Nexus 4, After s4 and HTC one. Still a good phone to purchase?

[mcelmeel17]

Clearly huh? I have been a Nexus 4 user since early December, meaning since it's first batch. As I already mentioned, I am on my second Nexus 4 (as my first Nexus 4 had all the early issues of the Nexus 4 like earpiece buzz, etc...). I have already received a replacement, which means it should be working properly, and it is the remodified nexus 4 (with the new camera look and the bumps on the back of the phone).

I should be having no issues. But the overheating is still there with the phone which does make it slower and drains the battery much faster. And the data/Wi-Fi connectivity issues have been a known problem since the phone has come out.

I'm a Google and Nexus 4 fan. But that doesn't mean we should ignore the issues or throw them away as phone specific problems. These are all known issues with the Nexus 4.

I would say its defective. Had my nexus 4 since January and not a single issue that you spoke of.

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[JeffDenver]

I have been wanting to know that if this phone is still a good phone to purchase. Seeing that new phones have come out. I see that this phone is really good and its really good for moding and stuff. I know the specs of Nexus 4 and the true android Experience and stuff! But all I wanna know at the moment is that it is worth it.. I am a guy who changes phone every 2-3 years and is nexus 4 gonna be enough? I am not saying that I wanna go for s4.. its way more than What I need.

What I wanna know are :
1) is it a good phone to purchase at THIS MOMENT of the year

If you are unwilling to wait even another day, then yes, it is a good phone to purchase right now.

2) Will it be able to stay updated for 2-3 years

Almost certainly. It will have a far longer update life than anything else out right now. This phone will still be getting updates years after HTC has abandoned the One. HTC has a really bad history when it comes to supporting their phones with OS updates.

3) What are the main downsides of this phone

You cannot expand the storage (No SD slot, and it has no storage options above 16 gigs). You cannot upgrade the battery (and it does not have the best battery). It's camera could be better. It is somewhat fragile.

If this phone is not good then I mite wanna go for the xperia ZL or LG optimus G. What do you guys think?

I think you should pass on the Xperia and Optimus and start looking at the vanilla Android versions of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One coming out in a month or so. They will be significantly better, and will get updates directly from Google just like the nexus phones.

If you buy the nexus 4 right now, no, I don't think you will be disappointed. It will have great compatibility and customization options. It has an awesome display, and a great CPU. It will get updates forever (and will get them before everyone else). It is the smoothest UI experience I have seen on any Android device so far. The feel of the case is very high quality and the curved/raised glass on the display makes it a pleasure to use IMO. It has Vanilla android with no overlay...opinion varies, but I personally despise Sense and am not a fan of Touchwiz.

 

[JeffDenver]

I guess it depends on what you use your phone for, but 3 years is now a long time for a phone. I still use my Galaxy Nexus every so often and I am surprised but how dated it feels and performs to the DNA and S3. That said, I work with a guy who is still rocking the Droid Incredible, which is basically a Nexus One.

This is a good example. A friend of mine still uses a Galaxy nexus...it is running the same OS as my Nexus 4 (the latest one).

It is significantly faster and smoother than it's contemporaries (the original Razr and the HTC Rezound and LG Spectrum). It did not have the best hardware at launch, but it is better than all those phones now IMO. Updates will matter a lot more the longer you plan on having the phone.

 

[CeruleanBlue58]

My AT&T contract is ending in another month, and I'm in the same boat for a new phone and carrier. The HTC One sounds intriguing but $600 vs $350 is hard sale. Then there's the question of Google vs Sense. I have a Moto Atrix 4G now, so any of these devices will be much better. I also bought my girlfriend a 8gb N4 recently, so I've had some hands-on time with it. I do find that stock Android is a bit dull compared to the OEMs.

As far as the stock Android experience is concerned, is it likely the N4 gets significant improvements with future updates? Better camera software, better battery management, things like that?

 

[JeffDenver]

As far as the stock Android experience is concerned, is it likely the N4 gets significant improvements with future updates? Better camera software, better battery management, things like that?

I doubt it. but it will probably get additional features. Photosphere and Google Now are examples of additional features the Galaxy Nexus got through software-only...very few phones can take photospheres even now and that has been out for a long time.

 

[TonyStarks260]

I say go for it. I've used all 3 of them and the N4 gives you the smoothed experience without any carrier or oem add on's. a nexus phone will never have the gretest specs of all handsets, but its going to give you the best google experience. down the road if you decide there's something else out there you want more that's what eBay is for. I bought a GNex on the play store for 380 and sold it for...380. You really can't go wrong

 

[gusar2000]

Just ordered N4. Hope to have fun with it

 

[jflexe99]

The N4 is still an awesome top notch phone. I have only had 2 problems with the phone, memory limit of 16g. I require at least 32g normally and the battery life. The battery life isn't horrid. I can easily get a day and half out of it...just always want more

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

I think the Nexus 4 is still a good phone, especially for the price.

