Database Users

[Q] N4 Good Upgrade from Galaxy Nexus?

Hey,
My phone contract is up for renewal on the 11th January 2013 and wanted to get some opinions from people who used to own the phone I currently own which is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
I really can't fault my current Nexus, it is running Rasbean ROM with Franco kernel with very smooth, fast, reliable results.
However, with my free upgrade coming soon I'm a little bit stumped as to what my next move is. I don't want to move away from my current Tariff because it is the only tariff (mobile network) in my area that gives me good coverage around my house, so I'm more than happy to carry on paying monthly instead of going down the PAYG phone with a GiffGaff tariff etc...
I've just watched a video comparing the Nexus with the Nexus 4, yes the Nexus 4 does seem half a second or so quicker at starting apps etc and the screen looks completely different to the Nexus.
- Is there any other differences that you noticed from your upgrade?
- Now you have been using the Nexus 4 for a couple weeks+ would you do the same upgrade again?
- Is the non-removable battery a problem at all when flashing buggy Kernels/ROM's?
- Is the signal coverage roughly the same as the Nexus?
- Can you get the stock Nexus browser on the custom ROM's instead of the slow Chrome browser that came with the Nexus 4?
Any other pointers would be a massive help in me upgrading or not. Either I upgrade and sell the phone on as brand new or I keep the Nexus 4 upgrade and sell my 10 month old Nexus as used.
What would you do?

Why would the non removable battery be a problem with roms? The signal should be equal or better than the Gnex. You can get whatever browser you want on any android phone you want (almost).

The Nexus 4 is a beast. Its fast, fluid and just incredible.
If you're concerned about not getting the phone out of a bootloop you can always press vol up + power to force reboot(afaik).
Install CM10.1 and you will get the stock AOSP browser but theres also an alternative in the themes and apps section.
My signal seems better than with my Xperia S and it was already good, so I would say its the same or even better.
I would definitely upgrade(ok i did ) if I were in your situation.

I just got mine today but I say Yes. It is completely worth it. As for the non removable battery. It shouldn't be a problem as you can always get into fastboot. I don't know about other roms but you get stock android browser on Paranoid Android. The screen is much nicer. Fast processor. Pretty much everything you need unless you want LTE.

I had a galaxy nexus before this. Here's some points in the nexus 4's favor:
-Much much better screen
-Better battery life
-Better camera
-Faster and smoother UI
-Looks and feels like a higher quality device
-Music output significantly better through earphones, and louder through speaker
-Wifi reception is better. Cellular signal slightly better or the same.
Also note:
-Almost all custom ROMs come with the AOSP browser and ditch chrome.
-You can reset the device at any time by pressing and holding the volume and power keys together. There are loads of devices without removable backs and they all use this kind of reset combo. Don't worry about not being able to battery pull.
Cons of the nexus 4 to the galaxy nexus:
-Not as much development happening in the N4 forums as yet compared to the galaxy nex. I'm sure that will shift with time and is only the case due to poor availability of the N4.
-Not as durable as the gnex. Will probably take a lot less to break it.

tatltael said:
I had a galaxy nexus before this. Here's some points in the nexus 4's favor:
-Much much better screen
-Better battery life
-Better camera
-Faster and smoother UI
-Looks and feels like a higher quality device
-Music output significantly better through earphones, and louder through speaker
-Wifi reception is better. Cellular signal slightly better or the same.
Also note:
-Almost all custom ROMs come with the AOSP browser and ditch chrome.
-You can reset the device at any time by pressing and holding the volume and power keys together. There are loads of devices without removable backs and they all use this kind of reset combo. Don't worry about not being able to battery pull.
Cons of the nexus 4 to the galaxy nexus:
-Not as much development happening in the N4 forums as yet compared to the galaxy nex. I'm sure that will shift with time and is only the case due to poor availability of the N4.
-Not as durable as the gnex. Will probably take a lot less to break it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better battery life is subjective. You can get official extended batteries at around 2000 mah whereas n4 is 2100. Not much of a difference and the hsic wake lock is a problem for most people at least until Google panes out a update or flag a custom kernel
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

its basically the same. its maybe a tiny tiny bit faster in daily use, it doesnt scroll faster or anything but the transitions are nicer. so, first thing you notice is ... nothing. i know i'm getting tortured now but its the truth. its a nice little upgrade, beautiful screen (if you calibrate, otherwise its greatly inferior to your nexus), i love that its wider. in some games you notice slight differences, theres new lightting effects, flares, etc. overall it feels more precious and shiny and you can be sure it will withstand the next 24 months - and thats the thing with nexus, the software is the same, but it lets you enjoy what android has to offer without having to worry about silly stats. the new one is just making sure it stays like that bringing enough punch for tomorrows demands.

I'm coming from the GSM galaxy nexus.
The N4 has a wonderful screen, I like it a lot more than my Galaxy Nexus' screen.
But if you have the 2000 mah OEM battery, you will find the battery life of the N4 on 3G very disappointing. On WiFi they're pretty comparable.

Brilliant feedback folks, thanks a million for the in depth conclusions.
I'm swaying towards the Nexus 4 - for the pure reason of it been more future proof than the Galaxy Nexus.
The ROM and Kernel issues don't worry me, as they will get stronger and stronger as time go on, and both my favourite DEV's have got one and are developing ROM/Kernel so that's a bonus.
I was worried about the battery life of the Nexus 4, but by the sounds of it if you are on wifi the battery is not too far from the performance of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm just slightly nervous about selling my nexus as it has been faultless.

chrisgtl said:
Brilliant feedback folks, thanks a million for the in depth conclusions.
I'm swaying towards the Nexus 4 - for the pure reason of it been more future proof than the Galaxy Nexus.
The ROM and Kernel issues don't worry me, as they will get stronger and stronger as time go on, and both my favourite DEV's have got one and are developing ROM/Kernel so that's a bonus.
I was worried about the battery life of the Nexus 4, but by the sounds of it if you are on wifi the battery is not too far from the performance of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm just slightly nervous about selling my nexus as it has been faultless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be nervous, it's about a $100 upgrade depending how much you get for your phone. I'd say it's worth it if you are selling ur old device for a good amount. Battery life, I wouldn't worry.
Franco Kernel + ROM of your choice, you shouldnt be disappointed.

