Database Users

Buy now or wait?

Currently I have an iPhone 3GS. It's served me well for the last year and 3/4 but its starting to show its age. Really I just want to know if I show go and buy a nexus 4 now or should I wait for something like the note 2 to come down in price? Any help in answer this question would be good.

Noobven said:
Currently I have an iPhone 3GS. It's served me well for the last year and 3/4 but its starting to show its age. Really I just want to know if I show go and buy a nexus 4 now or should I wait for something like the note 2 to come down in price? Any help in answer this question would be good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd get the Nexus 4 now, it just depends how long you are willing to wait.

It depends on your budget. If you waited this long I don't see why you can't wait to see what phones are released later in the summer.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Well I've only really been looking this month. My main concern is the longevity of the nexus 4 as I read that is slowly being outdated without being a year old( but seeing as my phone is 3 it shouldn't really concern me). And as for my budget I'm looking for the best that is around $400-$500

If you're budget conscious and think you would enjoy the stock Android experience, I say go for it. If you take excellent care of your phone you can always sell it for a good amount on eBay or Craigslist and use that money to buy an upcoming phone should it appeal to you more.

daewond3r said:
If you're budget conscious and think you would enjoy the stock Android experience, I say go for it. If you take excellent care of your phone you can always sell it for a good amount on eBay or Craigslist and use that money to buy an upcoming phone should it appeal to you more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm kinda new to the android market. I've got a transformer pad tf300. Could you explain what's the difference between that and the stock android experience. Is one better than the other. Or could you link me to somewhere I could find this information.

Noobven said:
Well I've only really been looking this month. My main concern is the longevity of the nexus 4 as I read that is slowly being outdated without being a year old( but seeing as my phone is 3 it shouldn't really concern me). And as for my budget I'm looking for the best that is around $400-$500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Idk where you read that but the Nexus 4 is about to receive 4.3 and will more than likely receive 5.0 later this year. The Nexus 4 has a lot of life left in it. Even after Google stops official support I'm sure the dev community will keep it going a while longer.
---------- Post added at 01:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------
Noobven said:
I'm kinda new to the android market. I've got a transformer pad tf300. Could you explain what's the difference between that and the stock android experience. Is one better than the other. Or could you link me to somewhere I could find this information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used Transformer before but I believe it runs a slightly skinned version of Android? In any case you can look up YouTube videos of the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 to see what stock Android is like.
It's debated (of course) but most of the Android devotees enjoy "stock/vanilla" Android, which basically means it's Android as it comes from Google. OEMs like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and others all put their own custom skins on it. They often add features that stock Android doesn't have (some useful, some gimmicky) but the general consensus is that the skins bog down the phone and that loss in performance outweighs the extra bells and whistles you get.
Being that you're an iOS user, think of it in these terms--a Nexus device is the closest thing to an iPhone for Android. I mean this in the sense that when Google releases a new version of Android, you get it quickly after it's release. Just like you do when Apple pushes an iOS update. If you had say a Samsung Galaxy S4 and were anxious for Android 5.0, you'd have to wait at least a few months for Samsung to rework their Touchwiz UI over the new Android 5.0 and send out an update.
Given your budget, I would totally recommend the Nexus 4. You'll even have some extra cash to spend on some great accessories to keep it nice and safe--in case you do decide to sell it for something coming in the next year.
Hope this helps.

The only reasons to wait would be the release of the x phone or the next nexus. As we don't know if the x phone will be worth it, and the nexus 5 isn't even announced yet (don't forget the time it took to get the phone on stock..2 or 3 month after release), I'd say get the Nexus 4 and be happy.

I bought my N4 last week and I advice you to buy it

I am normally a buy now type of guy.
But I would wait to the moto x announcement. And at least see if the tumours are true.
One of the biggest things about a nexus device is that is unlocked and off contract.
If the moto x is going to be available for 299 of contract and their is a device for your carrier of choice, that would also be a tempting deal. Decent specs and lte and a good price. I don't really believe that rumor but I would at least wait til find out. It's only a week away.

ccab said:
The only reasons to wait would be the release of the x phone or the next nexus. As we don't know if the x phone will be worth it, and the nexus 5 isn't even announced yet (don't forget the time it took to get the phone on stock..2 or 3 month after release), I'd say get the Nexus 4 and be happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moto x not worth it. It's a dual core phone and not even 1080p. The only thing better for the Moto x over the n4 is probably the camera. Spec wise, n4 is a lot faster. Plus it's a Nexus phone so therefore, it will have the latest updates. Moto x will still require carrier approval most likely.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Buy it.

a
zephiK said:
Moto x not worth it. It's a dual core phone and not even 1080p. The only thing better for the Moto x over the n4 is probably the camera. Spec wise, n4 is a lot faster. Plus it's a Nexus phone so therefore, it will have the latest updates. Moto x will still require carrier approval most likely.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not worth it? You don't even know the price. Nor do you know the network the user is on. I assume if he is from the states he is on att. That alone could easily push somebody to a moto x phone on that network for lte over their crap 3g.
Specs don't mean crap. Benchmarks don't mean crap. In no usage case with the nexus 4 be a lot faster. In fact it the moto x should be faster in day to day use. It won't be slower.
The op didn't mention a thing about getting updates and doesn't even know what the stock experience is and so on.
If he wants to spend up to 500 on a phone he could also consider dropping that for a oppo. And that phone is old and still worth that price.