Some people want different features however, and one of the great things about Android over iOS is the wide variety of choices in hardware, from barebones devices with 480x320 screens for $50 (no contract) to $1000 unlocked devices with higher resolution than my monitor at work.

 

[JeffDenver]

The N4 is still an awesome top notch phone. I have only had 2 problems with the phone, memory limit of 16g. I require at least 32g normally and the battery life. The battery life isn't horrid. I can easily get a day and half out of it...just always want more

The battery life does suck...but only on CPU-intensive stuff. The battery is fantastic at holding a charge though...if you turn the screen off, you can turn it back on 12 hours later and you have lost no power. The battery also seems to charge quickly as well. You can get well over a day of use as long as you are not hammering the CPU.

It does not hold up well under heavy use. If you are doing a lot of multi-tasking or running apps that use all 4 cores heavily, your battery will wither.

 

[ChappersUK]

This thread is an interesting read. After doing much research, at the last moment I replaced my old HTC Sensation with an HTC One (had been thinking of the Nexus 4), however after less than 4 weeks with the HTC and several replacement handsets due to quality control issues I have admitted defeat and accepted a refund - which leaves me in the situation where I am now on the lookout for a replacement handset.

I have a Nexus 7 at home as my tablet and I quite like the "naked" Android look - that sad I also quite like Sense. In the real world, how do people find the limited storage and lack of expansion/OTG and battery life? These were the main things that made me spend extra on the one, but I'm now having a rethink again.

 

[AbuYazeedUK]

If the GS4, HTC One and Nexus 4 were all the same price with vanilla android, which one would you buy?

 

[JeffDenver]

If the GS4, HTC One and Nexus 4 were all the same price with vanilla android, which one would you buy?

The GS4 probably. The Upgradable battery and SD would seal it for me.

The nexus would not even be in the list. There is nothing the Nexus 4 does that the One does not do better. Vanilla Android was it's only advantage over the One.

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

If the GS4, HTC One and Nexus 4 were all the same price with vanilla android, which one would you buy?

If the GS4, HTC One and Nexus 4 were all the same device with different prices, which one would you buy?

 

[dkhmwilliams]

Not really a fair question. You have just taken all of the advantages from the Nexus away.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[JeffDenver]

Not really a fair question. You have just taken all of the advantages from the Nexus away.

Exactly.

Google made poor hardware decisions...the only real advantage it has ever had over flagship devices is Vanilla Android. Right now the only real reason to get one is cost.

 

[dkhmwilliams]

Originally Posted by dkhmwilliams<br />
Not really a fair question. You have just taken all of the advantages from the Nexus away.

<br />
Exactly. <br />
<br />
Google made poor hardware decisions...the only real advantage it has ever had over flagship devices is Vanilla Android. Right now the only real reason to get one is cost.

That's not a fair assessment either. When the Nexus 4 was released, it was one of the top devices in terms of hardware out. I believe the hardware to still be top tier. The fact that you can buy one new for less than $400 is remarkable. Any device similarly specd would cost almost twice as much. To compare a device like a Nexus 4 that was released last year to devices that were released in the last couple of months makes little sense to me. And to discard all of the advantages of buying and owning a Nexus 4 makes even less sense. In my humble opinion.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[JeffDenver]

That's not a fair assessment either. When the Nexus 4 was released, it was one of the top devices in terms of hardware out.

I agree. But that is not now. And that was before we knew flagship devices would be shipping with Vanilla Android. A lot has changed in 6 months.

The Nexus 4 can't compete with either the S4 or One if they have Vanilla Android.

I believe the hardware to still be top tier.

It is certainly good. But the One is better in every way, and the the S4 has key features that the Nexus is missing.

The fact that you can buy one new for less than $400 is remarkable.

That is the only selling point for the Nexus now IMO.

Of course, it doesn't help that Google won't finance you. Most people are not going to want to plop down $400 all at once on a phone.

The Nexus phone is certainly nice, but it is lacking in some areas, and mostly due to nerd politics. That is what makes it annoying to me. The Nexus 4 could have been a lot better than it is. I am very VERY happy to see other Vanilla android devices that will not be bound by Google's nerd politics.

 

[Eruditass]

The camera isn?t the best. But again, it?s not bad. I think much of the fault lies in the default camera software. I?ve had good results with third party camera apps.

Which camera apps do you recommend?

Can we use ones for other phones like this?

[APP][MOD] SIII AOSP Camera v2.60 - xda-developers

 

[CeruleanBlue58]

I opted in for myself and ordered the 16gb White N4 last night. I just can't justify spending $600+ on a phone right now. Still want to make tablet and notebook purchases over the next several months . I just hope the phone will be solid and future Android updates beneficial. I can live with the storage limitation (for now). Also will probably move to TMobile and save ourselves $50-60 a month.