Well........that was a quick decision if I ever I made one.
My Nexus 4 will be delivered by o2 tomorrow. Nexus is up on the popular bidding channel.
See you around the dev forums
Cheers and Happy New Year.

chrisgtl said:
Well........that was a quick decision if I ever I made one.
My Nexus 4 will be delivered by o2 tomorrow. Nexus is up on the popular bidding channel.
See you around the dev forums
Cheers and Happy New Year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats nice to see you have fast stock there. First things first would be to fastboot oem unlock of course (manual method, not toolkit )

zephiK said:
Congrats nice to see you have fast stock there. First things first would be to fastboot oem unlock of course (manual method, not toolkit )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think most of the major shops have plenty Nexus 4's left, its just Google play store that doesn't have any.
Yes, fastboot oem unlock & USB debugging will be carried out quite quickly.

chrisgtl said:
1- Is there any other differences that you noticed from your upgrade?
2- Now you have been using the Nexus 4 for a couple weeks+ would you do the same upgrade again?
3- Is the non-removable battery a problem at all when flashing buggy Kernels/ROM's?
4- Is the signal coverage roughly the same as the Nexus?
5- Can you get the stock Nexus browser on the custom ROM's instead of the slow Chrome browser that came with the Nexus 4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- Better camera, better materials, looks nicer, better audio quality, better screen, feels solid
2- Yes
3- No
4- I can't tell you cause I always get full signal here...
5- I have both on Xylon ROM, but dolphin and chrome are great browsers

Nexus 4 turned up last night so had a couple hours to play round with it now it is all setup with rascarlo ROM and franco kernel.
What have I noticed so far (in order):
1) It's quicker, installing apps from play is very snappy
2) Screen looks different, its like it is raised up compared to the Nexus
3) Boots up v.quick
4) Feels heavier, more solid
5) Camera is better
Quite happy with my new purchase! Just need to see how much I can claw back from ebay on my old Nexus.

Eric-1987 said:
Why would the non removable battery be a problem with roms? The signal should be equal or better than the Gnex. You can get whatever browser you want on any android phone you want (almost).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My previous phone was a g2 and several times a rom would become unresponsive or if I was testing a nightly rom it came in handy being able to take out the battery to reboot the device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Coming from Gnex.
Using the N4 in everyday life is not a big difference (same software, sometimes a bit faster). Not a milestone ahead.
But - the phone is so solid, good-looking and has a better camera compared to the Gnex.
If it is really worth to change is more emotional than stick to facts.

floppyears said:
My previous phone was a g2 and several times a rom would become unresponsive or if I was testing a nightly rom it came in handy being able to take out the battery to reboot the device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holding down the power button for ten seconds performs this same action
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] LG G2 or Nexus 5 ?

I heard it was pretty slow update before for LG, how about now? still that bad?
If LG can update the firmware often, just like Samsung, I will say it's good enough to me.
This is the only reason I haven't decided to get a G2 or Nexus 5.

What exactly are you asking on here?

cly1025 said:
I heard it was pretty slow update before for LG, how about now? still that bad?
If LG can update the firmware often, just like Samsung, I will say it's good enough to me.
This is the only reason I haven't decided to get a G2 or Nexus 5.[/QUOTE
I would go LG G2 being that the G2 is essentially a better version of the Nexus 5. Better screen, better battery and better speakers(from my understanding). Also the LG G2 has its own overlay on top of it so you can always mess around with that and see if you like it OR just slap a KitKat ROM on it and have yourself a Nexus experience. The Nexus 5 although I'm sure a great device is only pure android and you can't slap on the G2 like overlay if for whatever reason you wanted to and got bored of Stock Android. All of the Nexus 5 ROMs center around Stock Android and if you ever wanted something flashy as the LG G2s Stock ROM that would be impossible. Hope that helped. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'd go with the LG G2 because of the camera and also the bigger screen.

cly1025 said:
I heard it was pretty slow update before for LG, how about now? still that bad?
If LG can update the firmware often, just like Samsung, I will say it's good enough to me.
This is the only reason I haven't decided to get a G2 or Nexus 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If updates are your concern then nexus 5 is your best way to go.LG has nothing to do with updates with that phone all from google itself being stock android.

Oh yea and better camera. Lol. Totally forgot
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app

cly1025 said:
I heard it was pretty slow update before for LG, how about now? still that bad?
If LG can update the firmware often, just like Samsung, I will say it's good enough to me.
This is the only reason I haven't decided to get a G2 or Nexus 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want better hardware The G2. If you want faster software updates the Nexus 5. It's hard to get the best of both worlds. Choose the One that's more important to you.
Sent from my JEE TWO

I had a N5 before my G2, G2 beats it sir

Nexus 5 is the cheap alternative.
My battery life on the G2 is insane. The N5 battery is quite bad i've heard.

cly1025 said:
If LG can update the firmware often, just like Samsung, I will say it's good enough to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ever asked yourself why Samsung is providing so many updates???
only speaking for myself, but the G2 with 4.2.2 is running pretty smoothly and "LG's Android version" (with LG's UI) is working exceptionally well.
so personally I prefere LG is taking it's time on KK, but the version they realease is as stable as 4.2.2 is now!

