Windows Phone user interested in Nexus 4: Some questions

[rohitsingh]

Hi guys.

As the title says, I am currently using a Lumia 920 and have been on the windows phone ecosystem for the last 2 years (since the lumia 800). While I am happy with WP, for sometime I have been contemplating getting a Nexus 4. Considering that I have never used android before and that the Nexus will be my primary phone for both personal use and work, there are certain queries in my mind that I need help with. Here goes:

1. Push email - I use an outlook.com id for personal use and Microsoft Exchange services for work. Both are set to push mail on my current phone and I'll prefer to have them configured the same on the nexus. So what options do I have? Does the stock mail client support push notifications? If not, what other service can i use? (I will prefer not to forward my outlook.com mails to a gmail account, as some people might suggest. I already have 4 gmail accounts forwarding mails to outlook.com)

2. Offline navigation - I am a heavy user of navigation and maps. Personally I find Nokia mapping services to be the best experience that I have come across. The best thing is fully offline maps. I understand that google maps allows you to cache certain parts of the map offline. How does this compare with a completely offline option like that of Nokia's and what options do i have for offline navigation, searching, etc. (While I have no problems in streaming maps on the go, data connection and speeds are a grey area and fluctuate constantly between Edge and 3G.)

3. Android is prone to viruses - This is something that I have only heard from others. How serious is this threat?

4. Future upgrades for Nexus 4 - I believe the Nexus 4 will in all likelihood get the Kitkat version, but what about after that? I am looking at a 1 year timeframe for usage. Can I expect it to get other future OS updates.

5. Any other major issue that you guys could think of (from my point of view ofcourse!)

Finally, I know some of you might suggest me to wait a bit and buy the nexus 5 when it comes out. The thing is I live in India. The nexus 4 came here so late that if I wait out for nexus 5 I'll probably have to wait a LONG time to get it. Plus whatever I have seen of the 5 from various leaks, I prefer the HD resolution of the 4 to full hd of 5. 1080p screens are too much of a battery hog for me. So personally, yes I would prefer the nexus 4 only.

Thanks in advance.

 

[acejavelin]

Hi guys.

As the title says, I am currently using a Lumia 920 and have been on the windows phone ecosystem for the last 2 years (since the lumia 800). While I am happy with WP, for sometime I have been contemplating getting a Nexus 4. Considering that I have never used android before and that the Nexus will be my primary phone for both personal use and work, there are certain queries in my mind that I need help with. Here goes:

1. Push email - I use an outlook.com id for personal use and Microsoft Exchange services for work. Both are set to push mail on my current phone and I'll prefer to have them configured the same on the nexus. So what options do I have? Does the stock mail client support push notifications? If not, what other service can i use? (I will prefer not to forward my outlook.com mails to a gmail account, as some people might suggest. I already have 4 gmail accounts forwarding mails to outlook.com)

2. Offline navigation - I am a heavy user of navigation and maps. Personally I find Nokia mapping services to be the best experience that I have come across. The best thing is fully offline maps. I understand that google maps allows you to cache certain parts of the map offline. How does this compare with a completely offline option like that of Nokia's and what options do i have for offline navigation, searching, etc. (While I have no problems in streaming maps on the go, data connection and speeds are a grey area and fluctuate constantly between Edge and 3G.)

3. Android is prone to viruses - This is something that I have only heard from others. How serious is this threat?

4. Future upgrades for Nexus 4 - I believe the Nexus 4 will in all likelihood get the Kitkat version, but what about after that? I am looking at a 1 year timeframe for usage. Can I expect it to get other future OS updates.

5. Any other major issue that you guys could think of (from my point of view ofcourse!)

Finally, I know some of you might suggest me to wait a bit and buy the nexus 5 when it comes out. The thing is I live in India. The nexus 4 came here so late that if I wait out for nexus 5 I'll probably have to wait a LONG time to get it. Plus whatever I have seen of the 5 from various leaks, I prefer the HD resolution of the 4 to full hd of 5. 1080p screens are too much of a battery hog for me. So personally, yes I would prefer the nexus 4 only.

Thanks in advance.

1. Yes, the stock email client supports Push for Exchange... Outlook.com is an Exchange based server and would function the similarly. Micosoft has setup instructions on their site.
2. Google Maps doesn't support off-line navigation very well, however there are several free navigation softwares in the Play Store that allow the downloading of OpenStreetMaps, such as MapFactor, OsmMaps, NavFree, and others that allow the use of offline maps.
3. I have had Android for years, never once had an issue with viruses and never used an Antivirus package, and I have never heard of anyone ever getting a virus in Android. This isn't really a threat that should be a factor. As long as you get your software from reputable sites like the Play Store, Amazon store, etc. it shouldn't be an issue at all.
4. This is one of the reasons for getting a Nexus device, it is usually supported for 2-3 years after it is discontinued.
5. None, other than you would have access to easily 1000 times more applications and games, most of which are free.

