Nexus 4 soon, thoughts current/prospective iPhone users?

[wedouglas]

Had high hopes for the NX4, but lack of storage and LTE is a killer.

LTE:

For those saying the difference between HSPA+ and LTE is only a few seconds....lolol. The difference is immense. Especially when downloading, streaming HD videos, tethering, etc. If you have LTE in your area, don't skip on it. It's definitely a feature worth having on your NEW phone.

Storage:

16GB max? this is a huge problem. Not everyone has unlimited data. Furthermore, google music is a joke. Poor UI, constant crashes, slow, etc. Oh yeah, it also kills the battery because its a streaming service. That right there cancels out the "amazing" battery life of the NX4. I'm glad i picked up the 32GB iP5. It's nice having all my music/videos/etc on me at all times.

I really wanted to give android another shot (RIP SGS2). I have heard nothing but positive things regarding jelly bean. The hardware just isn't there. Maybe next year

You say LTE is important for streaming HD movies and tethering, but go on to say that 16GB isn't enough because not everyone has an unlimited data plan. That is a bit of a problem, no?

If people don't have enough data to stream, why does it matter if they can stream at 50 Mbps? Same goes for tethering. I probably use many GBs of data per day on my laptop just browsing the web. Why would LTE speeds matter if I don't have the data to support it? It's a fact that most people don't have unlimited data and that most people actually have relatively low amounts of data.

As for the HD streaming, it doesn't make much of a difference. HD movies on iTunes, Netflix, and many other places do not provide you with full bit rate streams. On iTunes I saw an article that said most streams are like 6 Mbps for 1080p and 4 Mbps for 720p. HD just means resolution, not bit rate.

Aaaaaaaaand, the iPhone has a less than 720p screen in which you can't even see pixels, thus why would you even want a 1080p stream?

Aaaaaaaaand, with respect to content, the Nexus 4 can just download torrents directly to an Android phone. You may be able to stream your content fast and download from iTunes faster, but you have to pay for it while for HSPA+ people on a Nexus it's free

 

[onthecouchagain]

From Phone Arena:

"You might recall that this past June, a test done by PC Magazine found that T-Mobile's HSPA+42 pipeline downloaded data faster than Verizon's LTE service in 11 cities. In other cities, like Miami, T-Mobile's HSPA+42 service nearly beat Verizon's 4G LTE speed."

Your mileage may vary, of course. As Tmo user, I'm thrilled. HSPA+ is already pretty awesome on my Galaxy Nexus. It should be even better with the N4.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/LG-Nexus-4-to-roll-with-HSPA42-twice-as-fast-as-expected_id36129

 

[bigred7078]

The phone is primarily made out of plastic. only the front and that pathetic backplate is made from glass (which I actually don't believe) but the rest of is plastic.

Not only that there are ugly lines all over the phone and everything isn't fused seamlessly together. That detracts immensely from the user experience and premium feel of the phone. It will suffer from all kinds of problem from structural durability to dust building up anywhere there are seams. The iphone still reigns supreme upon further inspection

Dude... Just stop talking, you have no clue what you are talking about.

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LTE has been available nearly 2 years. The 4 and for sure 4s could have had it. Yet iPhone fans swore up and down it was not needed. Now all of the sudden it is?

Annnnd the whole time Android fans were claiming the iPhone was falling behind due to the lack of LTE... Now YOU say it isn't important?

Sure sounds like someone trying to turn things around...the same argument over and over gets old.

 

[onthecouchagain]

No One Is Saying LTE Isn't Important...

Annnnd the whole time Android fans were claiming the iPhone was falling behind due to the lack of LTE... Now YOU say it isn't important?

No one is saying LTE is not important.

Just simply pointing out all unlocked devices are sold without LTE (including the iPhone 4/4S). And that the tradeoff for LTE, which is nearly double the iPhone battery life, may be worth it, especially when you factor in the value for such future-specs.

The beauty of Android is the freedom of choice. LTE is still available on Android. No one is saying Android shouldn't have it. I've posted numerous times that while it's great Google's got their ducks in line with the Nexus line, they still have a long way to go in forging important relationships with carriers to release LTE/CDMA versions. That will be good for Google and consumers.

 

[Technarchy]

Annnnd the whole time Android fans were claiming the iPhone was falling behind due to the lack of LTE... Now YOU say it isn't important?

