Phones Nexus 5/KitKat Reviews/Likes/Dislikes/Notes

[spinedoc77]

Looks like the nexus 5 has a lot of lag and can hardly keep up with the iPhone.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg&desktop_uri=/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg

"Honestly doing the boot up, app speed and browser test won't really make more than a split second difference"

So if you are going to boot up your phone and then immediately open an app and close it, then repeat that 11 times then you might see some utility from that test. Although I would say the test was kind of useless as the N5 kept up with the ip5s on every app until it got to one about half way through, so of course it was behind at that point. It may have just been one app that needed optimization for Android, or it may have just been one app the N5 was slow at, whoopde doo.

The grand difference was 17 seconds difference in about 2 minutes. So if you regularly speed through opening and immediately closing 11 apps in a row then you should add up all those 17 seconds you lost on the Nexus 5 over the years and see just how much of your life you wasted on it.

In real life, for the rest of us, this isn't an issue.

 

[tbayrgs]

"Honestly doing the boot up, app speed and browser test won't really make more than a split second difference"

So if you are going to boot up your phone and then immediately open an app and close it, then repeat that 11 times then you might see some utility from that test. Although I would say the test was kind of useless as the N5 kept up with the ip5s on every app until it got to one about half way through, so of course it was behind at that point. It may have just been one app that needed optimization for Android, or it may have just been one app the N5 was slow at, whoopde doo.

The grand difference was 17 seconds difference in about 2 minutes. So if you regularly speed through opening and immediately closing 11 apps in a row then you should add up all those 17 seconds you lost on the Nexus 5 over the years and see just how much of your life you wasted on it.

In real life, for the rest of us, this isn't an issue.

Yeah, and the Rdio app was the primary culprit in the later half of the test--so one third party app with crappy optimization means the N5 is a slow lagfest. If we want to go that route, heck, he could've just stopped the test after boot up saying the Nexus 5 is the better device because it boot up faster.

Point is, that test is in no way indicative of real world everyday usage so it mean's pretty much nothing.

 

[mattopotamus]

You must have a magical N5, because my N5 on the lowest brightness setting (I have BBM and exchange running), no WIFI, No NFC, Bluetooth, Gmail sync is off. This is the first day I am using the phone from the morning. Im at 60% with 1h 33m screen time. I also used slackr radio for like 30 min. Im sure itll make it through the day, but so far not impressed. Although I think letting it run for a few days to settle in will help out

Something there is not right. I am ending my day with 55% left, 14h on battery and 1h 45m screen time.

 

[jsw]

Looks like the nexus 5 has a lot of lag and can hardly keep up with the iPhone.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg&desktop_uri=/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg

Ah, the joys of cherry picking. The N5 was ahead at one point, and one could likely have picked other apps that resulting in a win overall for the N5. Or a win for an iPhone 4 vs a Samsung Note 3. It's all in the tests.

For me, the Google Earth demo was bogus, as I don't see that lag - and note that I'm loading almost 3X as many pixels while doing so compared to the 5S.

Still, if load times are all that matters, enable ART on the phone - it's much faster loading the larger apps, and it'll likely be the default in a near-future Android version. For now, the N5 running an on-the-fly byte code compiler as it loads is still keeping up with an iPhone running optimized-for-the-chip code. Pretty damned impressive.

I'm not dissing the iPhone 5S - I think the hardware is stunning; I just think the screen is too small to be useful. On a mini, it's a much, much easier buy for me.

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Something there is not right. I am ending my day with 55% left, 14h on battery and 1h 45m screen time.

I think a huge amount of variable drain is due to cell tower strength. My N5 barely loses anything while at work, with a string signal, and yet drains much faster at home, with very little signal.

This is true of all phones I've ever had, though. Whenever I go to Disney World, whatever phone I've had - including iPhones - drains faster because of the weaker/more overloaded signal there.

 

[MLAM]

Looks like the nexus 5 has a lot of lag and can hardly keep up with the iPhone.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg&desktop_uri=/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg

This video shows things are a lot closer.

 

[walie]

Looks like the nexus 5 has a lot of lag and can hardly keep up with the iPhone.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg&desktop_uri=/watch?v=UPk1B1bxUPg

Oh geez, you're posting in this thread now? How am I supposed to keep your "Crap on the Nexus 5" list updated now?

 

[spinedoc77]

Oh geez, you're posting in this thread now? How am I supposed to keep your "Crap on the Nexus 5" list updated now?

I think it's Ken Knotts in disguise.

 

[Dmaynard83]

It's just interesting take on how choppy the nexus 5 is. I understand there are a lot of fans but the video speaks for itself.

You can consistently see the frame rate is much lower than the 5s.

If you are denying the low frame rate is nonexistent then you are living in ignorance.

For the price of 350 it's a great device but not in the same league as other flag ship phones like the note 3, htc one.

 

[Ddyracer]

vm vs machine code. Next year with the art runtime this will be closer.

 

[jsw]

You can consistently see the frame rate is much lower than the 5s.

Actually, no, you can't.

 

[lighthouse_man]

Someone mentioned lock screen notifications, well here you go:
Dynamic Notifications

 

[walie]

It's just interesting take on how choppy the nexus 5 is. I understand there are a lot of fans but the video speaks for itself.