You likely won't get a Nexus 4 now though, as they are sold out almost everywhere, best to wait for the 5 if you can.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

1. What acejavelin said. The stock email client supports Push for Exchange. However, I would recommend looking at alternative email apps once you've got something set up, only because I personally don't think the stock email app is very good.

2. This is one area where Nokia's navigation is better than Google's, but there are alternative apps (and other workarounds involving downloading maps for offline use).

3. This is hogwash pushed by competitors (and anti-virus app makers). Yes, malware exists for Android, but if you refrain from visiting shady app sites or installing random apps from untrusted websites, the chances you'll encounter it are nil. Much of the malware circulates in Chinese and Russian app spheres. Use common sense and standard safe computing habits and you'll be fine. I've been using Android for 3.5 years now and have never encountered a single piece of malware.

4. The Nexus line is always well supported by Google. Expect to get both KitKat and whatever the next iteration is.

5. Major issues? None, really. Microsoft has most of its big support apps (like SkyDrive) on Android, so you'll be good there. Don't know how sold you are on using Bing, but your default searches will go through Google (naturally); you can always just open the web browser and use Bing instead. As for waiting for the Nexus 5, if the 4 is still available to you in India I say don't wait and go for it. You won't find a more powerful, unlocked phone for the price anywhere.

 

[rohitsingh]

1. What acejavelin said. The stock email client supports Push for Exchange. However, I would recommend looking at alternative email apps once you've got something set up, only because I personally don't think the stock email app is very good.

2. This is one area where Nokia's navigation is better than Google's, but there are alternative apps (and other workarounds involving downloading maps for offline use).

3. This is hogwash pushed by competitors (and anti-virus app makers). Yes, malware exists for Android, but if you refrain from visiting shady app sites or installing random apps from untrusted websites, the chances you'll encounter it are nil. Much of the malware circulates in Chinese and Russian app spheres. Use common sense and standard safe computing habits and you'll be fine. I've been using Android for 3.5 years now and have never encountered a single piece of malware.

4. The Nexus line is always well supported by Google. Expect to get both KitKat and whatever the next iteration is.

5. Major issues? None, really. Microsoft has most of its big support apps (like SkyDrive) on Android, so you'll be good there. Don't know how sold you are on using Bing, but your default searches will go through Google (naturally); you can always just open the web browser and use Bing instead. As for waiting for the Nexus 5, if the 4 is still available to you in India I say don't wait and go for it. You won't find a more powerful, unlocked phone for the price anywhere.

Hey!! Thanks a lot for your reply. Yes, the Nexus 4 is still available in India. Checked one in a store today. Got to say the device is beautiful. Plan on getting it in the next week.

Regarding other things you mentioned, yup most of the MS stuff is also available on Android so that isnt really an issue (not a big fan of bing).

Just one more thing, on some older versions of android (phones that my friends had, etc) there were homescreen widgets for twitter/facebook that allowed live streaming of feed. Are such widgets available for jellybean as well? Are they first party or third party apps? And can you tell me what impact do these live streaming widgets have on the battery?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[acejavelin]

Hey!! Thanks a lot for your reply. Yes, the Nexus 4 is still available in India. Checked one in a store today. Got to say the device is beautiful. Plan on getting it in the next week.

Regarding other things you mentioned, yup most of the MS stuff is also available on Android so that isnt really an issue (not a big fan of bing).

Just one more thing, on some older versions of android (phones that my friends had, etc) there were homescreen widgets for twitter/facebook that allowed live streaming of feed. Are such widgets available for jellybean as well? Are they first party or third party apps? And can you tell me what impact do these live streaming widgets have on the battery?

Thanks again for all your help.

They are available in just about every modern version of Android, the official apps usually have widgets or you can get third party ones... effect on battery life is entirely determined on refresh rate you use, if it is hourly or more there is little effect, if it is PUSH or 10 minutes or something, it could be significant as it will be waking the device often to pull data. I rarely use these widgets, to be effective they have to be fairly big and I prefer to use the screen space for more useful stuff.

 

[ohyeahar]

Surprised this wasn't mentioned already. There's an Outlook.com app available on the Play Store. So you can use that if you don't like the Android stock email client.

About the FB/Twitter widgets, I concur that the battery consumption depends on the refresh rate. TBH, they're not very useful. If you set an aggressive refresh rate, it'll chew through your battery. If you set a more conservative refresh rate, the information you're looking at is almost never the latest which defeats the purpose of the widget.
I would recommend to just keep the app shortcut on the homescreen and just launch the app. That way, it only refreshes when you launch it and you always get the latest feed. You'll save on homescreen space and battery consumption.

 

[pseudoware]

I also have a Lumia 920 and often switch between that and my Nexus 4. At work, we use Office 365 email, and I have several personal email accounts, including Outlook.com. I use K-9 Mail on Android for all of these. Server integration w/this client is simply the best, imo.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[shn'g]

I have used iPhone, windows phone 8, and now have the nexus. It seems like you have your mind made up to grab the nexus and I think it's a great move!
I use skydive all the time as well as Xbox music and was very happy that there are android apps.

