The Verge LG Nexus 4 Review

g_patrick15 · Nov 2, 2012

EDIT: Reviews flowing in! Mods, can we have this thread renamed? Official Nexus 4 Review Thread?

Google Nexus 4 review | The Verge

http://updates.gizmodo.com/post/34831233868/google-nexus-4-review-yes-you-want-this-phone-by

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-4-review/

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/11/google-nexus-4/

MT Rotor · Nov 2, 2012

Just got done watching the review on youtube...Im diggin the glass, and cant wait to get my hands on one...tmobile here I come...

sean76 · Nov 2, 2012

MT Rotor said:
Just got done watching the review on youtube...Im diggin the glass, and cant wait to get my hands on one...tmobile here I come...

I like glass, however it definitely can't be dropped! Best bet will be a Diztronic case or the OEM bumper from Google that will be available with the launch of the phone.

MT Rotor · Nov 2, 2012

sean76 said:
I like glass, however it definitely can't be dropped! Best bet will be a Diztronic case or the OEM bumper from Google that will be available with the launch of the phone.

I know right, watch the unboxing video (T3 Is the username) she has a phone stand,..I wanna find one too

AndroidifyMe · Nov 2, 2012

You never hear about the iPhone and it's had glass on both sides for a minute now. Why are they making it a big deal like it's something new? Just be careful. I mean phones that don't have glass on the back break. Get a case then. Not sure what to say to most people. If anything LTE is more of an issue, but not for me personally.

tsilvernail · Nov 2, 2012

AndroidifyMe said:
You never hear about the iPhone and it's had glass on both sides for a minute now. Why are they making it a big deal like it's something new? Just be careful. I mean phones that don't have glass on the back break. Get a case then. Not sure what to say to most people. If anything LTE is more of an issue, but not for me personally.

to be fair, Apple got away from that with the iphone 5. Also, if memory serves me correctly people couldn't stop complaining about it, after the 4 launched. I believe thats why Apple released the bumber for it (or maybe that was the antenna issue, i can't remember).

I do agree about the glass though, Its a non issue in my book. I've had an Iphone for a while, never broke, even through multiple drops. I had a droid incredible for 4 months and the front screen cracked while it was in my pocked (blunt for trauma to the leg from a car fascia)...moral of the story, Glass or no glass, stuff happens!

Bnice · Nov 3, 2012

I think the iPhone 5 still has a glass back. It's funny how different some of the reviews are. I remember the verge guy was praising the iPhone 4/4s with the glass back and no 4g, but now he find faults when another phone offers the same.

sean76 · Nov 3, 2012

Bnice said:
I think the iPhone 5 still has a glass back. It's funny how different some of the reviews are. I remember the verge guy was praising the iPhone 4/4s with the glass back and no 4g, but now he find faults when another phone offers the same.

I have an iphone 5 (white) no Glass here, and made extremely well! I honestly think the LG will made very well also, just can't drop it , and honestly dropping any phone these days is going cause some Havoc!

MartinS · Nov 3, 2012

Too much emphasis on none LTE. Obviously I don't care about LTE here in the UK as it is in its infancy however I'm sure an LTE version will come (later on just like the GNex).

sean76 · Nov 3, 2012

MartinS said:
Too much emphasis on none LTE. Obviously I don't care about LTE here in the UK as it is in its infancy however I'm sure an LTE version will come (later on just like the GNex).

I don't feel like its too much emphasis at all! You have a lot of people that live out here in the states that have LTE speeds at their fingertips. I mean If someone gave you a Porsche 911 Turbo, and then said Ok were going to be taking back the Porsche, however we have this really souped up mini van that is all decked out from top to bottom, you'd be like WTF...I want to keep the Porsche.

JunBringer · Nov 3, 2012

I don't feel any hesitation in saying that the pure Android 4.2 experience is — at least in my estimation — the most advanced mobile operating system on the market.

