Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/11/07/google-nexus-4-review-the-beautifully-crafted-premium-flagship-phone-that-android-deserves/

by mtgx • 14 years ago

163 161 14 years ago

androidpolice.com

csmatt2• 14 years ago

I'm considering getting this to replace my Nexus One. However, the lack of an sd slot and LTE really has me hung up. I'd be using it on T-mobile, though, so the LTE probably won't matter for a little while.

I love the community support for Nexus devices and the only disappointment about the Nexus One for me was that I didn't get until it was already out for 6 months.

Thoughts?

EwanToo• 14 years ago

I've no idea what the bandwidth caps are like on t-mobile, but the google music streaming service is pretty nice on android, so it's not like you have to fill up the phone SD card with every song you've ever owned.

If you love watching films on your phone (something i never do), I can see the 16GB limit getting annoying though.

itp• 14 years ago

Bandwidth caps on T-Mobile vary from plan to plan. The $30/month prepaid option that many people are going with for the N4 offers 100 minutes of voice coverage each month, unlimited text messages, and unlimited data, but only the first 5GB of data is available at HSPA+ 42Mbps speeds. After you exceed 5GB your bandwidth is throttled down to "3G" speeds (but you're not actually cut off).

n-gauge• 14 years ago

Speaking as a Nexus 7 user (16GB version): I would say that this is the absolute minimum I would have on any device for that matter. 32GB would be some breathing space - for storing films and larger games for example - and would be what I'd go for in any future purchase.

I also have a 50GB Box account on the Nexus 7 which I use (mainly) for pdf storage which helps out a bit.

AndrewDucker• 14 years ago

I have a Galaxy Nexus, and I find I don't miss the SD card at all - if I want the data off of it I use a cable, and photos automatically sync over Dropbox.

If you _need_ more space than it comes with, then you'll want something with an SD card, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.

Frankly, at this point I wouldn't have any Android phone that wasn't a Nexus. So when I replace my Galaxy Nexus (another year or so) then I'll be looking to see what the successor to the Nexus 4 is. If I was buying next week I'd definitely get a Nexus 4.

Nursie3• 14 years ago

The only reason I like to have a huge capacity is to carry a whole bunch of music (~40GB) and/or some movies to watch on the plane.

Spotify is replacing the former use case for me (Google Music is currently not available where I am), but the second stands.

--edit-- Also I'm loving the phablet form factor, which is keeping me on non-nexus at the moment.

csmatt2• 14 years ago

Thanks for the input! After reading here and some other reviews, I think I'm going to pull the trigger on it. Although, I'm sure a 32gb version will probably be available at $350 in 6 months :P

galadriel• 14 years ago

Just adding to what others said, you won't miss your music collection if you use Google Music and have good enough internet. In my use case, I have found that although I have GBs of music collected over years, at any particular movement, I am listening to only very small subset of it. So what I have uploaded all my music to Google Music, and then made offline all the music I frequently listen; essentially the new albums I purchase and the older, favorite songs.

It works well because T-mobile data speeds are fast enough, and only time I remember missing my music was when I was on a long 12 hour flight, and really wanted to listen to that one song, and taking out my laptop wasn't worth the effort.

pivotal• 14 years ago

I'm in your exact position. Aging Nexus One that I plan on replacing, using t-mobile. LTE isn't an issue for me for a while, as I don't plan on giving my money to either Verizon or AT&T in the near future. My storage concerns were cleared up when I realized I have ~5gb free on my current 16gb sd card. Would both of those things be nice? Sure, but I doubt I will actually miss them.

yason• 14 years ago

What does LTE actually offer? Just more speed?

thomseddon• 14 years ago

After my blackberry died around 4 months ago I've been grappling with the issue of what to replace it with. I really enjoy my Transformer Prime tablet and am 100% sold on Android, but the major issue for me is phone size.

Why on earth is every decent phone so bloody big? Now, I've never had a "large screen" phone before so my concerns may be unfounded but I feel that as I don't carry a handbag/manbag and my phone resides in my jeans pocket 99% of the time i'm on the move, anything over say 80/90mm long is just going to become an utter liability with respect to falling out and/or breakage? That aside from the fact that anything larger than that must be a pain to lug around?

Is this something anyone else has struggled with? Are my impressions unfounded?

For now I'm sticking with my old flip style Motorola Razor (beside it has the totally brilliant "Hello Moto" ring tone :)

sciwiz2• 14 years ago

Tight jeans seem to be the only place where my S3 (4.8" display) gives me a bit of trouble.