The maps are really good with Google but I like Nokia maps better. Either way though you won't be disappointed! Can't wait to see what kit Kat has to offer

 

[saintforlife]

Surprised this wasn't mentioned already. There's an Outlook.com app available on the Play Store. So you can use that if you don't like the Android stock email client.

The Outlook.com works only with live, hotmail and outlook.com accounts. There is no enterprise support as far as I can tell. Am I right?

 

[ohyeahar]

The Outlook.com works only with live, hotmail and outlook.com accounts. There is no enterprise support as far as I can tell. Am I right?

Right. So the OP can use the Outlook.com app for his personal account and use the stock email client for M$ Exchange just as an alternative to using both accounts using the same email client.
The stock email client hasn't been updated in quite a while and feels outdated compared to the rest of the OS. So I try to avoid it as much as possible...

 

[rohitsingh]

Hey guys!! So I went ahead and took the plunge. Bought the Nexus 4 day before. Its a great device in terms of the hardware. The software I am getting used to slowly (1st time android user). There's just 1 issue that I am facing - Battery. The battery life on Windows Phone was great. My Lumia 920 could easily give me around a day's back up. The Nexus on the other hand is coming in at around 12-13 hours presently. While I realize phone batteries take a couple of charges to calibrate and my initial usage is high, I was hoping if you guys could look at the screenshot below and tell me things are working as they should. Thanks a lot!!



Another thing, I am currently using true caller for blocking all the useless marketing calls, etc. Is there a way to do this directly in android without the use of a separate app, and then can truecaller be prevented from running in the background. It seems to be the only individual app in that list to show noticeable battery consumption.

TIA.

 

[someguy01234]

That screenshot doesn't tell much, you have to use it till the battery is drained (although not recommended). Honestly the Nexus 4 doesn't have great battery life, but you can improve it by being careful with your usage and avoid using apps that runs in the background or cause 'wakelock' issues like Facebook, and disable data/wifi/gps/syncing when not needed, I guest that's hard given you need emails updates.

For offline navigation there are plenty, but you can try Sygic, which is even better than Google Maps for navigation imo, but the control interface isn't as intuitive.

android central app

 

[Ridlah]

Hello rohitsingh I upgraded to a nexus 4 today from a discontinued windows phone 7, I'm pretty sure the processor and graphic chipsets packed in the nexus 4 will last a long time, android updates in the future will most likely land on the device and if not flashing a custom rom is an easy solution for that. As for apps I found that most developers write their apps for android gingerbread since the latest version of android is backwards compatible.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Hey guys!! So I went ahead and took the plunge. Bought the Nexus 4 day before. Its a great device in terms of the hardware. The software I am getting used to slowly (1st time android user). There's just 1 issue that I am facing - Battery. The battery life on Windows Phone was great. My Lumia 920 could easily give me around a day's back up. The Nexus on the other hand is coming in at around 12-13 hours presently. While I realize phone batteries take a couple of charges to calibrate and my initial usage is high, I was hoping if you guys could look at the screenshot below and tell me things are working as they should. Thanks a lot!!

View attachment 84698

Another thing, I am currently using true caller for blocking all the useless marketing calls, etc. Is there a way to do this directly in android without the use of a separate app, and then can truecaller be prevented from running in the background. It seems to be the only individual app in that list to show noticeable battery consumption.

TIA.

The screen tends to be the biggest battery drain for me honestly unless an app goes rogue. I use auto brightness which is not the best for battery longevity. If you're inside most of the day you can probably just set the screen to 30% brightness or so and be done with it. The Nexus has average battery life among Android phones in all honesty. I can easily get through a day with plenty of reserve left (~40%) with my normal usage. On the battery screen, if you tap on a listed component it will give you more indepth info on it, such as how much CPU power it's using, how often it wakes the phone up, etc. The screen will tell you "screen-on" time, which is very handy for determining overall battery use. I would say the average I've seen posted on the forums is about 3 hours, although people have squeezed 5 hours out as well. You can also experiment with the Snapdragon Battery Guru app available in the Play Store, which works well for some people (including me). You'll likely need to tweak it after it finishes learning however, as it likes to be conservative and will turn off a lot of your push notifications.

As for the social media widgets, I've used them in the past, but as someone else already noted they tend to be battery hogs if you let them update frequently and not overly useful when set to lower update intervals. If your stream isn't very active however, you can set the widgets to 30-60 minutes or so and not have a large impact on your battery life. The best thing to do in my opinion is just open the app directly, thus generally forcing a refresh.

I haven't found a quick and simple way to block sales calls. For the few annoying ones I do get, I either a) ignore the call if it's out of area (may not be practical for you), or b) if it's a set number that makes repeated calls, I make a contact for it and set it to go to voicemail automatically. That way I won't even hear the phone ring.