Nexus 5: First Impressions & Reviews

[jev425]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Is it just me or does the screen not turn on when you receive a notification but only the notification light flashes?

 

[cdd543]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

My first impressions are mixed at this point and should really just be my 7 hour reaction since it just came this afternoon.

I've been using the note 3 for a month or so, but typically I prefer normal size non phablet phones.
The device is really really fast and feels on par with the note 3 in speed of opening apps and navigating the web on WiFi.
The screen seems pretty nice though I've noticed some faint flickering on white backgrounds.
The white plastic back feels slick and slippery(is it the same material as the black??).

The camera seems to struggle focusing as many have described and a still subject is much more likely to come out sharp looking. HDR+ does seem to result in sharper images as noted in several reviews.

The OS seems very smooth and fluid in general and seems to have some polish. It was nice to see artist info showing as I was streaming spotify to my car head unit. This didn't work for me in 4.2.2 or 4.3 if I recall correctly.

I'm somewhat struck by the same feeling I had using the moto x...which was that it was fine, but nothing exciting and I found myself somewhat uninterested in it after a short period of time. Hopefully that won't be the case with the N5. Gotta give it some more time.


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Shawn Magm]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Received mine today (black 32 GB), and I'm still setting it up. It's a gorgeous phone. Very thin and light. Display is beautiful. I'm coming from an S3. Although I can't do a side by side comparison, the screen doesn't seem to be a huge upgrade over the S3. I never noticed any lag with the S3, so the response hasn't wowed me. A couple hiccups. I tried initially to install Google Voice (an absolute essential app for me), and it failed under wifi. I almost shat a brick. For ****s and giggles, I tried under 4G LTE, and fortunately, I got it to install. A couple minor things also came up. I use Pinger Text Free to send pictures, but it crashes. Also, Flickr crashes. It didn't do this on the S3. I hope this gets fixed. I wish this phone had an IR blaster. It's got me thinking that I could get an LG Optimus Pro G for about $440 + tax from AT&T. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely phone, but haven't noticed a huge improvement over the S3. I sold the S3 because of an annoying battery drain, and that the microUSB port failed. AT&T was nice to send me another one, but I just decided to sell it. I will continue to test it out over the next few days.

 

[GearJ2o]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Does anyone know if the display is similar to LG2? Like when I picked up the LG2, the first thing i noticed was how incredible the screen display was. It really stood out, so will N5 offered similar experience?

 

[qnet]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Coming from a BB and only ever owning BB smartphones, I'm confused. What's the point of hangouts? BBs have a messaging system in which ALL messages can be customized and organized in the message console (BBM, Whatsapp, FB notifications/messages, emails, texts, etc.). I can specify exactly what I want included and everything is seamlessly integrated. Is "hangouts" Android's version of the BB messaging interface?

I had always assumed that both iPhones and Androids would have such a simple feature....and that a "hangouts" messaging system wasn't necessary....am I missing something here?

I honestly don't know that much about Blackberry, I owned one years ago but never used it to the full potential. Hangouts, from what I know only does text messaging, video calls & conferencing, and hangouts messaging. If you watch the Android Central podcast, I believe they use hangouts for that also.

Android is totally different from what you're familiar with on Blackberry.

 

[qnet]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I recieved my phone late yesterday evening. So far I'm very impressed. It seems like Google is trying to appeal to the mainstream more and that's cool. Everything that I like about Nexus phones is better. All the Google stuff works better and it runs smooth. There are a lot of little changes that make the whole experience better.

The stock launcher is very nice. I tried Nova launcher but it doesn't have the transparent top and bottom like the stock launcher, that's something I really like. I also noticed that Android 4.4 doesn't play nice with other launchers. A few time when I tried to do something else on the phone, it went to the third party launcher, and then gave me a error. I uninstalled Nova and Apex, now everything is fine.

I haven't had enough time to test the battery under normal use. It seems to drain like most Android phones, maybe a little slower. I've been on the phone a lot so it's hard to tell. Right now I would say it's not as good as the G2, but as good as or better than the Moto X.

 

[austriak]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

I am picking my phone up in about an hour from a UPS will call center but am feeling less excited. Reviews and first impressions on these forums have been pretty lackluster. Also, the AC folks looked so unimpressed and bored during their podcast yesterday when talking about the nexus 5.
I wonder if Google may have hurt itself a little by over hyping the phone with all its trolling.

