The Necessary Basics for Nexus Devices

I have the Nexus 4, an awesome beast at an affordable price. Some limits of Nexus devices almost convinced me not two buy one, but I solved these with these necessary accessories and device types. I list general categories, you research find best for your needs and wants.

No FM tuner: I found Bluetooth receivers, small, in which you plug in ear buds, standard jack; several have FM radio.
Can't remove battery. Former phones I carried two charged batteries as backups which few folk do. Now it carry a portable solar power charger.
No expandable space, no SD card. I carry a1 TB external hard drive which creates own WiFi network; it fits in my shirt pocket.

No need to give brands, now you know the devices, you can find several by a search with Ixquick or SSL Google..

Earlier I had phones with FM radio real tuners, not streaming apps. Some radio stations dont stream., plus FM tuners dont use your data plan just use battery. At first I used a mini radio but when I discoveed the Bluetooth with FM tuner I had two functions into one device.

The solar power charger I have so small I plan to buy another. You can charge in the sun and with computer USB. After full charge either way when home I leave it in window light. It's always fully charged when I leave the house. The charger has wrist strap; I hang the charger out on my pack to keep it fully charged.

The WiFi enabled 1 TB I use to stream music, video, and movies to my Nexus 4 and 7 (second generation, WiFi); it can stream to 4 devices same .
time. Google wants Nexus owners to upload their own music to Google servers then stream to Nexus device. I dont like that. I moved the Windows document folder to the D drive. I have my whole D drive on my external wifi drive. At home it is one of two al synchronized with D drive. When I travel I take one; always have out of house backup. I can access fall my files, text, audio, and visual.

The small purse size rubber bags women use for their private travel necessities I use one all charging accessories. I use the Nexus 7 cable and ac for both 4 and 7, and for solar charger.Bluetooth and external hard drive have own cables. Now my awesome 4 awesomer.

General principle: think what you need and want when you go out in home city and in travels. Carry backup Battery or charger. That's minimum.

With the undivine intervention of some folk here, their instructions, and software I have a rooted Nexus 4 and Nexus 7. Nexus 4 specs say 17 hours talk time, I get 18plus.

The two Bluetooth devices I have

balanigga said:

Could you please post what BT you use for FM radio? Or send me a pm...thanks

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Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Bluetooth Stereo Headset with FM Radio and the NoiseHush NS560-11977 Clip-on Bluetooth Stereo Headset without FM radio. They are small enough so I have the second as backup. Both good for music from devices; I use the NoiseHush when I listen to music from device or Seagate drive. Both easy for phone calls. Hang up and music continues. Often wear Bluetooth, sit on front porch listen to music, my device inside the house.

The Sony Ericsson can connect to two Bluetooth enabled devices so you and friend can listen to the same music.. I prefer the Bluetooth you plug in standard ear bud. If you check Amazon and like stores you will find a fairly wide choice of devices. I'd rather folk research for own purchases. You know your price range, how you use it, where and when. I am a bicycle tourist, so size and weight important. A gram or two may seem unimportant, but when you're carrying cooking and camping gear, plus digital and other items needed such as tools it's important. I carry a max of 18 kilos in addition to my weight.

I remember when I carried a laptop, sometimes total of gear in panniers and handlebar bag 22 kilos, sometimes more. Pedal a hundred miles in a day with 22 k. Now my Nexus 4 and 7 have replaced my laptop for travel.

May as well detail what I use. I recommend them only for myself. You research and if possible see the item in a store even though you plan to buy them online. I carry the Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB with my whole D drive on it; it has all my documents, audio and visual files. The drive produces own wifi, with encryption. There are other brands, but price always an issue with me.

There is a wide choice of chargers. I have Opteka BP-SC6000 Ultra High Capacity (6000mAh) Backup Battery Solar Charger with Faster Charging EcoPanel (2013 Model) I got last years model because 1, I dont feel need to get latest if an older model works, 2, older models have more users to tell how well it works.