zephiK said:
Moto x not worth it. It's a dual core phone and not even 1080p. The only thing better for the Moto x over the n4 is probably the camera. Spec wise, n4 is a lot faster
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with some android users is that they measure everything according to hardware, i call this the samsung mentality, "pump in the latest and greatest hardware, it will look good on paper, who cares about user experience" . No wonder the S4 has a lot of problems and as they call it over there (on their xda forums) "unoptimized software yet". Doesn't sound nice for a >650$ device.
I'm not a fan of Apple or any of it's products, but comparing the hardware/performance of the iphone5 vs galaxy S4 , as sad as it sounds, the my-little-pony-phone destroys that S4 in all fields even with inferior hardware.
So don't put the Moto X on ignore list just yet, i'm sure those 2 cores are going to be more than enough for one of the best android user experiences, and the lack of 1080p display is there for a reason. And finally don't forget that rumors say it's going to be an affordable phone targeting a wider crowd than, let's say, the nexus line.
An average non tech savvy individual doesn't care about which hardware the device rocks, they only care about the overall user experience, and the Moto X might provide just that.

I don't think the N4 will be outdated anytime soon for me at least, but I guess it depends on your needs. The biggest downside to N4 (for me) is the lack of external SD and LTE. If you feel these features are important to you in the near future, I would wait. If not, I would buy.

I bought one last wed. The Dev community is huge for the device and will be for along time. Pricing and hardware is awesome, not to mention I think its still one of the best looking phones. I say go for it.
Cheers, J.

I bought the N4 recently and I'd say wait for the moto x. It's just a week more and I think it's better looking than the nexus. Hardware specs are not that important. If you don't like it you can still get the nexus later.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Futureproofing

Facing a problem here, and it's expectedly another Nexus 5 vs Moto X debate.
I'm really tempted to get the N5. I originally had my mind set on getting the G2 but seeing the prohibitive price and quality control problems I decided against it. The N5 is definitely very, very appealing with its $399 price tag and the fact that it isn't out of stock for 5 months like the N4 was (please, 32GB only please, I cannot live with 16GB, no if ands or buts).
However, the Moto X came along and threw a wrench into my plans. It just looks so awesome and sexy and it's got so many things that the N5 is missing. It's got a white front (+1 for Moto X), AMOLED screen (+1, at least for me), Active display or whatever its called (+1), Dual Krait with an Adreno 320 (big +1 for performance/efficiency balance). As for performance, I must say that I'm making a judgment based on the present, because the future is the whole point of this post.
Here's where it comes down to: how futureproof is this device? As it costs more than the N5, I would expect for it to last as long as the N5 but with the MSM8960T vs MSM8974 debate the Moto X doesn't fare well against the Nexus. I fear this because I had a Motorola Defy; the OMAP 3630 was good until the release of ICS, until CM9 came out. That was when the single Cortex-A8 core began showing its age and things really became less pleasant. That was also when all my buddies here took off and got new phones except for people from India who got the phone because it was cheap. They don't seem to mind, given that every ROM regardless of how laggy it is (most of them are) gets a "Wow, this ROM is really smooth!" from all the users.
What do you guys think? How futureproof do you think the Moto X is? Do you think that the S4 Pro here will yield a good smooth experience for 2 years or do you think that I would be better off with the Nexus 5? Of course, software is where it differs from the Defy; official updates stopped at 2.3 for the Defy but Motorola seems to be supporting the Moto X well.

Considering Google is making the future versions of Android to run better on lower end phones. I have no doubt future updates will be silky smooth!! I myself am not worrying to much about the future as this probably will be with me for under a year.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

Dumped my nexus 5. Abysmal battery life & speakers (good luck ever hearing a phone call coming through). I like the Moto X screen better, not to mention the features.
Plus who are we kidding, us techies get a new phone very year.

I could be wrong but I feel like the next big improvements in Smartphone tech will be battery efficiency, camera quality and new faster internet/radio speeds.
I honestly don't think we will see major improvements like we did in the last couple years as far as CPU/GPU power goes. Google also seems to be pushing efficiency (support for 512mb ram etc) with its most recent Android build. So really any currently "fast" phone will be just as fast a couple years from now. Just the camera/battery performance will be lackluster compared to its future competition. If you game a lot at max details on your phone I could see the N5 coming ahead a bit just because the S800/330 is a very powerful combo.
With that in mind if we look at the moto X vs N5 what do we see... well the Moto X definitely seems to have stronger battery performance and the cameras seem to be about the same overall (though excelling/failing in different areas). I pretty much faced the same question you do right now and decided to try out the Moto X first.
For me it was a little easier too because I snapped up a republic wireless model for $300, so the unlocked price is similar to the N5. Plus sprint has strong LTE in my area.

I look at it like this: phones like Nexus 5 that has to power a 1080 screen will need bigger hardware to deliver a smooth experience. Notice that all the phones equipped with Snapdragon 600, carries the Adreno 320 yet is reported to have a good browsing experience. My unprofessional opinion is that the reason Moto X feels as good as it does is because it uses the same GPU as the S4/HO but has a smaller resolution to power. As we've witnessed as far back as the Galaxy Nexus, you don't need a quad-core to have a snappy experience and that the experience is more GPU-dependent. A lot of N4 users disable 2 of their cores to save on battery power and still have a snappy experience.

