Concerns about the LG Nexus 4

[KAB2010]

Overall, it's shaping up to be a wonderful phone. I was surprised about how much I'm actually considering getting it. I only have 3 concerns..

1. Battery life
2. Camera performance, as the Optimus G is lacking in that department
3. Speaker volume/performance since it is on the back of the phone and could get muffled when laid flat or in pocket

I like the design of the phone for the most part, and the display should be amazing in person, plus instant updates (which is what has kept me from keeping non-Nexus phones partly). It should be ridiculously fast as well!

I may be one of the few, but LTE isn't a dealbreaker for me. I don't have it on my iPhone 4 and it's not available on AT&T in my city yet anyway.

 

[ixodes]

I'm taking delivery of an LG Nexus 4, right after launch.

It will be one, of a rather large number of Android phones I've enjoyed, thus my only point being that I'm fortunate to have experience with every Galaxy model, many Moto's, every Nexus, plus the early & best HTC's etc.

Therefore the experience I have with the upcoming Nexus should be very revealing & most certainly interesting. The only true concern I have is how new LG is to high end Androids. If they can produce a quality product that performs accordingly. I expect it will be quite nice.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Overall, it's shaping up to be a wonderful phone. I was surprised about how much I'm actually considering getting it. I only have 3 concerns..

1. Battery life
2. Camera performance, as the Optimus G is lacking in that department
3. Speaker volume/performance since it is on the back of the phone and could get muffled when laid flat or in pocket

I like the design of the phone for the most part, and the display should be amazing in person, plus instant updates (which is what has kept me from keeping non-Nexus phones partly). It should be ridiculously fast as well!

I may be one of the few, but LTE isn't a dealbreaker for me. I don't have it on my iPhone 4 and it's not available on AT&T in my city yet anyway.

1) Rated at 15.3 hours talk time, 330 hours standby. To compare, the iPhone is rated at 8 hours talk, 225 standby. Plus if it's LG's new battery tech, there should be more charge cycles available, so it lasts longer. This is the gain of losing LTE.

Maybe the LTE carrier specific versions will have a larger battery? Who knows.

2) I'm worried about the camera too. Time will tell, but early impressions was that the camera was only decent. I'm hoping Google's new camera software will help make it better. Either way, anything is an improvement over the Galaxy Nexus camera!

3) It could, indeed.

Other concerns I'd add:

4) Storage size. When are we going to see 32GB? And even that may not satiate the real power users who were wishing for micro SD. Though by now, they shouldn't be surprised.

----------

I'm taking delivery of an LG Nexus 4, right after launch.

It will be one, of a rather large number of Android phones I've enjoyed, thus my only point being that I'm fortunate to have experience with every Galaxy model, many Moto's, every Nexus, plus the early & best HTC's etc.

Therefore the experience I have with the upcoming Nexus should be very revealing & most certainly interesting. The only true concern I have is how new LG is to high end Androids. If they can produce a quality product that performs accordingly. I expect it will be quite nice.

Please post impressions!

 

[whoknows87]

your'e freaking me out with the camera now lol, I finally decided to make the switch , but your'e telling me that the camera might suck vs i5 camera? i really hope not

 

[KAB2010]

your'e freaking me out with the camera now lol, I finally decided to make the switch , but your'e telling me that the camera might suck vs i5 camera? i really hope not

If they used the same one as in the Optimus G, then compared to the i5 yes I would say it sucks.

 

[tech4all]

The camera is a cell phone camera...what do you expect full frame dSLR performance shot with glass worth thousand of dollars?

 

[KAB2010]

The camera is a cell phone camera...what do you expect full frame dSLR performance shot with glass worth thousand of dollars?

How about at least as good of performance as the top leading cell phone cameras?

 

[whoknows87]

The camera is a cell phone camera...what do you expect full frame dSLR performance shot with glass worth thousand of dollars?

well the i5 camera is a greaaaaat camera,, if the nexus doesn't match up to it I'm afraid I will end up going back to my i5 my phone is my camera

 

[tbayrgs]

The camera is a cell phone camera...what do you expect full frame dSLR performance shot with glass worth thousand of dollars?

Yes.


Alright, but seriously, that's a pretty big leap over 'decent'. I'd say it's pretty fair to expect it to at least come close to other leaders in the industry, considering it's Google's flagship device.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

I think the camera will be more than decent. Reviews of the Optimus camera were fine and the hands on reports from the verge today said the camera was improved from the Optimus.

LTE isn't a deal breaker for me with what you gain in return of a much lower cost no contract better battery life stock android fast updates wireless charging etc

 

[nickchallis92]

at £239 im blown away at the value for money

can someone please give me a reason why anyone would buy anything else?!?

 

[mattopotamus]

at £239 im blown away at the value for money

can someone please give me a reason why anyone would buy anything else?!?

if you are in the US, LTE is that reason as others have pointed out.

 

[onthecouchagain]

There are legitimate concerns for the Nexus 4, but I think this has to be said:

The beauty of Android is, once again, choice. If LTE, or SD expansion, or removable batteries are that important for someone, there are other Android devices to choose from. Yes, there will be different tradeoffs then, but that's how freedom of choice works! Choices aren't always easy to make. Hard choices are better than no choices.

 

[Tarzanman]

Its not a perfect phone.

Its only an incremental upgrade over the Galaxy Nexus
better battery
faster processor
more RAM
different (better?) screen

..but Google knows this. This is why the phone is $300. Sell your old Galaxy Nexus for $200-$250 and you have a cheap, contract free upgrade to the Nexus 4

 

[onthecouchagain]

Its not a perfect phone.

