New Nexus 4 owner - 2 day impressions

[JeffDenver]

After years of dealing with Verizon's crap I finally got sick of it and bailed to T-Mobile. As a nice side effect, this gave me the opportunity to switch to the Nexus 4 (16 gig). I have had it 2 or 3 days now. I am coming from an HTC Rezound with extended battery.

The bad: I absolutely despise not having an SD card (and I have already maxed my storage, which irritates me). And Not being able to remove the battery is annoying as hell also. All of you people who have told me over the years that SD and removable battery don't matter are wrong. I am missing the (by comparison) infinite battery life I got with extended batteries on the Rezound and S3. Having to turn crap down or off just to save battery life is annoying and unnecessary. The stupid cloud is not available often enough to justify removing SD. The Camera quality is slightly below my Rezound on anything other than perfectly lit shots (it is good most of the time, but high contrast images always look worse...lots of silhouetting).

The Awesome: It's a good thing the rest of the phone is so full of awesome that it more than makes up for it. The CPU is snappy and I LOVE having vanilla Android. I thought other UI's were smooth and quick, but they look a lot slower now. Even the S3 is not as fluid as this. So far I have experienced all three major vendor skins...they all suck in spades compared to vanilla Android. Calling people on this phone is effortless compared to my Rezound or a Galaxy S3 (no need to dig through contacts and hunt for buttons). It is nice to be able to pick up the phone and dial someone with two taps in about 1.5 seconds...it is NOT like that on the Galaxy S3. Taking pictures with the camera is quick and easy and intuitive...far easier and more intuitive than the Galaxy S3 and certainly far faster than the Rezound. The quality is as good as the Galaxy S3, and it's macro mode is significantly better (as good as the Rezound, which IMO had the best macro mode of any phone until now).

Touchwiz, Motoblur, and (especially) Sense add nothing at all of value IMO. They are anchors weighing down the perfection that is vanilla Android, and I am happy to finally be free of them. The display is actually better than the Rezound, which already had an awesome display. It is the best you can get with 720p (though it is actually slightly higher)...the deepest blacks I have seen on any LCD display, ever. And despite this, it also has the best daylight visibility of any phone I have seen so far. Perfectly legible in direct sunlight, even with the brightness turned down. Viewing angles are superb with perfect legibility at almost a full 180 degrees and minimal color distortion.

So overall I am very very happy with the switch. Despite it's flaws, this is the best phone have I have used so far.

 

[RumoredNow]

Welcome to the N4... I'm pretty new meself. About 6 weeks in.

Yes, Pure Google Android is great. (Vanilla doesn't do the ROM justice.)

I'm sure my usage differs wildly from yours. I've never filled 16GB on a phone before, so I can only imagine what you got in there.

I will agree, non removable battery is NOT a selling point.

I like my N4 very much as well. Tried franco.Kernel? It helps with battery, screen gamma, sound, data speed (TCP Congestion protocols), etc. It adds more to the experience, IMHO.

 

[JeffDenver]

I'm sure my usage differs wildly from yours. I've never filled 16GB on a phone before, so I can only imagine what you got in there. I will agree, non removable battery is NOT a selling point.

My MP3 library alone is 6 gigs. And vacation video eats up storage like candy.

For battery I guess I will just have to get a power pack. Not much else I can do, because I do not want to run it lean. All the claims of "omg battery life is so good" assume you are turning down screen brightness and basically running it lean. iPhone battery life claims are exactly the same thing. On the Rezound I never had to do that. Full brightness, GPS, 4G, everything on full all the time, and still over a day of battery with some to spare. Android Central people have been saying for years that SD and removable batteries don't matter, and they are completely wrong.

16 gigs feels really tight...I can't imagine what the people with the 8gig version do.

 

[RumoredNow]

I've got Brightness up at 100% with Auto engaged. franco.Kernel tweaks to the screen really help visibility. Most agree the gamma on N4 is just off.

I'm not turning off functions, except WiFi as my data plan doesn't force me onto it and I'm not running any BlueTooth devices...

 

[Sophos]

+1 for Franco kernel.... even just for the gamma control.

I've kinda quit worrying about battery life. I use to constantly be checking my percentage and screen on time and tweaking settings trying to get the max out of each charge. Now I just use my phone and plug it in if I need to. I'm never that far from a power outlet.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Rehzonance]

I'm new to Nexus devices as well...heck im new to android. This phone (Nexus 4) and JB 4.2 made me switch to android. Before that OS update I never really liked how android looked, both UI and the overall smoothness of it..or the lack there of. Right now I'm loving android, the customisation and all...the cleanness of JB.

The storage on the nexus 4 was an issue for me as well but I'm trying to move a wah from physical storage to the cloud. Instant upload on google+ and drop box works great..spotify for music, Netflix and podcasts for movies and videos. NEVER BEEN HAPPIER I won't even go into the specs...games run smooth with minimal to no lag or dropped frames. Oh one other disappointment was the camera quality. Its OK but I've seen better but again overall the pros on this phone is enough for me...at least till an updated nexus comes out.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[JeffDenver]

The storage on the nexus 4 was an issue for me as well but I'm trying to move a wah from physical storage to the cloud.

