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Considering picking up a Nexus 4 and would love to hear some pros and cons from long time users of the N4 on XDA that have had the phone for months now, and their real-world usage and opinion (like how the performance/battery holds up after x months of use). I also wouldn't mind hearing about comparisons to other phones with regards to performance if other N4 owner have/use other phones, older or new.
Some background info:
I'm coming from a 2010 HTC Windows Phone, so I'll probably be blown away by what a 2012/2013ish phone hardware is like. WP7 on my HTC HD7 still runs very fast/smoothly in the core OS experience, but once you get to 3rd party app load times on startup, it becomes painful. On top of that MS has all but abandoned WP7, and features-wise, its seriously dated and missing key basic but essential features of smartphone OS's, like ahem orientation lock and a more modern mobile web browser, not even 3rd party apps can help there.
Like you said any 2012/13 phone will amaze you from the phone you have now. You might not even notice the differences between all these new phones.
The closest comparison to this phone would be the s3.
nexus 4 slightly outperforms the s3, you would most notice the smoothness between the two. Battery life, they're roughly the same, except if you use your phone a lot... like extensively than the better choice is the s3. Camera is also better on the s3. Storage goes to s3. But I feel the nexus is the more complete phone... I guess you can say less hiccups.
I would probably choose s4 and htc one over nexus though. Haven't played with them yet, but simply because they're newer lol
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I love my n4. I'm not a "long time" owner being 2 weeks of owning it, but I'll tell you I love it. I came from a One X running a custom rom and it didn't compare to the speed of the stock n4. It may be a dual core vs quad but still, aosp is just fantastic. Battery is pretty good I'd say. It gets through the day, I'll show some pictures. The lack of LTE and storage isn't a big deal to me because all my music is coming from the cloud and HSPA is fast enough. I haven't even switched to the HSPA+ plan yet because lazy. However, it doesn't play music near as loud as my One X through headphones, but they have a mod for that.
Oh and it charges pretty fast.
Sent from my fridge using XDA Premium
I love my n4. I'm not a "long time" owner being 2 weeks of owning it, but I'll tell you I love it. I came from a One X running a custom rom and it didn't compare to the speed of the stock n4. It may be a dual core vs quad but still, aosp is just fantastic. Battery is pretty good I'd say. It gets through the day, I'll show some pictures. The lack of LTE and storage isn't a big deal to me because all my music is coming from the cloud and HSPA is fast enough. I haven't even switched to the HSPA+ plan yet because lazy. However, it doesn't play music near as loud as my One X through headphones, but they have a mod for that.
Oh and it charges pretty fast.
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Nexus all the way. It's been a little less than a month of owning it, and it's great. Everything works like it's supposed to work, custom ROMs are easy to install, and I unlocked the bootloader/rooted it in a little less than an hour.
I got mine since december of the past year, and I love it more than ever, looks amazing, runs smooth, can run any game without lag, it fit my needs.
I must warn you to be careful don't drop it
My sister have an galaxy s3 and honestly the Nexus 4 is at higher level
I have the S3 and Nexus 4 and Whereas I love my S3, the N4 is the better phone all around. The S3 has it's better things like storage, LTE, S Calendar, OMLEAD (sp.) Screen (where black background takes no power but on N4 it does) and the camera. The camera is by far the best. Beats the heck out of N4 so if you take alot of pics, you'll want the S3. The N4 does okay on its camera but is no where near S3. BUT...performance wise, the N4 wins, hands down. ASOP is better in my opinion as some of these custome UI's really take a lot of power, etc. Plus, for $350, you get a highend phone for a midrange price. It's a no brainer in my opinion.
I'm happy with my N4. If you need an unlocked phone, for the price you seriously can't beat it. If price is no issue, I agree with Teo032 and I'd go with S4 or HTC One based on hardware.
The one thing about the N4 I'm still getting used to is the lack of storage size. I STRONGLY suggest getting the 16 GB. I got the 8 and I would totally pay $50 for another 8 gigs. I think it currently comes with a free bumper, if not, get one, they're actually pretty cool and my N4 kept slidding off crap because the screen is so smooth.
Good luck!
Nearing two months here. Upgraded from the LG Optimus 2X, the world's first dual core Android.
I absolutely love my N4. For the price it's a steal. The performance just blows me away (I am running CyanogenMod, not overclocked) compared to my old phone which had s**tty drivers and often had lag spikes even with overclocking.
If you compare the N4 to a stock unrooted Galaxy S4 or HTC One (the two powerhouses of 2013), you will actually find that when exiting apps and going around the home screens, the N4 is faster than either phone, because those two powerhouses have to deal with the overhead of rendering an ugly custom skin that adds no value Of course when actually inside an app those two phones will be the performance kings, but the N4 is no slouch either - it nails pretty much every game I throw at it.
