Nexus 5 with Lollipop impressions

[onthecouchagain]

That was a feature I too was hoping would make it to the Nexus 4 and 5, but sadly it didn't. It's currently limited to the Nexus 6.

You can mimic that functionality with an app on the Play Store called AcDisplay. Or you could root and use Paranoid Android's Peek feature.

I actually use Screen Notification: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...orth.screennotifications&hl=en&token=naOpTVd8

It lights up whenever you get a notification, but doesn't necessarily have its own notification system, so it uses the stock Android L lockscreen notifications. It's perfect.

 

[onthecouchagain]

It's physically impossible for the N4 and N5 to do that. Only OLED screens can turn on certain pixels which is why the N6 can do it.

Screen Notification sort of does it, but it lights up the entire screen, which I don't mind: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...orth.screennotifications&hl=en&token=jK3xr0VH

 

[Golden_Caviar]

WiFi eating up my battery again. Like good old times. 28% overnight. Just sick of it.

 

[salmanahmad]

It's physically impossible for the N4 and N5 to do that. Only OLED screens can turn on certain pixels which is why the N6 can do it.

That's actually incorrect. The Nexus 6 can do it with more power efficiently than the Nexus 4 and 5 because AMOLED panels consume no power on "black" pixels but that doesn't mean the Nexus 4 and 5 can't have this feature.

The only downside of having this on a Nexus 4 and 5 would be the extra battery drain, but I don't think it will be that huge.

Paranoid Android, a Custom ROM, has this feature for the Nexus 5(possibly even the 4 as well). Here's a video: http://youtu.be/NvjTf1owbfc

 

[davey11]

Gross. That program can't even figure out how to handle and display nested directories. Download Quickpic and never look back.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...etails?id=com.alensw.PicFolder&token=nZv-g1St

Thx man, the photos app is absolutely junk. I dled an app called gallery from the ps but while better than photos, quickpic is better.

Not many have mentioned losing the notification led function. It was a drag not seeing it on while charging the battery. Tried lightflow...that didn't work at all. Using light manager and its going pretty good.

Like most of you I hate the white background on most all the settings pages and especially the dialer. Its blinding.
I do like the various animations all over the os but I don't care for the recents screen, mainly that it don't have a clear all button.
It can't be good to have all that stuff in there even after a reboot. You can slide em away individually but if you have 50 of em on there, what a drag.

I'm just waiting on my N6 to get here. But the N5 is still a really good phone.

 

[Lars124]

I've just tested Android L on my friend's N5 but I can already say that it's pretty cool. The new UI looks so clean and fresh. Of course there are still some bugs but all in all I think, it's a great new Android version.

 

[crxssi]

The only downside of having this on a Nexus 4 and 5 would be the extra battery drain, but I don't think it will be that huge.

The battery drain would be *HUGE*. The screen backlight uses more power than just about anything else in the phone. Keeping that on all the time would wipe the battery life very quickly.

 

[crxssi]

Not many have mentioned losing the notification led function. It was a drag not seeing it on while charging the battery. Tried lightflow...that didn't work at all. Using light manager and its going pretty good.

Never understood why anyone would care about LED notification. It is ineffective and OCD. Install this and have repeating audible (and/or vibe) reminders that doesn't require checking the phone 1,000 times a day: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ails?id=org.intoorbit.renotify&token=nhehxFLv

 

[salmanahmad]

The battery drain would be *HUGE*. The screen backlight uses more power than just about anything else in the phone. Keeping that on all the time would wipe the battery life very quickly.

I'm pretty sure Ambient Display or Peek don't keep the display on forever.

They only light the display up when you receive a notification or when you pick up the phone (using information from the accelerometer and gyroscope).

According to Snapdragon the accelerometer and gyroscope use up very less battery on their Snapdragon 800(and above) SOCs, so the Nexus 5 wouldn't be harmed so much by the battery drain.

The Nexus 4 "could" have some massive battery drain because of Ambient Display however.

 

[Benjamin_NYC]

Never understood why anyone would care about LED notification. It is ineffective and OCD. Install this and have repeating audible (and/or vibe) reminders that doesn't require checking the phone 1,000 times a day: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ails?id=org.intoorbit.renotify&token=r8IF8X3J

No, you're wrong. LED notifications are fantastic and efficient.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[karimpas7]

My first impressions after 5 days of use...very nice interface with the new graphics, battery for me an improvement of 5-10% with WiFi and 3g always on , like the new shortcuts and especially the on/off switch of WiFi Bluetooth ...and pressing underneath to enter settings. The new keyboard can't have an opinion yet... I don't like the chrome tabs in app history (1st thing I disabled) and I also don't like in app history that it shows every search with OK google.

 

[crxssi]

LED notifications are fantastic and efficient.

So it is efficient to have to actively LOOK at your phone every time you come by it again in order to know if you missed anything? And how efficient is that when the phone is in a bag, in a billfold, in a coat, or face down? With repeating audible reminders, you never have to look at your phone again UNLESS there is something there that needs to be seen (unless, of course, you are deaf). Just set which things to be reminded of, how often you want to be reminded, and what tone(s) to use (and optionally time periods you don't want to be reminded, like bedtime). Simple and effective. It is something that SHOULD be part of stock Android.

