Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus users, what do you think?

[JeffDenver]

I have a 16 gig Nexus 4. Just bought the 32 gig Nexus 5 yesterday.

- Still don't like the lack of SD, but 32 gigs is finally a decent amount of storage. I don't agree with Google's hate of SD, but I can live with it given the alternatives.
- Still don't like non-upgradable battery. But the 5 should be better on battery life than the 4, and it does have a larger battery at least.

What I do like that's new:
- Love OIS camera...this was a big reason for me wanting to upgrade. I do not carry a DSLR with me all the time like a lot of people on here seem to.
- Love the 1080p display
- Love the lack of a glass back (god that was an awful decision)
- Love the additional CPU power and lower energy requirements
- Look forward to the voice-wake feature
- Look forward to awesome touch-response on the display/UI

What I like that's not new:
- Vanilla Android

 

[Pollster]

Looks good, but being a GNex VZW user, I have a few things holding me back from moving up.
I don't really want to leave Verizon. So many act like this is insane, but hey. Some of us still have older plans that work monetarily and work in buildings where the carriers that support the Nexus 5 don't get good results. Despite what I'm about to write below, if I was on a different carrier, I would have ordered this by now.
I don't want a bigger phone. I'm sure I could get used to it, but don't want to have to get used to it.
Real reviews from real users are not in. Before the GNex came out, lots of promises swirled, and then the device came with terrible battery life, fairly bad radios, and poor camera. I'm not believing anything about this phone until people use it.
I own a Nexus 10. I'll get my 4.4 (and beyond) fix on that, so not having a Nexus phone won't have me on the outside looking in.

Looks like I'm passing for now. Probably not getting a new phone until Christmas, so who knows how the landscape will have shifted by then. If every other phone I like turns to crap, it may be tim to abandon VZW and work/wait through some other carrier's improvement process.

It's nearly 2014. Why isn't there a phone/carrier combination that is without real dealbreakers for most people?
Why is there some combination of Too Big/Too Little Battery/Bad Camera/Slow Updates/Doesn't Work on Acceptable Carrier/Bloated Skin on Every Choice?

 

[I don't have an iphone]

I think my Gnex will be a backup when my 5 arrives.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[theduder]

I own a Verizon GN for work and a N4 on TMo for personal use.

Both are stock. The GN is laggy and awful even though it's blown away every few months. The N4 makes me realize how old the GN is and that it impacts my mobile experience.

I ordered an N5 and will be selling the N4 and likely dropping the GN too. Seems like the perfect phone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[swebb]

No brainer if you're coming from GN. Everything is better. I had the GN and now have N4 with N5 on the way. LTE, better design, and (to a lesser extent) better screen make the difference for me. I don't absolutely hate the N4 glass back design, but the N5 with the soft touch back seems to be a huge improvement.

I do wish they would have pushed the envelope a little more by decreasing the bezels, like the G2. Both G2 and Galaxy 4 (wife has this) seem to have much smaller bezels.

 

[ki11ak3nn]

Verizon can't be blamed for the HORRIBLE battery dying. I'm on a VZW Gnex, and I can't get through half a day with the expanded battery pack. The only good news is that I can swap out the battery

I blame Samsung for the bad hardware. I blame Verizon for the lack of updates and horrible marketing. And I blame Google for not taking control of Android on America's biggest carrier.

Sent from my Black on Black Verizon Note 3

 

[yfan]

It's nearly 2014. Why isn't there a phone/carrier combination that is without real dealbreakers for most people?
Why is there some combination of Too Big/Too Little Battery/Bad Camera/Slow Updates/Doesn't Work on Acceptable Carrier/Bloated Skin on Every Choice?

The answer to this question is simple. Because different consumers have different needs and wants with regards to all of the above. Perfection only exists in the eye of the beholder, and carriers and manufacturers are not obligated to serve any one individual's wants, but rather the market as a whole. What you think is too big may be the perfectly good size for the current market. Verizon sells coverage, but it also uses its clout to keep devices out. Google sells advertising, and it has no intention of cooperating with Verizon to screw up the Nexus experience. Google doesn't care if Verizon won't take the Nexus; they still get eyeballs on the ads on the phones that *are* on Verizon, including the iPhone.

Ultimately, because perfection is such an individualized concept, there are *always* going to be trade-offs. There has always been trade-offs since the beginning of civilization, and there will always be, whether the year is 2014 or 2114.

I blame Samsung for the bad hardware. I blame Verizon for the lack of updates and horrible marketing. And I blame Google for not taking control of Android on America's biggest carrier.

