Is the Google Nexus 4 still a good buy? Will it age well?

So my order (placed on Sep 16th) says my Nexus ships on Sep 18th. Will I still get mine, seeing as how it sold out today? I sure hope so! Man...it'd suck if I don't get it.

You should still get it. I don't think demand was so great at the end that they oversold their inventory. Be happy that you beat the buzzer. :)
 
So, since theyre out of N4s i might get a couple more bucks for my S3:cool: j/k. Im holding on to my N4 for a while. It really does suit my needs very well. Even if its nearly a year old its still faster/smoother then a lot of the stuff out there.
 
I'm not sure why one would describe the N4?s camera as mediocre, but whatever. Looked at from a certain point of view, anything that isn't a good DSLR is garbage.

Would it be nice if the N4 was a legitimate LTE device? Sure. But when one can stream Netflix, Pandora, Google Play, and the like without a hitch, I'm thinking that "deficiency" isn't really much of one.
 
I'm not sure why one would describe the N4?s camera as mediocre, but whatever. Looked at from a certain point of view, anything that isn't a good DSLR is garbage.

Would it be nice if the N4 was a legitimate LTE device? Sure. But when one can stream Netflix, Pandora, Google Play, and the like without a hitch, I'm thinking that "deficiency" isn't really much of one.

I haven't had any problems with the camera on my Nexus 4. However, when I hear people say it's mediocre, I think they're referring to specific lighting conditions. You can take excellent photos with even a 3 MP camera if you have lots of light. When the lighting is poor, even an 8 MP camera won't help you unless there is extra software or hardware to compensate.

LTE is probably useful if you have an unlimited data plan and you're using the wifi hot spot to replace the broadband internet service in your home. I've heard of people using their phone's internet connection to play Xbox games online or update their PC's software. They have to use their phone because they live in the middle of nowhere where only dial-up is available. Of course, I'm sure using your phone for home internet is against the terms of service, but somehow people get away with it.
 
I need a new phone asap and I don't want to commit to a new contract at this time. The Nexus 4 at $249 is very attractive to me. However I realize that it is at the end of its generation and the next generation Nexus 5 is coming out soon. I know the limitations of the Nexus 4 (average camera, no LTE, no expandable memory, meh battery life). However none of those things matter to me and are not high on my list of required features.

Questions:
1. If I get the Nexus 4 now, will it continue to get software updates two years from now?
2. Will it age well? Or could it slow down and start lagging over time like some of the other Android phones I have experienced (Captivate, GS3)?
3. How have the other Nexus devices fared over time? Do they get progressively slow down like the iPhones do with each software update?
4. When the Nexus 5 lands will it be $249 or will it be the regular $349? If it is sold at $249, I'd be slightly disappointed, I guess. But I do need a new phone in the next few days.


Answers:
1. No one knows. Nexus phones older than 2yrs have shown that Google only upgrades the OS for 2 yrs from release. After that, only bug fixes. Meaning, the 2010 Nexus received its last update in 2012.
2. It's a clean Android experience, so it will feel better. On the GS3, you can go with a custom install or cyanogenmod. It'll feel zippy again.
3. For sure, they fare better than their non Nexus counterparts because they receive more software updates. For example, many 2010 android phones are not at Android 4.X, and instead at Android 2.x. With the Nexus line, you do have this.
4. Who knows. Anyone's guess. My guess, probably released at around $299, with also a more expensive option available.
 
I'd say it's a good buy. I'm planning on graduating college with it in three years probably rooted with the latest android version by then. But as for updates next 2 years, I'd say it has long life left since it had high specs compared to other phones when it came out. The older nexus phones from what I read had average specs but were still supported 18 months after release. Even now there's nexus ones out there from early 2010 running a custom ROM of jelly bean 4.1. If that phone could handle that, I bet the nexus 4 with a ROM a few years from now could support Android 6.0 or whatever the latest major update is.

Posted via my lag-free, always updated Nexus 4
 
I forgot to mention how ridiculously cheap it is for a high end phone. BUT, I'm sure you knew that already

Posted via my lag-free, always updated Nexus 4
 

Trending Posts

Forum statistics

Threads
956,740
Messages
6,969,714
Members
3,163,603
Latest member
blåhaj