If you are set on a smaller screen, look at the Moto RAZR M (or the RAZR i outside US). 4.3" display, where others normally fit a 4" display.

mike_esspe• 14 years ago

I worried about large screen too, but after getting 4.8 inch Galaxy S3 i can say, that my next phone will have even larger screen.

It fits into my jeans perfectly (and i cycle with it too). Of course, my choice of pants is more limited now, but I always loved big pockets.

potatolicious• 14 years ago

I tried switching from an iPhone to a Galaxy Nexus and I couldn't. Not because of the software mind you, but because of what you mentioned: the bulk.

I'm used to being to hold the phone easily in one hand, and thumbing through some random trivia on the train to work. I found this difficult, or at least precarious feeling, on the Galaxy Nexus because of just how damned big it is. I heavily disliked how the phone practically begged for two hands to be operated.

It also felt huge in my pocket, though I suspect it's not enough of annoyance to stop me from carrying a compelling enough device - but the Galaxy Nexus isn't that.

dasil003• 14 years ago

That's funny because when I try to switch from my Galaxy Nexus to my wife's iPhone 4s, I get annoyed with the smallness of the screen for reading, and the sharp edges are less comfortable in my pocket than the Nexus. I suspect it has a lot to do with what you're used to.

untog• 14 years ago

Agreed. I currently hace a 4.3" phone which feels like it is pushing the limits for me. That said, I will be picking up a Nexus 4- because the phone buttons are now on-screen instead of hardware the 4.7" figure is misleading. But I think a 4" phone is the ideal for me, sadly no Android manufacturer is interested in it making a phone that is both powerful and a reasonable size.

searbe• 14 years ago

The Razr I (or Razr M, depending where you are) is worth a look if form factor is an issue. The Intel processor in the Razr I isn't high-end, but I've not had any compatibility issues and games (Minecraft, GTA III, World of Goo) run fine - not to mention great battery life. Although I would personally go for the Nexus 4 if I hadn't already bought one of these - simply because it has great specs, is "pure Google" and is so darn cheap.

OriginalSyn• 14 years ago

I have a Galaxy Nexus, at first I thought it was big as well but it's actually "just the right size" for me. Any bigger and it was be hard to handle and any smaller and I feel like it's a phone for ants. I have it in my pant/short pockets all the time and haven't had a problem with it falling out and it's thin enough that it doesn't make an unsightly bulge. The only time it's fallen out of a pocket was when I was on my bike and it was in my cargo short pocket which I forgot to zip up, landed on pavement, and aside from a few scuffs it took it like a champ.

bryanlarsen3• 14 years ago

There's also somebody in this thread (Nursie: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4757840) who's not going to get the Nexus 4 because it's too small. After having gotten used to a 4.7" screen (and loving it), I'm inclined to suspect that if I got used to a 5.5" screen I wouldn't be able to downgrade either...

digitalclubb2• 14 years ago

The 4" Galaxy S3 Mini might be the phone for you. With the smaller size and packing the same punch as the main S3, it's a clever move by Samsung to cater for individuals such as yourself, at the other end of the market.

juliano_q2• 14 years ago

That's incorrect. The S3 Mini has not the same punch as the S3, actually it is much weaker.

"First off the Samsung Galaxy S3 has an Exynos 1.4GHz quad-core processor (1.51GHz Snapdragon dual-core for US variants), 4.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 306ppi, LTE (regional), 1GB of RAM and16, 32 or 64GB internal memory expandable via microSD to 64GB. It also has a very decent 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, autofocus,1080p HD video recording and the ability to simultaneously record video and images, along with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

(...)

The Galaxy S3 Mini on the other hand has a 1GHz NovaThor dual-core processor, 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with resolution of 800 x 480 and 233ppi, no LTE connectivity, 1GB of RAM, and 8 or 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD to 32GB. There’s also a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, autofocus and 720p video capture plus a VGA front-facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, WiFi Direct, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 and a 1500mAh battery."

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2012/10/13/samsung-galaxy-s3-v...

denniedarko• 14 years ago

The S3 Mini packs nowhere near the same punch as the main S3.