Except that Google doesn't care about "taking control of Android on America's biggest carrier." Android, Chrome OS, etc. are means to an end for Google. Google makes no money from selling the Nexus; it makes money from selling advertising throughout the Google experience - across platforms and across devices. Google has no incentive to make a deal with Verizon on the Nexus because it doesn't make any direct profit from it. The iPhone is Apple's bread and butter, but the Nexus isn't Google's. Google provides Nexus devices as a gateway, not an end product. It's a gateway for customers to get hooked onto the Google ecosystem, but it's not the only gateway. Google is perfectly happy to provide Google Now, and Google Maps on iOS, for example.

 

[ki11ak3nn]

Google provides Nexus devices as a gateway, not an end product. It's a gateway for customers to get hooked onto the Google ecosystem, but it's not the only gateway. Google is perfectly happy to provide Google Now, and Google Maps on iOS, for example.

Like you said it's a gateway to get people hooked into the Google ecosystem. Maps and Drive and Google Now are all fine and great. But the Nexus phone is pure Google. If consumers had their hands on the phone that would be a way for them to get into the Google ecosystem. Samsung has their own ecosystem going. Same with Amazon. That's why I just feel like the Nexus being on Verizon would get it into more people's hands and help out Google in the end.

Sent from my Black on Black Verizon Note 3

 

[Big Dad E]

I feel your pain. I had it too.

 

[JHBThree]

It takes two to tango...

Google should have bigger balls than Apple.

Apple has some pretty incredible power financially over verizon with the way they write their contracts, which google doesn't. That alone makes what you posted moot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yfan]

Like you said it's a gateway to get people hooked into the Google ecosystem. Maps and Drive and Google Now are all fine and great. But the Nexus phone is pure Google. If consumers had their hands on the phone that would be a way for them to get into the Google ecosystem. Samsung has their own ecosystem going. Same with Amazon. That's why I just feel like the Nexus being on Verizon would get it into more people's hands and help out Google in the end.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to have the Nexus on Verizon. What I'm saying is that because Google doesn't make money on the Nexus phones, and because they have other ways onto mobile devices to dominate the ad market, they have far less incentive (than, say, Apple) to give grounds to Verizon to work things out with them. I doubt Google cares very much if you're "hooked onto" pure Google - as long as you're still using Google services.

On the other hand, there's only one iPhone (well, basically) and Verizon has an incentive to get that loyal Apple following market. In terms of hardware, no manufacturer, Google itself included, is likely to achieve Apple's level of intense loyalty. So Verizon has less of an incentive to make sure a Nexus phone, with all the open standards from Google, works on its network.

Ultimately, both parties lack incentive here, and neither is interested in accommodation.

 

[Chex313]

Well..I honestly can say that the N4(My wife uses) and my GN still fully meet our needs. 3G speeds beyond 5Mbs still more than meet any needs I have.

Yet, I worry my GN will fail as its pushing 2 years. Have had to repair the USB port already. Geeks buy new phones. Its what we do...The N5 ore than meets my needs.

Who doesn't like shiny new things. Plus its a tax write off,I need it for work, and my work subsidises it.($30 per month)

Also its on the LTE that matters...To me! The fast one!!

 

[Dplymkr88#AC]

^^^^THIS!! I had a GNex on Verizon. I liked it. Until it just started to slowly die on me. Once I found out the Nexus wasn't coming to Verizon I went and bought a Note 3. I'm extremely pissed that the Nexus 5 isn't on the largest carrier in the US right now, but I'm happy with my Note. I can't sacrifice great coverage for a phone.

Sent from my Black on Black Verizon Note 3

Blame Verizon, not Google.

 

[ki11ak3nn]

Blame Verizon, not Google.

I do blame Verizon. But I still feel like Google could have pushed more. But I guess they didn't want to push.

Sent from my Black on Black Verizon Note 3

 

[JHBThree]

I do blame Verizon. But I still feel like Google could have pushed more. But I guess they didn't want to push.

Sent from my Black on Black Verizon Note 3

Google CAN'T push. That's what you need to understand. They do not have the leverage that apple has because of the model google has chosen for android.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[badbrad17]

Have been contemplating upgrading from my Nexus 4 to the 5. The only 2 issues I was hoping would be resolved were a larger battery and a better camera. Currently I am incredibly happy with my 4 but the camera is weak most of the time. Battery isn't good enough for power users.

I am not sure that these 2 issues have been dealt with on the Nexus 5 which disappoints me. I really just wanted the LG G2 camera and larger battery but it appears that the 5 is crippled compared. Don't get me wrong... if I needed to upgrade this would be the only phone for me, but in daily use I'm not sure that the N5 will give me a lot more than my 4.

Also regarding LTE. I am in Canada and our HSPA network is really fast. Almost as fast as LTE, so I would be more concerned with the impact on battery more than gaining any extra speed.

Overall I'm torn. My nerd alarm keeps going off. The price is so low that I could probably get $200 for my Nexus 4 and upgrade for $200. This is a minor financial hit to get into something new with other nice benefits.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[JHBThree]

Have been contemplating upgrading from my Nexus 4 to the 5. The only 2 issues I was hoping would be resolved were a larger battery and a better camera. Currently I am incredibly happy with my 4 but the camera is weak most of the time. Battery isn't good enough for power users.

