[DISCUSSION] Google Nexus 4 vs any other phone

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mark manning

Sr. Mod / Mod Committee
Staff member
Apr 7, 2010
8,143
13,986
Nusquam et ubique
N4 vs All Other Phones Discussion


Hey all!

I have been meaning to write this thread for a few days now and finally found some time to do so. Basically the name describes it all. This thread is meant to discuss our Nexus 4 vs any and every up coming phone all in one place. The nexus forum is going to be a very popular place once the phone makes it way out to people over the next few months. The purpose of this thread is to try to keep some sort of cleanliness and avoid the dozens of "Is this phone better than the N4" threads every time a new devices is released. Please keep all those discussions confined to this thread. Please keep it civil and remember no flaming or trolling will be allowed. Just a reminder I am certain the Mods will be enforcing this policy in our forum. Thank you all for your cooperation it is greatly appreciated :angel:



 
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Raul69.atl

Senior Member
Oct 17, 2011
987
141
city of angels
I guess this thread is not working.... ive seen a lot threads sayings nexus 4 vs ?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
 

FlukerFlakes

Member
Oct 17, 2012
21
10
N4 vs All Other Phones Discussion


Hey all!

I have been meaning to write this thread for a few days now and finally found some time to do so. Basically the name describes it all. This thread is meant to discuss our Nexus 4 vs any and every up coming phone all in one place. The nexus forum is going to be a very popular place once the phone makes it way out to people over the next few months. The purpose of this thread is to try to keep some sort of cleanliness and avoid the dozens of "Is this phone better than the N4" threads every time a new devices is released. Please keep all those discussions confined to this thread. Please keep it civil and remember no flaming or trolling will be allowed. Just a reminder I am certain the Mods will be enforcing this policy in our forum. Thank you all for your cooperation it is greatly appreciated :angel:

I love my Nexus 4.....but the only thing i wonder about is why did LG think it is OK to put the headphone jack on the top? My old nexus s has it on the bottom and it makes much more sense there.
 

Ratix0

Senior Member
Jan 9, 2011
194
12
This is two different category of phones, but Nexus 4 VS Note 2. Which is better at what and why?
 

sn0warmy

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2010
3,392
1,642
Boulder, CO
I guess I'll throw my opinion out there...

After owning the first iPhone, 3G, then 3GS I decided to give Android a try with the Nexus One. It was all downhill from there as I was completely sucked into Android. I then went through a few different android phones from the Nexus one > HTC Sensation > Galaxy SII > Galaxy Nexus > Galaxy SIII. I was happy with all of these phones. However, when the iPhone 5 came out I decided it was time to give IOS a try again. I lasted all of 2 weeks with that phone until i realized I really just cannot stand IOS (even as a mac user). But the one thing that made me hesitant in going back to Android was that the build quality of the iPhone 5 is excellent. It was better than any other phone I had ever owned.

When the Nexus 4 was announced and reviews were being posted on many blogs I decided to return the iPhone 5 and pull the Galaxy Nexus out of the nightstand to use until I could get my hands on the N4. People were saying it was the most solid and well built Android phone to date so I was getting excited for it. As of 3 days ago I finally have the N4 in my possession. At first I really liked it but didn't think it was THAT much better than the Galaxy Nexus. But after a few days of real use I have come to learn that this phone truly lives up to the hype. It really is the most well built Android phone I have ever used and it's the first Android phone that I really think can be compared to the iPhone in terms of build quality.

I'm already happier with this phone than I have been with any of my previous phones. It really is of superb quality and I'd recommend it to anyone.
 
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GeneralRam

Senior Member
Aug 13, 2012
112
79
I guess I'll throw my opinion out there...