These are the only real reasons to forgo the N4 in favour of something else:
1. You have the $$$ and want better build quality
2. You can't live with only 16 GB of internal storage, non-expandable
3. You like having a removable battery (or at least a removable cover to make accessing the SIM easier)
4. You want officially supported LTE that isn't 1700 Mhz
5. You think 4.7" is too big (a fair reason) and want something more compact.
If none of those points apply to you, then by all means, GET THE NEXUS 4!!! Also as a bonus you can load on a Metro UI skin if you miss WP
It's been like ~2 months now, and as most lads above I can sincerely say that it was the best choice possible at the moment (still is imo). Seeing that I simply agree with most of whats above this post, peformance wise n stuff, ill poke it from another point of view. Being an iphone4 user (jailbroken of course), the very first time I had the chance to fiddle with the nexus4 - it stole my heart completely. Versatility is just beyond any limits and if youre looking for a smart purchase, good performance/price ratio AND quality product - N4 is the best choice possible right now. The reason ive been using an iphone for quite a bit was actually lack of android based quality products (well, apart from a couple of htc's maybe ). It is crucial for me since I hate using a phone that reminds me of a plastic toy. N4 is the perfect solution in this case - official android based product combined with decent materials. You have to keep in mind though - it is a fragile piece of equipment and if you have like slippery hands (lol) or simply drop the phone pretty (too ) often - you must get yourself a case/bumper (i would recommend a piece of screen/back protector as well) cuz it might hurt if it bangs the floor
The Best...just saying
I have it for a long time and i must say its a nice phone.
You must be aware tho that there are random wifi issues on this phone that will probably be corrected with a system update.
The stock rom is ok and the stock google kernel uses the perf. branch so do not expect great battery life on stock even when the phone's idle.
A protective case is required or you will screw the back glass easily.
Photosphere is a nice feature included on the phone.
Phone overheats easily
You see the digitizer on screen
But its a great phone and im happy with it. Nothing would beat the galaxy s2 i had lol
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Ordered mine on day one and received it the following week. I came from an iPhone.
I have had no issues other than Android itself. Some of it is half baked, and fixes can be non-existent. Battery life is OK if you come to the conclusion that some apps are the main cause of poor battery life on Android... it is a bit of a free for all here. I have seen significant improvement since installing Qualcomm's Battery Guru. I have seen 13.5 hours on battery with 2hr 46min screen time and 50% battery left. While it ain't quite an iPhone, it is more than sufficient.
The phone is very poorly documented and much of how it works is a "discovery by braille" experience. The stock mail client is unusable for business... thankfully I found a better one (AquaMail). The little speaker on the back is useless. I mean USELESS.
If I had it to do over again I don't think I'd do anything differently. The only other phone I would consider at this point is the HTC One (almost twice the price). At $350 I am very comfortable using my phone and not worrying about damaging/losing it. If I toast it it is not that big a deal to replace it (unlike the $600-$800 for some competing phones). It does almost everything well, and the little rough spots are minor. I do miss the accessory/software ecosystem that is iOS, but at this point I think I would miss widgets and the open file system even more.
As far as aging goes, I've had mine for a while and it's stood the test of time. My battery life has only gotten better and better, but that's mostly due to constantly improving custom kernels (I use Faux123's). It plays all the games out there. The only drawback is storage.
Sent from an N4 blessed with AOKP and sanctified by Faux123!
Well, to be complete since there are threads of Nexus 6 vs. OnePlus One and Note 4 I thought I might just make this post.
Nexus 6
Differences
Screen: higher resolution and bigger size
Battery: larger
Price: cheaper
Camera: higher mega pixels
RAM: higher
Similarities
Battery: non-replaceable
OS: No bloat wares with only stock OS
Carriers: can be used on all carriers
Things still unknown between the 2 phones.
1. Battery life?
2. Camera images?
3. Can the Nexus 6 do slow motion video recordings?
"Screw iPhones, how dare you post that crap here?????"
Just kidding.
Both phones offer advantages that the other doesn't. I think this is a note-worthy comparison but it shouldn't boil down to just comparing specs. I mean, iPhones have poor specs, on paper, when compared to the top Android devices but it's rarely the case in real-world performance. For example, in benchmarks, iPhones usually win in single-core and graphics departments. iPhones have been notorious for their build quality and top-of-the-line camera performance. Then I suppose you could go into the classic LCD vs AMOLED displays argument.
However, I think at the end of the day, the biggest deciding factor is going to be the software: are you more inclined towards iOS or Android?
Since this is primarily an Android forum, let me start out by bringing up some of the plusses of iPhones:
- TouchID. Here's a great post by XDA member _MetalHead_ explaining some of the advantages brought by TouchID.
- Continuity is a pretty amazing feature. Seamless syncing between OSX and iOS as well picking up where you left off is pretty genius. I can't wait for the day we get something similar on Android.
- The camera on iPhones, despite being 8-megapixels, is still one the best smartphone cameras around.
- iOS still gets the good apps and games first. Apps generally look better on iOS; although, now with the release of Android L, I think that gap is going to become more narrow.
Honestly, if this post was made before we knew about Android L, I would have added a lot of things to the list above such as the consistency across iOS. Thankfully Android L has brought this much needed consistency in the form of material design.
And it goes back to my first point: which OS do you prefer?
For me, that choice is clear: it's Android. I love customizing the hell out of my phones (and a plethora of other things that Android does better than iOS). Nothing beats Android in that department. My biggest gripes in the past, such as an inconsistent UI, untimely updates on non-Nexus devices and ****ty build quality have pretty much all been addressed by the Nexus 6 and Android L.
I have been using continuity since 2010 on Android only for ios users that's new
Iphone 6+ has WAY better battery life and camera.
OS of android is cooler no doubt.
oneplus said:
Iphone 6+ has WAY better battery life and camera.
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Well we don't know this for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone ends up having a better camera.
oneplus said:
Iphone 6+ has WAY better battery life and camera.
OS of android is cooler no doubt.
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Re. Battery life, How could you make a definitive statement about a phone and new version of OS that are not released yet?