Sure sounds like someone trying to turn things around...the same argument over and over gets old.

More than that, Nexus 4 seems very iPhone 4/4S-ish in many areas.

HSPA+ Only
No removable battery
No SD card slot
No LTE
Glass on front and back
Flush front and rear
Exact same Height
Nearly identical weight

 

[bigred7078]

No one is saying LTE is not important.

Just simply pointing out all unlocked devices are sold without LTE (including the iPhone 4/4S). And that the tradeoff for LTE, which is nearly double the iPhone battery life, may be worth it, especially when you factor in the value for such future-specs.

The beauty of Android is the freedom of choice. LTE is still available on Android. No one is saying Android shouldn't have it. I've posted numerous times that while it's great Google's got their ducks in line with the Nexus line, they still have a long way to go in forging important relationships with carriers to release LTE/CDMA versions. That will be good for Google and consumers.

What is that, the 4th or 5th time you have said that same thing today?

Regardless, if you would read the post I quoted you would understand why I made my comments. But it seems you would rather just copy and paste your same soap box over and over again.

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More than that, Nexus 4 seems very iPhone 4/4S-ish in many areas.

HSPA+ Only
No removable battery
No SD card slot
No LTE
Glass on front and back
Flush front and rear
Exact same weight
Nearly identical weight

Lol true. At the end of the day though, it will be a very different device. I just can't wait for the hands on reviews/impressions. The verge video was really good, I can't wait to see more from them.

 

[chocoyo00]

What network are you on? I know HSPA+ is fast, so I'm not worried about that or the lack of LTE. But I'm moving to Los Angeles soon, and I'm kind of hesitant to leave Verizon right now because of how good the coverage is.

I think the Nexus 4 looks great. I'm only hesitant to get an iPhone 5 because I need transit directions.

I've been on Verizon for about a 2 years now, but I've had AT&T also and coverage has improved in the last 12 months. Every carrier is good on coverage here in LA, except for Sprint, their data speeds suck! lol

 

[Technarchy]

Lol true. At the end of the day though, it will be a very different device. I just can't wait for the hands on reviews/impressions. The verge video was really good, I can't wait to see more from them.

What I was alluding to is those points were used to hammer the iPhone 4S for being "lacking" and "outdated" and whatever...

Yet now it's all good in the hood because Google is doing it.

Take that same phone and put iOS on it...

"-OMG NO LTE. WTF
-No removable battery sucks, I need to be able to swap batteries and use aftermarket batteries.
-I can't survive with 16gb, I need to used a 128gb card for my music
-Glass on the back is stupid and fragile
-The flat back is not natural in the hand
-It's a brick compared to the GS3
-Why is it so thick when the GS3 is so thin. SAMSUNG FTW!!!"

Mind you, I think Google did a very good job with the Nexus 4. I've always maintained LTE is not critical. It looks like a very all around slick device...but then again I really liked the 4S so the N4 works for me.

 

[dalbir4444]

What I was alluding to is those points were used to hammer the iPhone 4S for being "lacking" and "outdated" and whatever...

Yet now it's all good in the hood because Google is doing it.

Take that same phone and put iOS on it...

"-OMG NO LTE. WTF
-No removable battery sucks, I need to be able to swap batteries and use aftermarket batteries.
-I can't survive with 16gb, I need to used a 128gb card for my music
-Glass on the back is stupid and fragile
-The flat back is not natural in the hand
-It's a brick compared to the GS3
-Why is it so thick when the GS3 is so thin. SAMSUNG FTW!!!"

Mind you, I think Google did a very good job with the Nexus 4. I've always maintained LTE is not critical. It looks like a very all around slick device...but then again I really liked the 4S so the N4 works for me.

People that said those things either had a superiority complex or were trolls who don't actually know much about tech.

That being said, I'm interested in seeing how sturdy the device actually is, given that both the front and back are made of glass.

 

[xak]

LTE has been available nearly 2 years. The 4 and for sure 4s could have had it. Yet iPhone fans swore up and down it was not needed. Now all of the sudden it is?

I said "wasn't very available," as in not widely available for use. It takes a while for a communication standard to become adopted and widely available, and thus widely used. I personally wouldn't have had any use for LTE until the iPhone 5 came out, because AT&T just added LTE to Sacramento right around the time the phone debuted. If AT&T didn't have LTE in Sac right now, I could have been in the market for a Nexus.