Nexus 5
- Better camera software, HDR+ mode takes extremely sharp/colorful pictures that can never be produced on the G2, even with camera mods. This is one of the things I miss most about the Nexus 5. G2 pictures don't have sharp lines and colors are washed out.
- Built in antennas are better, slightly stronger signals, loads webpages/everything much faster.
- Less lag compared to the G2, very zippy and everything runs much faster.
- Better software development, more roms, mods, themes, etcs. Easier to root/flash new roms.
- Stock rom is less bloated, around 285mb vs G2's 2gb rom.
The screen on the Nexus 5 looks really cheap compared to the G2, viewing angles are much worse and you can see the white backlight bleeding all over the screen from an angle. The feel of the nexus is light and overall plasticy and cheap.
The G2 has knock on/off, better battery life by far, and bigger more premium screen.
For me it was important to have battery, better screen and knock on so I went with the G2. Still I'm not entirely satisfied with either phone. LG is also not a very popular phone so resale value and software development is very limited.

gummybear00 said:
Nexus 5
- Better camera software, HDR+ mode takes extremely sharp/colorful pictures that can never be produced on the G2, even with camera mods. This is one of the things I miss most about the Nexus 5. G2 pictures don't have sharp lines and colors are washed out.
- Built in antennas are better, slightly stronger signals, loads webpages/everything much faster.
- Less lag compared to the G2, very zippy and everything runs much faster.
- Better software development, more roms, mods, themes, etcs. Easier to root/flash new roms.
- Stock rom is less bloated, around 285mb vs G2's 2gb rom.
The screen on the Nexus 5 looks really cheap compared to the G2, viewing angles are much worse and you can see the white backlight bleeding all over the screen from an angle. The feel of the nexus is light and overall plasticy and cheap.
The G2 has knock on/off, better battery life by far, and bigger more premium screen.
For me it was important to have battery, better screen and knock on so I went with the G2. Still I'm not entirely satisfied with either phone. LG is also not a very popular phone so resale value and software development is very limited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from the nexus 5 to the g2 I can also chime in here. For starters, its preference, if ya want the stock vanilla android or skinned. Having the nexus 4 and 5 to the g2 I was initially shocked on the aamount of crap on this g2. Nothing a little disabling could take care of, but once ya go vanilla, its mind blowing how much **** a carrier and company can throw on there. That and the amount of Dev support is crazy good.......but that's where it ends.
The g2 is IMO<--- far superior in every other element. The battery is a beast, and that was first on my checklist. Also for some odd reason, I'm having stronger signal on the g2 then I did with the nexus, both WiFi and data signals. The camera, and features, are much much better.
The screen on my n5 seemed washed out, the g2's color reproduction is much more accurate, plus that little extra 5.2"-4.95" is noticeable to me.
I definitely consider the g2 a winner, and it just suits my needs better then the n5 did......and until I/if get annoyed of this lg skin too much, that's when I'll miss the nexus developer side. And as a matter of fact, I'm already eyeing that PA for 803 to flash my tempting needs....Lol

If your absolute need is the latest & constant software update, then you can go for Nexus 5. Spec wise, it does have difference than G2 & on lower end for some parts. Nevertheless, it's an awesome device for pure android experience.
If you don't mind about the software update (which you don't have to, since the JB 4.2.2 implemention is seriously good here) then go for G2. I own one so, it's definitely spot on so far, moving from Samsung after a few generations with it. It's really snappy & no noticeable lag yet. The battery life is very2 impressive for a device this size.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide. I was on same predicament as you for a couple of months before deciding on which to choose. Whichever you choose, it will be a worthy choice.
Sent from my LG-D802

Nexus 5
I bought the D802 version of G2, but today i should go for Nexus 5 instead. The development for the G2 is to slow.

I think you should go for LG G2. Battery is amazing.

Lg G2 + CM11 is your solution.

armess said:
Lg G2 + CM11 is your solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you havent tried Mahdi, CM 11, to much bugs and unstable and bad battery compared to Mahdi ROM with Houstonn kernel.

I'm going the other way, leaving a lg-g2 after 5 months for the nexus 5. What hit me is the size factor. 5" vs 5.2 (or rather 2.72" vs 2.78" wide). That difference is the difference in my hands between one handed use and needing to adjust the phone and use two hands for basic operations. Basically the N5 is as wide as a phone can be for me before it hits phablet level.

Anyone switch from a Nexus 5?

so, I have the oppertunity to trade my Nexus 5 for a G2. I am wondering if anyone else made the same switch?
my main concern is loosing wireless charging and the whole update thing.
I LOVE being able to flash an almost 100% stable version of the latest update the day it gets announced. but it goes without saying, that I WILL be rooting/ROMing this thing. as long as I can get CM11 on it at the very least, I will be happy software wise I think.
I am pretty happy with the battery life and camera and build quality/size of the N5, as well as the screen. I really dont have much reason to switch other than the larger storage (16GB now), better camera, and better screen.
so, to anyone that has made the switch, what do you miss, and what don't you miss about the swap?

I miss the way it feels n hand the most. Nexus 5 has a better build quality to me. But double the storage(had the 16gb) and better battery was enough for me to switch.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using xda app-developers app

The G2 has better display,speaker,battery and the camera.
Were also on 4.4, i say switch

yep i had the g2, switched to n5 for the rom customization... and came right back.. the battery on this phone makes it all worth it !

I have both. Using the g2 now. Missed it. Unfortunately rooting with a freaking 4.4.2 Rom is near impossible w/o white lines. I've given up
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Someone said Nexus 5 had better build quality? Must be on crack or something. Same manufacturer, one phone sells for $300 less than the other, and somehow LG magically had extra money to put in better quality parts? The parts for the Nexus 5 are about as dirt-cheap as LG could've made them. The screen, most importantly, is abysmal.
I had a Nexus 5 for 2 weeks. Returned it due to crap build quality, low battery life, and no native double-tap to wake. If you think the build quality of the Nexus 5 is fine for you, then only the battery and double-tap are the pluses.
Going to G2 you get:
- much better premium screen
- phone feels better-built, more solid
- double tap to wake & buttons on back
- long battery life
- back of the phone is smooth (slippery)
You lose:
- Nexus 5 HDR+ camera (takes crisper pics than G2)
- lots of custom roms you can easily flash
- Nexus 5 software runs much faster despite having the same hardware
The ROMs for the G2 aren't that developed. Not many developers and they're not as polished as Nexus's roms. This is because the base LG rom is bloated, (2.3gb os vs 300mb Nexus os) and LG/Samsung make it harder to use recovery or flash roms.
Since I rarely flash roms, it's not a problem.
Don't miss: With G2 you never worry about charging your phone. I can run it for 2+ days w/o charging. Screen is wayyyyyyyy better & a bit bigger. G2 is a phone for the fit and forget. N5 is a phone for the fiddlers.