Nexus 6 hands down, down with iphone!
jkjk Iunno, iphone may just have better camera, but let hope not. Pure android is just as optimized as the IOS, so imagine it with these crazy specs
None of us know the Nexus' battery life yet. I can say that I get no joke, at least 10 hours of "usage" as in screen time on my iPhone 6 plus on LTE/wifi. It is excellent in that way. Also has a gorgeous screen, nice build, and an absolutely amazing camera. I think iOS8 is so much nicer to look at on a screen of this quality. I look at my Nexus 7 and 5.0 just is ugly and bland in comparison. Why the hell did Google use GRAY for text? It just reduces otherwise nice screens to a bland pastel geometric mess.
However, this is my first iPhone, and man I miss android, especially the Moto X iteration of android. The features and how it all works together just can't be beat. I'm getting the Nexus 6, and I really hope the battery life is similar. iOS is just so so boring, and if you like GOOGLE apps, then I don't see how anyone can like an iPhone. Google app integration, or any 3rd party for that matter, is just so minimal, even with iOS8. I'm literally having Google Now and home screen withdrawls. Also, once Google Inbox goes live with the public, I'm sure people will be clamoring for what Google offers on android.
Yosemite on my rMBP is amazing however, first apple laptop too.
mehdi_s82 said:
Re. Battery life, How could you make a definitive statement about a phone and new version of OS that are not released yet?
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10+ hrs screen on time on iphone 6+ cannot ever be beaten by this nexus. Apple optimizes their OS at max. Is FACT.
Jayrod1980 said:
None of us know the Nexus' battery life yet. I can say that I get no joke, at least 10 hours of "usage" as in screen time on my iPhone 6 plus on LTE/wifi. It is excellent in that way. Also has a gorgeous screen, nice build, and an absolutely amazing camera. I think iOS8 is so much nicer to look at on a screen of this quality. I look at my Nexus 7 and 5.0 just is ugly and bland in comparison. Why the hell did Google use GRAY for text? It just reduces otherwise nice screens to a bland pastel geometric mess.
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As far as I know, Usage =/ Screen On Time, you could essentially play music for 3 hours and iOS would count it as usage.
I'm not discrediting what you are saying, you could by all means be getting 10 hours of screen on time but I associate the great battery life of the 6 Plus with its amazing standby time.
Most android devices lose about 1% or more an hour in standby, it's the cost for having an OS with so much freedom. IOS on the other hand is extremely locked down in terms of background process allowing devices like the 6 Plus to lose nearly no battery over the course 10 hour period while in idle.
This may seem insignificant but that percent or two you lose in a hour is roughly 6 -10 minutes of screen on time. Over the course of a day, this can add up to a large amount. On the 6 Plus, you lose very little thus allowing you get better battery life in real world usage than comparable android devices like the Note 4.
Most android devices tend to out preform the 6 Plus in a pure battery endurance test but once you compare real world usage, the 6 Plus tends to outlast them.
The Nexus 6 stands a good chance of beating the 6 Plus because of the optimization Google is able to do as well as the lack of rogue background processes found on stock android. TouchWiz is a nightmare for standby battery drain, there is just way too many background processes to deal with which continue to drain battery.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
kill it with fire! [emoji1]
I don't need more than 5 hours screen on time in a single day, I need a kick in the ass if I'm on the phone any longer than that in a day. This should be possible with the Nexus 6, but probably not any longer than that.
oneplus said:
10+ hrs screen on time on iphone 6+ cannot ever be beaten by this nexus. Apple optimizes their OS at max. Is FACT.
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The screen on time calculated by IOS must be different then how it is calculated on android. I think in IOS when the lock screen is on it counts as screen on time. Because my iPhone 6 gave me more screen on time than the M8 did despite the M8 having much better battery life.
That on ios isn't sot. It is usage. A totally different thing
fkloznica said:
That on ios isn't sot. It is usage. A totally different thing
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Usage on iOS is essentially "awake" time.
This is a real tough one. The 6 Plus is one seriously bad ass device. I would have gotten the Plus instead of the 6 if it were a little more pocketable, but boy would I love to play NOVA 3 or Modern Combat 5 on that screen. I was just in the Apple Store today and played with the Plus for about 10 minutes, and while I'm super happy with my decision to buy the 6, there was a tiny part of me that felt just a little bit of buyers remorse. I think the 6 Plus would make a great secondary device, but it's a little too large to be a daily driver, at least for my lifestyle. That said, the N6 is going to be the same thing- nice to have, but not practical as an every day device.
Comparing the 6 Plus to the N6 is really Apples to oranges, as they are completely different devices. But here are some bullet points that reflect MY OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS on the matter-
Design and build quality- Love Apple or hate them, there is no denying that they make some of the most beautiful personal electronic devices on the planet, and they are always built to incredibly tight tolerances. The 6 Plus is no different. It is one seriously GORGEOUS device. I think the N6 is also beautiful, but it isn't as elegant as the 6 Plus. I just got the new Moto X and it is hands down the nicest Android phone I have ever used when it comes to design and build, and seeing as though the N6 is just a blown up Moto X, I expect it to be just as nice. So all that said, I think this one is a wash, and comes down to personal taste.
In-hand feel- A lot of people have been complaining about the thickness of the N6, but what they fail to realize is that it is only that thick in the middle, and it's tapered toward the edges. Going off the current Moto X, this gives it an incredibly ergonomic feel, and makes the phone very comfortable to hold. My biggest complaint about the 6 and 6 Plus is that they are just too thin, and the Moto X really drives that point home. It is bigger and thicker than the iPhone 6, but is far more comfortable to hold in hand. In fact, the current Moto X is probably the single most comfortable phone I've ever held, second only to the original Moto X. Due to its size, I don't think the N6 will be anywhere near as comfortable to hold as the Moto X, but I expect it to be a lot better than the 6 Plus. Even though the X is bigger than the 6, it is actually easier to use one-handed than the 6 is, because you can shift it around a bit in your hand without the worry of dropping it; I always feel like the 6 is going to slip from my grasp when I shift it around. Your hand is not flat, and the curve of the Moto X/N6 is designed to fit the curve of your hand. In this regard, Motorola did a bang up job. Gonna have to give this one to the Nexus 6 on faith.