480 x 800 resolution vs 720 x 1280 1 GHz Dual Core vs 1.4 GHz Quad Core 5 MP camera vs 8MP

It's very poor value for the money in my opinion, not even matching the specs from the S2 last year.

xur173• 14 years ago

I had similar concerns when switching from the Nexus S to the Galaxy Nexus, but I'd find it difficult to go back to the smaller phone now. The slightly thinner build of the larger phones vs the Nexus S does slightly make up for it, but I do understand where you are coming from.

sixothree2• 14 years ago

If someone made a phone the size of the new iPod Nano, they would have my sale.

sixothree2• 14 years ago

Also, my mother is aging and the size of this screen would be perfect for her.

davidw• 14 years ago

> The other complaint I've heard is that this phone has a glass back, and it will break if you drop it. This is true, but guess what? Every phone will break if you drop it. Electronics aren't made to be dropped.

Say what you will about their recent problems, but Nokia made phones that were solid. I dropped them on numerous occasions without problems.

I've been pretty happy with the Samsung phone that replaced my Nokia (wanted Android, not due to a fall!) - it seems well made, and I figured I'd get a new Samsung when the time came. This looks pretty compelling, although getting one in Italy might be a PITA.

hayksaakian• 14 years ago

I've dropped my galaxy nexus plenty, and its still getting by without a kink in the screen or the body, albeit scratches on the corners.

EnderMB• 14 years ago

When I first bought my Galaxy Nexus I was petrified that it'd end up with scratches galore. I've dropped it a number of times and it's still great.

The first few Galaxy phones by Samsung were terrible and turned a lot of people away from Android, but they've more than made up for it with the Nexus and recent releases.

mikelward4• 14 years ago

My screen broke somehow when it was sitting in my backpack. Not the best construction ever.

darrenkopp2• 14 years ago

Yeah I've dropped mine a lot of times and the screen didn't crack, just got a few minor scratches. Then I got some new jeans that were a bit tighter than my normal ones and I cracked it in my pocket with a hairline crack going across the screen horizontally.

Direct blows = pretty good. Torque from twisting = damn it.

randallsquared• 14 years ago

All the smartphones I've owned (T-mobile G1, Nokia N900, Samsung Galaxy S2) have been dropped repeatedly onto floors, concrete, and down stairs. None had cases, and none were affected in their functionality by this treatment (even the slider G1!). The SGS2 is a bit dented on all four corners and the back and corners are scratched up, but it's never had a problem working. I'm glad I've had the good luck to buy durable phones.

lucian1900• 14 years ago

The G1 is possibly the sturdiest in that bunch, actually.

smacktoward• 14 years ago

> Electronics aren't made to be dropped.

And yet people drop them, all the time. So the philosophy of "build it as if it will never be dropped" may be worth re-examining.

mtgx• 14 years ago

It worked for Apple for 2 years, and I remember reviewers paying little attention to that aspect because of how beautiful it was. But I've never been a fan of the iPhone 4 build quality, so I agree manufacturers should prioritize using more solid, preferably non-plasticky materials.

silon32• 14 years ago

For me, HTC Hero is the most solid phone I've owned. I dropped it at least 5 times and there's nothing but paint scratches. At least 2 of my Nokias chipped the plastic at the corner on first drop (and not more than that).

I'm looking for a new Android phone that's as good as the Hero.

nickik2• 14 years ago

I have a Nexus S (Samsung too) and I have dropped that phone many many times (I like the Swing the phone between my Fingers). That thing is stable, sure the cover springs of and the battery falls out but it keeps working and the screen still hole too.

Good Phone the Nexus S.

mikelward4• 14 years ago

It's really easy to drop the Nexus S. The back is too slippery.

Lost_BiomedE2• 14 years ago

The problem is not so much the glass back as it is no removable battery. With a removable battery, when the phone is dropped, it ejects and takes the force of the fall.

jusben13692• 14 years ago

It hasn't caught much attention or focus but could this be the first phone that makes any sort of headway in the US against the two year plan/subsidy model? If yes, that has ramifications for the overall industry much greater than any one phone. Anyone in the US know how much you'd save on a realistic smart phone plan if you bought your own vs doing the two year subsidized model?

mgkimsal• 14 years ago

Not sure what you'd 'save' - any major carrier you want to use with a data plan doesn't offer any (at all?) savings on monthly service plans. Prepaid pricing sucks for data.