Keep it for a year or little bit over that, sell the moto x and buy a new one. Just buy the device now and enjoy. If you think about future proof you can never buy anything. I mean with wearables, flexible screens and so many things going on who knows how the smartphone market will turn out in the near future. Nothing is future proof, Moto X will hold fine at least for a year or 15 months, sure there will be much faster devices than moto x, nexus 5 but that's the case for any phone.
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

Not sure what carrier your on but if you can switch to Verizon, you can get the moto x for $50 I believe.
I agree with alpha's statement. We are due for a new battery technology and if that doesn't come soon then I believe the OS makers with be working on optimization of their OS's to increase battery life. Google's direction of lower spec requirements for devices on future of android builds shows this.
Sent from my Moto X

dsimages said:
Not sure what carrier your on but if you can switch to Verizon, you can get the moto x for $50 I believe.
I agree with alpha's statement. We are due for a new battery technology and if that doesn't come soon then I believe the OS makers with be working on optimization of their OS's to increase battery life. Google's direction of lower spec requirements for devices on future of android builds shows this.
Sent from my Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon really? Most of their phones have that ugly Verizon logo branding, full of bloat, last in updates, last or sometimes will not get flagship phones. To top it off useless CDMA.
Sure their network is great but I would any day choose a gsm carrier where at least I can use any phone I want. Why support such a carrier who wants so much control and basically screw customers.
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

dsimages said:
Not sure what carrier your on but if you can switch to Verizon, you can get the moto x for $50 I believe.
I agree with alpha's statement. We are due for a new battery technology and if that doesn't come soon then I believe the OS makers with be working on optimization of their OS's to increase battery life. Google's direction of lower spec requirements for devices on future of android builds shows this.
Sent from my Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll see with the Nexus 5 first. I'm not a data user and I'm not one of those people who feel compelled to check their Facebook every 2 minutes, so I think I'm good. I'll just UC and run at 50% brightness and that should be good.
kirdroid said:
Verizon really? Most of their phones have that ugly Verizon logo branding, full of bloat, last in updates, last or sometimes will not get flagship phones. To top it off useless CDMA.
Sure their network is great but I would any day choose a gsm carrier where at least I can use any phone I want. Why support such a carrier who wants so much control and basically screw customers.
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry guys, I'm not American.
That means I'm stuck with TELUS at least they give you a 10% discount on your monthly bill if you bring an unlocked phone.

Don't forget the fact that Google owns Motorola since last year. They can have Motorola build the phone awesome like they have done for decades and focus their android team better on development for the Motorola phone. To me Google didn't buy one of the all time leading phone manufactures just to keep having asus or lg build their nexus line. The moto x has brought some industry firsts that make a big impact for the user. Something that has not really happened for awhile. Also how future proof are you wanting? This phone will last you 10 years I bet if you wanted it to. It's the mobile computer world, every month a better device and better software comes out to use the hardware, you can't really future proof a mobile phone, just learn to accept that and learn to be happy with whatever device you choose. A good way to decide is do this. Write down on paper the pros and con's that talky matter to you in the phone then add them up on a point system and choose that way.
Sent from my XT1056 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

dobbs3x said:
Don't forget the fact that Google owns Motorola since last year.
Sent from my XT1056 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since 2k11

I buy nexus phones thinking I'll keep them for two years, but no matter how well the current one is working, I end up going nuts for the new model. Totally fine though as you can recoup a good deal after a year with a nexus phone. I usually end up spending less than $150 upgrading after selling the old one.
Regardless of what a new moto costs me, if they make an x sequel in this same form factor with better battery and a faster processor, I will buy it!
Sent from my XT1053 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

They announced they were going to purchase Motorola in 2011, but didn't finalize the acquisition until May 2012.
Sent from my XT1056 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Cannot understate how much the constant GNex development kept the phone going for 2+years.
Moto X isn't going to benefit in this way. However, having had my phone usage/habits changed by Active Notifications and Voice controls, it will be extremely difficult to move "back" to a phone that doesn't have them; future-proofed or not.

chaoslimits said:
Cannot understate how much the constant GNex development kept the phone going for 2+years.
Moto X isn't going to benefit in this way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but frankly, the model has changed. Google is pushing out many of their updates either through the Play Store, or through updates to the Google Play Services. For instance, with they announced 4.3, many of the improvements highlighted were actually to the Play Services and they were pushed out to all phones running 4.1+.
Back when the GNex was introduced, most updates still had to get pushed through an actual OS upgrade. 2.x/3.x -> 4.x -> 4.1 were all major improvements that affected the core of the OS. 4.1 -> 4.2 -> 4.2.x -> 4.3 -> 4.4 have all been incremental changes, with many of the core features being available through Play Services. I'd go as far as saying the last serious change to the core OS, that really affected the whole user experience, was Project Butter in 4.1.
As much as I like new Android versions, people running on 4.1 are having a very similar user experience to people running on 4.4. They're running many of the same updates through Services or Play Store apps, the UI is consistent, and the performance is still excellent.
Turned into quite a long post, but I had a lot of the same thoughts when I decided to stick with a Moto X instead of getting another Nexus phone. The GNex was really excellent and its lifespan was substantially increased by devs and Project Butter. But I'm getting to a point where a stable phone with an official OS really hits all the notes I need, and with the new upgrade model, not to mention Moto's proactive 4.4 upgrade, I think this phone is going to have a good, long lifespan.

