the below was first posted here:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-4/225350-my-nexus-4-just-got-delivered-thread.html
i wanted to spend a little time with it today before rushing off some first impressions, so here are some thoughts:
-coming from an SGS2 the screen is so much better both in terms of the amount of screen real estate and particularly how easy it is to read text. gmail looks extremely crisp, as does reader. i do a lot of reading on my smartphone so this is for me probably the most obvious first major plus of the N4. games also look spectacular but i don't do much gaming. Google Now looks really sharp and i like the London image up top. anyone know how many custom city images have been made for Google Now?
-the overall size/weight just really isn't that much different than an SGS2, which is nice. it feels the same in the pocket, albeit a little bit more slippery in my addidas running pant pocket (more on this below)
-the phone feels significantly faster than an SGS2. no studder, lags, crashes, etc.
-network speeds feel better, and reception is better in my house. not sure if this is related or not but Spotify seems to be working better. less buggy, less buffering, and i haven't heard that awful screech noise that sometimes happens when i use the radio feature. music sounds great on this device and can't wait for the launch of Google Music's scan and match cloud service.
-the glass makes me nervous but i'm also always a little bit nervous when i get a brand new device. i'm much happier having a solid feeling, closed device like the N4 vs. the plastic cracking and creaking of the SGS2/Samsung smartphones in general.
-i really like a lot of the little the choices Google made. for example, good call on not including ear buds. people are pretty particular about their ear buds (in ear, non in-ear, etc.) so leave them out to bring down the price and let people make their own choice. also good call on making the USB charging cable detachable (which was not the case with the SGS2).
-voice recognition is awesome. doing math (eg, square roots), search, etc. works flawlessly. take that, Siri!
-like the reviews said, i barely notice the disco sparkly matrix back bit. it's nice, easier to see it outdoors.
-i like the N4's haptic feedback for some reason better than the SGS2. a little more subdued, less in my face maybe?
-there are some things i miss about Touch Whiz. touching the screen and being able to add shortcuts, folders and widgets. i miss the slightly larger circular pattern security dots for unlocking the screen. i miss be able to scroll left from the home screen and having both the left and right home screens within one flick of the finger. i miss being able to put all my apps in List View. and is GPS completely automated? there isn't a shortcut for turning it on or off and the flashing GPS signal in the notifications bar seems to only appear when i open an app like Maps or Strava which uses it.
-having said all that about Touch Wiz stuff i miss, i'm very happy to be done with Samsung. I had the Nexus S and then when it was stolen from me well before I was looking to upgrade I went for the SGS2 and i have missed not having immediate access to Android OS updates ever since. my SGS2 also just never seemed to work quite as smoothly or be as stable as the Nexus S and i always wondered whether this was a problem with how TouchWiz was interfacing with ICS?
-also happy to be done with MHL-HDMI. i could never really get this to work very well through my receiver due to what seemed like a poor hardware connection design. i'd have to position the cable and phone just so to get it to work. further, my SGS2 would run out of juice even though it was charging because the screen had to be kept on to play music. epic fail. i have an older LG TV - any suggestions on SlimPort/MiraCast adapters?
-once it comes out i'm looking forward to going completely wireless with the Nexus charging orb. would also be great if there were more ways to use NFC (err ahemm..that means you London Tube/Oyster card folks)
-will be nice to get to the bottom of this very subtle rattle that i and it sounds like at least one other person are aware of? i can't hear it when it's in my pocket, just when i ratttle it near my face. it's not a big issue or annoyance, but i'd like to know what it is and all other things being equal i don't like rattles.
-overall, i couldn't be more satisfied with the N4. the key to my being so happy is not only is the N4 a great flagship device, but it is being offered at an absolutely killer price. i'm going to be able to basically cover the cost of the N4 by selling my used SGS2 and its accessories. how unbelievable is that? and the N4 makes particular sense here in the UK where LTE won't be available for quite some time (but HSPA+ is).
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