^Josh Topolsky / The Verge

I was surprised he's willing to make that statement, but also glad. Looks like I'm selling my Note LTE for this and early next year hopefully they'll have a 64GB Note 2 that I can use back and forth with the Nexus 4.

MartinS said:
Too much emphasis on none LTE. Obviously I don't care about LTE here in the UK as it is in its infancy however I'm sure an LTE version will come (later on just like the GNex).

I use LTE right now and I'm fine with just using hspa+. It's worth it to me to have the unlocked version right from Google. Also I understand all the BS they want to avoid by not putting LTE inside, since everyone uses different frequencies and they don't seem to make one LTE chip that will use all of them.

MT Rotor · Nov 3, 2012

sean76 said:
I don't feel like its too much emphasis at all! You have a lot of people that live out here in the states that have LTE speeds at their fingertips. I mean If someone gave you a Porsche 911 Turbo, and then said Ok were going to be taking back the Porsche, however we have this really souped up mini van that is all decked out from top to bottom, you'd be like WTF...I want to keep the Porsche.

Unless the van has a helicopter turbine engine,than its a win win situation, just Picture sliding the doors open while going 200+ mph,..now your going to see some serious sh*t

Woosh · Nov 3, 2012

sean76 said:
I don't feel like its too much emphasis at all! You have a lot of people that live out here in the states that have LTE speeds at their fingertips. I mean If someone gave you a Porsche 911 Turbo, and then said Ok were going to be taking back the Porsche, however we have this really souped up mini van that is all decked out from top to bottom, you'd be like WTF...I want to keep the Porsche.

Doesn't matter, most the world have no lte at all. Not to mention the there are crazy amount of holes even in Verizon's network. Lte is the future its not the present.

Its not like this thing is being brought to a network with no lte. Its unlocked and meant to be that way to take full advantage of the world. If this was being sold on an lte network then it might be an issue but it is what it is.

Lte at this point is an added feature and a bit of a pointless one for quite a bit now.

sean76 · Nov 3, 2012

Woosh said:
Doesn't matter, most the world have no lte at all. Not to mention the there are crazy amount of holes even in Verizon's network. Lte is the future its not the present.

Its not like this thing is being brought to a network with no lte. Its unlocked and meant to be that way to take full advantage of the world. If this was being sold on an lte network then it might be an issue but it is what it is.

Lte at this point is an added feature and a bit of a pointless one for quite a bit now.

Lol... Sorry man, I enjoy speeds on LTE that are faster then most people's home wifi networks here in NYC and pretty much all the 5 boroughs. So for me that's not really pointless.

Pappy35 · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
I don't feel like its too much emphasis at all! You have a lot of people that live out here in the states that have LTE speeds at their fingertips. I mean If someone gave you a Porsche 911 Turbo, and then said Ok were going to be taking back the Porsche, however we have this really souped up mini van that is all decked out from top to bottom, you'd be like WTF...I want to keep the Porsche.

And the point of having a car that can do 3x the speed limit is???

Not trying to razz you,I completely understand the desire to have the speed, but I think the vast majority of people that have LTE phones wouldn't notice the difference in day-to-Day use. I would but don't care as my needs are met with my current phone's 4G connection. I briefly had an S3 and thought it was neat but something I could live without.

Woosh · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
Lol... Sorry man, I enjoy speeds on LTE that are faster then most people's home wifi networks here in NYC and pretty much all the 5 boroughs. So for me that's not really pointless.

Grats to you. Not one phone is perfect for anyone.

I have HSPA+ sppeds that are faster than most WiFi as well and I'll enjoy my awesome new phone with truly unlimited data.

Go buy an iPhone or a RAZR.

sean76 · Nov 4, 2012

Woosh said:
Grats to you. Not one phone is perfect for anyone.

I have HSPA+ sppeds that are faster than most WiFi as well and I'll enjoy my awesome new phone with truly unlimited data.

Go buy an iPhone or a RAZR.