binary visions said:
Turned into quite a long post, but I had a lot of the same thoughts when I decided to stick with a Moto X instead of getting another Nexus phone. The GNex was really excellent and its lifespan was substantially increased by devs and Project Butter. But I'm getting to a point where a stable phone with an official OS really hits all the notes I need, and with the new upgrade model, not to mention Moto's proactive 4.4 upgrade, I think this phone is going to have a good, long lifespan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely! I would have been more than happy to stay on 4.2.2 for a while (although I love the 4.4 battery life increase :good: )

Everyone having doubts on buying the nexus 6, this is you....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffbVw1BrUDk&feature=youtu.be

Yep, that's everyone at this point. :silly:

To big for me ?
What a shame, I will stay with my Nexus 5 for now and see if we get a smaller option?

scandalousk said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffbVw1BrUDk&feature=youtu.be
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL.,when they see a display unit all shiney and QHD in a shop they will be all over it!

johnny8910 said:
To big for me
What a shame, I will stay with my Nexus 5 for now and see if we get a smaller option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a shamU!

xsystem1 said:
What a shamU!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BUT!! Until I have a play with one??

scandalousk said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffbVw1BrUDk&feature=youtu.be
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The part that video leaves out is when the Nexus 6 falls over and crushes and entire city block, killing women, children, and babies, like the Godzilla of phones that it is. (Sponge Bob escapes because he's a sponge, after all, and can re-expand to his normal shape.)
The Nexus 6 is an awesome device and in terms of hardware it's the best Nexus device yet (unless it does not have Motorola's four microphone noise cancellation, from the 2nd Gen Moto X, in which case it will not even been as good as the Nexus One for noise cancellation--the best Nexus device so far on that acount).
But, it's totally legitimate that a lot of people don't want a phablet, let alone a phablet that's even larger than the Note 4. For those who like the size, they're' in luck. For the rest of us, it's a big (nay huge skyscraper crushing) disappointment.

I got over the size, can't get over the price
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

the 10mm thickness is not a great feature for a big screen phone. the price just ruins it.

I just don't understand these manufacturers.
I like moto x 2nd gen but small battery & no SD slot..
Then I like N6 BUT way too big...
Can't these people get something perfect or near perfect.. !!!

johnny8910 said:
To big for me ?
What a shame, I will stay with my Nexus 5 for now and see if we get a smaller option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here ~ Really too big. ~ I believe that 5.5" in note 2 is maximum for a PHONE ~ wait for L update on my Nexus 5

RohanM said:
Can't these people get something perfect or near perfect.. !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course they can't, considering it's subjective and will vary from person to person.
The only sure fire way of someone getting something which they think is perfect (or as near to it as possible) is to make it themselves.

Batfink33 said:
LOL.,when they see a display unit all shiney and QHD in a shop they will be all over it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I do not want to carry a brick around. I also doubt the battery will be that good with such a big screen to power...

Nice, I NEED it too!

Honestly I'm really torn. I held off buying opo until this was released and with the price being so high I may just have to grab opo after all.
When I bought my n4 I was so happy with it I swore I would only buy nexus from then on, but now I'm not so sure....

Can't wait to get this big bad boy! Saving my $'s now...and will sell my Nexus5 if I like/keep the Nexus6!

Can't wait to get this either!

I think most of the people who are having doubts are not having those doubts because of the size. We pretty much knew weeks ago that this was going to be a phablet with a screen close to 6". It's the price that shocked people like myself. And as I posted in the other thread, if this had expandable storage, I would probably be all over it regardless of the price. But as it stands, it's a no-go for me.

KidCarter93 said:
Of course they can't, considering it's subjective and will vary from person to person.
The only sure fire way of someone getting something which they think is perfect (or as near to it as possible) is to make it themselves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's true that no phone is perfect, since what people want is subjective. And there are always some people that complaining about some things about every phone.
But, sometimes there are also things that clearly people don't like and manufacturers do it anyway. It's been notable to me that the clear majority of comments here and on many other websites object to the size of this phone. I've never seen such a preponderance of dislike for the design of a new phone before (and I'm not saying that there aren't people that like it, just that it's clear that most people who would normally want the latest Nexus device don't like the huge size of this one). When that happens, I do think a manufacturer is really being tone deaf and shooting themselves in the foot.
Yes, Google wanted a phablet so developers could have it as a reference device, since phablets do make of a significant piece of the market--about 14% world wide right now and growing (they say to 32% by 2018). But that still leaves 86% of the market that doesn't want a phablet and even 68% in 2018 (if the projections turn out to be right). Alienating 86% of the market for the sake of the other 14% doesn't make a ton of sense.
What's more, development of Android is not simply helped by the developers that buy the Nexus phones. The Android fans that buy them and play with custom roms help establish what are new features that people really want. They also are the biggest promoters of Android and important to Google's marketing. So alienating the non-developer Nexus fans is a bad move.
The obvious solution would have been to release two sizes for the Nexus 6 (like the iPhone 6). Since Motorola is already making the 5.2" Moto X using the same design as with the Nexus 6, it would have been pretty simple to have a similar sized smaller Nexus 6, in addition to the phablet.
The other problem is that now we live in a world where only phablets get the best features (e.g. OIS, more memory, more Ram, more LTE bands, the fastest processors, etc.). Apple and Samsung are guilty of this too. You should not have to get a phablet to get a flagship device. The 5"-ish phones should also have the flagship specs.
I think this really is going to backfire for all of the handset makers, eventually. People will be slower to upgrade their phones and that will equal less profits.
---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------
Techngro said:
I think most of the people who are having doubts are not having those doubts because of the size. We pretty much knew weeks ago that this was going to be a phablet with a screen close to 6". It's the price that shocked people like myself. And as I posted in the other thread, if this had expandable storage, I would probably be all over it regardless of the price. But as it stands, it's a no-go for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I'm still seeing far more complaints about the size than the price.
A lot of people were holding out hope that it would be smaller or there would be two sizes. The price was a surprise, but for better or worse, the diehard Android fans who buy Nexus devices are mostly willing to shell out the money (especially given the option for installment plans on carriers like T-Mobile). It's clear that Google doesn't want to undercut other Android handset makers anymore, with bargain basement prices and that makes sense from a business point of view. I think people get that, even if they are disappointed.
So in the end, what I'm seeing here and elsewhere is surprise by the price, but disappointment at the size far eclipsing that. People can come up with ways to put together the money, if they want the device. But there's no way to shrink it. An insolvable problem is much more frustrating than a solveable one.
Here, out of curiosity, I made a poll on the size or price question: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/worse-size-price-t2907144