After owning the first iPhone, 3G, then 3GS I decided to give Android a try with the Nexus One. It was all downhill from there as I was completely sucked into Android. I then went through a few different android phones from the Nexus one > HTC Sensation > Galaxy SII > Galaxy Nexus > Galaxy SIII. I was happy with all of these phones. However, when the iPhone 5 came out I decided it was time to give IOS a try again. I lasted all of 2 weeks with that phone until i realized I really just cannot stand IOS (even as a mac user). But the one thing that made me hesitant in going back to Android was that the build quality of the iPhone 5 is excellent. It was better than any other phone I had ever owned.

When the Nexus 4 was announced and reviews were being posted on many blogs I decided to return the iPhone 5 and pull the Galaxy Nexus out of the nightstand to use until I could get my hands on the N4. People were saying it was the most solid and well built Android phone to date so I was getting excited for it. As of 3 days ago I finally have the N4 in my possession. At first I really liked it but didn't think it was THAT much better than the Galaxy Nexus. But after a few days of real use I have come to learn that this phone truly lives up to the hype. It really is the most well built Android phone I have ever used and it's the first Android phone that I really think can be compared to the iPhone in terms of build quality.

I'm already happier with this phone than I have been with any of my previous phones. It really is of superb quality and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Agree with everything you saud. This is truely the first time Android has had a "premium" feeling phone.
 

publet

Member
Jul 10, 2012
14
5
Coming from a nexus s, the nexus 4 is a huge jump. I have read several posts/topics about all the problems people have encountered with the nexus 4 but I have yet to run into any of them. There has not been any screen yellowing, no speaker noise, camera problems, no overheating problems, etc. The build quality is excellent as stated in the previous post. There is a little flex in the device if you try bending it but there isn't and shouldn't be any under normal use. The screen is nice and crisp. I don't see any issues with saturation as some people disliked before. The battery life on the nexus 4 is better than the nexus s, which was plenty enough already. However, there is one area that the nexus s outperforms the nexus 4: the sound quality. Don't get me wrong though, the sound on the nexus 4 isn't bad at all but it could be improved. It would be great if we could get supercurio to add the Qualcomm chip to the list of devices that voodoo sound supports (if we could set up a fund for supercurio to work on this it would be awesome :D). Other notes: I really liked the size of the nexus s and I really didn't want to get a larger screen, but the nexus 4 fits great in my hand and I am very happy with the extra screen estate. Overall I am extremely happy with the device and I would highly recommend the upgrade for any nexus s users.

Sent from my Nexus 4
 
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demil7

Senior Member
Apr 26, 2010
82
22
I love my Nexus 4.....but the only thing i wonder about is why did LG think it is OK to put the headphone jack on the top? My old nexus s has it on the bottom and it makes much more sense there.

better with headphone jack on top when you're pluggin aux in car. and the whole theory of "headphone jack is better on bottom for keeping phone in jeans and listening to music" is a load of crap. there are many ways to reach for your pocket lol, and having the jack on the bottom doesn't make it more convenient
 

justFaisal

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2011
357
31
Nexus 4 vs Optimus G

Why do you think Optimus is scoring 7,000 compared to 4,000 of Nexus 4 in quadrant benchmark test? They both got the same HW!
 

pottersam

Senior Member
Oct 15, 2010
104
31
California
Droid DNA vs Nexus 4

I put this in another thread when I was trying to decided between the N4 and DNA.

Nexus 4 Pros:
-Unlocked bootloader, huge dev community
-Most recent software + updates
-Power button on side
-More affordable phone ($349 16gb) and GSM carriers are more affordable
-No Contract
-Resells well

Nexus 4 Cons:
-Touch screen sensitivity (doesnt register light touches, pinching+scrolling delayed)
-Issues with 4.2
-No LTE (yet, has Band 4 which is coming to Tmo soon and likely the new Google/dish network)
-Nav bar can take away screen real estate on the homescreen and some apps
-Light buzzing sound in earphone

DNA Pros:
-Taller 1080p screen, thin bezel
-Capacitive buttons
-4g LTE
-Mifare Classic NFC chips work
-Minimal amounts of software and hardware bugs, 4.1 is more stable