There are two problems with that in my experience:

1) The cloud is not always there. Even under Verizon, I had areas without coverage. Now that I am on T-Mobile, it is worse. There is a lot I like better with T-Mobile, but I am more convinced than ever that Verizon has the best coverage.

2) Even when you have coverage, it is not always fast or consistent. If I am viewing photos or video from the cloud, it is always noticeably slower and laggier...if it works at all. Wifi is not a solution at all IMO. At least not unless you are using the same wifi nodes all the time and are always close to them. Wifi access is far from 100% as well.

The cloud seems like a good solution in theory, but the tech is just not there yet. Google just does not get that, and it irritates me to no end, because they should know better. I would expect this from Apple.

Oh one other disappointment was the camera quality. Its OK but I've seen better but again overall the pros on this phone is enough for me...at least till an updated nexus comes out.

Yeah, the Camera is not awesome, but it is decent. Better than the Galaxy S3 for sure (the Galaxy S3 has better low light, but crappier macro). Not as good as the One though. Thats the only thing I miss from HTC...they did pack good cameras in their hardware. The Rezound camera is awesome even by today's standards.

 

[JeffDenver]

I've got Brightness up at 100% with Auto engaged. franco.Kernel tweaks to the screen really help visibility. Most agree the gamma on N4 is just off. I'm not turning off functions, except WiFi as my data plan doesn't force me onto it and I'm not running any BlueTooth devices...

I'll try that once I get it rooted.

 

[JeffDenver]

Oh yeah, and I discovered USB OTG a few days ago...so apparently you can plug thumb drives directly into the Nexus and transfer crap to it. Not an ideal solution, but certainly much better than nothing.

 

[adam514]

My MP3 library alone is 6 gigs. And vacation video eats up storage like candy.

For battery I guess I will just have to get a power pack. Not much else I can do, because I do not want to run it lean. All the claims of "omg battery life is so good" assume you are turning down screen brightness and basically running it lean. iPhone battery life claims are exactly the same thing. On the Rezound I never had to do that. Full brightness, GPS, 4G, everything on full all the time, and still over a day of battery with some to spare. Android Central people have been saying for years that SD and removable batteries don't matter, and they are completely wrong.

16 gigs feels really tight...I can't imagine what the people with the 8gig version do.

The claims of the battery life are true as we all use our phone for different purposes (other than just it being a phone of course). I can attest the claims are true, I own the 8gb version and have no music on my phone. I have over 20 gbs on my computer so I use a separate mp3 for my car and when i'm out walking/biking etc. Point is, if you use your phone for multi-media as you seem to, then yes the battery will probably disappoint. I use my phone for work, emails, very light gaming/videos, a lot of web browsing and I get a full day (730am till midnight roughly) of battery with 20-30% left. Bluetooth on 40-50% of the day, data, push email (on Outlook and Gmail), brightness about half is all my eyes can even take and I use up a lot of minutes each day for work. I can say for a 2gb ram and quad-core phone, it is damn good.

Btw, congrats on the N4

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

As someone who has the 8GB version, I've never once filled it to capacity. I'm sorry, but I just don't have or share this mindless obsession with trying to stick every last frakking song that I've got onto my phone. I mean, c'mon, is music *soooo* important to you that every last second of your life has to be filled with it?

Also, I don't have the need, either, to go around shooting photos and videos of everything that stands or moves, so that isn't a big deal for me, either.

I put on music that I really want (maybe around 1-1.5 GB) and stream anything else that I don't have stored locally. Between streaming and VOIP usage and whatever else, I go through maybe about 3GB of bandwidth a month.

On a more positive note, I wholeheartedly agree that Vanilla Android is the shiznitz. I can't even stand any of the other community-generated launchers; there isn't one I've liked or that has been worth the hassle to set up and configure, and I've tried them all: ADW, LauncherPro, Go, Nova, etc.

 

[anon(5719825)]

I've had my 16GB since February and still love it. I have not filled it once and even installed TomTom which takes over 2GB of space. Battery life lasts me over a day with brightness halfway.

As for music, I tried Google Music but I hate the music player. I still LOVE my iPod or iPhone 4S for playing/streaming music from iTunes Match. Nothing beats that so Apple will always have me there. Both of my phones are unlocked so I can use either one at any time with T-Mobile.

Also caseless since day one.

 

[fernandezhjr]

Lol. My wife came to me with her 16GB HTC One X just the other day because it was not letting her take pictures due to insufficient storage space. I check her phone and she has just over 5000 pictures stored on it!! A 6GB music collection and a vacation video to boot, I'm sure you will think of a way to make room.

 

[AussieAndroid]

Lol 6gb of music? Try managing 100gb. Jks.

I've never been able to bring my whole music collection along with me on anything but a classic iPod. But that's fine. I've learnt how to manage it. The reality is, MOST people don't need to bring their whole collection with them. They generally only listen to a handful of songs. This is where Google music works really well.