Anyways, no one is saying it is necessary. I just kinda figured LTE was basically standard now and am more surprised than anything that it wasn't included.

 

[Technarchy]

People that said those things either had a superiority complex or were trolls who don't actually know much about tech.

That being said, I'm interested in seeing how sturdy the device actually is, given that both the front and back are made of glass.

I'm inclined to believe two years later, that Google farmed some stronger class that what was featured in the 4/4S.

I wasn't concerned about it with Apple, and I wouldn't be concerned about it with the Nexus 4 either.

 

[iEnvy]

Never had I had that "love at first sight" with a phone other than the iPhone of course. I was seriously considering jumping the fence but the deal breaker to me was storage and no LTE.

With Android being on the open software end of the spectrum, its no doubt I would utilize more storage than I would on the iPhone. The lack of a 32GB version seriously puzzles me.

No LTE is sort of..stupid. Isn't the iPhone 5 it's main competition? Why is it that the Nexus phone has no LTE yet the SG3 does? I could care less what Android fanboys claim. Saying they can live with no LTE with the competition now utilizing it is the same as when people on MacRumors claimed 3.5" was enough for the iPhone screen.

 

[onthecouchagain]

No LTE is sort of..stupid. Isn't the iPhone 5 it's main competition? Why is it that the Nexus phone has no LTE yet the SG3 does? I could care less what Android fanboys claim. Saying they can live with no LTE with the competition now utilizing it is the same as when people on MacRumors claimed 3.5" was enough for the iPhone screen.

For the umpteenth time.... it's an unlocked phone. No unlocked phones offer LTE.

There may be carrier specific versions of the phone down the line that will.

 

[wedouglas]

The amount of data used by the average user is worth noting when considering the worth of LTE. Makes you wonder how significant LTE really is when the average data usage is only 2GB. Goes to show how little data is actually being used by the average person, thus the speed increase really doesn't make a huge difference. While it's true that a download or page may load 10x quicker in some cases, that doesn't mean you can read 10x faster. A 5 minute video clip still takes 5 minutes to watch regardless of how fast you download it.

In the end, the amount of time saved it probably quite insignificant with respect to how much time is spent on the task at hand. Unless you experience buffering or are downloading a large file, there is probably very little difference.

October 30, 2012
"Verizon, which was the first carrier to offer shared data pricing, said its average device used 2 gigabytes of data a month. T-Mobile USA, which sells unlimited data plans, said its average smartphone user consumes less than 1 gigabyte, but customers with the new Samsung Galaxy S III use 1.8 gig."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/30/3892378/whats-in-a-data-plan-consumers.html#storylink=cpy

 

[iEnvy]

For the umpteenth time.... it's an unlocked phone. No unlocked phones offer LTE.

There may be carrier specific versions of the phone down the line that will.

Hold your horses, theres no need to be hostile. I haven't bought an unlocked phone since the Sony Xperia. I didn't know unlocked phones didn't offer LTE.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Hold your horses, theres no need to be hostile. I haven't bought an unlocked phone since the Sony Xperia. I didn't know unlocked phones didn't offer LTE.

I wasn't trying to be hostile, but I am sorry.

----------

The amount of data used by the average user is worth noting when considering the worth of LTE. Makes you wonder how significant LTE really is when the average data usage is only 2GB. Goes to show how little data is actually being used by the average person, thus the speed increase really doesn't make a huge difference. While it's true that a download or page may load 10x quicker in some cases, that doesn't mean you can read 10x faster. A 5 minute video clip still takes 5 minutes to watch regardless of how fast you download it.

In the end, the amount of time saved it probably quite insignificant with respect to how much time is spent on the task at hand. Unless you experience buffering or are downloading a large file, there is probably very little difference.

Exactly. People keep pointing out download speeds of 10x faster on LTE, and no one is disputing that, but in real world usage, if a webpage on HSPA+ will load in seconds, the difference of LTE loading that webpage will be seconds.

Plus, the trade off of LTE for nearly double the battery life of the iPhone is quite worth it, in my opinion.

However, I do hope Google will release carrier specific versions with CDMA/LTE and subsidized pricing. That's how most people will want to get their phones.

 

[F123D]

If you're on T-Mobile, it's an easy choice. If you're on AT&T with LTE access, it's a difficult choice or just out of the question.