gummybear00 said:
Someone said Nexus 5 had better build quality? Must be on crack or something. Same manufacturer, one phone sells for $300 less than the other, and somehow LG magically had extra money to put in better quality parts? The parts for the Nexus 5 are about as dirt-cheap as LG could've made them. The screen, most importantly, is abysmal.
I had a Nexus 5 for 2 weeks. Returned it due to crap build quality, low battery life, and no native double-tap to wake. If you think the build quality of the Nexus 5 is fine for you, then only the battery and double-tap are the pluses.
Going to G2 you get:
- much better premium screen
- phone feels better-built, more solid
- double tap to wake & buttons on back
- long battery life
- back of the phone is smooth (slippery)
You lose:
- Nexus 5 HDR+ camera (takes crisper pics than G2)
- lots of custom roms you can easily flash
- Nexus 5 software runs much faster despite having the same hardware
The ROMs for the G2 aren't that developed. Not many developers and they're not as polished as Nexus's roms. This is because the base LG rom is bloated, (2.3gb os vs 300mb Nexus os) and LG/Samsung make it harder to use recovery or flash roms.
Since I rarely flash roms, it's not a problem.
Don't miss: With G2 you never worry about charging your phone. I can run it for 2+ days w/o charging. Screen is wayyyyyyyy better & a bit bigger. G2 is a phone for the fit and forget. N5 is a phone for the fiddlers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on crack because I think the nexus 5 has better build quality? lol...the soft touch back on the nexus 5 just feel better than cheap slippery plastic. I'm not talking about what's inside.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using xda app-developers app

nexicon said:
I have both. Using the g2 now. Missed it. Unfortunately rooting with a freaking 4.4.2 Rom is near impossible w/o white lines. I've given up
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting on my 4.4.2. was as simple as using ioroot, with no issues caused at all. Saying it is near impossible is a bit extreme.

I will have to agree that the soft touch back on the N5 (only on black, not on white/red) is a very nice feel.
Also can someone comment on speed/smoothness in G2 vs N5? I have a feeling LG Optimus UI is causing lag, even in KK, and slowing things down. I only played with a N5 briefly but everything was instant.
AOSP roms on the G2 just aren't stable enough and you lose a lot of features like the great camera.

ECrispy said:
I will have to agree that the soft touch back on the N5 (only on black, not on white/red) is a very nice feel.
Also can someone comment on speed/smoothness in G2 vs N5? I have a feeling LG Optimus UI is causing lag, even in KK, and slowing things down. I only played with a N5 briefly but everything was instant.
AOSP roms on the G2 just aren't stable enough and you lose a lot of features like the great camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 5 is defiantly faster but not by much. Had the N5 for months then gave it to my gf and got the G2. Every now n then I pick it up just to experience the fluidness again.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using xda app-developers app

Here are 2 ss on my D800 running Dr.'s latest 4.4.2 aosp beta rom. I think its pretty good
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

mgolder said:
Rooting on my 4.4.2. was as simple as using ioroot, with no issues caused at all. Saying it is near impossible is a bit extreme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really wanna know how for my T-Mobile mobile d01.
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

I had both.
Nexus 5 has better touchscreen (by far mooore sensitive), louder speaker, it's faster and has big big support from community.
G2 has incredible battery and display, but poor plastics and the speaker is just ok. Personally dont like rear buttons and i think knock-on is far to be perfect.
I dont care about photos.
Inviato dal mio LG-D802 utilizzando Tapatalk

I made a switch from n5 to lg g2 and I feel better now. n5 for me is pure crap, it feels like a toy. I get g2 for the same price (change it), and from that point neither the price is not on the nexus side.
With g2 I've got ten times better batery, better screen (way better in daylight), better hardware (yes, on n5 problems with signal reception, speakers, mic etc..)
and better build quality, like I said nexus is and it feels like a toy.
and yeah, I rooted and flashed custom rom in a about first ten minutes I've get the g2, and I have perfectly stable device in wich I can trust, and usualy I am switching rom but here there is no point everything is perfect. On nexus5 I've flashed all roms avilable and didnt find the perfect one lol, seriously
cheers
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

I was from N5, I traded it with my cousin's G2. Before My Nexus 5 I was using Nexus 4. Poor batterylife from nexus devices made me switch to G2.

Thanks for the replys guys.
Like I said, I am actually pretty happy with the battery life on my N5....it easily gets me though a full day as long as I'm not streaming music for extended periods of time. If I dont play any music, I can get 4 hours of SoT while on HSPA/LTE and about 5 on Wifi....I usually only need about 3 max.
My main draw is just to have something different I guess. I have been on Nexus devices (Gn-nex then N5) for 2.5 years now. I am in love with the screen on the G2, the bottom headphone jack is a HUGE plus to me, the battery will be nice for when I DO stream music all day, and the overall feel of the G2 is pretty awesome IMO.
my main concerns are the software and update schedule....but I guess I always have my Nexus 7 (2013) to have that vanilla experience. I have been reading about AOSP ROMs and seems they aren't quite there with stability, But if i could run an LG build but have it LOOK like AOSP (AOSP nav and status bar icons, as well as a clean notification shade) I think I would be pretty happy. I really want it to be about 95% AOSP but leave in the nice LG stuff.

I LOVE my G2! There's only one phone i would change for it: Mi3
But honestly, i'm really really happy with my G2. The custom rom support is.. okay-ish, there are a bunch of stock and even CM/AOSP roms out there. It's only hard to find the right one. The longest rom i used was CM (temasek build) - 15-16 days without any issue or reboot etc. Currently testing stock rom again, but already missing the vanilla look and performance.
Batterylife is awesome, camera is fine (i think on stock its a little bit better? Dont know.. i dont take that much pictures), performance is great either on stock or CM/AOSP, speaker quality is "fine", came from HTC One m7 so.. well its.. fine
Cant say much to N5 but i've read good reviews and some guys told me its a good phone also

hamad138 said:
The G2 has better display,speaker,battery and the camera.
Were also on 4.4, i say switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good ting you have switch. This is way better than Nexus 5

Can anyone tell me what about storage? How much do you have on N5 and how much on G2 (on 16 Gb models)

Godra said:
Can anyone tell me what about storage? How much do you have on N5 and how much on G2 (on 16 Gb models)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
both around 11 GB. so not that much of a difference.