DNA Cons:
-Likely not to have as many ROM options. No S-OFF yet
-2 year contract! Verizon.
-1080p can result in pixelation or small icons in some games/apps
-Phone is more expensive ($599) and Verizon is more expensive
-MicroUSB cover (not a huge deal with wireless charging)
-Power button on top isnt the easiest to press, bad position too
-4.1 and won't get updates as often

Shared Attributes:
-Can be rooted, bootloader can be unlocked
-LCD Screen
-16gb Internal/No microsd
-Wireless charging
-Battery life ~4.5hrs screen-on time
-Great build quality (matter of opinion here, both are excellent in their own way)
 

chiensibut

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2010
818
83
Houston, TX
my 2cent is that why people trying to vs nexus 4 to other smartphones out there, with 300-350 to get unlocked phone, fastest updates, no contracts. They say you get what you paid for but to me Nexus 4 is an exception!. Galaxy S3? Note 2? Iphone 5? HTC DNA? best cameras?, best specs?, best battery life?, all those are nice phones! but look at how much you have to pay?.
 

KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
14,587
7,732
30
Coventry, UK
Nexus 4 vs Optimus G

Why do you think Optimus is scoring 7,000 compared to 4,000 of Nexus 4 in quadrant benchmark test? They both got the same HW!
That'll be because benchmarks don't really prove anything, just like a review doesn't mean anything if it's from someone you don't know.

BTW Mark, I've just added this thread to the Nexus 4 Complete Index with a note telling people not to create any more threads of that kind :)

Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
 

robstunner

Senior Member
May 13, 2010
4,416
625
Chicagoland
Im super unsure if i want to keep my lumia 920 or keep the nexus 4 (its still enroute to my home).

Basically for me it's Lumia 920 on AT&T LTE vs Google awesomeness on AT&T HSPA.
 

mark manning

Sr. Mod / Mod Committee
Staff member
Apr 7, 2010
8,143
13,986
Nusquam et ubique
Im super unsure if i want to keep my lumia 920 or keep the nexus 4 (its still enroute to my home).

Basically for me it's Lumia 920 on AT&T LTE vs Google awesomeness on AT&T HSPA.

In my opinion lte shouldn't be a deciding factor. While it can be nice for certain things, your typical daily operations of the phone i.e. facebook, emails, xda and what not, your not really going to notice any difference

Sent from my Nexus 4
 

osugsxr

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2010
844
47
Well the day & half I had my nexus 4 I enjoyed it. It did start to grow on me, but I ended up trading it for an iphone 5 32gb unlocked :confused: After about 5 minutes setting up the iphone 5 I'd prefer to keep my iphone 4s with the mophie case. (Sold this morning for $420)
 

germanj

Senior Member
Jul 27, 2012
85
26
Well the day & half I had my nexus 4 I enjoyed it. It did start to grow on me, but I ended up trading it for an iphone 5 32gb unlocked :confused: After about 5 minutes setting up the iphone 5 I'd prefer to keep my iphone 4s with the mophie case. (Sold this morning for $420)

Just so I'm clear. You traded a N4 (worth ~400$) for a 32G i5 (~800) and sold the latter for $420? Those are some messed up transactions sir.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
 

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  • 86
    I guess I'll throw my opinion out there...

    After owning the first iPhone, 3G, then 3GS I decided to give Android a try with the Nexus One. It was all downhill from there as I was completely sucked into Android. I then went through a few different android phones from the Nexus one > HTC Sensation > Galaxy SII > Galaxy Nexus > Galaxy SIII. I was happy with all of these phones. However, when the iPhone 5 came out I decided it was time to give IOS a try again. I lasted all of 2 weeks with that phone until i realized I really just cannot stand IOS (even as a mac user). But the one thing that made me hesitant in going back to Android was that the build quality of the iPhone 5 is excellent. It was better than any other phone I had ever owned.