cb474 said:
Of course it's true that no phone is perfect, since what people want is subjective. And there are always some people that complaining about some things about every phone.
But, sometimes there are also things that clearly people don't like and manufacturers do it anyway. It's been notable to me that the clear majority of comments here and on many other websites object to the size of this phone. I've never seen such a preponderance of dislike for the design of a new phone before (and I'm not saying that there aren't people that like it, just that it's clear that most people who would normally want the latest Nexus device don't like the huge size of this one). When that happens, I do think a manufacturer is really being tone deaf and shooting themselves in the foot.
Yes, Google wanted a phablet so developers could have it as a reference device, since phablets do make of a significant piece of the market--about 14% world wide right now and growing (they say to 32% by 2018). But that still leaves 86% of the market that doesn't want a phablet and even 68% in 2018 (if the projections turn out to be right). Alienating 86% of the market for the sake of the other 14% doesn't make a ton of sense.
What's more, development of Android is not simply helped by the developers that buy the Nexus phones. The Android fans that buy them and play with custom roms help establish what are new features that people really want. They also are the biggest promoters of Android and important to Google's marketing. So alienating the non-developer Nexus fans is a bad move.
The obvious solution would have been to release two sizes for the Nexus 6 (like the iPhone 6). Since Motorola is already making the 5.2" Moto X using the same design as with the Nexus 6, it would have been pretty simple to have a similar sized smaller Nexus 6, in addition to the phablet.
The other problem is that now we live in a world where only phablets get the best features (e.g. OIS, more memory, more Ram, more LTE bands, the fastest processors, etc.). Apple and Samsung are guilty of this too. You should not have to get a phablet to get a flagship device. The 5"-ish phones should also have the flagship specs.
I think this really is going to backfire for all of the handset makers, eventually. People will be slower to upgrade their phones and that will equal less profits.
---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------
Honestly, I'm still seeing far more complaints about the size than the price.
A lot of people were holding out hope that it would be smaller or there would be two sizes. The price was a surprise, but for better or worse, the diehard Android fans who buy Nexus devices are mostly willing to shell out the money (especially given the option for installment plans on carriers like T-Mobile). It's clear that Google doesn't want to undercut other Android handset makers anymore, with bargain basement prices and that makes sense from a business point of view. I think people get that, even if they are disappointed.
So in the end, what I'm seeing here and elsewhere is surprise by the price, but disappointment at the size far eclipsing that. People can come up with ways to put together the money, if they want the device. But there's no way to shrink it. An insolvable problem is much more frustrating than a solveable one.
Here, out of curiosity, I made a poll on the size or price question: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/worse-size-price-t2907144
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's already a poll on r/android and it has quite a few responses (390 at last check). Too expensive is the top reason why people are choosing not to purchase the Nexus 6 (25%). The second highest response is too large (22%).
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mL...lhMT4pynNPh3BY/viewanalytics?usp=form_confirm (Link to poll)
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2jdr40/meta_nexus_device_poll_for_randroid/ (Link to thread)
I'm just saying, we all knew it would be a large screen device, but I don't think anyone guessed it would be $650. That was the real surprise for me.

MKBHD's thoughts on the Nexus 6

He makes some valid points, especially on the price. In summary, he argues that the price isn't outrageous for a number of reasons:
- The specs of this phone are insane and can justify a higher price tag
- The premium build on this phone is unlike any of the previous Nexus devices
- Companies such as Apple and Samsung sell phones that are even more expensive. Nexus 6 is actually a bit cheaper than it's competitors.
- The Nexus 6 is Google's step on becoming mainstream and more premium feeling Stock Android experience
What do you guys think?

All this is true. I think main reason people are pissed is because this is like a complete switch over tight. Go from 4" phones that are 350 to 6" phones that are 1.2x the previous price with no in between ya know? Such as a smaller device with slim down spec and cheaper price. It is true that compare to others it is cheap...but let not forget, lg g3 is cheaper and it gives us just about everything the n6 (32gb) offers (almost) so google really had no excuse

Yeah, I can understand that. Big changes aren't always welcome.
The LG G3 is a great phone but the Nexus 6 has (slightly) newer specs. Of course, this probably won't be noticable at all.
Also, the Nexus 6 has a better design in my opinion even if I loved the G3's design.
Google is just trying something new.

