Google Nexus 4 First Impressions/Reviews

[rserda]

What size did you get.. 8 GB or 16GB...?

 

[ccontard]

My N4 just arrived yesterday and I love it so far. I'll reserve judgement on the battery until 3-4 full cycles are on it, but it seems to be good so far (and that's with downloading/installing all my apps and setting up my home screens). I do notice that the T-Mobile signal seems better in my house than it did on my Galaxy Nexus. My only gripe is it took a little longer to outfit than other phones I've had since, in addition to a screen protector, i got protective film for the back (which has a case over it normally, but sometimes I may need to remove it). I can deal with the one-time hassle, though.

This is certainly a far cry (in a good way) from the last LG phone I had, I can tell you that...

 

[anon(27512)]

Received nexus 4 for my wife yesterday , simply love it I currently own iPhone 5, and let me tell you android has matured a lot , I had droid x, it was constantly crushing and battery life was very poor, so I ended up switching to iPhone 4s and now iPhone 5. "Google now" is awesome !! I am using this phone a lot and letting go my iPhone to my wife... There's specifically one app I am missing in android market is a good reddit app. I love my ios "alien blue" app.. I looked at market and there's no reddit app comes close to alien blue...how long we gotta wait till a good reddit app comes to android ?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Bacon reader!!!

 

[anon(27512)]

My nexus just came today and I am in love. It is truly amazing how different stock android is than themed android.

This phone feels so much faster than my note 2. Honestly after this phone I don't think I could ever own a themed device again.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[lyeileen]

What a great thread.

 

[TheAndroidCorner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw-kOhOzZJM&feature=youtube_gdata_player my review of the nexus 4



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8gb

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8gb

 

[JK McKnight]

It is indeed, it has been a long time since a new Android device has generate so much interest that the arrival of a "new" iPhone is being virtually ignored by the independent industry-specific media and discussions pertaining to it are mostly restricted to Apple forums while the public raves over the "unbelievable value" offered by what is actually a 'superphone' being sold for the price of an entry-level luxury smartphone. To add insult to injury, Apple also has to deal with the unexpected resurrection of RIM... sorry, BlackBerry.

On the technical side of things the Nexus 4 delivers and then some, it is the most powerful phone I have ever owned. Responsiveness and graphic quality is among the top performers and at last(!) a phone where the on-screen keys are large enough for the average adult male finger size to be able to use more than just their pinkie or a plastic toothpick to type. As for looks, if there was a Miss Phone pageant it would probably win it or at least be among the top 3.

BUT as an unacceptably high number of proud possessors of a new N4 have discovered, often after less than a month of ownership, this phone has obvious major design flaws which, combined together, constitute a recipe for disaster. The Gorilla Glass 2 used to cover the input screen is too brittle for use on a portable device and, as if to ensure that the odds of a fatal mishap remain high above average, the back plate also made of the same material as the front, is the most slippery I have ever seen on a portable phone. Not only is the screen glass so brittle as to make the owner nervous at the sight of buzzing flies wondering how many of them landing on the screen it would to crack it, but this phone will slide off of any almost surface to certain doom, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some people even dare break wind near it.

The other, less obvious, flaw is the integrated design of the screen. Unlike most other smartphones it doesn't matter that only the glass gets cracked and the actual screen appears intact albeit unresponsive, the whole apparatus including the front casing has to be replaced at owner's expense and it's not cheap. It's not a coincidence that most cell repair shops now feature prominent displays of cracked N4's, the business is obviously booming.

 

[ottscay]

I've had a Nexus 4 for a bit over a month now - I'm yet another person who switched from a Verizon Galaxy Nexus to an off-contract N4 - and I just wanted to say that I absolutely love this phone. Everything is faster and smoother than the GN, for the first time I can truly run live wallpapers without inducing any OS lag! Battery life is almost double the GN (even when LTE was turned off...as it almost always was), my cell connection is actually faster (again, because LTE was pretty much always off to conserve battery), call quality is much better, and I don't have to pay Verizon's (or anyone else's) ridiculous on-contract monthly prices.

I seriously love this phone. Sure, the GS4 and HTC One have newer hardware, but I honestly could care less right now. Even six months after launch the Nexus 4 is making me a very happy camper, and saving me a lot of money in the process!