Its only an incremental upgrade over the Galaxy Nexus
better battery
faster processor
more RAM
different (better?) screen

..but Google knows this. This is why the phone is $300. Sell your old Galaxy Nexus for $200-$250 and you have a cheap, contract free upgrade to the Nexus 4

+ better camera
+ more premium design
+ wireless charging

 

[PDFierro]

I don't see at all how it's an incremental upgrade.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

The screen alone is a huge upgrade and the build quality too! Not incremental to me.

 

[onthecouchagain]

You know what else I like? Google releases all three devices at a time. They don't try to stretch it out into three separate events.

 

[Tarzanman]

+ better camera
+ more premium design
+ wireless charging

You're kidding, right? Please tell me that you're joking. Your reasons are horrible.

better camera - I hear this a lot (usually from iphone fans). Unfortunately it is still a cell phone camera with a horrid LED flash. More megapixels doesn't mean anything when the sensor is still half the size of your pinky fingernail.

more premium design - I'm not even going to dignify such subjectivity with a rebuttal

wireless charging - I have this on my HP Touchpad. At the end of the day, it is a minor convenience, but not really that useful. USB chargers are cheap. USB cords are cheaper. I can get USB cords at the supermarket. USB cords let me use and charge my phone simultaneously if the battery is dead. USB cords also let me transfer files on and off of my phone. I keep USB cords around in places that I might need to charge my phone.

Wireless chargers/pads are not cheap. Wireless chargers/pads are not sold at the drugstore. They do not let me easily use my phone while charging (if at all), nor do they allow me to transfer files on and off of my phone. All wireless chargers do is keep me from having to plug something into the usb port on my phone. i still need a cord for a wireless charger/pad, but this cord is usually permanently attached to the wireless charger.

Wireless charging is useful for a semi-permanent spot where your phone must sit... like the wireless charging stand for the HP touchpad, or a center console in the car when you have a long commute.

Wireless charging is a nice feature to have, but by itself, it is certainly not a reason to upgrade to a new device (even one that is only $300 unlocked).

 

[onthecouchagain]

You're kidding, right? Please tell me that you're joking. Your reasons are horrible.

better camera - I hear this a lot (usually from iphone fans). Unfortunately it is still a cell phone camera with a horrid LED flash. More megapixels doesn't mean anything when the sensor is still half the size of your pinky fingernail.

more premium design - I'm not even going to dignify such subjectivity with a rebuttal

wireless charging - I have this on my HP Touchpad. At the end of the day, it is a minor convenience, but not really that useful. USB chargers are cheap. USB cords are cheaper. I can get USB cords at the supermarket. USB cords let me use and charge my phone simultaneously if the battery is dead. USB cords also let me transfer files on and off of my phone. I keep USB cords around in places that I might need to charge my phone.

Wireless chargers/pads are not cheap. Wireless chargers/pads are not sold at the drugstore. They do not let me easily use my phone while charging (if at all), nor do they allow me to transfer files on and off of my phone. All wireless chargers do is keep me from having to plug something into the usb port on my phone. i still need a cord for a wireless charger/pad, but this cord is usually permanently attached to the wireless charger.

Wireless charging is useful for a semi-permanent spot where your phone must sit... like the wireless charging stand for the HP touchpad, or a center console in the car when you have a long commute.

Wireless charging is a nice feature to have, but by itself, it is certainly not a reason to upgrade to a new device (even one that is only $300 unlocked).

You listed the changes from GN to Nexus 4. I'm pointing out you missed three other changes. Nowhere did I make any comment whether those are worthy or unworthy reasons to upgrade. That's up to you.

 

[Prototypical]

The camera is a cell phone camera...what do you expect full frame dSLR performance shot with glass worth thousand of dollars?

I completely agree. The guys who get bent out of shape about the camera not having X megapixels or image stabilization or whatever boggle my mind. If you're that worried about taking top notch pictures, buy a REAL camera. This is a cell phone, not an artist's tool.

It's like buying a hot hatchback and then complaining it can't win Le Mans. Get the right tool for the right job.

 

[snow blind]

If you're that worried about taking top notch pictures, buy a REAL camera. This is a cell phone, not an artist's tool

Thank god i'm not the only one who feels this way! And those types that complain about phone camera f-stops and sensor size use them to take pictures of their daily lives and post it all over the social media apps. Do you really need a better camera on your phone to capture all that detail in your fixie's new paint job or buddy's ironic beard?

 

[flopticalcube]

It will be better than any cell phone camera made more than 2 years ago.

 

[Roessnakhan]

The only concern I have is QC. With the iPhone it is very easy to swap out at the Apple Store if there's something wrong. From what I've heard in the past, Google's support leaves a lot to be desired.

In regards to the device I don't have many concerns, surprisingly, I think it looks great, the specs are good, and the lack of LTE isn't that big of an issue for me.

 

[silentbob007]

Thank god i'm not the only one who feels this way! And those types that complain about phone camera f-stops and sensor size use them to take pictures of their daily lives and post it all over the social media apps. Do you really need a better camera on your phone to capture all that detail in your fixie's new paint job or buddy's ironic beard?

Yes. I want as good of a camera as I can get in my phone. Why? Because your best camera is the one you have with you. I don't expect it to match my DSLR, but then again, I will almost always have my phone on me for random/unplanned shots.