The jump from the Galaxy Nexus to the N4 was just as precipitous, just in the opposite direction. IIRC, the GN was something like $600 when it was released. The VZW on-contract price was $300. It was not cheap at all.

I personally don't care for the price, its not an issue with me because of my career. And honestly, come on, people expected to get such specs and fast charging at 400? lol...come on yall...let be real here. Our economy is inflated that means so will nexus devices

mgbotoe said:
I personally don't care for the price, its not an issue with me because of my career. And honestly, come on, people expected to get such specs and fast charging at 400? lol...come on yall...let be real here. Our economy is inflated that means so will nexus devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just saying, the fast charging isn't something that costs a lot to implement. Its been there since the LG G2 even the nexus 5 has the hardware but it hasn't been activated for use. Even the new moto x has turbo charging, its part of the 800,801,805 chips.

mgbotoe said:
I personally don't care for the price, its not an issue with me because of my career. And honestly, come on, people expected to get such specs and fast charging at 400? lol...come on yall...let be real here. Our economy is inflated that means so will nexus devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it just has become an expectation from the Nexus series since the N4 started the whole price reduction thing. Just like No SD Card Support or Removable Battery once something adheres from one generation to the next people assume it will remain that way for Nexus.
As for me, it cannot come out soon enough!

Reload..
Dear All,
Yes, the price of the device is not Nexus 5 territory anymore. Google listened to your requests:
1. Larger battery -> Complied.
2. Better speakers. ->Complied.
3. Android 5.0 -> Complied.
4. More screen on time -> Complied.
5. Premium feel -> Complied.
What more can you ask from Google. They met our requests but also added a new direction that they feel will be of best interests for their business model. They are clearly moving towards more mainstream this time as 4 carriers will carry the phone right from the start. Samsung can't have all the fun with the phablet segment so Google and Apple wants a piece of the pie. Apple won't argue with money since Samsung took so many sales from them with the Note series. Google did leave us Nexus owners a bad taste in our mouth since we were use to the bargain price for a well rounded phone. Now, they want to move in another direction. They did keep the N5 active for people waiting for the N6 if they are thinking of upgrading from N4 or other devices. The N5 is the answer if you want a more "one hand friendly" phone and the N5 is a great phone. With the Lollipop soon to be on the phone, it will even get better with battery life and the overall experience.
Finally, if the N6 is right for you... hand over $649 / $699 to Google and enjoy your monster N6. If the N6 doesn't float your boat, the N5 is a great phone (current owner of N5 too) to fill your needs or wait till early spring/summer 2015 for 64-bit flagships to appear in a smaller footprint.

I think I will get Nexus on Verizon. And try it for a year if I don't like it, more 64 bit phones will be out which will present more options. I'm betting that the nexus will have better support a year or two when comparing it to Touchwiz.
My note 2 is starting to feel a bit slow.

Ill admit. I was floored when I saw the price but when you think about it, its not overpriced at all. Im pretty much sold on picking one up and upgrading from my N4. Only thing that would deter me is if reviews are utterly terrible, and something tells me thats not happening

I honestly don't believe they are canning the n5... Kind of like apple having the 6 and 6+

msal said:
He makes some valid points, especially on the price. In summary, he argues that the price isn't outrageous for a number of reasons:
- The specs of this phone are insane and can justify a higher price tag
- The premium build on this phone is unlike any of the previous Nexus devices
- Companies such as Apple and Samsung sell phones that are even more expensive. Nexus 6 is actually a bit cheaper than it's competitors.
- The Nexus 6 is Google's step on becoming mainstream and more premium feeling Stock Android experience
What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's a tablet. I think that Google and other companies are forgetting that these are phones. It's a ridiculously big phone, and I doubt it's not going to go mainstream. Phone makers need to remember these are portable devices, they keep getting bigger and bigger and are officially in tablet territory now.

Price was never the issue for me. For once it has quite good specs without skimping on stuff but the phone itself is MASSIVE. If I buy one I'll have to buy new clothes.

Semantics said:
I think it's a tablet. I think that Google and other companies are forgetting that these are phones. It's a ridiculously big phone, and I doubt it's not going to go mainstream. Phone makers need to remember these are portable devices, they keep getting bigger and bigger and are officially in tablet territory now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're forgetting that every year people complain that phones are getting too big, and yet people continue to buy them happily. Even Apple has seen enough evidence to release Android-sized phones so you know it's obvious if they're changing their plan, stubborn as they are. As mentioned in the video, the Nexus 6 is the same height as the iPhone 6 plus and doesn't appear to be much larger than the Note 4...so don't let the screen-size alone determine your beliefs.
Do you think for one second that if Google is able to achieve sales similar to those of the Samsung Note series that they'll be disappointed? Clearly there is a market for this size phone and it's continuing to grow as people realize bigger is better with phones, despite the drawbacks. That's not to say it's for everyone, so you can continue to choose from one of the many options available at a size/price you prefer.