 

[maj71303]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

My first impressions are it's a well made device for what you pay for. If you are looking for top notch everything it won't happen at this price range. But mostly for me it's finally for the first time being free from the carrier update carnage and bloat.

The screen is stellar
No Lag
How did they get it to be so light that my wife says it's lighter than her Iphone
Wireless charging
Decent battery
Ok "Google"

This is my first Nexus anything so I might be in a different emotional spectrum than most of the old timers that are already in the Nexus loop.

 

[maj71303]

Re: Nexus 5 First Impressions & Reviews

I am picking my phone up in about an hour from a UPS will call center but am feeling less excited. Reviews and first impressions on these forums have been pretty lackluster. Also, the AC folks looked so unimpressed and bored during their podcast yesterday when talking about the nexus 5.
I wonder if Google may have hurt itself a little by over hyping the phone with all its trolling.

Google didn't release any info on the device except for the Google play leak. It was mostly the tech sites and folks in all the tech forums that hyped it to more than what it was. Thats the reason why I disregarded most of the rumors of this and that to keep my expectations low. The same thing will happen again next time. People need to just learn to wait and be patient before a release.

 

[cdd543]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Does anyone know if the display is similar to LG2? Like when I picked up the LG2, the first thing i noticed was how incredible the screen display was. It really stood out, so will N5 offered similar experience?

It doesn't look the same to me, though it could just be how it's calibrated.

 

[austriak]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I picked up the Nexus 5 and am pleasantly surprised. I've watched practically every video and read every article, but it is so different having it in person. It is a beautiful device and seems very well made. I really like the feel of the back (by the way, this is a 32 GB black model). I wasn't exactly sure why Google made sure to say the buttons are ceramic but I do now. They feel like they have so much more quality to them than other buttons that I am use to. The biggest shock is how thin it is and how light. People said this in their videos but it is still a shock when you first pick it up. I know that it technically weighs more than my iphone 5 but it doesn't feel like it.

I have only installed the mandatory update and am now downloading all my apps so I can't really say much more other than that the screen is beautiful and it really is super snappy. I've had the HTC One and Moto X and this phone is much snappier than those two phones. HTC One was a great phone and sometimes I regret ever leaving it. Moto X is great in some respects but not as great as some people make it out to be. Absolutely loved active notifications. Touchless controls were hit and miss. I did not really like the Moto X's screen. Colors just looked too fake. Also, the screen on the Moto X is small. I know that it was a 4.7 inch screen but the length from the top of the screen to the top of the software buttons is the same length as the iphone 5/5s and a little bit wider. So far, the 5 inch screen on the Nexus 5 looks much larger to me despite the software buttons.

The biggest question mark in my mind is battery life. If it is good for me, this is the phone I will definitely be using for at least the next 12 months.

 

[maj71303]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I picked up the Nexus 5 and am pleasantly surprised. I've watched practically every video and read every article, but it is so different having it in person. It is a beautiful device and seems very well made. I really like the feel of the back (by the way, this is a 32 GB black model). I wasn't exactly sure why Google made sure to say the buttons are ceramic but I do now. They feel like they have so much more quality to them than other buttons that I am use to. The biggest shock is how thin it is and how light. People said this in their videos but it is still a shock when you first pick it up. I know that it technically weighs more than my iphone 5 but it doesn't feel like it.

I have only installed the mandatory update and am now downloading all my apps so I can't really say much more other than that the screen is beautiful and it really is super snappy. I've had the HTC One and Moto X and this phone is much snappier than those two phones. HTC One was a great phone and sometimes I regret ever leaving it. Moto X is great in some respects but not as great as some people make it out to be. Absolutely loved active notifications. Touchless controls were hit and miss. I did not really like the Moto X's screen. Colors just looked too fake. Also, the screen on the Moto X is small. I know that it was a 4.7 inch screen but the length from the top of the screen to the top of the software buttons is the same length as the iphone 5/5s and a little bit wider. So far, the 5 inch screen on the Nexus 5 looks much larger to me despite the software buttons.

The biggest question mark in my mind is battery life. If it is good for me, this is the phone I will definitely be using for at least the next 12 months.

I hammered it yesterday and the battery held up well for installing and customizing everything. A couple videos played from youtube and some light gaming and it got down to half full. But I'm not exactly a super power user when it comes to my phone. When i'm at home I rather use my computer than try to do everything on a 5" screen. The lightness surprised even my wife that it felt as light as her iphone 5C, technically her 5C weights more than the Nexus 5.