Screen- I am not one to get caught up in the resolution wars, and I think QHD is a gimmick on screens this size. 1080p is MORE than enough, and in some cases, 720p is plenty. The screen on the 6 and 6 Plus is the nicest I have ever seen on a smartphone. The colors are incredibly vivid, the blacks are damn near AMOLED level, and since the whole package is fused into one panel, the screen literally looks like it is a sticker on the surface of the phone. Side by side, the just over 720p screen on my iPhone 6 absolutely blows the screens of my Nexus 5 and new Moto X out of the water. If you told me it was a 1080p display I'd believe you. You cannot see individual pixels unless you strain really hard, everything is incredibly detailed, and again, the colors are ridiculous. There is something with the technology Apple used that makes it seem higher resolution, because if you compare it to the original Moto X that has a similar res, it's a night and day difference. Even though the display on the N6 is QHD, I don't expect it to be anywhere near as nice as the one on the 6 Plus.
Camera- The camera on the 6 Plus is widely regarded as one of if not the best camera ever to grace a smartphone. With Google's and Motorola's track record, I don't expect the N6 to change that. I'm sure it'll be nice and more than acceptable, but for people who really depend on the cameras on their phones (I do not), the 6 Plus is probably the way to go.
Performance- Make fun of the specs all you want, but the iPhone is a performance powerhouse. Apple focuses on USER EXPERIENCE which in my mind is FAR more important than numbers on paper. The iPhone doesn't need a quad core processor or 3gb of RAM because of how optimized iOS is. With its dual core chip and only 1GB of RAM, somehow the iPhone manages to outperform every other phone on the market when it comes to graphically intense gaming, and at least match the most powerful Android phones in all other areas. If specs mattered so much, I'd think the current Android flagships would smoke the iPhone. They don't. Heck, look at Samsung- their flagships always have top specs yet somehow they still manage to be laggy and sluggish at times, something the iPhone just doesn't ever exhibit. Last year's Moto X with its dual core processor had the best out-of-box user experience of any smartphone at that time because Motorola optimized the crap out of it. We have gotten to the point of diminishing returns when it comes to specs, todays flagships don't dramatically outperform those from last year. My Nexus 5 is still ridiculously fast, and the new Moto X with the 801 isn't much faster, if at all. The iPhone consistently benchmarks with the best of them, and even though benchmarks don't mean a damn thing, its real world performance is up there with the best of them as well. I think people care way too much about specs these days, and are missing the point on what's actually important and again, that's USER EXPERIENCE. So that said, seeing as though none of us have used the final version of Android L, we have no idea what the UX is going to be like. This one is a wash until the N6 gets put to the test.
Battery life- No way to tell until we get the N6 in hand and get to put it to the test. The 6 Plus has some seriously insane battery life, but with all the optimization Google did with Android L, it's possible that the N6 will get some great life as well. But basing my opinion of historical data, I think the 6 Plus will have the edge here.
Utility- No question, N6. The 6 Plus is just a massive iPhone, and Apple made pretty much zero changes to take advantage of the extra screen real estate. In a case like this, I think home screen widgets are indispensable and will fully maximize the productivity of the phone. While I understand why Apple hasn't changed iOS much over the course of its life (millions of soccer moms all over the world would likely revolt), it's time they do something different. Advantage Android, with a big fat LOL.
Apps and Games- No explanation needed, iOS wins this one without ever having to look over its shoulder.
I'm sure I missed some important points, but these are the ones that came to mind. In the end it'll really boil down to the old iOS vs. Android debate. With the iPhone, you have the perfect marriage of hardware and software, with a gorgeous phone and an equally gorgeous (albeit somewhat tired and bland) operating system, and the best app and game selection in the business. With the N6, you have a beautiful device that'll likely be super comfortable to hold, the flexibility and customizability that comes with the Android territory, and a more user oriented experience. I say that last one because with Android, it's up to the user to control how it works for them, whereas with iOS it's "you get what we give you and that's it". For some people it works, for others it doesn't. I love Android because I get to tinker with it and make it my own, and I love iOS because I don't have to worry about tinkering with it. In the end, it's a pick your poison kinda thing. Me, I want both.
Qi wireless charging and NFC. I am not sure I could give up my Qi pucks and stereo which uses NFC to begin playing music when I lay my phone on it, plus wireless charge it. If the iPhone 6+ could do that, I would give it a whirl, but it cannot. Maybe the 6S+ will... or not.
I currently have a N3 and my wife has had her 6+ for about a month now. After the first week of her having her phone I actually went ahead and put an order in for one to, and I had always been an Android guy, but her 6+ is one if not the smoothest phones I've ever used. Battery easily outlast my N3 battery, screen is on par, and the camera despite being 8mp imo takes better pics. I wound up cancelling my order though once I found out the N6 is coming to Verizon because the one main thing iOS is missing is the ability to fully customize. Also because I have a ton of purchases ive made over the last 5 years on the Play Market id hate to loose. But in all honesty the 6+ is a great phone. Look at it as just a different oem skin not OS, and if you ever get a chance to spend some time with one you can really respect it as a top of the line phone.