 

[iEnvy]

If you're on T-Mobile, it's an easy choice. If you're on AT&T with LTE access, it's a difficult choice or just out of the question.

Exactly... The Nexus 4 is such a great looking phone.. I told my girlfriend I'm considering switching and now she's going all Apple fan girl on me

 

[onthecouchagain]

If you're on T-Mobile, it's an easy choice. If you're on AT&T with LTE access, it's a difficult choice or just out of the question.

Yeah, I actually don't know how Google plans to really spread the Nexus branding if they don't release carrier versions. I know prepaid model is very slowly being adopted, but for all intents and purposes, people still go through carriers. If they don't see the Nexus 4 in the ATT or Veriz or Sprint catalogs and stores and websites, they will simply never ever know of them.

Time will tell. I imagine Google doesn't want to say anything about carrier specific versions to not hurt the Play Store sales? : shrug :

 

[wedouglas]

I'm not sure how much carriers subsidize non-Apple phones, but I think a device like this would sell a ton if it were near free.

 

[onthecouchagain]

What I was alluding to is those points were used to hammer the iPhone 4S for being "lacking" and "outdated" and whatever...

Yet now it's all good in the hood because Google is doing it.

Take that same phone and put iOS on it...

"-OMG NO LTE. WTF
-No removable battery sucks, I need to be able to swap batteries and use aftermarket batteries.
-I can't survive with 16gb, I need to used a 128gb card for my music
-Glass on the back is stupid and fragile
-The flat back is not natural in the hand
-It's a brick compared to the GS3
-Why is it so thick when the GS3 is so thin. SAMSUNG FTW!!!"

Mind you, I think Google did a very good job with the Nexus 4. I've always maintained LTE is not critical. It looks like a very all around slick device...but then again I really liked the 4S so the N4 works for me.

People keep forgetting that the Nexus phones are meant to be sold unlocked, whereas the iPhones are meant to be sold through the carrier. So not having LTE with an unlocked phone is a different story than not having LTE with a carrier-meant phone. In that sense, the 4 and 4S were behind in LTE (and their eventual unlocked counterparts didn't have LTE either). Having said that, yes, Google does need to eventually forge better relations with carriers to release CDMA/LTE carrier specific devices (like they did with the GN).

As for the rest of that stuff, the verdict is still out on whether going with glass is a good idea or not. The entire back isn't made of glass like the 4S was plus the center framing encloses the panels. But again, it may end up being a terrible idea if they are prone to shatter. I think people are glad Android devices are finally seeing premium build quality (HTC, LG...).

The flat back thing is pure obfuscation. A lot of phones, iPHone or not, were and are flat. The issue with the 4S, in my experience, was that there were literally no curves to it. You can still have a flat back and be ergonomic. The 4S was flat, but not ergonomic. Not to mention the screen was tiny (and still is, IMO). I got cramps anytime I typed for too long on my 4S.

You're 110% right on lack of storage options. Big mistake from Google.

As for the removable battery... that's the beauty of Android. Freedom of choice. Removable battery, and SD expansions, and LTE are all still available on Android. Of course, if you opt to go with another Android device, there are tradeoffs, but that's how choices work. They're not always easy to make. Hard choices are better than no choices.

 

[bigred7078]

As for the removable battery... that's the beauty of Android. Freedom of choice. Removable battery, and SD expansions, and LTE are all still available on Android. Of course, if you opt to go with another Android device, there are tradeoffs, but that's how choices work. They're not always easy to make. Hard choices are better than no choices.

You keep mentioning that that the beauty of Anroid is the choice, but who cares... that doesn't apply to the thread topic at hand. We are comparing thoughts on the Nexus 4 from iPhone users, not thoughts on every Android phone available.

 

[ReanimationN]

No unlocked phones offer LTE.

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone5#overview

You can get the iPhone 5 unlocked here in Australia and use it on LTE networks. Can't you get an unlocked iPhone 5 in the US?

 

[ixodes]

No LTE is kind of baffling...

There's nothing baffling about it. In fact the reason its not included makes perfect sense.

LTE is widely misunderstood because most people haven't bothered to learn what it is, whats required to add it to a phone, and market dynamics.

Google is your friend, ready to educate you in just a few clicks

 

[mattopotamus]

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone5#overview

You can get the iPhone 5 unlocked here in Australia and use it on LTE networks. Can't you get an unlocked iPhone 5 in the US?

Yes.