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Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

wired.com

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Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#71

Post by JackC »

lmm wrote: post #40
rhizome wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to wonder with all the tablet sizes whether we're in a period where the manufacturers have no stinking idea what people want.

Or people are different enough that there's a market for pretty much any size.

That's where I think we're headed. Just looking at Apple's product line alone for simplicity, take a look at how much the new iMac looks like an iPad on a stand:

http://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/2949/as-images.apple....

From the iPod Nano to iPhone 4S to iPhone 5 to iPad Mini to iPad to 11" Air to 13" Air to 21" iMac to 27" iMac, doesn't it seem like we're headed to a world where a computer is a thin display panel of arbitrary size with some electronics hidden behind it? And it won't make sense to think of them all as fundamentally different products any more than we think of, say, small pads of paper and large pads of paper as fundamentally different products.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#72

Post by mediocregopher »

rhizome wrote: post #22
marquis wrote: post #10

Yes, I want this phone but it's huge. Please google, someone - make a decent phone that's not the size of a giant's thumb. I guess they've done their focus groups and their whatevers and decided that people want more screensize but please for the love of god make a small awesome Android phone for a girl's hands and purse and european small-sized car with a tiny dashboard (because I use mine for GPS every-single-day)…

I have to wonder with all the tablet sizes whether we're in a period where the manufacturers have no stinking idea what people want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIiAAhUeR6Y&feature=yout...

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#73

Post by barrkel »

kareemm wrote: post #37

Does anybody else find it strange that in a glowing review of this phone, the reviewer included nothing about actually, you know, making phone calls ?

No. As our phones become more and more capable, phone functionality becomes less and less relevant.

I use my phone as a phone about once a week (I just checked by call log - I try to avoid giving people my number). If I'm making an outgoing call, it'll be via Skype, unless I'm away from home. Even for coordinating meeting up when out and about, I'll use Glympse rather than call.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#74

Post by thoughtsimple »

From the article, "Android has a new champion. The Nexus 4 ... is the best overall Android handset currently available, and it’s one of the best phones to be released this year."

And, "It’s as close to perfect as I’ve seen any Android smartphone get. But the Nexus 4 falls just short of perfection due to one major omission: It’s not compatible with any LTE networks. The Nexus 4 will run on just about any other cellular network outside of LTE (GSM, UMTS, Edge, GPRS, 3G and HSPA+)"

It doesn't work on Verizon or Sprint. So at least in the US, half of the cellular networks actually don't work with the Nexus 4. And it can't use AT&T's ever expanding LTE network. But according to the author, it is the new Android champion? The 42 Mbps HSPA+ only works on T-Mobile. The best you get is half that for AT&T with this phone. So mediocre speeds on AT&T. Nothing on Verizon or Sprint but decent on T-Mobile. Sounds like a niche to me. Only "buy it now" if you are planning on going with T-Mobile. For any other carrier, nearly any other current smartphone is better.

Can you imagine the reaction if Apple introduced a new iPhone at the end of 2012 that only worked on AT&T and T-Mobile without LTE? I'm pretty sure Wired wouldn't call it "nearly flawless".

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#75

Post by nuclear_eclipse »

moskie wrote: post #51

I have a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, and live in the Bay Area, so I currently enjoy having decent LTE connectivity. I'm torn about whether I want to get the Nexus 4. I'd really like to see some side-by-side comparisons of performance on things like web browsing, audio streaming, downloading/installing stuff from the Play store, etc. Does the increased speed of the device make up for the decreased speed of the network? A…

From my experience with having T-Mobile for my personal phone, and Verizon for my work phone, and living on the peninsula, I get far better data connection speeds from my Nexus S (which doesn't even support the full 42mbps HSPA+) than I get from my Galaxy Nexus on LTE. Getting a signal indoors can be flakey for each phone in various locations, but overall they seem to be pretty comparable on coverage.

I still prefer T-Mobile in end though, especially since I'm only paying $50/mo for unlimited everything...

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#76

Post by bmelton »

WrkInProgress wrote: post #25
bdfh42 wrote: post #2

Not sure there is enough there to get me to upgrade my Nexus S but then again mobile phones have reached a plateau of maturity for the moment and I can't see any "must have" features around the corner.

I think if I was still using a Galaxy Nexus, I wouldn't feel a pressing need to upgrade but I'm not so sure about the Nexus S. What version of Android do you have running on your device and if it is the latest (Jelly Bean), how is the performance ?

The Nexus S is quite sluggish with Jelly Bean.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#77

Post by eli »

marquis wrote: post #10

Yes, I want this phone but it's huge. Please google, someone - make a decent phone that's not the size of a giant's thumb. I guess they've done their focus groups and their whatevers and decided that people want more screensize but please for the love of god make a small awesome Android phone for a girl's hands and purse and european small-sized car with a tiny dashboard (because I use mine for GPS every-single-day)…

Totally agree. I bought a Galaxy S3 recently and my only major regret is that the thing is freakin' huge. I don't understand at all why this is desirable. Even in the rare instance where I want to watch a video on my phone, the slightly large screen doesn't really noticeably improve the experience.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#78

Post by larrykubin »

ch0x wrote: post #21

I'm having a terrible first world problem: I want to use both Nexus 4 and iPhone 5. It's literally making me insane. I currently own iPhone 5 but each time I read Nexus reviews, I want to get Nexus 4. I can't use both as I have just one phone number. Perhaps I'll get Nexus 4 and just switch the sim card around. That's terrible. ARGH.

I already have an iPhone, but am considering getting one of these with an extra number on a T-Mobile prepaid plan.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#79

Post by barrkel »

bdfh42 wrote: post #38
WrkInProgress wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think if I was still using a Galaxy Nexus, I wouldn't feel a pressing need to upgrade but I'm not so sure about the Nexus S. What version of Android do you have running on your device and if it is the latest (Jelly Bean), how is the performance ?

Currently running Android 4.2 - my UK network supplier is pretty good about piping updates to the phone. The early 4.1 kept eating the battery but 4.2 is OK as long as I switch of wifi when out and about.

Are you sure you're not on 4.1.2? The Galaxy Nexus, never mind the Nexus S, doesn't have 4.2 yet.

Re: Google Nexus 4: Nearly flawless

#80

Post by bryanlarsen »

eli wrote: post #77
marquis wrote: post #10

Yes, I want this phone but it's huge. Please google, someone - make a decent phone that's not the size of a giant's thumb. I guess they've done their focus groups and their whatevers and decided that people want more screensize but please for the love of god make a small awesome Android phone for a girl's hands and purse and european small-sized car with a tiny dashboard (because I use mine for GPS every-single-day)…

Totally agree. I bought a Galaxy S3 recently and my only major regret is that the thing is freakin' huge. I don't understand at all why this is desirable. Even in the rare instance where I want to watch a video on my phone, the slightly large screen doesn't really noticeably improve the experience.

The killer use case for large screens: make sure you're using Google Chrome as your browser. Then select "request desktop site".
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