I wonder what the on contract price will be
Sent from my 831C using XDA Free mobile app

i think considering the s10 x64 processors will be out and be a standard in the s6 and m9 ..etc the n6 isn't worth the price tag.
---------- Post added at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:26 AM ----------
djkinetic said:
I honestly don't believe they are canning the n5... Kind of like apple having the 6 and 6+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well obviously the rumor of them revamping it with higher specs were wrong.

jeffreii said:
I think you're forgetting that every year people complain that phones are getting too big, and yet people continue to buy them happily. Even Apple has seen enough evidence to release Android-sized phones so you know it's obvious if they're changing their plan, stubborn as they are. As mentioned in the video, the Nexus 6 is the same height as the iPhone 6 plus and doesn't appear to be much larger than the Note 4...so don't let the screen-size alone determine your beliefs.
Do you think for one second that if Google is able to achieve sales similar to those of the Samsung Note series that they'll be disappointed? Clearly there is a market for this size phone and it's continuing to grow as people realize bigger is better with phones, despite the drawbacks. That's not to say it's for everyone, so you can continue to choose from one of the many options available at a size/price you prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google is never going to encroach on Samsung. Ever. It's futile to try and Nexus devices have never sold well. Bigger is better, until you pass 5.5" or so. When does it stop? 7" phone? 7.5" phone screen? How big do people really need their phone? I can be equally productive on a nexus 5 as I can a nexus 6. Period.

LeVvE said:
Price was never the issue for me. For once it has quite good specs without skimping on stuff but the phone itself is MASSIVE. If I buy one I'll have to buy new clothes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen this argument quite a few times now, where exactly did previous Nexus phones "skimp". It seems to be something people are using to justify the high price despite for the past two years everyone saying the nexus was a high end phone for half the price...
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

fix-this! said:
i think considering the s10 x64 processors will be out and be a standard in the s6 and m9 ..etc the n6 isn't worth the price tag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think by the time 64 bit actually matters in phones I will have moved on to the next Nexus, so it's not an issue for me. Like most tech people (I think), I'm not the type of person who keeps the same phone for more than a year or two max.
Semantics said:
Google is never going to encroach on Samsung. Ever. It's futile to try and Nexus devices have never sold well. Bigger is better, until you pass 5.5" or so. When does it stop? 7" phone? 7.5" phone screen? How big do people really need their phone? I can be equally productive on a nexus 5 as I can a nexus 6. Period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google will certainly make a dent considering they are selling this Nexus via all US carriers for the first time...so it doesn't really matter what they did in the past, this is a new era. They definitely won't make a huge dent, but it has a chance to be meaningful.
How can you possibly argue that "bigger is better until you pass 5.5" or so". That's not some magical number that has any real meaning...it's simply your brain deciding that you've had enough, despite the fact that you've never used the Nexus 6. A million people said the same thing when phones moved to 4.7"...then they said it again at 5.0"...then they said it again at 5.2"...they said it about the Note when it came out...and now they're saying the same thing about the Nexus 6...they've been wrong every single time and I see no reason to believe that suddenly this is it.
I think we're probably pushing the limit of how big you want a smartphone, but that's EXACTLY what I want to happen. I want the biggest damn phone that isn't "too big". We won't know what "too big" is until we get there, but I don't believe the Note 4 was too big and we know that the Nexus 6 is not that much bigger..much of the half inch screen size difference is made up for by smaller bezels, which is also something I want to see continue to happen.

jeffreii said:
I think by the time 64 bit actually matters in phones I will have moved on to the next Nexus, so it's not an issue for me. Like most tech people (I think), I'm not the type of person who keeps the same phone for more than a year or two max.
Google will certainly make a dent considering they are selling this Nexus via all US carriers for the first time...so it doesn't really matter what they did in the past, this is a new era. They definitely won't make a huge dent, but it has a chance to be meaningful.
How can you possibly argue that "bigger is better until you pass 5.5" or so". That's not some magical number that has any real meaning...it's simply your brain deciding that you've had enough, despite the fact that you've never used the Nexus 6. A million people said the same thing when phones moved to 4.7"...then they said it again at 5.0"...then they said it again at 5.2"...they said it about the Note when it came out...and now they're saying the same thing about the Nexus 6...they've been wrong every single time and I see no reason to believe that suddenly this is it.
I think we're probably pushing the limit of how big you want a smartphone, but that's EXACTLY what I want to happen. I want the biggest damn phone that isn't "too big". We won't know what "too big" is until we get there, but I don't believe the Note 4 was too big and we know that the Nexus 6 is not that much bigger..much of the half inch screen size difference is made up for by smaller bezels, which is also something I want to see continue to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ridiculous. Here's a nice little study you can do at home. Go pick up your Nexus 7 and hold it to your face, or try and put it in your pocket. Think about carrying that thing with you all day long as a phone. There are plenty of examples of what "too big" is, we're there now. You may want your tablet to be a phone, but most professionals need something portable, and easy to carry, that isn't going to require being kept in a backpack. 5.5" phones like the LG G3 are actually still small enough to be considered a phone, I've held the iPhone 6+, trust me, we're there, phones are now too big.