HTC One M8 or G3? Help please!

I'm getting a new phone soon, and I'm stuck between the LG G3 and HTC One M8. I know this is the G3 forum but I hope I'll get honest suggestions from here.
Can someone please honestly answer my questions:
1. Since I'm coming from the Moto X 2014, I need a fast enough and future proof (duh, till 2016 Jun) phone. I sold it because the screen was fragile, display was so yellowish to my liking, camera wasn't good, no dev support, poor headphone output, poor battery and tempered glass protectors won't even fit properly. My question is, is the G3 really fast enough for the period I stated above? I don't want any lag or frame rate issues on my phone, even with games like MC5 or any other GPU demanding game.
2. How's the battery of the phone? I know about the stock figures, but with a custom ROM, and custom kernel, how many SOT can you get?
3. How's the headphone output? Is it comparable to the One M8 after some tweaking?
4. I don't mind chaging the screen resolution to 1080p, but after changing it, is the phone completely stable? I don't need bugs or any stability issues.
I really like the G3 for its screen size and camera (camera isn't a big priority though), a GB of RAM extra, bezel less design. While, the HTC M8 is cheaper, with some good Harman Kardon earphones, much better speakers, better performance.
Help me out please!

edios123 said:
I'm getting a new phone soon, and I'm stuck between the LG G3 and HTC One M8. I know this is the G3 forum but I hope I'll get honest suggestions from here.
Can someone please honestly answer my questions:
1. Since I'm coming from the Moto X 2014, I need a fast enough and future proof (duh, till 2016 Jun) phone. I sold it because the screen was fragile, display was so yellowish to my liking, camera wasn't good, no dev support, poor headphone output, poor battery and tempered glass protectors won't even fit properly. My question is, is the G3 really fast enough for the period I stated above? I don't want any lag or frame rate issues on my phone, even with games like MC5 or any other GPU demanding game.
2. How's the battery of the phone? I know about the stock figures, but with a custom ROM, and custom kernel, how many SOT can you get?
3. How's the headphone output? Is it comparable to the One M8 after some tweaking?
4. I don't mind chaging the screen resolution to 1080p, but after changing it, is the phone completely stable? I don't need bugs or any stability issues.
I really like the G3 for its screen size and camera (camera isn't a big priority though), a GB of RAM extra, bezel less design. While, the HTC M8 is cheaper, with some good Harman Kardon earphones, much better speakers, better performance.
Help me out please!
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Well i would suggest the G3 for the same reasons i got it, the camera is far better than the M8, the video recording is up to 4k, the screen can't be lowered in resolution so the battery might drain a bit more than the M8 but the battery on the G3 has more capacity, the phone lasts me a whole day and a bit more but i always charge it each night, the phone is bigger in screen size and overall size but the feel on the hand is quite good, im typing using one hand so that should say a lot, the phone is plenty fast and the added gig of ram future proofs the phone a bit more, i would say hold out for the g4 but if you need to buy now then get the g3 i have already owned it for almost a year and the phone has been fantastic, im currently using the stock 4.4.2 firmware because lollipop breaks root and there is no shortage of roms so you can customize away with your liking. Overall get the G3. Also a minor detail that is easily noticeable on gold and white phones are small hairline cracks on the mics and ir blaster so if that is an absolute deal breaker get the m8 and if you get the at&t version then watch out cause sometimes some phones the wireless charging stops working good thing is at&t will exhange it but you have to press that the issue is the phone not the accesories. Overall is the best phone i have had since my sgs3
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

bolillo said:
Well i would suggest the G3 for the same reasons i got it, the camera is far better than the M8, the video recording is up to 4k, the screen can't be lowered in resolution so the battery might drain a bit more than the M8 but the battery on the G3 has more capacity, the phone lasts me a whole day and a bit more but i always charge it each night, the phone is bigger in screen size and overall size but the feel on the hand is quite good, im typing using one hand so that should say a lot, the phone is plenty fast and the added gig of ram future proofs the phone a bit more, i would say hold out for the g4 but if you need to buy now then get the g3 i have already owned it for almost a year and the phone has been fantastic, im currently using the stock 4.4.2 firmware because lollipop breaks root and there is no shortage of roms so you can customize away with your liking. Overall get the G3. Also a minor detail that is easily noticeable on gold and white phones are small hairline cracks on the mics and ir blaster so if that is an absolute deal breaker get the m8 and if you get the at&t version then watch out cause sometimes some phones the wireless charging stops working good thing is at&t will exhange it but you have to press that the issue is the phone not the accesories. Overall is the best phone i have had since my sgs3
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Some reviews say G3 is better, some say M8 is better. So I can't decide on one.
The only thing holding me back from the G3 is the lag. I got into some G3 threads and it seems the phone really lags in gaming too. If the lag wasn't there, G3 was the better phone obviously. I can't wait for the G4 because I'm getting these for cheap.
I don't want lag in ANY game or app. :/

With stock based custom rom I don't have lag.
With aosp based rom is incredibly fast.

I have both (actually my wife has the M8).
G3 pros
1) better camera
2) better screen
3) better in hand sensation
4) more updates (about 3 in 3 months)

edios123 said:
Some reviews say G3 is better, some say M8 is better. So I can't decide on one.
The only thing holding me back from the G3 is the lag. I got into some G3 threads and it seems the phone really lags in gaming too. If the lag wasn't there, G3 was the better phone obviously. I can't wait for the G4 because I'm getting these for cheap.
I don't want lag in ANY game or app. :/
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Click to collapse
I really dont understand why people say theres lag in games? i have this phone and dont get any lag in games at all and im on a stock rom too, personally i think G3 is a better phone than the m8, screens bigger with great screen to bezel ratio, quality of the screen is better imo, battery life maybe isnt better as this phone has a bigger screen and higher resolution screen (btw watch a high def movie on the LG G3 and it looks amazing). i bought my LG G3 for £280 brand new sim unlocked, for that price you cant go wrong.