I'm a lifer Android user, just look at my post count on here (I'm a loser) but I recently purchased the 6+ and I can't believe I'm saying this but it is absolutely one of my favorite devices of all time. Battery life cannot be matched by any android devices currently on the market. The screen is absolutely stunning to look at and has that wow factor that I've never gotten on an android device, the HTC m7 (Believe it or not over the M8) actually came close.
And what really sold me on iOS are the apps. They are so much more refined and seem to be less susceptible to force closing like I've gotten plenty of times on several different devices.
The transition from going over to iOS from android was made easier once I got over the fact that I don't have home screens and my phone isn't customizable. Once that's out the system you come to the conclusion that ultimately a phone is only as good as the apps and in this case, iOS apps are so much better over android apps it made the transition to iOS that much easier.
Can't believe I just said I prefer iOS over Android.
shook187 said:
I'm a lifer Android user, just look at my post count on here (I'm a loser) but I recently purchased the 6+ and I can't believe I'm saying this but it is absolutely one of my favorite devices of all time. Battery life cannot be matched by any android devices currently on the market. The screen is absolutely stunning to look at and has that wow factor that I've never gotten on an android device, the HTC m7 (Believe it or not over the M8) actually came close.
And what really sold me on iOS are the apps. They are so much more refined and seem to be less susceptible to force closing like I've gotten plenty of times on several different devices.
The transition from going over to iOS from android was made easier once I got over the fact that I don't have home screens and my phone isn't customizable. Once that's out the system you come to the conclusion that ultimately a phone is only as good as the apps and in this case, iOS apps are so much better over android apps it made the transition to iOS that much easier.
Can't believe I just said I prefer iOS over Android.
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Posts like yours make me happy. Being both an Android and iPhone user for a long time, I have come to love both sides for different reasons. I feel that most Android users just blindly hate iOS, which there is no reason for. So what if you can't customize the homescreens? Like you said, that's actually kind of nice because you don't have to sit and mess with it to get it to your liking. Everything else about iOS is great, and even if Apple is behind the curve sometimes with certain features, when they finally do implement something, they always do it right. Take Touch ID for instance- yeah the Atrix was the first phone with a fingerprint scanner, but it sucked. Touch ID on the other hand is awesome and a complete game changer as far as I'm concerned. And like you said, the apps available for the iPhone are generally more refined than their Android counterparts, and Android simply can't touch iOS when it comes to gaming. The iPhone is an absolutely gorgeous device, and iOS is every bit as gorgeous. The bottom line is this- fanboys on either side of the fence are ridiculous and downright pathetic sometimes. People like you and I have the great benefit of being able to use all these wonderful pieces of technology, regardless of the logo that's stamped on them. It's a freedom that I wish everyone could experience but unfortunately some people are just way too closed minded. And you know something? It's their loss.
I have had a nexus 4 for almost 2 years and I like it. Even so it has its negative points, especially after all this time. It's not as responsive as it used to be and battery life, which wasn't stellar to begin with, has decayed a lot. With this in mind I have been searching for a good phone to replace it. I was waiting for the Nexus 6 to come out but when it was officially announced that screen size and the price scared me away.
After the announcement I have been searching and comparing a bunch of phones. I was interested on the OnePlus One but the buying process is a pain in the ass. I checked the S5 but then I remembered it had the infamous Touchwiz which I had already (even though in an earlier incarnation) on a Galaxy Ace I had before the N4 and there was also the fact that it is expensive as hell on my carrier. I also checked the HTC One M8 but the camera resolution seems horrible. I have checked the Sony Xperia line but it is as expensive as the S5 in my carrier and also pretty expensive on sites like Amazon. At last I have been comparing between a Nexus 5 and a LG G3. I know they have almost a year between them but I like the fact that the Nexus 5 is cheap and receives fast updates, although I have heard battery life was not improved very much. And, on the G3's side, it is newer, has better hardware and supposedly has a good battery life(I have heard mixed views on this as some say battery is good while others say it is horrible).
So, to sum it up, I would like to know your opinions and would also like to know if you happen to know some other options I haven't considered.
Thanks and sorry for the long post and if this wasn't the right forum to ask this.
vik-sama said:
So, to sum it up, I would like to know your opinions and would also like to know if you happen to know some other options I haven't considered.
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Look at an LG G2. $400 for a new one, under $300 for a used one in good/mint condition. Beefy 3000mAh battery, very competent hardware, big screen in a not-so-big body, and a good amount of development if you want to try different ROMs/kernels. As cheap, or even cheaper, than a Nexus 5, but with a much bigger battery and better camera. With the G3 out, prices have plummeted on the G2, and have made it a veritable bargain.
The G3 is a hell of a phone. The QHD screen might drain the battery a bit more, but on this phone the battery is replaceable, so just buy a spare if you're worried about that. Not much development yet, but if you buy the T-Mobile version or one with an unlocked bootloader it's easy to root and modify with Xposed, which gives you plenty of options to tweak it to your satisfaction.
Regarding the HTC One's camera - it's not great, but it's not bad either. If all you're wanting to do is post pics to Facebook or internet forums, it's perfectly fine, since pictures will be reduced anyway. Where it suffers is in cropped detailed pics, and stuff like sweeping vistas and anything far away. That aside, the One is an awesome device.