I am not sure that these 2 issues have been dealt with on the Nexus 5 which disappoints me. I really just wanted the LG G2 camera and larger battery but it appears that the 5 is crippled compared. Don't get me wrong... if I needed to upgrade this would be the only phone for me, but in daily use I'm not sure that the N5 will give me a lot more than my 4.

Also regarding LTE. I am in Canada and our HSPA network is really fast. Almost as fast as LTE, so I would be more concerned with the impact on battery more than gaining any extra speed.

Overall I'm torn. My nerd alarm keeps going off. The price is so low that I could probably get $200 for my Nexus 4 and upgrade for $200. This is a minor financial hit to get into something new with other nice benefits.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

The thing that makes me think the camera will be better is that it's a Sony unit. Already places like the Verge have said that performance in day to day is hands down better than the 4.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[davey11]

Have been contemplating upgrading from my Nexus 4 to the 5. The only 2 issues I was hoping would be resolved were a larger battery and a better camera. Currently I am incredibly happy with my 4 but the camera is weak most of the time. Battery isn't good enough for power users.

I am not sure that these 2 issues have been dealt with on the Nexus 5 which disappoints me. I really just wanted the LG G2 camera and larger battery but it appears that the 5 is crippled compared. Don't get me wrong... if I needed to upgrade this would be the only phone for me, but in daily use I'm not sure that the N5 will give me a lot more than my 4.

Also regarding LTE. I am in Canada and our HSPA network is really fast. Almost as fast as LTE, so I would be more concerned with the impact on battery more than gaining any extra speed.

Overall I'm torn. My nerd alarm keeps going off. The price is so low that I could probably get $200 for my Nexus 4 and upgrade for $200. This is a minor financial hit to get into something new with other nice benefits.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

This is what I am doing. N4 is good still, but what dedicated geek would not want something new. I want to see what the snapdragon 800 can do. Plus the screen is supposed to be a lot better.
Prices on swappa for used n4's are between $240 and $300, so the n5 will be quite affordable after selling my n4.
Slap on a cheapo ebay tpu case, lay it on my lg wcp 300 qi charger, unlock the bootloader, whip on a custom rom and I be good to go.

 

[Zapped]

I'm moving from a Nexus 4 to the Nexus 5. I enjoyed my Nexus S (aka Nexus 2nd-generation) for a full 2.5 years before I moved to the N4 in May of this year. You might think I wasn't crazy about the N4 since I'm upgrading after such a short time, but honestly it's because the N4 was so good that I wanted to sell it and get an N5 on Day One instead of waiting halfway through the model year like I did with the N4. Absolutely no complaints about the Nexus 4, and no complaints about "only" having HSPA+ on the Nexus 4 either. I'm perfectly content if I'm getting 3Mbps+ and with HSPA+ here in Austin TX it was usually 6-8Mbps.

After the Nexus 4 dropped in price and sold out, I was pleasantly surprised to see used prices for the N4 rise a bit - up to the price of a new N4. I listed my 16GB N4 on Craigslist locally for $275 and sold it for $250 the very same day. Which means I've been torturing myself with an old (2006 vintage) GSM Moto RazR phone for the last couple weeks, desperately waiting for the Nexus 5 to show up on the Play store.

Even though I milked my N2 for 2.5 years I'm thinking I'll just treat my Android like a leased car - drive it for a year, sell it, get the new model. Especially if the N6 gets a MEMS camera like the N5 was rumored to have (but didn't). Still looking forward to OIS and the new "true HDR" mode which will actually combine multiple images into one to increase dynamic range. I thought the pseudo-HDR on my N4 produced nice enough results to use it as my main camera on vacations this summer, but true HDR should be much better unless they go overboard with saturation or contrast compression.

One thing (positive) about the Nexus 4 battery. My typical use of an Android phone is an occasional phone call (every other day maybe), a few text messages a day, a little surfing during spare minutes in the day, occasional use of maps. 90% of the time I'm connected via Wifi at work or home. With light use like that, I would routinely get 3 full days (i.e. unplug full on Mon a.m. then plug in again on Wed night) and sometimes 4 full days when I did a battery run-down test. On a vacation, I'd be using the phone more, snapping a bunch of pictures, lots of texts, surfing, Facebook, tripadvisor, navigation with maps, or just finding public transportation routes with maps. I would have maybe 30% battery left at the end of a busy day like that. That was miles better than my Nexus S battery life so I was very happy with the Nexus 4 battery. With the Nexus 5 CPU sipping less juice I look forward to even better battery life even though the the battery capacity is the same as the Nexus 4.

 

[EvanJ18]

I needed LTE and a better camera, that's it really. So I'm upgrading from Nexus 4.

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