I think the screen on the G3 is really good. It's what I liked the first time I seen it. Not that it was big but because it looked so clear. I used to calibrate displays and I think overall its one of the best screens I've seen on a phone. It definitely lacks black level but makes up for it everywhere else. Sharpness is now modifiable.
-A modified G3 can reach the M8 in benchmarks so speed may be comparable.
-A modified G3 can reach 80fps in Quadrant benchmarks.
-The G3 has a good camera and great third party app.
My parents both have an M8 as per my suggestion. I think they are great phones but I'm not sorry for choosing the G3 for myself, except for those great speakers the M8 has. Those speakers are just awesome!
Overall the build quality is totally different between the two based on materials used but the G3 isn't as bad as a Samsung.

jhonyp said:
With stock based custom rom I don't have lag.
With aosp based rom is incredibly fast.
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Click to collapse
Will I miss any good feature in AOSP? Is it completely stable?
diegodbm said:
I have both (actually my wife has the M8).
G3 pros
1) better camera
2) better screen
3) better in hand sensation
4) more updates (about 3 in 3 months)
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Click to collapse
How's the performance between the two?
sofir786 said:
I really dont understand why people say theres lag in games? i have this phone and dont get any lag in games at all and im on a stock rom too, personally i think G3 is a better phone than the m8, screens bigger with great screen to bezel ratio, quality of the screen is better imo, battery life maybe isnt better as this phone has a bigger screen and higher resolution screen (btw watch a high def movie on the LG G3 and it looks amazing). i bought my LG G3 for £280 brand new sim unlocked, for that price you cant go wrong.
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Are you sure that every game runs smoothly on it? I'm asking because there's even a dedicated thread for reducing the lag.
razz1 said:
I think the screen on the G3 is really good. It's what I liked the first time I seen it. Not that it was big but because it looked so clear. I used to calibrate displays and I think overall its one of the best screens I've seen on a phone. It definitely lacks black level but makes up for it everywhere else. Sharpness is now modifiable.
-A modified G3 can reach the M8 in benchmarks so speed may be comparable.
-A modified G3 can reach 80fps in Quadrant benchmarks.
-The G3 has a good camera and great third party app.
My parents both have an M8 as per my suggestion. I think they are great phones but I'm not sorry for choosing the G3 for myself, except for those great speakers the M8 has. Those speakers are just awesome!
Overall the build quality is totally different between the two based on materials used but the G3 isn't as bad as a Samsung.
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Please be honest, if you were given a second chance, which one would you choose? Can I make the G3 run flawlessly as an HTC One M8 in everything?
I have a Nexus 7 2013 with a custom ROM and while it used to be fast, now it's not satisfactory for me. It's still fast, but I see some occasional stutter and games don't run smoothly. I don't need other slow device.

edios123 said:
Will I miss any good feature in AOSP? Is it completely stable?
How's the performance between the two?
Are you sure that every game runs smoothly on it? I'm asking because there's even a dedicated thread for reducing the lag.
Please be honest, if you were given a second chance, which one would you choose? Can I make the G3 run flawlessly as an HTC One M8 in everything?
I have a Nexus 7 2013 with a custom ROM and while it used to be fast, now it's not satisfactory for me. It's still fast, but I see some occasional stutter and games don't run smoothly. I don't need other slow device.
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Yes im sure, i play graphic intensive games such as Colin McRae rally, Dead Trigger 2, Nova 3. No lag, i do use a custom kernel though.

edios123 said:
Will I miss any good feature in AOSP? Is it completely stable?
How's the performance between the two?
Are you sure that every game runs smoothly on it? I'm asking because there's even a dedicated thread for reducing the lag.
Please be honest, if you were given a second chance, which one would you choose? Can I make the G3 run flawlessly as an HTC One M8 in everything?
I have a Nexus 7 2013 with a custom ROM and while it used to be fast, now it's not satisfactory for me. It's still fast, but I see some occasional stutter and games don't run smoothly. I don't need other slow device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
M8 smoother, but I prefer g3.
There's something about it that I really love.

edios123 said:
Will I miss any good feature in AOSP? Is it completely stable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the moment aosp based roms are on nightlys but stables versions are coming next days.
I miss camera quality and knock code

In all honest though you really need to ask yourself, how future proof are you these days anyway?
Chances are if you buy a new phone, it'll be outdated in a month because there will already be talks of a new model with a better processor and some revolutionary features.
Let's put it this way, I was in your situation a while ago too. I was using a Nexus 5 for a little over a year and just wanted something new. My first 2 choices were the M8 and the OnePlus one, then eventually I factored in the G3. It wasn't even on my radar to begin with!
In the end I chose the G3 because of the QHD screen, removable battery and microSD card support. Sure unibody phones look great, but I just have never liked the idea of the battery being sealed in. What if the battery you get is faulty? You'll need to replace the entire phone. Sure that's an extreme case but it can happen.
Take my post with a grain of salt because I don't value gaming performance, but with lollipop on the G3 it's plenty fast for me. I really don't think you can go wrong with either phone.