My personal choice from what's available right now would definitely be the HTC One M8. If you don't care a huge deal about the camera then there are very few flaws to it at all. The camera on the M8 will definitely be worse in normal light than most other flagships but the pictures it takes are still far better than those from the N4 and in low light the camera performs better than most, not to mention the fact that it has good autofocus and a myriad of extra features which you may or may not find useful but they're still nice to have. Battery life is excellent, the screen is absolutely gorgeous, Sense brings extra features and (arguably) a nicer design than AOSP whilst retaining excellent performance and the phone is just generally far nicer to use than anything else I've tried.
Look for the Huawei Honor 6.
300$, full LTE, 16GB upgradable with microSD, beautiful 5" HD screen... I'm gonna buy this phone in the next week for replacement of my N4.
I went from a Nexus 4 to a HTC One M8 and hated it, hence why I'm back with my Nexus 4. That said, I'm definitely in the minority.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Just moved the G4 from an S6 I only used a couple of days. Still have my iPhone 6 plus on the side.
The G4 feels like Android should. Not too heavily skinned nor too locked down.
The S6 was uncomfortable for me to use from a UI and ergonomic standpoint. I feel like Sammy are trying to distance their selves away from Google whilst riding on the success of their OS and Apple's design standards.
So far... loving the G4. It's a fresh take from iOS. I have the black leather AT&T variant and once I disabled all of the bloat, it's supper snappy and the camera is something to be proud of. The iPhone 6+ still records better 1080p video IMO but that's a small trade off to be part of Android ecosystem. Looking forward to the custom ROM scene and being part of XDA forums again.
Cheers!
*I come from the world of iOS, and owing several android phones in the past. HTC Hero, GS2, Atrix, Atrix 2, Note 2, Nexus 6, Note 4, GS6, and now LG G4!
I have also had all 3 devices. I would say the G4 is the most versatile all of 3. Is it the best? Definitely a matter of preference. The 6 plus battery life is absolutely outstanding. But IOS, although very consistent with awesome apps, is very boring. The S6 is a great device with lackluster battery life and the worse of it all is that you cant replace the battery. The fast charge works extremely well when the screen is off but if you need to use the phone while it charges then fast charge isnt that fast. And the G4 is the sweet spot in my opinion. It has a big display but the phone doesnt feel big. It has the removable battery which is worth gold for a flafship device. Sd card is awesome, the phone is fast with very minimal stutter here and there, battery life is decent plus you can swap batteries in 15 seconds and keep the show going.
If battery life is what someone needs then the 6 plus destroys both phones at the same time.
If you need something more pocketable with a very powerful SoC and all around good phone then ill go with the S6.
And if you want all you bases covered and have a device that does everything at least good if not great then G4 is the one.
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Hi fellows !
So I had my n910c for more than 2.5 years now and my worst problem is that I am bored of it .
The phone is still perfect for what I need : big screen, ok battery (I got a new one in 2017), ok sound (very loud), S pen is cool and all so I can't find any legit reason to upgrade for now .
But next year I will definitely replace it (if not for any good reason, just to have something new lol) so I was looking at this year end phablets and don't like the new trends at all . Pretty much every phone out there is 18:9 or worse (I hate 18:9 cause it's bad for youtube, many games(read hearthstone) and twitch - my favorite 3 activities), lost the removable battery and get exponentially more expensive than 2-3 years ago . The only 2 phones I like are mate 10 (regular version) and razer phone (pretty much the only ones that still have big screen with proper aspect ratio and acceptable price tag) .
Let's discuss: What are your thoughts about current smartphones ? Did you recently upgrade or plan to ?
I never got rid of my Note 4.
It's the best phone I've ever had.
I bought a Mate 9 which was excellent... No pen.
Bought Xiaomi Mi6 - VERY sexy, too small.
OnePlus 3T - very fast, rapid software updates completely different approach
Htc U11 - Marvelous device, great technology, good camera, again very different approach.
The Note 4 stand out in all aspects. Though it's old, I still use it everyday. I bought multiple batteries so really, I'm keeping it as long as I can.
Not worth selling, just keep it and buy another phone. The Note 8 I think it's too expensive for now.... And a little too safe, as are the Mate 10 & 10 pro, so I'm going to wait a year and see.
Good luck.
r33fd said:
Hi fellows !
So I had my n910c for more than 2.5 years now and my worst problem is that I am bored of it .
The phone is still perfect for what I need : big screen, ok battery (I got a new one in 2017), ok sound (very loud), S pen is cool and all so I can't find any legit reason to upgrade for now .
But next year I will definitely replace it (if not for any good reason, just to have something new lol) so I was looking at this year end phablets and don't like the new trends at all . Pretty much every phone out there is 18:9 or worse (I hate 18:9 cause it's bad for youtube, many games(read hearthstone) and twitch - my favorite 3 activities), lost the removable battery and get exponentially more expensive than 2-3 years ago . The only 2 phones I like are mate 10 (regular version) and razer phone (pretty much the only ones that still have big screen with proper aspect ratio and acceptable price tag) .
Let's discuss: What are your thoughts about current smartphones ? Did you recently upgrade or plan to ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't miss the pen, get the V20. It's an upgrade in terms of everything, and the software is better. Sure the screen isn't as saturated, but it's great otherwise. And it does have KCAL-enabled kernels.
I personally will still keep my N910S though. Extremely smooth with PRIME-Kernel, stock ROMs and proper kernel settings.
Razor... hands down.
I'd get the Note 8 as I am a AMOLED fanboy.
Bruce lee roy said:
Razor... hands down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was really hyped about it too .
But then I read reviews and the display quality and battery life are terrible, most likely worse than note 4 even . (Actually very few new phones can claim a better display quality than note 4 anyway, only new Samsung are really better - in brightness mostly)
This year there really isn't any device to rule them all .