    When the Nexus 4 was announced and reviews were being posted on many blogs I decided to return the iPhone 5 and pull the Galaxy Nexus out of the nightstand to use until I could get my hands on the N4. People were saying it was the most solid and well built Android phone to date so I was getting excited for it. As of 3 days ago I finally have the N4 in my possession. At first I really liked it but didn't think it was THAT much better than the Galaxy Nexus. But after a few days of real use I have come to learn that this phone truly lives up to the hype. It really is the most well built Android phone I have ever used and it's the first Android phone that I really think can be compared to the iPhone in terms of build quality.

    I'm already happier with this phone than I have been with any of my previous phones. It really is of superb quality and I'd recommend it to anyone.
    10
    For a Musician, a film maker, and a writer, this phone is completely useless and there is dozens of phones much better suited.

    - Can't use USB otg, - no $5 used cheap keyboard while traveling

    - Can't use external mic, that really sucks.

    - Can't edit video as good as the iphone.

    - Can't use SD cards as a musician to switch the card back and forth with a mac for super quick transfer of 30+ gig files.

    - Can't take the rugged abuse the people that use their phones for creative things tend to do with them.

    I am sure this phone is good for some but if you really need to creative I think you need an iphone, even iphone 3 blows this out of the water for recording and garage band, the 4s completely blows this out of the water in every usefull way but a few specs.

    ALso the screen sucks, it is way to big, I might as well get a ipad mini and have full creative potential.

    I can't think of anyone in the real world that would need this other than a gamer, and that I am not.:good:

    ---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 PM ----------




    LOL, the iphone is 10x better in everyday use, better size, one handed usage, huge support for musicians. You can paint on it, you can edit movies, you can have mulit track recordig with external mics, the battery lasts almost double, the construction is by far the best in the industry.

    ALso there is only one iphone so all the apps work perfect with each other.

    I can't think of a single reason android is even around except some people like to tweek settings and it made smartphones available to cheap or poor people - maybe the last bit is fair thou,most people can't afford an iphone.

    That's one of the most comical, ignorant posts I've ever read on any forum...EVER...lol. I could literally write a book listing all the reasons Android trumps the iPhone, but I won't do that. You know why?...because they would mostly be my opinions. You must either be a kid or a midget if the N4 is too big/uncomfortable for your hands. You have very specific needs for a phone that most people don't have...but I love your self centric attitude. I really detest people like yourself...you have made me lose 3 mins of my life just responding to you...haha. Go enjoy your baby phone and garage band...lolol.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
    9
    I'll start by saying my Nexus 4 has turned out to be far better than i expected. I ordered on the 3rd of december and I was in the 1-2 week bracket and reading the battery threads and fault threads I came very close to cancelling my order. In the end I held out and it got delivered 2 weeks from the day of order.

    I get through a lot of phones and my smartphone history started with the original iPhone which i replaced 12 months later with the 3, then the 3GS, then the 4, then the 4s. Between the 4 and 4s I had a month using a HTC wildfire s as a quick play with android. Probably due to the phone but my first impressions of android were not good.

    Purchased the 4s on launch day and was happy to be home. Within a few months I'd become bored of IOS again and got a great deal on the HTC one x in black (i kept the 4s as a backup incase I didn't like it). First impressions were great but I had massive problems with battery usage on both mine and my partners, dead pixels, poor build and fit and although I enjoyed ICS the quality of the phone and battery problems meant I hated the HTC and was relieved to sell it on eBay and go back to my 4S.

    A month or so later and I was itching for android again. I'd always liked the s2 in black and that was the phone i was looking at when the salesman persuaded me to get the one x. A deal came up where I managed to get a brand new unlocked s2 for £200 so went back again for another try.

    WIthin a day of using it I was in love. The iPhone went on ebay as I knew I wouldn't go back the the 4s. It was a brilliant phone on ICS in my opinion. I loved the physical option, back and home keys, the blacks of the amoled screen blew me away and had no issues with the colour accuracy. Battery matched my 4s too. My workplace leaves me with no signal so phones seem to use a lot of battery hunting for signal so 10 hrs in the building would kill the s2 battery but was great on a normal day.