edios123 said:
Some reviews say G3 is better, some say M8 is better. So I can't decide on one.
The only thing holding me back from the G3 is the lag. I got into some G3 threads and it seems the phone really lags in gaming too. If the lag wasn't there, G3 was the better phone obviously. I can't wait for the G4 because I'm getting these for cheap.
I don't want lag in ANY game or app. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind on game are you looking to run to see if i can download it and test it out? I don't do much gaming on the phone just cause i have no time to game on it, all i have are some pick up and play games that entertaing for like 5min
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

edios123 said:
I'm getting a new phone soon, and I'm stuck between the LG G3 and HTC One M8. I know this is the G3 forum but I hope I'll get honest suggestions from here.
Can someone please honestly answer my questions:
1. Since I'm coming from the Moto X 2014, I need a fast enough and future proof (duh, till 2016 Jun) phone. I sold it because the screen was fragile, display was so yellowish to my liking, camera wasn't good, no dev support, poor headphone output, poor battery and tempered glass protectors won't even fit properly. My question is, is the G3 really fast enough for the period I stated above? I don't want any lag or frame rate issues on my phone, even with games like MC5 or any other GPU demanding game.
2. How's the battery of the phone? I know about the stock figures, but with a custom ROM, and custom kernel, how many SOT can you get?
3. How's the headphone output? Is it comparable to the One M8 after some tweaking?
4. I don't mind chaging the screen resolution to 1080p, but after changing it, is the phone completely stable? I don't need bugs or any stability issues.
I really like the G3 for its screen size and camera (camera isn't a big priority though), a GB of RAM extra, bezel less design. While, the HTC M8 is cheaper, with some good Harman Kardon earphones, much better speakers, better performance.
Help me out please!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in a similar situation when I sold my Moto X due to the same issues you mentioned above, though it was primarily due to the hideous AMOLED screen on the MOTO X which had burn-in issues just after 20 days of usage. Even my replacement unit got that in mere 10 days. It was the navbar that was visible under white/grey backgrounds.
I chose G3 over M8 after trying them in Chroma and other retail stores:
1. Much better screen to body ratio. The bezels are extremely slim and the phone looks sexy. Compare that to the M8, its as tall as the G3 but that is to accommodate those boomsound speakers.
2. Though it has to power a higher resolution screen, the latter lasts me 1.5 to 2 days since I consider myself a light user. It'll easily last you a day even with heavy use.
3. Camera is awesome! M8 stands no chance with its ultrapixel cam. The focus is insanely fast due to the laser focus which may seem gimmiky unless you use it and see it for yourself.
4. Though plastic, its pretty well built.
5. Removable battery, personal preference after using the MOTO X.
6. Gorgeous screen and I'm sure you'll see the difference when you use it over 1080p screen.
7. After sales of LG is light years ahead than HTC in our country. People all over India curse HTC for opting a 3rd party vendor for its after sales service. I've had an instance when I had to deal with them and I made sure it was the last. I've used Nexus 4 and 5 and found LG's after sales to be much better and their repair cost is also reasonable.
8. LG has come a long way in dealing with S/W updates and they have bettered HTC and many other OEM's in this area. I'm pretty optimistic that we will receive an update to 6.0 or whatever they name it.
Some points to consider:
1. The lags that you hear/read about were of 4.4.4 days and LG has done a good job with 5.0 making it pretty much lag free.
2. You WILL notice the speed difference between near stock Android of Moto X over custom LG skin but its something that you'll get use to in a matter of days.
3. I've used M8 a couple of times in retail store and its a wee bit faster compared to G3.
4. Though it happens rarely, the LG screen fails to respond to touch inputs. It mostly happens in the lower bottom area and many have reported this. Since 5.0 update, this issue is almost gone and I've come across it only once after the update. No need to worry about it and its certainly not a deal breaker. I've been using the phone since Dec 2014 and have encountered this 4-5 times and only once after the 5.0 update.
5. M8 with its boomsound speakers is clearly a winner when it comes to audio quality but G3's audio aint puny either. It's got decent amount of punch and should be enough for daily usage unless you plan use your phone to watch a lot of videos/movies.
Hope the above helps you in deciding. Every phone has its own compromises/cons and eventually you need to decide which ones you can live with. Cheers! :highfive:

I owned both (M8 for a couple of months and G3 till now) and i can say G3 is clearly the winner out there.Theres a simple reason.
If you have checked the recent GMA (global mobile awards ) in category 5 (best mobile handsets ) there were 2 winners :
Apple iphone 6 + LG G3. I havent seen any samsung or nexus or htc devices . So i am glad that i kept my G3 .
The judges comments :
“Affordable excellence with winning design – its edge-to-edge screen offers the best quality mobile viewing experience around today.”

Nexus 5 -> LG G4 switch and my observations

So my previous phone was a stock, freshly reset Nexus 5 on 5.1.1.
Got my G4 yesterday, did the usual disable bloatware process first. I cannot believe how much crap this phone has from LG and Tmobile. I then installed all of my apps, for some reason the auto restore process never works correctly for me. Google Please fix...
Anywho, the G4 "feels" less responsive then my old Nexus 5. It does not freeze or anything. I just see a short lag spike (best I can do as far as the description goes) in pretty much anything I do on the phone, moving between screens, or opening an email in Inbox and then scrolling, it will stutter the first time Im viewing the email. I changed the Dev settings to .5x for all animations, but that really didnt fix this issue. I can sit the two phones side by side after work today to actually perform some tests, maybe do a video.
The battery on the G4 sits at 100% for like 20 minutes no matter how I use then phone, it then drops like crazy from there. I have not done a full charge cycle, maybe thats just what happens when you start using the phone.
I accidentally removed the Google search bar that was 5x1, tried to re-add it and that widget is not available, only the 4x1 one is there, and you cannot resize it.
The phone got super hot when I was installing all of the apps.
Camera has no settings for quality (fine, normal etc) No option to disable OIS or IS. No option to set frame rate for recording. Kind of weird.
The Memory seems to have the usual Lollipop bug where the system has a memory leak. Such BS that google only fixed it in 5.1.1.
Leather feels nice, unlike anything else I felt on a phone before.

I'm in the same boat. I actually dropped my N5 recently and cracked the screen. I looked for a replacement but no luck. Not even for the screen only. I got my G4 the other day and I like it,but to be sure I just took a look at the N6 to compare. This G4 is almost as big screen wise in person. Plus the quad HD really looks great. So I'm sticking with this G4 (on sprint).
I'm really betting that we'll have root and I can get rid of some of these bloat apps. I can prob disable, but I want em gone. I also hope we get some good kernels. I was running franco kernel ony N5 and had a great experience.
I have a lot of the same experiences as you as well. There's a lot of potential here. Might have to step up myself because I'd love to see a lot of development.
Battery has lasted all day for me which is slightly longer than my N5. And I think if you want to change some of the camera options you prob have to use manual mode. There's a ton of options once you enable that.