 

[csloomis]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

OK. So today is going to be my first full day with my N5. So of course I had to do some speedtests. I am on one of the new T-Mobile Simple Choice family plans, in Atlanta so there is LTE coverage. I found out that unfortunately the place I am staying for next few weeks is out of LTE range. So on my way to work I ran a test (1st screenshot). I ran one at my desk at work, which is in an old brick building, so that wasn't such a good test (2nd screenshot). Then I ran one on the wifi just to see, and after that test I see no reason to even think about using cell data while at work (last screenshot).

 

[austriak]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Just one quick thing. One thing I never liked about Android was there really isn't a great email app where you can have more than one email client (e.g., gmail and yahoo). I tried so many of them and hated them. The update to the email box is excellent. Essentially, it looks and acts exactly like the gmail app but now you can have different email types. Very pleased.

 

[cdd543]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Is anyone else having an issue with stuff getting trapped in the gaps between the screen and bezel? Mine has stuff on the top and bottom--super annoying. Looking for compressed air--ugh.

 

[AaronM1]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Is anyone else having an issue with stuff getting trapped in the gaps between the screen and bezel? Mine has stuff on the top and bottom--super annoying. Looking for compressed air--ugh.

Tell me about it! It's really irritating, I've managed to get a bit of fluff out so far but it's testing my OCD to the max.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Robbie317]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

Besides the hassle it was to get it activated on Sprint I have been impressed with the device so far... Signal strength is slightly better than what I was getting on my GS3 at work... Not a HUGE improvement but it's slightly better and doesn't "drop" data service like my GS3 did from time to time (or at least not through 1/2 a day of work)

From the sample pictures I've taken with the device I am impressed with the camera on the device.. Photo/Video junkies are going to find faults and I understand that... I have a Nikon digital SLR for true picture events but for "Hey let me pull my phone out because that is cute/funny/weird." it's perfectly fine (IMO)

Call quality on the Sprint network has been clear and crisp on the sample calls I've made so far.

The screen is a major improvement over my GS3 but it's on par with my wife's HTC One she got a couple of months ago.

Mono speaker is perfectly fine and plenty loud enough for what I do... It's not theater quality but it does the job for Youtube video's or speaker phone... Very light weight but comfortable in your hand... For my use I can easily do everything with one hand.. It's about the perfect size for my use, where as I felt the Note II and Note III were just way too big..

I have not yet plugged it on a charger... it came out the box with 71% battery remaining and after a couple of hours of Wi-Fi connection at home last night and Wi-Fi/Network usage since I got to work this morning (About 6 pm last night and it's almost 1 pm central time now) I am still at total "Screen on" time is just under 2 hours (1 hour 44 minutes as of right now) and it sits at 34% remaining.... but once it goes dead I'll charge it all the way up and see what it does...

I have noticed the power and volume buttons are "Loose" if you pick the phone up you can slightly hear/feel them clicking... At first I didn't know what that feeling/sound was but after holding the phone up to my face and shaking it, it's clearly the power/volume buttons... They do not seem to be sturdy or tightly in place so they are some what wobbly and you can hear them "Clicking" around.... I've ordered a case that will cover the buttons up so that should take care of that but does seem to be slightly shoddy craftsmanship but maybe it's just my device? I think I saw someone else post about a wobbly button.....

Over all I think it's a very nice and basic design, It's not flash just a good solid phone... Android 4.4 seems very smooth and responsive.. I look forward to spending more time with the device and getting to know all it's features even better...

 

[duncanator]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I looked at the G2 next to my Nexus 5 and the G2 seemed better. My Nexus 5 appeared to be darker and the colors were not as vibrant. My auto brightness was off as well and the G2 still seemed better. I could be off on this but that's just my initial impression.

 

[atrixfll]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I have had many devices..

My first impression is that it is fast /fits well in my front pocket

But it will be my secondary device.. due the fact that the speakers/sound does compare to my HTC ONE

once again LG/GOOGLE Dropped the ball on the sound volume and quality .. (N4 had same issue)

 

[dazzer87]

Re: Using my new nexus5 right now

I have had many devices..

My first impression is that it is fast /fits well in my front pocket

But it will be my secondary device.. due the fact that the speakers/sound does compare to my HTC ONE

once again LG/GOOGLE Dropped the ball on the sound volume and quality .. (N4 had same issue)

Come on there no smartphone right now that can compare to HTC One. Where you going to find a $350.00 unlocked phone with a Snapdragon 800 and 2GB of ram from any other company. For the price you are paying for the Nexus its a excellent phone.