You can consistently see the frame rate is much lower than the 5s.

If you are denying the low frame rate is nonexistent then you are living in ignorance.

For the price of 350 it's a great device but not in the same league as other flag ship phones like the note 3, htc one.

Using my nexus 5 is a breath of fresh air coming from my iPad 3

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I remember when I had a Nexus S 4G it was the same BS; updates still took too long, and there was always a gamble if an update was coming at all. I understand why Samsung might have a problem with updates but Google...

Did you have this 4G variant?
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#sojus

The 4G variants were likely held up by the carriers anyways...

 

[siurpeeman]

my vibration motor seems very, very weak. i only know it works, because i can change the time length in swiftkey. but throughout the day when i like to have my phone on in vibrate mode, i can't really tell when it goes off. i'd hate to call in for an exchange, because everything else is great. ugh.

 

[blackhand1001]

It's a GREAT phone. Any complaints I have would be tempered by the pretty incredible price of $349 versus the specs it carries under the hood. I think my complaints are the same as everyone elses, the speaker kind of sucks in volume, the camera takes good pics, even good low light ones, but it takes a long time to focus and that makes taking pictures of my kid near impossible. It's also cheap but expensive feeling at the same time. The screen is beautiful, with the smaller bezels it looks super premium, but then you feel the all plastic back which while solid, just feels a bit cheapie. I haven't had it long enough to gauge the battery life so am not sure this will be a concern, but I think anything is better than the iphone 5s which is my other option.

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As far as performance, it's a beast. I had a LG G2 before, which is probably the top phone to beat in terms of performace. The N5 had no issues with all the games I threw at it. webpages are smooth and lag free. Video is perfect. The screen has less saturation than the G2, which is good IMO.

Games were loud on the speaker for some odd reason, which gives me hope that software can fix the low speaker volume when on a phone call.

Out of curiosity do you have the white version or the black version. My two friends have nexus 5's, one white and one black. The black one has a much different finish than the white one. Its a much nicer soft touch and the sides are different as well. Soft touch as well.

 

[appledes7]

My biggest dislike about my Nexus 5 is how long it takes to focus and take a picture. My girlfriend's year old iPhone 5 destroys the Nexus 5 in that category. Although the Nexus 5 does show less noise in low light than the iPhone 5.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Even though the OP got banned in probably near record time, and therefore probably was just trolling, as tbayrgs mentioned in his first post, the Android Central review is about how I felt as well. I seriously contemplated the Moto X myself, and still want it, even though I went with the Nexus 5. $349 unlocked is just to good of a deal!

If Black Friday has a good deal, I may still pick one up (unlocked of course). Based off what I have seen, may be able to get an unlocked one for around $200.

 

[spinedoc77]

Out of curiosity do you have the white version or the black version. My two friends have nexus 5's, one white and one black. The black one has a much different finish than the white one. Its a much nicer soft touch and the sides are different as well. Soft touch as well.

I have the black one. The finish is growing on me, although it still feels like night and day when I pick up my 5S. I'd say I'm pretty satisfied with the finish, I'd rather Google spent more effort on the camera and speaker.

 

[JaySoul]

So....

I gave the Nexus 5 a week.

There is so much I love about it but I found the camera and speaker deficiencies too much for me.

It's annoying, because the look, feel of the phone are great. KitKat is fantastic. I love it so much but I couldn't get past those issues.

Going to return it to Google and have since picked up a Galaxy S4 (used) for even less than the Nexus 5. It's in perfect condition and meets my criteria even better (physically).

I'm modding the hell out of it to get it as close to the Nexus 5/KitKat as possible!!

Sorry Google/LG - so close, yet so far.

 

[MacNut]

I always wonder about people who complain about the cameras on cell phones. If taking pictures is that important to you get a good camera. I don't care how good the cell phone camera is don't expect spectacular pictures with it. Nothing will ever beat a bigger lens and sensor.

 

[mattopotamus]

I always wonder about people who complain about the cameras on cell phones. If taking pictures is that important to you get a good camera. I don't care how good the cell phone camera is don't expect spectacular pictures with it. Nothing will ever beat a bigger lens and sensor.

very true, but there is a big difference between a good cell phone camera and a bad one. I have no desire to take professional photos, but I would like to be able to capture moments while out using my camera phone and share them. Some of these phones have cameras that are bad at even doing that.

 

[MacNut]

very true, but there is a big difference between a good cell phone camera and a bad one. I have no desire to take professional photos, but I would like to be able to capture moments while out using my camera phone and share them. Some of these phones have cameras that are bad at even doing that.

I agree that there are some pure crap cameras out there, but in general people expect was to much out of cell phone cameras.

 

[blackhand1001]

The camera isn't bad, it just needs a software update which google has promised.

 

[spinedoc77]

I agree that there are some pure crap cameras out there, but in general people expect was to much out of cell phone cameras.

I'd say that might be true if there were not other phones which did produce much better pictures, but there are. I don't think they are unrealistic expectations at all.

 

[mattopotamus]

Radom, but this is very light usage with ART so far today...no complaints