Relax tough guy, and I do own an iphone 5, and a GS3, as well as a few other devices...I probably go through more phones in 6 months then you go through in one contract ...lol! But that's not the point! Your trying to justify something that will simply not be able to be justified here in the states by me, and probably every other phone site, tech site, phone reviewer, etc! Every single review begins with a yay the new Nexus is coming, and ends with...yea very good specs but sadly missing LTE. People like you speak of the iPhone 4S not having LTE and getting a pass, we'll Helllllllllo....That was a year ago, this is one year later when just about every phone released here in the states has LTE.

Stop trying to justify and knock certain people that don't see it your way! If the tables were turned you would most likely be in favor of an LTE version.

MT Rotor · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
Relax tough guy, and I do own an iphone 5, and a GS3, as well as a few other devices...I probably go through more phones in 6 months then you go through in one contract ...lol! But that's not the point! Your trying to justify something that will simply not be able to be justified here in the states by me, and probably every other phone site, tech site, phone reviewer, etc! Every single review begins with a yay the new Nexus is coming, and ends with...yea very good specs but sadly missing LTE. People like you speak of the iPhone 4S not having LTE and getting a pass, we'll Helllllllllo....That was a year ago, this is one year later when just about every phone released here in the states has LTE.

Stop trying to justify and knock certain people that don't see it your way! If the tables were turned you would most likely be in favor of an LTE version.

Bragging rights :cool:

aurora40 · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
I don't feel like its too much emphasis at all! You have a lot of people that live out here in the states that have LTE speeds at their fingertips. I mean If someone gave you a Porsche 911 Turbo, and then said Ok were going to be taking back the Porsche, however we have this really souped up mini van that is all decked out from top to bottom, you'd be like WTF...I want to keep the Porsche.

Um, the obvious flaw in your analogy is that they don't take back the Porsche. If you like your phone you have now, keep it. And much like the car analogy, in the Android world there are lots of manufacturers. Porsche is making minivans now, and you don't want one, and you don't want your old Porsche? Buy a Ferrari, or an Aston, or a Corvette.

The Nexus 4 isn't the only Android phone that will exist. Nor does your current phone become instantly obsolete. If it's an LTE GNex, you can guarantee it will be getting 4.2 soon after the N4 launches. Oh, wait, no it won't because Verizon won't let it...

I guess in your analogy, Verizon is the traffic cop who prevents you from having any fun with your car.

aurora40 · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
Stop trying to justify and knock certain people that don't see it your way! If the tables were turned you would most likely be in favor of an LTE version.

I don't think anyone is suggesting LTE by itself would have been a bad inclusion. Just that for most people it is not a must-have.

The Nexus line is about unlocked freedom. It is not generally about high-end specs. In fact practically every Nexus release had criticism about the hardware being somewhat mediocre.

What they all had though, until lately, was fast updates and a reliable experience. The Sprint and Verizon Galaxy Nexus ruined that, though. From short battery life, to radio issues, to delayed updates (will 4.1.2 ever hit the VGNex now that it's an 'old' phone?)

I think for some (I dare say most) Nexus buyers, we do not want LTE if it means we are going to be getting a Verizon Galaxy Nexus version 2. If you have been happy with your GNex on Verizon, I suspect you are in the minority.

Whether you agree with that or not, it is clear Google does not feel that the LTE GNex's delivered the kind of experience they want the Nexus line to represent.

So for many of us, LTE is a non-issue. Much like a crappy camera or lack of SD support was a non-issue with the Galaxy Nexus. Would it have been nice if they included a good camera and SD storage? Or if the N4 had LTE? Sure. But ultimately the GSM Galaxy Nexus delivered on the important stuff. Timely updates, reliable service, and it was actually quite affordable compared to phones at the time ($400 off contract at a time when a Bionic cost $300 on contract). The Nexus 4 looks poised to continue this trend.

sean76 · Nov 4, 2012

aurora40 said:
Um, the obvious flaw in your analogy is that they don't take back the Porsche. If you like your phone you have now, keep it. And much like the car analogy, in the Android world there are lots of manufacturers. Porsche is making minivans now, and you don't want one, and you don't want your old Porsche? Buy a Ferrari, or an Aston, or a Corvette.