    Then came the iPhone 5 announcement. I said I'd never go back but the hype always draws me in so I was there again on the apple website on launch day ready to put my order in. I got a black one delivered on launch day and it didn't last long. Like many others, mine arrived with damage to the anodising bezel and after a few days I requested a replacement. As ever, apple service was amazing, was offered a refund or replacement, they'd organise collection and even though they were sold out, they keep a certain amount aside for exchanges so would only take a few days.

    It was after a few days I realised what a waste of money the 5 was. The finish was getting worse and was clear a 12 month old 5 is going to look awful. Battery was awful with the screen on (probably sw judging by other iphone IOS launches) aspect ratio was awful, and being so long and thin was uncomfortable to hold and use. Blacks were bad on the IPS screen and the earpiece was so tinny it made phone calls uncomfortable. I also had a problem that it wouldn't hunt for signal, therefore when I lost it and was back in a high signal area my phone would still say no service and I had to go into airplane mode and back again to get signal back. I'd had enough and replied to my apple email requesting a refund instead. 15 mins later they sent a reply all sorted (again, you cant beat the service) I then went happily back to the s2.

    I then really fancied an s3 in black but was struggling to get a good deal, white or blue no problem but black were rare. It was a few weeks before launch that I saw the G4. TBH, being LG put me off and I don't think the pics do the phone any justice but spec and price meant when it became available again I thought I'd give it a go.

    I've had it 10 days now and I firmly believe its the best bargain out there in the tech world right now. How they can sell this device for such a small amount is unbelievable.

    The goods;

    -Build quality and feel is right up there with the iphone. Glass back and front is lovely and adds a quality feel and the rubberised edge feels nice too.
    -It's fast, iphone 5 quick in responses and makes my s2 feel very slow in comparison. The speed you can flick between menus and apps is lovely.
    -camera is just as good as the iphone 5 which I didn't expect. Instant photos and no problems in low light unlike my s2.
    -Pure android is much nicer than any other version I've used, clean just how it should be.
    -Battery life far exceeds any of my other phones, 15 hours a day with 3-4 hrs screen time and 20% battery left with ease. Not once have i plugged it in to top up to see the day through. I have the screen on 50% brightness and I'm shocked after the battery comments. Also, the phone uses hardly any battery searching for signal when I'm at work which is a bonus.
    -resolution of the ips screen is pin sharp, looks identical to the other halfs iphone 5 screen which i believe is also an LG screen if you're lucky.

    The not so goods;

    -I miss the blacks of the AMOLED screen, I prefer the over saturated colours and blacks although I can appreciate that this is still a great IPS screen.
    -I prefer physical buttons on the s2, it makes the phone looks lovely and clean but it's wasted display size losing the bottom section to buttons.
    -The camera lens does rattle at times which isn't the nicest feeling.
    -I'd like to be able to stick a memory card in but to be honest I'm sitting with 9gb free so maybe there isn't such a need with an unlimited data plan and the cloud.

    Overall it's surpassed my expectations and is the best sim free phone out there right now overall. I'll be tempted when the s4 comes along to go back for the AMOLED display, but until then I'm very pleased with my purchase.
    9
    First impressions, the One S is MUCH better than this phone

    However I am about to root it, and use it for a full week now, so will see if I just need to get used to it

    You must be completely blind and have autism.

    Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
    9
    I love my Nexus 4.....but the only thing i wonder about is why did LG think it is OK to put the headphone jack on the top? My old nexus s has it on the bottom and it makes much more sense there.

    better with headphone jack on top when you're pluggin aux in car. and the whole theory of "headphone jack is better on bottom for keeping phone in jeans and listening to music" is a load of crap. there are many ways to reach for your pocket lol, and having the jack on the bottom doesn't make it more convenient