I had planned to keep my Nexus to a few years short of forever, but decided to get Nexus 5 end of year because it has LTE. I will keep the 4 as backup.

Camping teaches redundancy, backup. I carry an older dumbphone in case something happens to primary. I carry two Bluetooth, only one with FM (FM for fun not necessity; I carry them in plastic pill bottles to protect them along with cable), I will carry two chargers soon, ordered second today, and the Seagate drive. I carry all charging gear in one of the rubber bags women use for some of privy items. It helps I rooted Nexus 4 and 7 get couple hours more by use of Elixir2 widget toggles to toggle the CPU governors ( When not using much, Power saver, moderate use, Ondemand, and rarely Performance, but sometimes multitasking it's needed), toggling off and on Bluetooth, wifi, synch, nfc, screen timeout, screen brightness, Location, and GPS. Push near 19 hours, could get more if didn't keep Google Plus and Facebook active.. The auto battery savers don't fit exactly anyone's usage style, but manually turning off and on manually does. Takes little time, four minutes in a day. Elixir2 replaces 8 apps; fewer apps, longer battery.

Use what i use as starting, check other brands and models; it has to fit your use style. I can fit all charging, Bluetooth, and storage in shoulder bag along with first aid kit and two Spyderco knives, Pacific Salt and Ladybug Salt.(Nitrogen steel instead of carbon; they don't rust.).
Sorry about loquacious rant, want to be thorough about this. Most discussions here are high tech, but most non devs, even some devs, want practical day solutions.

I don't root my devices to experiment with roms and other items in Android system. Since I use Nexus i don't do it to remove bloat. There is no bloat, some apps of Google I don't use. I don't play games so game controller unused. Perhaps half dozen I dont use I disable. Google does provide that option, so no going into system and changing extensions to App.bak until know system stable without the app.

Helpful to carry digital gear trousers with cargo pockets and if you do wear suspenders, shoulder bags ( I get mine in women's departments, the more Spartan women's bags so looks like any M or F style. Women's bags have better arranged pockets. Small day packs useful too. In town I just carry first aid kit, emergency kit, and digital kit and accessories in pockets I carry my Nexus in an inexpensive Think Sense case and my Nexus 7 in a wallet, fake leather, phone on right side and left side the few cards I have to carry, state ID, Medicare, credit card, AARP, private health care supplement card, and drug plan card. All other cards are saved digitally in Key Ring (loyalty cards for stores, library cards and two dozen others).

Carry spare microfiber cloths. i don't put protective plastic on either device; they have gorilla glass. I dont have any scratches. Out I keep the 4 in the wallet, got at Amazon; saw one at Target, so guess most major stores carry. Think Sense case for N 7 turns device off when closed and on when opened, has loop for stylus. Yes, I can write notes on the N 7 screen (perk of rooting).

Every decade items I carry do more, are smaller.yet I carry work knives, old fashion compass, and three ways to make fire.

Some HTC phones have radio

rbgabriel said:

The removal of FM radio from smartphones it's one of the major faults of Google and reveals that they don't give a s*it about what happens outside the big markets.

My 3rd world country, obsolete and with a 9th world infrastructure can't handle streaming radio. I have 200MB/month of good internet (1Mbps). After a reach that, I have worse internet than dialup speed.
I don't know a single user of streaming radio apps here and I doubt that anyone would spend their precious data with radio.

After removing the FM radio hardware, not only Google pissed of thousands of users that loved to listen the radio but also the radio stations, that lost all these thousands of listeners.

Thanks for the tips. Will look for some bluetooth receivers

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I figure that in your country Bluetooth and WiFi important technologies. I recommend the Seagate Wireless Plus; it holds a TB of data.

Google peeved me off by not having radio. They make a powerful quality phone without some carrier skin on top of Android, with apps you may not use but can't really call them bloat, plus you can go to settings, apps and disable ones you don't use.