The Nexus 4 isn't the only Android phone that will exist. Nor does your current phone become instantly obsolete. If it's an LTE GNex, you can guarantee it will be getting 4.2 soon after the N4 launches. Oh, wait, no it won't because Verizon won't let it...

I guess in your analogy, Verizon is the traffic cop who prevents you from having any fun with your car.

I don't use Verizon , not for a long time now! I'm on at&t, I have a question...Is LTE offered where you are?

sean76 · Nov 4, 2012

Woosh said:
Grats to you. Not one phone is perfect for anyone.

I have HSPA+ sppeds that are faster than most WiFi as well and I'll enjoy my awesome new phone with truly unlimited data.

Go buy an iPhone or a RAZR.

It's clear you most likely don't have LTE where u are. Let me ask you a question, you'd choose HSPA+ over LTE if LTE was available near you?

aurora40 · Nov 4, 2012

sean76 said:
I don't use Verizon , not for a long time now! I'm on at&t, I have a question...Is LTE offered where you are?

Oh, then I guess I don't understand how you feel like they left you out in the cold after giving you your "fix"? Google has never had a Nexus device that supported AT&T LTE. So it's not like they've now taken it away from you.

To answer your question, I am on T-Mobile. They do not have LTE rolled out anywhere. I am not sure if AT&T here has LTE. The only people I know with AT&T have iPhones or Blackberries, so no LTE for them either. Verizon has an excellent LTE network here though. 10-35Mbps depending on the location (the more rural the better, oddly, probably due to backhaul being low).

I have borrowed AT&T SIM cards to test the HSPA network. Around here (and I get the impression it is true other places), AT&T's HSPA+ network is noticeably worse than T-Mobile's. I can get 7-9Mbps some places, and 2-5Mbps most places on T-Mobile. On AT&T, I was getting like 500-1.5Mbps the places I tried it.

I should get 50-100% better speeds some places on T-Mobile with an HSPA+42 phone, though am curious to see how true that is. I don't think AT&T even supports DC HSPA+, so it wouldn't improve anything.

donec · Nov 4, 2012

I don't want to upset anyone but I really do not understand and so I am looking for clarification.

I am new to having smart phones. I have been satisfied with just "normal" old fashioned phone service. I generally carry a tracfone cell for emergencies and almost never use it. However! in many other ways I am considered a gadget / computer geek and have been since the late 70's (I remember paying $1500 for my first Zenith BetaMax).

The announcement of the Nexus 4 made me start thinking about using the Nexus 4 as a kind of high quality PDA+ and it is priced well for that. Of course it is also a phone so maybe I should consider the possibilities there as well. Then I start researching, low and behold I find that one of the most common discussions is about LTE.

I do not understand the passion over LTE both for and against.

Isn't LTE just another way to move data and voice?

Considering the amount of traffic at a given web site, the number of downloads that site is experiencing at the moment you are there, how the site was designed and other factors, like quality of signal. Can you really in a practical way see the difference between (and I don't mean benchmarks or speed test) LTE, HSPA+, the different 2, 3, 4G networks and those I don't know about on a regular bases?

Does connectivity vs dropped calls ever count?

Again why the passion?

aurora40 · Nov 4, 2012

donec said:
I do not understand the passion over LTE both for and against.

Isn't LTE just another way to move data and voice?

I don't think anyone is really against LTE. It just isn't a deal breaker for some, and the reason Google left it out seems reasonable to some of us (and unreasonable to others of us).

Also, LTE is a data service. It is possible to run voice over it (similar to VoIP), but currently no US carriers do. So any phone using LTE also has to maintain a separate connection for voice calls, texts, etc. This often means worse battery life, though I am interested to see how the iPhone 5 fares in that regard.

I think the passion stems from it constantly being brought up in reviews, etc, and basically every thread about the Nexus 4 invariably turns into a thread about LTE.

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