Do you want to pay $199 plus $90 month for airtime and data? Or $299 for an unlocked phone and... $90/month for airtime and data?

sciwiz2• 14 years ago

There are prepaid options for data from StraightTalk and T Mobile, below $50 for "unlimited", which seems like at least 2GB.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/31/thinking-of-leaving-...

silverlake• 14 years ago

T-mobile offers $30/month plan: 5GB data, 100 minutes ($.1/minute overage). Straight Talk is $45 for 2GB, unlimited minutes. $300 for phone, 24 months at $30 is $1020. Most phone plans are $200 for phone, $80/month = $2120. That's a huge savings.

Since the Nexus 4 doesn't support LTE, there's no reason to pay full price for ATT or Verizon.

dnissley• 14 years ago

T-Mobile does [1]. You can get 500 minutes, unlimited texts, and 2gb data (capped after that) for $50/month.

1 - http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/Packages/ValuePackages.aspx?pkg...

jusben13692• 14 years ago

Yeah that's what I was worried about. Seems like the only real benefit then is the ability to switch providers at any point in time vs 2 year lock in. So you'd have to be willing to pay a $15 per month or so premium for the ability to switch at any time?

akgerber3• 14 years ago

I've been using prepaid smartphones in the US for the past two years, and have been paying $30 or less a month the whole time. Previously the best prepaid phones on cheap carriers have been pretty low-end and carrier-locked, but the unlocked Nexuses have changed that, and barely cost more than new carrier-locked phones.

The Galaxy Nexus first was $400 unlocked, then went down to $350, and the new phone is $300; this being the computer industry, prices will only get better from here.

xur173• 14 years ago

TMobile offers some interesting prepaid plans (such as the $30/month 100 minute, unlimited SMS, 5GB data plan) as others have mentioned, but if you are looking for a family plan, they do offer some other interesting choices.

Their value plans do still require a contract, but you aren't subsidizing the cost of your phone, so the plan prices can be significantly cheaper: http://slickdeals.net/f/4793292-t-mobile-Value-Plan-100-for-...

jeffwilder• 14 years ago

This is the first Android phone that I'm actually excited about using.

lmm3• 14 years ago

My cheap HTC has a bezel that comes forward at the front, so even if you drop it front-first it's plastic rather than glass that makes contact with the floor. I've dropped it at least five times and it works. So no, a phone that breaks when you drop it really would be a downgrade.

silon32• 14 years ago

I have a Hero and it's like that. Part of the reason why it's so robust is that when it drops, it splits into 3 parts: the phone, the battery and the battery cover.

fudged71• 14 years ago

I've never been so conflicted between the choice of two phones before: Nexus 4 or Galaxy Note II. Although, I tend to trust AndroidPolice more than most other outlets in terms of Android expertise, and I'm comforted more by their assessment of the Nexus 4's battery.

Achshar• 14 years ago

For me at least, the nexus brand's long OS support time is more than enough to pull me in. The fact that nexus S got Jelly Bean sounds a very good reason to go for Nexus.

CrazedGeek4• 14 years ago

And for me, the expandable storage on (most of) the Galaxy series is infinitely more important than official OS updates (which Samsung is pretty good at on their major phones).

roadnottaken• 14 years ago

Not a single mention of how it compares to an iPhone. I know it's androidpolice.com, but it's weird to have such a long review without making ANY comparisons to the most-popular phone in the world....

gmac• 14 years ago

Agreed, the iPhone is a bit of an elephant in the room here. Particularly when the author waxes lyrical about how nice it is to have front and back made of Gorilla Glass (exactly like the recently-superseded iPhone 4/4S).

joonix2• 14 years ago

Apples to oranges. iPhone 5 is severely limited when purchased in the US: you can't unlock and put a different (overseas) carrier's SIM when you're out of country, until you complete your 2 year contract.

Unsubsidized, the iPhone is $699. Unsubsidized Nexus 4 is $350.

CookWithMe• 14 years ago

Well, the target group of android police is existing android users. So they naturally compare it to phones they use.

The same was true with the iPhone 5: A lot of blogs that are mostly frequented by existing iOS users didn't bother to compare it to android phones, but just the iPhone 4S. E.g. these reviews were talking about the "huge" screen of the iPhone 5 and didn't compare to the dozens of android phones with bigger screens...

