Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Nexus 4 Review

anandtech.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 127 posts

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#91

Post by [deleted] »

colin_jack wrote: post #17
dagw wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you can't ignore the fact that the N4 is half the price of other phones in its class. I wonder why the phone is so much cheaper (both in absolute and relative terms) in the US than it is here in Sweden. Here it's exactly the same price as the SGS3 and the iPhone 4S and quite a bit more than the HTC One X.

I liked the fact they took it into account too. I did find this review of the IPad Mini particularly amusing: "Lining those pluses and minuses up against those for the Nexus 7 – which garnered four stars – there's no doubt that this is indeed a five-star device. The 70% difference in comparative price is more than made up by the difference in build quality and software selection" ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/technolog…

[deleted]

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#92

Post by SwellJoe »

Symmetry wrote: post #60
lawdawg wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are both cheaper plans available and you won't be locked in for 2 years. Both, combined, are worth more than the ~$300-$400 phone subsidy over two years that the telco provides.

And with T-Mobile you can get the same plan for cheaper if you aren't on a contract.

That's changed, unfortunately. Their "Value Plans" now also require a two year contract. They have no contract plans, but they are pricier than the contracted Value Plans. I was pissed to learn of this change when I wanted to switch to a plan that would allow tethering (I have the old G1 plan, which is unlimited data, but won't allow addition of tethering, and they shut down my ability to tether with the native tethering app or third party apps). Since I paid full price for a Sensation 4G less than a year before, in order to avoid a contract, it's pretty darned frustrating. And, let's be honest, T-Mobile is not a great network.

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#93

Post by omnisci »

k2xl wrote: post #20

So I've been looking at reviews of Nexus 4 all week. I have had IPhone for the past few years (3g then 4). I want to switch, but I don't know if Nexus 4 is the one to switch to... I don't quite understand the differences between Android versions of S3 and Note 2, but apparently this has a vanilla android version. What is the best choice? S3? Note 2? Nexus 4? What advantages do each one have over the other?

This is a tough one, and it really depends on what YOU want. What exactly did you like/hate about your iphone? That will help people respond to your question.

I'll tell you what I tell everyone looking for a new phone. Go play with them. Honestly, that is the best way to find the phone that you want considering most of the specs are similar unless you are a power user (ie, flashing new roms, rooting etc). Put the phone in your pocket, sit down, walk around with it etc and make sure it fits your daily life. This is specfically true for the Note 2 which is f'in huge. For me, it's size wasn't a huge deal and I returned my s3 for a note 2 last night. The note 2 is f'in awesome, but it may not be useful to you.

In response: S3: awesome phone, nice features, a few apps you can't delete (I had the AT&T version, YMMV) but overall a very nice feel. I really liked that phone and although it was large (4.7" screen), it was light and easy to use.

Note 2: LARGE. 5.5" screen..which is too big for most people. It also has a stylus (pen) that you can use to write on it and I really like that feature. however, if you have no use for that feature, don't bother.

Nexus 4: I haven't used this yet so I can't say much. what I can say is that it looks pretty bad ass and I'd highly consider it IF it had LTE connectivity. I live in NYC so LTE is all over the place and the difference between that and 3g is pretty significant. This, however, only matters if you have access to LTE networks.

Overall, I think you can't go wrong with any of the choices you are going to make. If you live in the states, and you are on contract, the S3 is going on sale at BestBuy for $50 on Black friday (2 yr contract required). If money is an issue, I'd almost think that is a no brainer.

To be short, just go play with the phone and see which one you like best. Everyone has an opinion, everyone has their own interests in mind, so the only way to really make the right decision is to just interact with the phone yourself. You aren't going to pick the wrong phone, all 3 of the phones you are interested in are pretty damn awesome:)

Oh and lastly, Youtube! Go search on youtube for the 3 phones and watch reviews.

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#94

Post by polshaw »

boundlessdreamz wrote: post #90
blhack wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will say that I just switched from a iPhone 4 to a S3 and it seriously makes the iPhone feel like a toy.

How so?

To me it is because of the sizes. 3.5" vs 4.8" screen is a major difference- the iPhone4 looks made for your 5yr old to play with in comparison.

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#95

Post by lotso »

lawdawg wrote: post #40
kenjackson wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it may disappoint many people who just want the best at any price, you can't ignore the fact that the N4 is half the price of other phones in its class. The price really is the killer feature of this phone. Ignoring OS, there are other phones that are getting much cheaper. Example is the new Lumia 920 that is $449 on ATT w/o contract. While it is $100 more expensive than the the 16GB Nexus you do get the follow…

I'll take a lighter device + $100 over 16GB + LTE at least until LTE is widely available in my city (which is probably 2-3 years away). But again, ignoring OS which is generally not a good idea when making a phone purchase.

The whole point is to compare the hardware to see how price competitive the phones actually are.

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#96

Post by bitcartel »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #71

Is anyone else slightly concerned about the glass back? Several reviews including The Verge had their back crack while testing it. For me that is the biggest concern. The nice thing about plastic is that it absorbs some of the energy from a drop or shock. Glass gets cracks and then shatters. I would have liked to have seen the same "rubber" back the Nexus 7 (by Asus) has. I would have alternatively taken Samsung's "c…

The Play Store is selling a Nexus 4 Bumper - it's like the iPhone 4 all over again. Why do designers always pick form over function? What's the point in having a great looking phone that needs to be bubble-wrapped?

Still, the good thing about Android is you can choose from many manufacturers. This new Sony phone is waterproof:

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-g...

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#97

Post by habosa »

I don't get it, so I need someone to explain something to me. How can the iPhone consistently blow everything else away in performance AND battery life, despite having a smaller battery and seemingly lesser processor. I understand that Apple had a time advantage by getting into the touchscreen smartphone game first but how has nobody caught up yet? I am a huge Nexus fanboy but it seems that the IPhone is objectively faster and more efficient, even with googles full efforts to keep up.

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#98

Post by socialist_coder »

Wow, it has about a 50% bigger battery than the iPhone 5 but has considerably worse battery life.

2100 mAH battery vs iPhone 5's 1440 mAH, but iPhone 5 can browse the web for almost twice as long.

How is there such a big difference? Or are these stats not 100% accurate?

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#99

Post by Steko »

martythemaniak wrote: post #4

I'm glad to see Anand focus so much on the price in the conclusion. A lot of the other reviews talked at length about lack of LTE etc, but that misses the point of this phone. While it may disappoint many people who just want the best at any price, you can't ignore the fact that the N4 is half the price of other phones in its class. The price really is the killer feature of this phone. I suspect there is lots of dema…

> you can't ignore the fact that the N4 is half the price of other phones in its class.

You also can't ignore the fact that in the US other phones in it's class are subsidized by $400 or more, upending this comparison greatly. Yes you're locked into a contract but it's not like Nexus 4 users get some special monthly rate. For some use cases being off contract is a god send, for most though, a subsidized iphone 5 or galaxy s3 is a better option at $100 cheaper (and a higher resale in case you want to break that contract).

Re: Google Nexus 4 Review

#100

Post by socialist_coder »

habosa wrote: post #97

I don't get it, so I need someone to explain something to me. How can the iPhone consistently blow everything else away in performance AND battery life, despite having a smaller battery and seemingly lesser processor. I understand that Apple had a time advantage by getting into the touchscreen smartphone game first but how has nobody caught up yet? I am a huge Nexus fanboy but it seems that the IPhone is objectively…

I am wondering the same thing. How is the iPhone 5 battery smaller and yet still gets almost double the battery life?
Post reply on HN