You can send your N5 to LG for repair. That's what I did.
It worked about a year ago, hopefully they still offer that service. It was around $150

I had a nexus 5 and the phone was amsome... Wish i can just cram this cam on the N5... But i feel the same with the issues on the g4.. But this screen and and great... I can deal with it for now untill root comes
Sent from my LG-H811 using XDA Free mobile app

The Nexus 5 is one of the best phones of all time. I also feel that the Nexus 5 performs more smoothly than the Galaxy S6, G4, and pretty much every new phone. A fricking phone from 2013 is still spanking 2015 flagships. That's just sad. If the N5 just had a bigger battery and an awesome camera like the S6 and G4, I would probably use it for the rest of my life.

gtg465x said:
The Nexus 5 is one of the best phones of all time. I also feel that the Nexus 5 performs more smoothly than the Galaxy S6, G4, and pretty much every new phone. A fricking phone from 2013 is still spanking 2015 flagships. That's just sad. If the N5 just had a bigger battery and an awesome camera like the S6 and G4, I would probably use it for the rest of my life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^YUP^

I feel the same except I had a CM 12.1 LG G2 that I dropped. The G2 feels a lot more smoother, has better battery life and was a better size fit for me. I'm hoping the new nexus 5 will be similar to the G2/nexus 5 2013 which I'll probably get after selling this phone on swappa or something. I'm also debating on returning this for the S6, but the S6 seemed more slower than the G4 when I was in store the other day

I seem to be the only one disappointed from my N5 haha
It freezes too much, camera is terrible (mine got broke.. focus is not working) and not to mention battery life.
I'm planning on switching to the G4 when prices will go down, so this post helped me. If you find it better, and you loved your N5, then I would definitely love the G4

Seems you guys should switch back to the N5. This replaced my N6 and im not looking back, im not getting lag on this phone and the battery is fine.

I also came from a N5. Battery life for me was atrocious and I didn't want to bother with putting a new one in (my luck I'd screw up something). I really like the G4 - the camera is the single best thing (aside from the battery life being better and the battery being user replaceable). But more than that, I like the feel of the phone in hand. That's one of those things you just don't appreciate until you have a device that feels that way.
Other improvements that I like with the G4 not present in the N5 (besides the camera and battery just mentioned)-
700 mhz LTE band 12 (HUGE PLUS for T-mo customers)
VoLTE
Wifi Calling (T-mo) *also no longer drops calls when wifi is lost during a call (lollipop feature)*
Micro SD (finally I can put music on my phone again! I had only 2.5GB free out of the 26.7 or whatever after apps and ONE full nandroid)
IR blaster (I have kids that CONSTANTLY lose our remotes)
Extremely good GPS (not that the N5 was bad, but I don't need to use anything than device only now)
Button feedback and placement (I like the buttons on the back)
(So far) frame isn't cracking *N5 was notorious for getting cracks next to the sim card and volume rocker - mine had this and it bugged the heck out of me*
What I miss from the N5-
Qi charging (good thing my charger was only $7 lol)
Smoothness
Custom color (faux kernel with my own custom color settings - used my colormunki and did it myself)
So for me the G4 is a huge upgrade. I'm sure before long all the issues with stuttering, etc will be resolved.
EDIT: Forgot to mention how much louder the speaker is on the G4... miles above the N5.

I have to agree. The camera is phenomenal on this phone. I love how it feels in my hand, and I couldn't be happier to have a micro SD again. I think we'll be able to fix the stuttering when we have root and development.
~ sent from my LG G4 (H811) using Tapatalk

I agree with everyone's points here. I've had my Nexus 5 from day one and it was hard to give up. Just my battery life was not up to par. Especially with summer coming around, I really didn't want to carry an external charger. The G4 was hard to pass up with removable battery, SD card, display and of course, the camera. Plus, I thought LG did a good job with the N5.
So far the G4 is not as snappy as the N5. So I switched today to Google Now launcher and feels more responsive. The apps still take a tick longer to open. I'll see how it handles the next few days. I have another week to decide if I'll stick out and count on development or go back to N5.

Only thing i miss from my nexus 5 is easy root and it is easier to one hand. But the g4 is one handable, but with a little extra reach for the corners (in 6 1 with large hand).

Last time I used the camera on the G4 the phone got super hot. To the point it uncomfortable to hold next to my face. The glass was hot.
Tmobile said that is not supposed to happen, they are shipping me a replacement... Will report how it compares to the original G4.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

My G4 gets hot right around the button area sometimes. It seems to get hotter than my G3. I notice it when it's in my pocket and I'm wondering what it's doing to make it so hot. I wonder if I have a defective one? Or has anyone else been experiencing that? I thought they went with the 808 instead of the 810 because of the heat problems. I'd hate for this to be a metal phone with it being as hot as that.

rsbenedict said:
My G4 gets hot right around the button area sometimes. It seems to get hotter than my G3. I notice it when it's in my pocket and I'm wondering what it's doing to make it so hot. I wonder if I have a defective one? Or has anyone else been experiencing that? I thought they went with the 808 instead of the 810 because of the heat problems. I'd hate for this to be a metal phone with it being as hot as that.
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Click to collapse
Yep, that is where it gets hit on the back, and also the glass front on top. That's a defect based on T-Mobile tech support.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Yep, that's exactly where it gets hot. HOw did you contact them to let them know? Did you call or take it in to the store?

rsbenedict said:
Yep, that's exactly where it gets hot. HOw did you contact them to let them know? Did you call or take it in to the store?
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Click to collapse
I purchased it on the phone so I called 611 to talk to them.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks, I'll give them a call.

I love my G4. ditched the Note edge for this bad boy. my first impressions video is below