But I agree, either is weird.

macspoofing• 14 years ago

The comparison is implicit. The review tells you what you're getting and it gives some downsides (No LTE, average camera). Essentially what it comes down to is the following: It is a well made android phone for half the price of the current top models.

darkstalker• 14 years ago

Why everyone has to compare to the iPhone? like it were a model to follow. It's like the Apple fans feel butt-hurt when someone it's stealing their hype. You can't do more than superficial comparisons, they're totally different experiences and app ecosystems.

yalogin• 14 years ago

This is the biggest announcement this year IMO. Google is finally playing to its strength here (really Amazon showed the way). They make money on services and so they want to cut the hardware margins as much as they can. This hits Apple exactly where it matters since Apple only thinks about making money on hardware. This is a significant change in strategy and could be the most important one this year. Will be interesting to see if Apple sees this and how it counters.

taligent• 14 years ago

Call me stupid. But I think Apple probably 'sees' what Google is doing.

And I really don't think they could care less. Apple has never been about competing on market share. They care about profit. And I personally this strategy by Google may be great in the short term it has the potentially to really harm the platform in the long term. Because what it has done is set a price point that transfers margins from the OEMs to Google. And with some of the OEMs already struggling that can't be good.

rimantas• 14 years ago

  > Will be interesting to see if Apple sees this and
  > how it counters.

How dumb do you think people at Apple are? And I don't see how it hits Apple — apple has been operating in low margin markets for ages, except that they have high margins and products good enough for people to pay the price asked. The dumb move would be to join the race to the bottom. And frankly, I am so sick and tired of the world where everything is paid by advertising that I am gladly paying premium. OTOH I think advertisers start to think what are they really paying for.

eggbrain2• 14 years ago

Am I the only one that finds it somewhat funny that a phone with no LTE, non-removable battery, no SD card slot and glass front and back is the most talked about Android phone to date?

timeshifter• 14 years ago

Why funny? Android is finally getting some hardware design love, and as a happy Droid 2 owner, I think it's about time.

lbotos• 14 years ago

He's drawing a parallel to an iPhone 4s and the negative hype Android users gave it at the time.

masklinn2• 14 years ago

> Why funny?

Because those are pretty much all points on which the iphone 4 was derided/criticized by the android community 2 years ago?

metatronscube2• 14 years ago

Yeah for instance when Apple did this design a few years ago it was mostly unacceptable among Fandroids and HN crowd. Now its good, because its Android. Its no secret that HN is heavily biased against Apple (and to some extent MS). I don't know, must be all the Google employees here or something. Its always interesting to watch how these conversations turn out. Its been getting a lot more noticeable over the years on here.

mikelward4• 14 years ago

According to The Verge, it was a choice between faster data on the one hand, and timely updates, better battery life, and lower price on the other.

I'm guessing for a lot of the Nexus's target market, and for Google, faster updates win out.

http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-do...

Goronmon• 14 years ago

Yeah for instance when Apple did this design a few years ago it was mostly unacceptable among Fandroids and HN crowd. Now its good, because its Android.

Or the people who disliked it when it Apple did it are a different group of people that like it when an Android phone does it. Or they see it as an acceptable trade-off given the non-subsidized price of the Nexus 4.

But hey, don't let that stop you from pointing out such a grave injustice.

nollidge• 14 years ago

> HN is heavily biased against Apple

This is absurd. HN is not a monolith. Every time Apple has a new product there's plenty of people fawning over it, plenty deriding it, and most people somewhere in between who don't care enough to comment.

deelowe• 14 years ago

"Fandroids" - really? sigh...

rafaelm2• 14 years ago

Please compare the price of an unlocked iPhone to the price of this unlocked, powerful phone. If you have more money you can go with the S3 or any of the other Android phones with all the features that are missing in the N4. The power of choice...

niklas_a• 14 years ago

It's in a different price range than phones with LTE and SD slots - $350 unlocked which is insanely cheap.

Irregardless3• 14 years ago

I didn't believe the specs when I first saw them. Those are some of the things that have always made Android phones a no-brainer over the iPhone for me. I've heard this phone still has huge appeal in the international market, but those are definitely deal breakers for a lot of U.S. users.

1. 4G tethering / hotspot is amazing and doesn't require an additional subscription on previous Nexus phones. 2. 16 GB (13 GB free) is miniscule today, especially for a phone with limited streaming capability due to #1. 3. Non-removable battery also means no extended batteries. One of the first accessories I buy is usually an extra or extended battery.

masklinn2• 14 years ago

> 3. Non-removable battery also means no extended batteries. One of the first accessories I buy is usually an extra or extended battery.