I put everything in the cloud, then use playlists to keep track of what I actually want to to listen to. I pin each playlist so that it only stores those songs on my phone thus minimizing memory usage. Its really quite painless. I can manage my music on my PC through the browser or on my phone while in bed and it will download my music while on WiFi. If there's something I desperately need to listen to while I'm out then I always have the option of getting it over mobile data but I don't really find I need to do this anymore as I've got my playlists mostly sorted.

As far as I'm concerned, even if I had 64gb of space to play with, I'd still have to manage what I put on it.

I used to also want an SD card for ease of transferring files to my PC, but again, the amount of times I'd actually use this is minimal. Its actually more convenient for me to chuck it in my sky drive folder and retrieve it from another device that way. The only time this doesn't really work is when I have a lot of data to transfer in which case plugging it in via cable is just as easy as theoretically pulling out the SD card, plugging my card reader in, inserting the card, transferring files, ejecting my card, reinserting my card to the phone.

 

[anon(5719825)]

Lol 6gb of music? Try managing 100gb. Jks.

I've never been able to bring my whole music collection along with me on anything but a classic iPod. But that's fine. I've learnt how to manage it. The reality is, MOST people don't need to bring their whole collection with them. They generally only listen to a handful of songs. This is where Google music works really well.

I put everything in the cloud, then use playlists to keep track of what I actually want to to listen to. I pin each playlist so that it only stores those songs on my phone thus minimizing memory usage. Its really quite painless. I can manage my music on my PC through the browser or on my phone while in bed and it will download my music while on WiFi. If there's something I desperately need to listen to while I'm out then I always have the option of getting it over mobile data but I don't really find I need to do this anymore as I've got my playlists mostly sorted.

As far as I'm concerned, even if I had 64gb of space to play with, I'd still have to manage what I put on it.

I used to also want an SD card for ease of transferring files to my PC, but again, the amount of times I'd actually use this is minimal. Its actually more convenient for me to chuck it in my sky drive folder and retrieve it from another device that way. The only time this doesn't really work is when I have a lot of data to transfer in which case plugging it in via cable is just as easy as theoretically pulling out the SD card, plugging my card reader in, inserting the card, transferring files, ejecting my card, reinserting my card to the phone.

I tried uploading what eligible songs I could to Google Music but gave up after a week. It was painfully slow and it made my Mac unusable. I have way too much. It's already on iTunes Match and I'm happy with that. The screen cap below is what iTunes shows I have in music. My iPod Classic lives in my car.

 

[JeffDenver]

As someone who has the 8GB version, I've never once filled it to capacity. I'm sorry, but I just don't have or share this mindless obsession with trying to stick every last frakking song that I've got onto my phone. I mean, c'mon, is music *soooo* important to you that every last second of your life has to be filled with it?

Yes. I use it for 90 minutes continuously at the gym. I have used it on road trips. 6 gigs is basically a private radio station that is never out of range, and works all the time, even when there is no data connection, and in anyone's car.

Whether or not your needs are small, why would fewer options be a good thing?

 

[JeffDenver]

Lol. My wife came to me with her 16GB HTC One X just the other day because it was not letting her take pictures due to insufficient storage space. I check her phone and she has just over 5000 pictures stored on it!! A 6GB music collection and a vacation video to boot, I'm sure you will think of a way to make room.

With SD I would not have to. Even if it not come with my phone, I could add space as needed. Not including SD is a very un-Android thing, and it is weird that google would prefer it.

 

[ohyeahar]

Oh yeah, and I discovered USB OTG a few days ago...so apparently you can plug thumb drives directly into the Nexus and transfer crap to it. Not an ideal solution, but certainly much better than nothing.

Actually, USB OTG isn't natively supported on the N4. You can't even get it to work with root access and Stickmount. To get it to work, you'll need to patch your kernel and supply power to the USB device you're plugging in. Details here: [USB OTG] [09MAY13] [PATCH] Externally Powered USB OTG (Seeking Devs) - xda-developers

So it works, but to me, it's not a viable solution. I'd either depend on cloud storage or perhaps get a Wi-Fi drive.

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

Whether or not your needs are small, why would fewer options be a good thing?

I'm not against having more options, dude. And believe me, I'm not a fan of exclusively non-removable storage. I'm also not trying to suggest that 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or whatever else GB storage is an omnibus, one-size-fits-all solution that everybody should have. I'm a Libertarian, remember? I believe in freedom of choice.

All I'm saying is that there's this whining, poor-little-me tone in what you and many others have written where the Nexus 4 is concerned. And speaking of choice, you did have a choice in what phone to buy. You have 16GB of fixed, non-upgradeable storage by your own hand; don't complain to us about the choice you made.

And I stand by what I said earlier: do you have to be entertained every second of the day? Seriously? What in the world would you have done in the days before portable media storage (smart phone, MP3 player, portable CD player, portable cassette player)?

 

[CoMoNexus]

I tried uploading what eligible songs I could to Google Music but gave up after a week. It was painfully slow and it made my Mac unusable.

Agreed. It took two full days to upload/match about 1,200 songs, and the process put a huge drag on my Mac's performance. Worse, I didn't want all 1,200 songs uploaded, but unless I overlooked some setting, there was no option to select which ones to upload/match.