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Is the Nexus 5 now problem-free?

jaypeecee

Well-Known Member
Dec 14, 2011
112
11
Berkshire, England
Hi Folks,

I am seriously thinking about buying a Nexus 5. My question is - have Google sorted out the issues that caused some users to have a problem with this phone? I am aware of two problems but perhaps there have been more. The first relates to the sluggish camera and the second is battery drain.

All comments appreciated.

JPC
 
So true. Have had the phone since day 1. Never had the battery drain issue? No idea about that. The speaker issue is 100% solved by using apps if needed and the camera was never an issue for me but has been updated for those who it affected.

Buy with complete confidence. BTW...........the phone serves non tech peeps very well but it is in fact designed to accommodate those of us who love to unlock and root the device. Running roms, kernals, fameworks, etc and all the apps that require root.
 
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Thanks, guys. That's all very reassuring feedback. The Nexus 5 is actually for my wife, who already has a Nexus 7 tablet. She is keen to ensure that the Nexus 5 camera is capable of taking good snapshots and decent video. We are both of the view that any phone camera cannot match a dedicated compact or DSLR, largely because of the limitations of the optics.

We are familiar with the loudspeaker problem. I assume that was the same problem that affected the Nexus 7 - the buzzing sound. My wife had to return hers for repair and now the problem is fixed.

JPC
 
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The speaker issue is 100% solved by using apps if needed...
Hi lennydude,

Thanks for your reply.

With reference to the above, I assumed initially that this was the buzzing sound from the speaker but I'm wondering if it was something else. Was it, by any chance, related to the low volume when the phone rings? I understand that volume was also low when using a bluetooth speaker, for example. If so, it sounds like Google have corrected these issues.

JPC
 
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I would say that the camera still occasionally lags or doesn't focus in low light, but it's not bad enough to say that you shouldn't get the phone.

It's certainly a million miles away from the horror show that the camera was on initial release.

On the flip side, I wouldn't recommend buying the phone for the camera. If it's a camera you want first then look at the Sony Experia Z2 which is also a great phone.
 
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Google tackled the camera issue with a rollout with an update, and honestly I was an early bird buyer so I experienced the camera issue first hand, it was terrible. The cameras today are night and day , works just as good as any other high end smart phone with a super quick shutter and pretty good color reproduction.

However the battery issue is just as bad, maybe even worse then my early days with the nexus. 2,300MaH just doesn't cut it and I have been having a lot of trouble making it through a day of use. They have been talking about addressing this for months, and I feel its just something that will plaque the nexus for the rest of its shelf life.

Other then the battery issue the nexus 5 is the best phone on the planet IMO, everything else just jives and works so well and in such harmony. But if strong battery life is a pet peeve of yours and something you need, get prepared to be looking for outlets in the middle of the day to charge if your a heavy user.
 
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@sean76
sorry that you had such a horrible battery life with nexus 5. but the solution was there. any custom kernel would have given you great battery life. you did not even need any custom rom, could have used the stock rom. half the mods and guides of this forum that have nexus 5 have no idea what to do with their extended battery life! they are hitting 5~6 hours of screen on time sometimes 7! i am getting on board after this update.
 
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@sean76
sorry that you had such a horrible battery life with nexus 5. but the solution was there. any custom kernel would have given you great battery life. you did not even need any custom rom, could have used the stock rom. half the mods and guides of this forum that have nexus 5 have no idea what to do with their extended battery life! they are hitting 5~6 hours of screen on time sometimes 7! i am getting on board after this update.

If you're interested in root we can certainly help you out there. Just don't expect a magic bullet with battery life. While its true custom kernels offer significant improvements over stock, there are larger forces that can have a negative effect on battery life (screen brightness, cell signal, what radios are powered on, ect)
 
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i understand that. most of those tweaks are enabled by default in custom kernels. regardless of a user's uses pattern (which is constant in both scenario) it will be better on a custom kernel. if i am a heavy user with 2 hours screen on time i have a better chance to hit 2.5 hours on a custom kernel thats my point. if i think i'll get 6 hours i deserve an iphone.
 
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Bought my Nexus 5 from the Play Store the very moment Google posted them for sale on day one. It turned out to be such a great phone my wife asked me to buy her one to replace her iPhone 5S. I was shocked since she has small hands and only used iPhone's in the past.

Now several months later I've bought three more for a total of five Nexus 5's in my family. Since I'm the guy that maintains all our computers and smartphones, I'm happy to report that each of these have been completely trouble free.
 
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If you're interested in root we can certainly help you out there. Just don't expect a magic bullet with battery life. While its true custom kernels offer significant improvements over stock, there are larger forces that can have a negative effect on battery life (screen brightness, cell signal, what radios are powered on, ect)

One thing that definitely murders the battery is maintaining an active Google Glass connection. Easily cuts the battery life in half or worse.
 
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Thanks, folks, for all the additional feedback. It all sounds very good.

Has anyone got 4.4.3 yet? If so, anything to report? If battery drain is an issue, looks like I will need to go to work with my Android battery toolkit - BBS and GSam. But, rooting is out of the question on a brand new phone.

JPC

The battery drain, while it is a problem, is not a major one for me because it only ever seemed to happen if I opened the camera from within another app, like Facebook Messenger for example. And I only ever opened the camera from within fb messenger by mistake, instead of tapping gallery when I wanted to share a photo. So it's not like it was happening all the time for me.
 
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The battery drain, while it is a problem, is not a major one for me because it only ever seemed to happen if I opened the camera from within another app, like Facebook Messenger for example. And I only ever opened the camera from within fb messenger by mistake, instead of tapping gallery when I wanted to share a photo. So it's not like it was happening all the time for me.
That's interesting. I think the only thing I open the camera with (other than the camera app) is evernote and go sms. Maybe I should take the pics with the camera and insert from the gallery instead. I'll do that in the future.
 
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Me again!

Apparently, some people have had a problem with the Nexus 5 screen cracking. All the reports I've read seem to be from users who have either dropped their Nexus 5 or had it in a pocket.

If any phone is dropped, depending from what height and onto what surface, there will obviously be a possibility of a damaged screen. And keeping a phone in a pair of jeans, be it front or back pocket, can subject the screen to large forces.

Has anyone experienced a cracked screen on the Nexus 5?

JPC
 
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