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Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

androidpolice.com

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Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#61

Post by CookWithMe »

roadnottaken wrote: post #32

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....

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.

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#62

Post by Irregardless »

eggbrain wrote: post #38

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?

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.

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#63

Post by lucian1900 »

randallsquared wrote: post #28
davidw wrote: post #7

> 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 Noki…

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…

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

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#64

Post by juliano_q »

eggbrain wrote: post #38

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?

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.

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#65

Post by jusben1369 »

mgkimsal wrote: post #22
jusben1369 wrote: post #14

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?

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?

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?

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#66

Post by yason »

csmatt wrote: post #2

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?

What does LTE actually offer? Just more speed?

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#67

Post by mtgx »

smacktoward wrote: post #52
davidw wrote: post #7

> 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 Noki…

> 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.

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.

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#68

Post by silon3 »

lmm wrote: post #20

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.

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.

Re: Nexus 4 Review: Beautifully Crafted, Premium Android Phone

#70

Post by macspoofing »

roadnottaken wrote: post #32

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....

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.
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