The best phone this year imo is probably mate 10 pro . cause it has the best battery on any flagship and really nice features (ir blaster, stereo speakers etc) . But even this has some disadvantages compared to our beloved note (smaller screen real estate in most important apps right now, no S pen obviously, no 3.5 jack! , no SD card, no removable battery (this is beyond hope at this point) .
For me if I'm not going to buy a note next (which I probably won't cause the price/quality is not great) I might as well get anything cause they all do the same thing more or less . (Nothing compares to S pen .)
Will probably wait for a nice budget offering to appear till next year . Fingers crossed for oneplus 5t and Honor v10 to be good phones and low on price .
Hi!
I just was asking myself the same question, since sadly my Note 4 broke down.
A smartphone without pen is no alternative for me, since I have long fingernails and can’t really use today’s standard touchscreens.
I first wanted to just buy the Note 4 again. When I looked up the prices on Amazon.de, the black one (new) was at ~350€, the white one at ~400€. Wow, and that for a three year old model? I looked at the Note 8 and it was 850€ then. Holy sh**t.
My Note 4 started working again for a week, so I thought I might be safe. Then it died again, maybe forever (yeah, I checked the forum, nothing works, just plain dead).
So I went to Amazon again… and the black Note 4 was at ~400€ now, the white (my original one) at ~550€! Wtf happened? Maybe Samsung bought all the old models to push the Note 8?
Note 8 had dropped to 800€ so I thought I’d give it a try without really reading anything about it.
I have it since yesterday and my first ten minutes were like “who the hell designed this”.
You need to push in the pen before you then can pull it out.
The finger print reader is hidden on the back, next to the camera, I need five times to find it.
SIM card / SD card in some tiny tray not designed for clumsy people (you need an extra metal pin thingy, pretty sure easy to loose)
With the pen it is a bit tricky to move around items on the homescreen due to the edges of the screen.
Slippery back surface.
Built in battery.
Ridiculous size.
On the plus side:
the biometrical recognition is cool (while unsafe-ish),
it’s waterproof,
excellent (!) screen.
For its size it is very light.
The new OS is really nice.
Battery life is good.
And it has a pen again.
After using it for a few days I got used to it and kinda could warm up to the device… the fingerprint reader is driving me nuts, but the size is really convenient after a while.
However "I can get used to it" is not something I pay 800€ for.
I ordered a used Note 4 for 300€ and will send the Note 8 back once it arrives. Then I will watch the price and may buy it at around ~500€.
tl;dr:
If you don’t care for money and just love new stuff, I can recommend checking the Note 8 out.
If you just want a decent phone, stick to your Note 4 and be happy with it.
Regards
cherryfish
If there was a better phone, I would have bought it, but unfortunately I can't find one.
Oneplus 5T looks nice, but it's bigger than Note, I won't buy any phone that's even one mm larger than note 4.
Note 8 is way too tall and narrow. And expensive.
LG V30 looks the best alternative, but it's not widely available and has no S-pen, as nearly every other phone.
Note 4 is getting old and I would surely like to make a change, but I can't find a proper replacement. I really don't know!
r33fd said:
I was really hyped about it too .
But then I read reviews and the display quality and battery life are terrible, most likely worse than note 4 even . (Actually very few new phones can claim a better display quality than note 4 anyway, only new Samsung are really better - in brightness mostly)
This year there really isn't any device to rule them all .
The best phone this year imo is probably mate 10 pro . cause it has the best battery on any flagship and really nice features (ir blaster, stereo speakers etc) . But even this has some disadvantages compared to our beloved note (smaller screen real estate in most important apps right now, no S pen obviously, no 3.5 jack! , no SD card, no removable battery (this is beyond hope at this point) .
For me if I'm not going to buy a note next (which I probably won't cause the price/quality is not great) I might as well get anything cause they all do the same thing more or less . (Nothing compares to S pen .)
Will probably wait for a nice budget offering to appear till next year . Fingers crossed for oneplus 5t and Honor v10 to be good phones and low on price .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a device built for gaming first, then smartphone... and software is built to take full advantage of hardware. Battery size is very good and display is built with only techno that can take advantage of high refresh rate. With all that said software adjustment are built in to extend battery when not gaming. I love this phone. More notably, I love the idea of this phone.
phamanhvu01 said:
If you don't miss the pen, get the V20. It's an upgrade in terms of everything, and the software is better. Sure the screen isn't as saturated, but it's great otherwise. And it does have KCAL-enabled kernels.
I personally will still keep my N910S though. Extremely smooth with PRIME-Kernel, stock ROMs and proper kernel settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this. if i didn't have the note 4, the V20 would have been my choice. last flagship phone with removable battery . the hifi dac is a plus too.
I recently moved from Note 3 to Note 4 ... not because my Note 3 was having any issue... just because I figured there aren't go to be many gently used Note 4's up for sale in the next couple years, so grabbed a nearly new one while I could!
I know I'm preaching to the choir, but:
- excellent build quality and repairability
- removable battery
- headphone jack
- pen
- able to install Lineage ROM
I've been hoping consumer backlash would force vendors to return to a removable batter and headphone jack, but no... lemmings will be lemmings.