 

[Quelch]

Would the Nexus 4 be usable as a 'Walkman' device?
The Sony Xperia E has a "Walkman' mode or setting, could the Nexus 4 function in a similar way

What I'm trying to do is replace an aging phone and an extremly old Walkman (the one with the cassitte in it) with a phone that would do both duties

Can I listen to on line local radio via wi-fi and load music files on the Nexus 4 ?

 

[motor96]

Love the phone just wish it had a better battery life and camera.

 

[Miguel Costa]

I think there is better options in quality/price for android.
I like the phone cause is fast.
I don't like that much the battery.
I don't like that I cannot access the battery.
I hate that it doesn't have physical buttons except the power button.

had a problem with a screen protector that with it, when on phone calls I can't press any option since the screen goes black and doesn't comeback. so you can't finish calls or put options. this really sucks and it's not possible to remove this option in the settings...

 

[pontiac005]

You need to get a screen protector that doesn't cover the sensor.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[BuffOrange]

Loving it two weeks in. I'm not nearly as technical as most Nexus owners probably are but I was able to set everything up the way I like pretty easily.

Am not thrilled with the battery life. I know others say it's fine so I'm hoping it's me that's doing something wrong. I have screen brightness turned down & wifi on only when I'm home. I do have a multi-screen wallpaper app; does that kill the battery?

 

[pontiac005]

Live wallpapers do.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Captivational]

SOrry if this is a redundant question, but I scrolled through a few pages of this forum and didn't see this mentioned specifically. I currently have an Infuse 4G on ATT in NYC and I'm considering picking up the N4 for $300 and moving to TMO.

My concern is downgrading from 4G to 3G connection speed as there are times where I need to tether to my lap top for work.

Has anyone moved from a 4G phone to the 3G N4 & if so how has the experience been for you?

 

[pontiac005]

The N4 is a bit faster than 3g using hspa+ speeds (results vary), and is fast enough for the average person.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Captivational]

The N4 is a bit faster than 3g using hspa+ speeds (results vary), and is fast enough for the average person.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I'm concerned because I need to update websites and screen streaming videos using my data plan from time to time and I'm concerned that 3g may not cut it.

 

[JeffDenver]

Love the phone. Best phone I have had so far despite these flaws:

1) Living without SD just sucks. I am having to make a lot of uncomfortable decisions on what I can store on the phone.

2) Non-removable battery means I cannot upgrade it. My last phone (Rezound + extended battery) could go two days on a charge. I am lucky to get 10-12 hours on this phone.

Despite these problems, the phone is amazingly smooth and fast...even compared to the best modern Android phones like the Galaxy S4. I love that there are no vendor skins polluting it. I love that I get updated immediately. I love the lack of bloat. HSPA+ speeds are plenty fast IMO...I can't say I miss 4G LTE speed on Verizon (though I do miss the coverage). The camera could be better, but it comparable to other modern phones and has great Macro mode, and the easiest and fastest camera UI I have seen so far. I *love* the curved glass screen...the display is bright enough to see in direct sunlight with sunglasses yet has the deepest blacks I have ever seen on a non-AMOLED display.

 

[spacecasespiff]

Love the phone. Best phone I have had so far despite these flaws:

1) Living without SD just sucks. I am having to make a lot of uncomfortable decisions on what I can store on the phone.

2) Non-removable battery means I cannot upgrade it. My last phone (Rezound + extended battery) could go two days on a charge. I am lucky to get 10-12 hours on this phone.

Despite these problems, the phone is amazingly smooth and fast...even compared to the best modern Android phones like the Galaxy S4. I love that there are no vendor skins polluting it. I love that I get updated immediately. I love the lack of bloat. HSPA+ speeds are plenty fast IMO...I can't say I miss 4G LTE speed on Verizon (though I do miss the coverage). The camera could be better, but it comparable to other modern phones and has great Macro mode, and the easiest and fastest camera UI I have seen so far. I *love* the curved glass screen...the display is bright enough to see in direct sunlight with sunglasses yet has the deepest blacks I have ever seen on a non-AMOLED display.

Try the cloud for your stuff. All my music and any pictures that I want to keep are on the cloud.


Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JeffDenver]

Try the cloud for your stuff. All my music and any pictures that I want to keep are on the cloud.

Did that...even on Verizon the Cloud is not always there, and when it is, can still be slow. SD is with you all the time and always works fast.

I use the cloud for backup, but never for primary storage. Wireless tech is just not there yet IMO.