Thinking about getting a Nexus 5

[macaroon9]

So I've been using alot of platforms lately, from BB10 to iOS and as it turns out, i'm not the biggest fan of iOS 7. Might have to do with the fact that i was on iPhone 4S but i think i'm ready to settle down with android.
I have been trying to decide between the Nexus 5 and HTC One and I've been going towards the Nexus 5.
A few questions for those of you who have the phone...
How is Hangouts? A change I'm sure but easy to get used to? I actually am looking forward to having it be the default.
What about the camera? I heard it had some problems early on but they've fixed it now.. how do you guys like the camera?
One of the reasons I'm going for the Nexus is that I would like that pure android, no htc sense. I've checked out the HTC One my brother has, and i'm not too big of a fan of Sense.
Thanks!

 

[jj14x]

Hangouts is a little different (because it allows integration of hangouts video calling, chatting along with texting).
But it works just fine. And you can always install other SMS clients if you don't like it. Google isn't forcing the use of hangouts app for sms (yet)

Camera has improved significantly from the initial released version, but it is a basic camera. Don't expect the fancy features like slow-mo etc that TW/Sense offer on their camera apps. HDR+ mode on the N5 camera is really great!

 

[B. Diddy]

Hangouts on the N5 works very well for SMS/MMS, as well as for G+ Hangouts. It opens quickly on the N5--this isn't always the case on other devices, like on my previous Razr Maxx, where the stock Messaging app opened a lot more quickly than Hangouts.

Also, coming from the Razr Maxx, the N5's camera is a revelation. Low light and action shots come out well. As jj14x mentioned, it has fairly basic features, but if you want more bells and whistles, you an always install a 3rd party camera app.

You'll love the N5, I guarantee it! Have fun.

 

[bjrosen]

Here are a couple of shots from the camera

 

[21stNow]

That's a beautiful patch tabby!

 

[macaroon9]

One more question
Battery Life : How is it? I Wouldn't say i'm a heavy user, mostly internet, texting, snapchat, instagram- that kind of stuff and maybe some games.

 

[B. Diddy]

I would call myself a moderate user. Today, my phone's been on for 14 hours, with screen on for a little over an hour, doing mostly web surfing, Facebook, G+, Android Central. 62% battery left. I have yet to run low on battery before the day is done.

 

[soma4society]

One more question
Battery Life : How is it? I Wouldn't say i'm a heavy user, mostly internet, texting, snapchat, instagram- that kind of stuff and maybe some games.

I find it to be quite good myself. I've just switched back from about a month's use of the moto x and, honestly, with all the hubbub about the x's battery life, I actually think the two are quite comparable in this regard--with the x holding just a slight edge perhaps. I easily get a full day of mixed use with juice to spare before a nightly plug in with the N5. And if you're the kind of person who's too busy most of the workday to be fiddling with your display, you should end up with plenty of power left at bedtime. On standby this thing barely loses any juice at all.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[flick0416]

How is Hangouts? A change I'm sure but easy to get used to? I actually am looking forward to having it be the default.

Hangouts itself is a solid app. For me, the biggest thing to get used to was making sure I was texting someone via SMS - since you have the option to text a contact both SMS and MMS from the app. That's a relatively easy thing to get used to though. Aside from that, it's very slick. Nicely laid out and worked quickly - I never had any issues with lag or anything performance-related. Personally, I've moved on to a different SMS app, simply because Hangouts doesn't have a popup quick-reply feature. That's really the only thing I didn't like about Hangouts. As others have said, it's very simple switching to a different SMS app if you want to.

What about the camera? I heard it had some problems early on but they've fixed it now.. how do you guys like the camera?

I like the camera a lot - especially in HDR+ mode. I almost never use it in non-HDR+. Honestly though, I find people's evaluations of the camera to be fairly subjective. If you want to see it in action, check out the sticky thread with pictures taken with the N5 and judge for yourself.

Battery Life : How is it? I Wouldn't say i'm a heavy user, mostly internet, texting, snapchat, instagram- that kind of stuff and maybe some games.

This may seem like an obvious statement, but being a light/moderate user, you'll probably see great battery life. I've gotten over 30 hours multiple times, and regularly see battery life similar to what B. Diddy posted. I consistently get 15 hours with more to spare. One caveat though - there are people who have seen some pretty heavy drain, and the more I hear about that, the more I hear that being linked with using apps like Instagram and Facebook. I don't use either of those apps, so I can't say one way or the other, but my wife does, and she has seen some pretty crazy battery drain with the phone in idle (ie, overnight). Correlation doesn't mean causation, but I've got a hypothesis that the social media apps are the main culprits.

Overall though, both my wife and I really like our Nexus 5's. I'd recommend the phone to anyone.

 

[jquick21]

My N5's been on since I got it yesterday at 4pm and I'm just now on 14% this phone is amazing, highly recommended coming from a former iPhone user.

 

[jj14x]

One more question
Battery Life : How is it? I Wouldn't say i'm a heavy user, mostly internet, texting, snapchat, instagram- that kind of stuff and maybe some games.

How long your screen would be on for these activities is going to matter a lot. Unless you are doing CPU/GPU intensive activities (like some games), you should be able to get 3-5 hours of screen on time before your battery runs out. If you are playing CPU taxing games, your screen on time will reduce significantly.