That's not entirely true, it's less efficient but you can get charge packs or battery pack "case" which provide USB power to the phone, either on the go or to top up the battery.

halefx2• 14 years ago

Are you implying that tethering is different on the Nexus 4?

juliano_q2• 14 years ago

I don't know if it is the "most talked Android phone to date". I think the Galaxy S series by Samsung have much more hype than Nexus (at least between "real" people that is not obsessed with gadgets), and I am pretty sure that the Nexus 4 will not sell as much phones as the S3.

There is a lot of controversy on the reviews because it lacks LTE. Apart from that, the only thing that this phone have that is not found in many other Android devices is the glass back. The HTC One X (lacks non-removable battery, no SD card slot) and the GNexus (no SD card slot) are famous devices that have this problems.

My point is that the "beauty" of the Android ecosystem is that you can choose between a lot of different designs and specs. The Nexus 4 have glass back, no LTE, no sd card slot and non-removable battery. Will it be more popular than the S3, that don't have any of this "problems"? I don't think so.

I am buying the Nexus 4 because I love the design, I love stock Android and there is no LTE in my country yet. I always really liked the iPhone design and hardware, but the OS and the locked ecosystem are deal breakers to me.

cryptoz2• 14 years ago

Well, it does have a barometer!

timrichard• 14 years ago

Not sure about funny; it's useful for a quicker GPS fix : https://plus.google.com/112413860260589530492/posts/jVJhPyou...

gridaphobe2• 14 years ago

As an iPhone user (4S) that all sounds pretty standard!

On a more serious note, I don't understand all the fuss about LTE. IIRC it's something like 20Mbps in practice, which is faster than most Internet connections in the US.

What is the use case for such bandwidth on a phone? YouTube already plays just fine with HSPA+.

CrazedGeek4• 14 years ago

I have been wondering this exact same thing myself. I get 16Mbps on HSPA+, and that's more than plenty for everything I do. I could sort of see LTE making sense in tablets (streaming 1080p on HSPA+ is definitely doable, but doesn't leave a lot of extra bandwidth), but I genuinely have no idea why it's (currently) important in phones.

Nursie3• 14 years ago

Potentially there's less latency on an LTE connection, so far as I can tell from a quick search. This could be useful for a bunch of stuff - playing TF2 via a tethered phone perhaps?

danialtz• 14 years ago

The best part is that they give you high speed LTE but with only 3 GB/month cap, and after that it caps to GPRS; at least here for vodafone.de

wbrendel2• 14 years ago

I went from HSPA+ on a Galaxy Nexus (AT&T) to LTE on an iPhone 5 (Verizon), and the difference is very noticeable, at least in my area of the US. HSPA+ was alright but still felt like a cellular data connection. LTE feels just like I'm on a fast wifi connection. It's probably the lower latency that makes it seem like wifi, not just the faster data transfer speeds.

endemic• 14 years ago

Tethering. If you're travelling a lot, tethering to your LTE phone would give you a relatively consistent, fast internet connection.

Aside from that, it's just another way for carriers to charge you $$$ for a feature that is only marginally useful.

jnsaff2• 14 years ago

The real fuss about LTE is that the total bandwidth of your serving cell is much higher and more people get "fast enough" speeds and response times.

No doubt that very few of the reviewers actually understand that and complain about getting not getting 50Mbps now.

philsnow• 14 years ago

Wow 6 replies here and nobody has specifically called out latency.

I have a verizon LTE device that I tether with from time to time, and the ping times I get to my home server are insane, usually around 20ms. When I tether on my HSPA galaxy nexus, ping times are usually around 100+ms.

Now this could be verizon vs t-mobile and not LTE vs HSPA (or some mix). Verizon is the only/main LTE-supporting provider right now, so LTE and Verizon are conflated in my mind, for better or for worse.

S_A_P• 14 years ago

I achieved a 56mbps lte download on AT&T in Houston. Average has ranged from 10-30 though

hnriot• 14 years ago

LTE is seriously fast, seriously low latency and makes the experience of using the internet (which is pretty much everything a phone does) much better. A slow connection is frustrating, a high latency connection makes me just not bother, but try LTE and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Use case is everything you currently do, but faster.

netcan• 14 years ago

Non-removable battery is a choice which a lot of people are OK with. If the battery doesn't deteriorate, at least.

No LTE doesn't affect people on non-LTE networks (eg all of Ireland) and isn't a deal breaker for people who mostly connect via wireless (eg all those people who are happy enough with highly restricted data plans).