All Moto X 2014 Owners Please Read

Hello, i just wanted bring all of you together to read this thread. Ok so i know since you've been a Moto owner, you've heard or seen at least once insulting comment about your device or the Motorola company. For example, "Anything that Motorola makes sucks" "People only get them because they're cheap" "That phone is crappy". I know that those people are ignorant to other people's liking. I'm tired of hearing the same thing. A lot of people that own super expensive high end- flashy smartphones say things like that about devices like the Moto series. Well that really offends me, just because they might not be the most high-end smartphones or the most expensive smartphones doesn't mean they are worthless. We Moto owners take great pride in our device, we appreciate what we have and we value our smartphones.
If someone offered me a brand new Galaxy S6 and a brand new Moto X and said i could only pick one. I would pick the Moto X hands down without a doubt in my mind. Because I know, We know what matters in a smartphone. What is that? User experience and performance for the price. That's what a review comes down to at the end of the day. A company could make a super spec'd out smartphone but get the same review score as a phone a fraction of its cost. I know if i were to buy a $1000 smartphone it better be great in every aspect and i know if i bought a smartphone for half that price, i'm not expecting it to be perfect but i want to have a good performance. That's exactly what motorola does, it gives you a great performing phone for the price.
For example, the Moto G. It has a low price point but does everything you need it to do. If I want a super powerful gaming machine of a smartphone, I'm not going to buy the Moto G. Then give a bad review for not being able to do what i wanted it to. I'm gonna buy a smartphone with a powerful chipset. At the end of the day we Moto owners stand out. Other people don't seem to understand our taste in smartphones value. Im not saying if you own a super expensive phone you're a bad person or anything. I'm just saying you get what you pay for. All of you Moto owners, good job in picking a smartphone. It doesn't matter if you have a Moto E, a Moto G or a Moto X. We all are equal and unified. #Teammoto
Proof that price doesn't matter

Moto has shunned a lot of former owners myself included l...while I love this phone Moto can still lick my berries.
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk

It cost me over $1000 to get a MotoMaker Moto X into my country.
Worth every cent!
Beautiful design, Better features and Better performance than all my friends IPhones and Shamsungs.

Agreed !

Most people I talk to in my cell phone repair shop are ignorant to Motorola smartphones. They see my phone and ask what it is. Then they say that it looks nice.

Let those say whatever they want to because they are not aware of the fact that Motorola is the one who created mobile industry, rest are just parts of this industry. Real innovator is Motorola, rest just follow up whatever is left out by Motorola. Even today no other phone can beat a MotoX in terms of 'smartness', rest just feel dumb phones in front of a Moto X.
Motorola users don't need to frequently change their devices because they are more durable, can keep going for few generations of OS versions, come at cheaper price point. A 2-3 years Moto can easily keep going till the next Moto replaces it. You hardly see other brand's phones over 2 years old in anyone's hands. Others just fight needless specs war whereas specs is not everything. so called small battery and poor camera of my MotoX never miss the chance of surprising me by their performance, thats engineering, not just putting useless counts of cores or big spec battery or a high pixel density display which unnecessarily eats up the additional CPU power or battery.
Offcourse there are flaws in the Moto devices also but others are much more flawed. I am currently fighting a consumer court case against poor after sales service provided by Motorola when they took forever to repair a defective MotoE under warranty but that bad incident isn't enough to reduce my love and respect towards the Motorola brand.
Their strong comeback in the market after going completely dead is one more reason to buy their devices because it motivates to wake up and fight in the life, doesn't matter whatever trouble life throws on us. :good:
Let the ignorant people go gaga over whatever they want to, it doesn't changes the reality, does it?

the sad thing is that we are on a new level of "low" on the Dev part of our community.. only a few roms and most of them 5.0.x, only one custom kernel and only for CM based roms.. id love to have a custom kernel on my stock but rooted to be able to play with synapse to tamper with settings to "beast-out" ok gaming and more out of battery for everyday use..
about the talk.. heh I've been experiencing these kind of things at work when they see me use the my phone.. waving my hand over it to check my notifications.. they are so jealous [emoji13]

Motorola is still a great manufacturer, designer, innovater of awesome phones! The X series are the living proofs of this! Many users hate the company now because motorola promised them faster updates and has been really slow and non transparent in terms of updates!
I think motorola has done a great job in terms of updates and phones in general! Leaving the S6 which had 5.0 out of the box, no other manufacturer has provided 5.1 update to any of their phones yet other than the nexus line! People would never understand that 5.0 to 5.0.2 were buggy! They just want an update so they could think less of it and start complaining about the next version of android not being given to them in time! I say such people should buy nexus phones to get timely updates and stop the ranting!
For other people who have a higher price higher spec phones dont know much about android. They just buy a high spec phone thinking its future proof and later understand that there are many more newer innovations at a lesser price. Such people always keep wasting money in those high specs! Motorola doesn't provide high specs. But it provides the perfect balance of specs and working and useful features in their phones which are more useful in daily use and thus it makes the phones a daily driver.
The only problem with their phone is the fragile screen. Its glass and glass tends to break when it takes a hit. But the cost to replace it is too much! In India we need to pay 75% of the purchase cost to get the screen replaced! That's what is keeping people from buying motorola!
I love Stock Android on the Moto X 2014 ?

I miss the development of roms

That is because the source is still stuck back at 5.0.2. It would be great if we could get more up to date source.

I got my s3 when it was a flagship device and had a Samsung phone earlier. The primary reason I got the moto X was the price due to the cyber Monday sale. I saved up anticipating that the nexus 6 would be around the same price as the 5 but it turned out to be very expensive for me.
I had a few apprehensions before getting this device as I had never owned a moto device, but the X has exceeded my expectations! For the price, I don't think any other phone offers similar build quality and specs. Sure a bigger battery or a SD card slot would have been sweet but I feel that this is the perfect blend of stock plus nifty Moto features. I'm so used to active display now that I don't think I can actually use a device without it!
As far as updates are concerned, I'd rather have a fully functional 5.1 build rather than a messed up quickly released and buggy one. The delay has been a little annoying with multiple soak tests but if it results in a near bug free build then I'd rather wait!
All in all very satisfied with the phone.
#teammoto
Sent from my XT1095 using XDA Free mobile app