job for sure. I am heavy swype/flow user and stock keyboard does better than swiftkey repeatedly for me.

2. Is there supposed to be vertical banding on the screen? Its light, but I just wanted to make sure it was normal? (Maybe im just used to iPhone retina screens)

I am not sure I see anything on my screen. Please post pics if you can.

3. Is the phone supposed to get warm on the top back part where the nexus logo is? (Again, I just want to be sure my device is acting normal and isn't defective)

It certainly does get warm. With normal usage like emails/messaging/basic operations..the phone stays around 28-33degrees Celsius. With youtube, chrome..I see it can hit upto 35. With gaming it does get hotter >36. The upper limit is dependent on the kind of game you are playing and the duration.

4. Is there best practices to save battery life on android outside of the usual "turn brightness down" "turn off GPS" etc?

Battery has significantly improved in the 4.2.2 update. I am a moderate user and easily get close to 16-20hrs with an avg screen time of 2.5hrs. I also leave my WIFI bluetooth turned on. GPS is turned off though. The standby time is really good now..so, based on my experience, this should not be a point of concern anymore.

5. Anyone have a few must have apps or downloads?

I am not sure about the category you are interested in...but here are some apps that I like:
-Elixir (allows you to create widgets/toggles on either home screen/status bar) few features require root.
-Dash Clock Widget. for lockscreen.
-BeWaether Pro
-IMO for instant messaging (support most of the clients like gtalk, yahoo etc.)
-Business Calender
-Titatnium Backup
-Flipboard
-PowerAmp player
-Cerberus anti theft solution. (highly recommend it!) Avast Antivirus also offers something similar...but this ones better.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Good posts above, I'll just add a few things...

1. It really depends on preference. I used to swear by Swype, but the stock keyboard has vastly improved to the point where I haven't bothered with a third party version.

2. In bright sunlight, with the screen off, I can see little vertical bands on the screen but they vanish once the screen is activated. This, at least, is simply part of the screen construction and is not unique to this phone. Not sure what you're seeing if this happens to you with the screen on, but it's probably not normal if it's visible.

3. Some games will definitely make the phone work hard and it will get hot in that corner, yes. I've noticed this with Gene Effect and Night Sky for example, but not with simpler games like Doodle Jump.

4. You can try downloading the Snapdragon Battery Guru and see how it works for you. It definitely seems to help some, but you may need to tweak the settings once it's done learning to better fit your preferences.

5. Gosh, so many. I'll second Dash Clock and Cerberus, and would add a launcher like Nova (looks just like stock but adds more functionality), cloud services like Dropbox and Box, Chrome to Phone, and Wifi Analyzer. Personal preference really rules here, and what you use your phone for. Personally I also use apps like aCar (for car management), Evernote, and Falcon Pro (for Twitter). Also, I highly recommend setting up 2-step authentication for your Google account, and using Google's Authenticator app.

 

[6tr6tr]

I tried SwiftKey and found Swype better. Nexus 4 keyboard is inacurate.