If those two things contribute to the attractive price and/or design then for a big group of people these are good things. They still get a phone that works great at a low price without paying for features they can't or won't use.

This isn't the highest end phone on the market, but it puts a a lot of computer in your pocket at a price that people will be willing to pay.

What was the median price of a phone pre-iphone?

Corrado• 14 years ago

Honestly, I'm drooling over the newer model before the battery in any of my phones deteriorates to the point of being useless. I really like the option of induction charging (like on my Palm Pre) and not being able to change the battery doesn't bother me one bit.

Also, I like the fact that a sealed case gives lint/dust/dirt less of a chance to invade my phone. I have a Galaxy Nexus and I have to take the back off every so often to clean the gunk out of the speaker & camera lens.

nuclear_eclipse2• 14 years ago

> No LTE doesn't affect people on non-LTE networks (eg all of Ireland)

Eg, all of T-Mobile, which is the only official launch partner for the Nexus 4 in the US.

Lost_BiomedE2• 14 years ago

The worst part about a non-removable battery, besides no replacement, is if the phone is dropped. The battery usually ejects and takes the force of the fall. I have never had a phone case and have dropped my 3 droids many times without incident.

With case, you lose a lot of the sleekness.

kirubakaran2• 14 years ago

Well the difference is, you can just buy a different Android phone which is just as powerful but doesn't have these 'defects'. The choice is yours. With an iPhone, you either buy one "with no LTE, non-removable battery, no SD card slot and glass front and back" or you don't buy an iPhone at all.

wbrendel2• 14 years ago

The iPhone 5 has LTE and an aluminum back.

Edit: Not being snarky. Just a minor correction.

Shooti• 14 years ago

2011 called, it wants its 4S back.

eggbrain2• 14 years ago

But then how will I find a phone that doesn't have crap-ware preinstalled by the carrier by default, and allows a user to update to the latest version of the OS without going through the carrier?

jan_g• 14 years ago

I think that what many people forget is that Nexus line has always been targeted at developers. Not general public. At least that's what I've taken for granted since the first Nexus device. Yes, there are glaring deficiencies. However, it's still a very powerful device without carrier lock-in or locked bootloader. And cheap. Excellent choice for someone who develops Android apps.

Don't forget: average consumer has no clue about nexus devices. But they do know about Samsung or Htc phones.

lnanek2• 14 years ago

Well, that's part of why it is the most talked about. There's just pages and pages and pages about the SD card here: https://plus.google.com/114892667463719782631/posts/JAAMUzx1...

SCdF2• 14 years ago

Remember, outside of the US LTE is essentially a non-feature, so there are lots of people who don't actually care. Then there are the people who could use LTE, but find their current network fast enough.

I live in a place with no LTE, but honestly if it were to degrade battery life I'd rather live without it: faster network is always nice, but the current one is fast enough.

aristidb• 14 years ago

Due to faster download times it can apparently actually _boost_ battery life in some web surfing scenarios.

Not that it matters if your network has no LTE.

rplst83• 14 years ago

It may not be widely deployed outside the US, but that doesn't mean new devices shouldn't support the new standards.

Imagine if when Microsoft was designing Windows 7 they said "well, no one is using IPv6 right now so we won't include any support."

rafaelm2• 14 years ago

You forgot to mention that it's a very powerful unlocked phone at a $300 - $350 price point. When you compare it to the competition, of course people are gonna talk about it.

Besides, I think the most talked about phone award probably goes to the Samsung S3...

potato• 14 years ago

I think you'll find that most people were unimpressed when the specs leaked. Then the price was revealed ...

bencpeters• 14 years ago

The only "serviceable" camera and lack of LTE are deal breakers for me on what otherwise sounds like a pretty awesome phone. I really wish more android phones (especially high end ones) would realize that, after basic phone functionality and maps, taking pictures is one of the things that people do most with their phones these days and there's a pretty huge difference between a good and bad phone camera. After owning a HTC with a pretty terrible camera for the past few years and comparing its pictures to those taken by friends with iPhones, I can confidentially say that a good camera is going to be one of the first things I look at in my next phone...

teddyknox• 14 years ago

Of course androidpolice.com downplays the phone's biggest problem: No 4G LTE.

Sure the phone has better build quality. Sure it has more RAM and processing power. Both of those are important, but I don't think they're the biggest limiting factor in android's smartphone sales.