It's a problem. I still love my Note 4 but, like the OP, am ready to try something new. I've ordered the Mate 10 (regular), as it seemed to check the most boxes I care about: IR blaster, expandable storage, super-long battery life, front-facing fingerprint sensor that can double as a touchpad, splash-resistant, 3.1 Type C USB, dual-sim, and same size (but 10 grams heavier) as the Note 4. Excellent sound and excellent camera (Leica). And comes with Oreo. But no S-pen and no replaceable battery. So we'll see. Not putting the Note 4 on ebay yet!
canada_dry said:
I recently moved from Note 3 to Note 4 ... not because my Note 3 was having any issue... just because I figured there aren't go to be many gently used Note 4's up for sale in the next couple years, so grabbed a nearly new one while I could!
I know I'm preaching to the choir, but:
- excellent build quality and repairability
- removable battery
- headphone jack
- pen
- able to install Lineage ROM
I've been hoping consumer backlash would force vendors to return to a removable batter and headphone jack, but no... lemmings will be lemmings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, Many of those lemmings reside right here on XDA now days. It was extremely sad to see members vehemently defend Samsung's decision to remove the battery, lR sensor, and SD card in the note 5... Then later defend the decision to lock the bootloader on later Samsung devices.
Wake TF up people!
I'm still loving the Note 4. Rooted, audio boosted, Titanium Backup installed, 256gb SD card and of course a spare battery in my wallet to go back to 100% charge in less than a minute.
I have noticed many of the 8 series Samsungs are getting really bad screen burn, no such issue with the Note 4 AMOLED panel.
I have a brand new one sitting in a cupboard in case anything happens to this one.
Everyone wants a bigger (or removable) battery and literally no-one wants waterproofing but all the manufacturers follow trends so that's where we're at. The Note 8 is truly horrible.
kradcliffe said:
Everyone wants a bigger (or removable) battery and literally no-one wants waterproofing but all the manufacturers follow trends so that's where we're at. The Note 8 is truly horrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
waterproofing is for latin america (or america in general), as theres lots of humidity and heavy rains over there. In europe we don't need it much, except for those that tend to drop their devices in a bath.
canada_dry said:
I recently moved from Note 3 to Note 4 ... not because my Note 3 was having any issue... just because I figured there aren't go to be many gently used Note 4's up for sale in the next couple years, so grabbed a nearly new one while I could!
I know I'm preaching to the choir, but:
- excellent build quality and repairability
- removable battery
- headphone jack
- pen
- able to install Lineage ROM
I've been hoping consumer backlash would force vendors to return to a removable batter and headphone jack, but no... lemmings will be lemmings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here! I still haven't gotten rid of my Note 3 though. It's running a custom ROM (Note 7 port) and my Note 4 is running stock for now.
My Note 3 is brand new and my Note 4 I bought used.
Both have their pro's and con's
The Note 4 has a lot of flaws... poor battery life (probably common to android) and poor build quality, but there's nothing else like it on the market.
There is a big gap in the market for a smartphone with a stylus and a 16:9 flat screen. Now that Samsung is curving all of its screens another manufacturer will have to take over.
CSMR said:
The Note 4 has a lot of flaws... poor battery life (probably common to android) and poor build quality, but there's nothing else like it on the market.
There is a big gap in the market for a smartphone with a stylus and a 16:9 flat screen. Now that Samsung is curving all of its screens another manufacturer will have to take over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't agree about the battery life .
It might be because you have an old battery but I have one from 2017 and it lasts pretty well . For example today I was at 45 percent with over 3.5 h SoT and 2 days of usage . I think that is more than decent even if not the best out there . Also if I just use the stylus to write in the note app the battery lasts forever .
The build quality is just fine, never had a problem with it in more than 2,5 years . Definitely better than the glass we see everywhere . As long as you don't drop it into water it should be fine .
That's why I can't justify spending money to buy a new phone yet : there just isn't anything I can complain much about the note . I wish I had the newest SoC and camera sure, but the ones on the note are still more than well suited for what I need . Other than that this phone is still perfect for me: the display is one of the best in the market still (don't need that 18/9 gimmick) , the speaker still one of the loudest and clearest (better than the latest samsungs for sure) , and with root the software can do pretty much anything I can think of .
I might just keep this phone until it dies or something exceptional appears. Really hope the s9 comes with loud (stereo) speakers (poor audio is a deal breaker for me) and maybe a more solid material (glass is so fragile - it's a shame to spend a bucket of money on a luxurious smartphone only to hide it into a case , that's just stupid , I never used a case on note 4 and it's still in great shape) .
r33fd said:
I don't agree about the battery life .
It might be because you have an old battery but I have one from 2017 and it lasts pretty well . For example today I was at 45 percent with over 3.5 h SoT and 2 days of usage . I think that is more than decent even if not the best out there . Also if I just use the stylus to write in the note app the battery lasts forever .
The build quality is just fine, never had a problem with it in more than 2,5 years . Definitely better than the glass we see everywhere . As long as you don't drop it into water it should be fine .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I migrated from a Lumia 1520, even older than the Note 4 and from defunct Windows Mobile platform. Battery life of the Note 4 is less than half even with a new battery, gets hot from easy tasks, and it feels much cheaper. It does have a stylus, and all the apps though. I think the market is just not that great for power users at the moment so we stay on old phones.
CSMR said:
I migrated from a Lumia 1520, even older than the Note 4 and from defunct Windows Mobile platform. Battery life of the Note 4 is less than half even with a new battery, gets hot from easy tasks, and it feels much cheaper. It does have a stylus, and all the apps though. I think the market is just not that great for power users at the moment so we stay on old phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right . The lumia has an outstanding battery . I saw on GSM arena it had a score over 105h endurance . You just can't get that with android . Even something like a mate 10 pro scores over 10h less due to the power hungry os .
Hopefully next your will be better for power users .