But hey, if you want to be O.C.D. ( Obsessive–compulsive disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ), it is certainly your right. It is nice to have choices!

 

[crxssi]

I'm pretty sure Ambient Display or Peek don't keep the display on forever. They only light the display up when you receive a notification or when you pick up the phone (using information from the accelerometer and gyroscope).

Oh, that makes it far less of a drain. I thought the daydream thing left the display on most of the time (I don't have much interest in it, so I didn't follow it that closely). Sounds a lot like some of the way the Moto 360 works with it's "Ambient Mode".

 

[salmanahmad]

Oh, that makes it far less of a drain. I thought the daydream thing left the display on most of the time (I don't have much interest in it, so I didn't follow it that closely). Sounds a lot like some of the way the Moto 360 works with it's "Ambient Mode".

Haha no problem, happens to the best of us.

If the display was always on, it wouldn't be a good idea for AMOLED or LCD screens, because of screen burn in(unless the text/image we're moving) and because of battery drain respectively.

 

[Benjamin_NYC]

So it is efficient to have to actively LOOK at your phone every time you come by it again in order to know if you missed anything? And how efficient is that when the phone is in a bag, in a billfold, in a coat, or face down? With repeating audible reminders, you never have to look at your phone again UNLESS there is something there that needs to be seen (unless, of course, you are deaf). Just set which things to be reminded of, how often you want to be reminded, and what tone(s) to use (and optionally time periods you don't want to be reminded, like bedtime). Simple and effective. It is something that SHOULD be part of stock Android.

But hey, if you want to be O.C.D. ( Obsessive–compulsive disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ), it is certainly your right. It is nice to have choices!

Persistent audible notifications are beyond annoying. And while I am OCD, I don't think you understand what it means.

A colored LED quietly and subtly lets me know I have something pending, and the color lets me know what's pending, without being intrusive.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[crxssi]

Persistent audible notifications are beyond annoying.

I guess that depends on how many notifications you get and how things are set up. I might get one or two per day. Even with several a day it is not annoying. And you can choose which kinds of applications to allow repeating audible reminders and which not to. In any case, audible (or vibe) notifications are only annoying if you are intentionally ignoring your notifications... I never do that (nor would I want to) so it is always 100% useful in my case.

And while I am OCD, I don't think you understand what it means.

Actually, I know too well (since I have those tendencies myself )

A colored LED quietly and subtly lets me know I have something pending, and the color lets me know what's pending, without being intrusive.

The point of most notifications is to let you know something important has happened- a text message, a missed call, a voicemail, etc. If it were only visible, then you have to keep looking at the phone over and over again to see if you missed something. With an audible reminder, you don't need to do that; and it works whether you can see the phone or not. Besides, you can use both at the same time, too (LED and audible) or any combination.... so those types of notifications that are NOT important can be left for just visual reminders. And those notifications that are not important enough to be audible, why would you care at all about visual notifications for those- you will see them the next time you wake the phone...

Also keep in mind I am just talking about reminders- not the initial notifications, which could also remain only visual.

 

[xstinkyx]

If it were only visible, then you have to keep looking at the phone over and over again to see if you missed something. With an audible reminder, you don't need to do that; and it works whether you can see the phone or not.

I generally don't want my phone to wake me up during the night. So I don't want sounds or vibrations. However, if I happen to wake up, it's nice to be able to peer over at the phone *without reaching over and touching it* and see that, for example, I got a message via a certain app. I can then wake up more and reach for the phone or drift back to sleep. LED notifications/reminders aren't ideal in all scenarios, but to completely bash them is a bit silly.

 

[Benjamin_NYC]

I generally don't want my phone to wake me up during the night. So I don't want sounds or vibrations. However, if I happen to wake up, it's nice to be able to peer over at the phone *without reaching over and touching it* and see that, for example, I got a message via a certain app. I can then wake up more and reach for the phone or drift back to sleep. LED notifications/reminders are ideal in all scenarios, but to completely bash them is a bit silly.

Another reason LED is better than persistent audible notifications.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[crxssi]

I generally don't want my phone to wake me up during the night.

The program I pointed to has a schedule you can set so it supresses any sounds during certain periods. I have mine set for 11pm to 7am.

So I don't want sounds or vibrations. However, if I happen to wake up, it's nice to be able to peer over at the phone *without reaching over and touching it* and see that, for example, I got a message via a certain app.

Which you can also do with the program I mentioned. (PLUS, in your scenario, if you didn't set your ringer off or on vibe, any call or SMS will wake you. With the audible reminder, it honors the ringer/notification sound setting).

I can then wake up more and reach for the phone or drift back to sleep. LED notifications/reminders are ideal in all scenarios, but to completely bash them is a bit silly.

I have pointed out numerous situations where they are completely un-ideal. No reason to list them again. They do have a place, but I think they are highly over-rated.

 

[xstinkyx]

The program I pointed to has a schedule you can set so it supresses any sounds during certain periods. I have mine set for 11pm to 7am.

That's what I used Silent mode for.

[LED notifications/reminders] do have a place, but I think they are highly over-rated.

Well that's a bit better than your original claim in which you totally dismissed them:

Never understood why anyone would care about LED notification. It is ineffective and OCD.

(note: there was a typo in my post above, I meant "aren't ideal in all scenarios"...)