Right now I'm using a Verizon Galaxy Nexus with a custom stock ROM and kernel and I've had zero problems with speed. Sure the build quality could be better, but I don't think anyone ever bought an android for its build quality. It's the 4G speeds that made this phone better than the iphone 4S for a whole year before the 5 was released. I'm really disappointed in Google for not getting this right.

recursive• 14 years ago

For many people, this is not actually a problem. I foolishly got a phone with 4G support last year, but I have yet to be in a city in which it actually works. I try it every time I go to a new city.

You know what would be even better than hardware support for 4G? Consistent coverage for 3G service.

bookwormAT2• 14 years ago

I think it's unfair to say that androidpolice downplays the lack of LTE support. I completely understand if this is a big issue for you. But most people do not have access to LTE networks anyways, so isn't it understandable if a reviewer does not make a big deal out of this?

rplst83• 14 years ago

Most people DO have access to LTE. Verizon's network covers 250 Million people in the US, and their 4G footprint will equal that of their 3G network by next year sometime (2013).

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizons-shammo-well-fin...

TeeWEE• 14 years ago

Its LG... I used some older LG android phones. I dont have good experience with it. And the author says that galaxy nexus users should upgrade? Yeah if money grows on your back yeah. (thats a dutch saying :p)

jfb2• 14 years ago

That's a lot of talk about the clock?

akgerber3• 14 years ago

As Apple has taught us so well, details matter.

jfb2• 14 years ago

True. It's also seemingly a well executed clock.

nagrom• 14 years ago

With bluetooth and induction charging, can we now make beautiful, fast phones with no flaps to cover the ports? I've had two phones broken through water damage; surely the time has come for a manufacturer to add such an obvious feature to its high-end devices?

rplst83• 14 years ago

I'm sorry. I don't think the GNex vs. Nexus 4 decision is as cut and dried as this reviewer makes it.

Storage: The Nexus 4 has only 16GB of storage, with no way to expand (GNex had 32GB). That's a step backward IMO.

Screen: Yeah, yeah, yeah. AMOLED has fewer sub-pixels. So what. The blacks are blacker, and the screen is more vibrant. I know the color gamut is different, but the contrast is better. The Nexus 4 looks washed out next to the GNex.

Network: Sorry, lack of LTE is a deal breaker for me. Verizon LTE is solid where I live, and very, very fast. That may not be the case for everyone, but I'm sure as heck not going back to 3Gesque speeds. And for what features? A slightly faster processor? More RAM? and a breakable glass case?

Fahgetabahtit.

greyboy• 14 years ago

Is the Nexus 4 not a GSM-only phone? I don't recall seeing any CDMA bands listed in the specs. I suspect, then, adding LTE wouldn't be beneficial to a Verizon user, unless they didn't use the phone (right?).

thoughtsimple• 14 years ago

"Keep in mind this is an AT&T/T-Mobile phone. T-Mobile doesn't do LTE at all, and AT&T has just started their build out. On their website, they still measure it in cities; that should tell you how limited the coverage is."

I don't think AT&T's LTE coverage is as limited as stated here. I live about 20 miles outside of Boston and my town and the next town over both have LTE. And it is fast, very fast. On my LTE iPad I get over 40 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. In Boston I get about half that.

fam• 14 years ago

I've been looking into switching from Sprint to prepaid since our contract is up. From the looks of it, Straight Talk has the best coverage for the price. Anyone recommend other MVNOs over ST?

snogglethorpe• 14 years ago

Unfortunately the nexus 4 is also large, heavy, and made of plastic.

[And what's with the stupid chrome ('d plastic) strip, given that they were apparently at least aiming at a quality feel?! Why on earth do manufacturers feel the need to add tacky chrome "accents" to otherwise reasonable designs??? Guys: it doesn't make your phone look classy, it makes it look cheap.]

The iphone 5 really nails the physical phone; it's simply beautiful. Unfortunately it also features apple's wackymaps™... :(

chaitanya768• 14 years ago

Andy Rubin, who's the head of Android at Google, said that the point of this phone is to spread the nexus brand to a lot more markets across the world, something that they didn't do with the Galaxy Nexus. Keeping this in mind, they chose not to put LTE since only a limited number of users in one country would actually benefit from it. It'd be great if this phone would actually go on to be a huge hit, say, like the galaxy series. A lot more people would get to use stock android that way, and see how good it actually is.

Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

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