Stop Underestimating The Nexus

NeXuS4 · Dec 12, 2012

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A RANT. IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN MY OPINION I UNDERSTAND BUT PLEASE MOVE ALONG.

As I read one Nexus 4 review after another there is a certain pattern that keeps emerging. That meme is of course that the Nexus 4 is a "niche" phone* which is of course due to the reviewer assuming we all have as much money as they do and that we could very easily get on any phone on any network because "Look how great the economy is doing!"

THE BEST EXAMPLE OF HOW NOT TO CONDUCT A REVIEW COMPLIMENTS OF INFOWORLD

My message to these people is simple: "GET OUT OF YOUR IVORY TOWER!"

Do you really think there is a comparison between these two things?

Nexus4 on T-Mobile (1 year of service on most basic plan)

Phone = $299.00

Value plan w/Unlimited Data = $30.00 x 12

Annual cost of ownership = $659.00

Samsung Galaxy S3 on Verizon (1 year of service on most basic plan)

Phone = $199.00

Basic Plan w/only 1GB of data. = $90.00 x 12

Annual cost of ownership = $1279.00

The numbers speak for themselves folks.**

*=THIS IS A NICHE PHONE

**= I'm pretty sure these numbers are accurate but even if I'm off by a little my point will remain strong.

716 tec · Dec 12, 2012

I agree, im switching to a nexus 4 just to save money. I have a iphone 4s which i love but im coming from sprint paying 96 per month. i will switch to t mobile and pay 30 per month...enough said

chrlswltrs · Dec 12, 2012

I really don't know why a lot of phones are looked at that way. The view of a lot of people is that if money wasn't an issue everyone would have an iPhone

Personally, I could afford any phone. I have the Nexus 4 because IMO it is the best phone available, period. Google is choosing to sell it cheaply for whatever reason, but I wouldn't trade my Nexus for any other phone in the world right now or anytime in the near future.

I am on T-Mobile because I get the coverage I need and unlimited 4G data. I don't see any reason to go to another carrier to pay more, but even if I did leave T-Mobile it would only be for another GSM carrier and I would keep my unlocked Nexus 4.

Banished Angel · Dec 12, 2012

Outside of the US the reviews for this phone are very good. Unfortunately in the US this phone is just viewed as a joke because it doesn't have LTE. Read any review and they all call it a dealbreaker, fatal flaw, etc.. It's not because the data speeds are that much worse it's just because of all the marketing hype of "4G" in the states. If it's not "4G" (LTE) it's not worth your time. Now I don't see the point in having all that speed with data caps so low personally. 25Mbps down? Awesome, I can use my entire month's data allowance streaming 1 HD video!

Now this phone isn't the greatest thing ever made, but all things considered i'd rather have this phone than any other. It is bleeding edge in the hardware department. The GS3 and One X series have better cameras and the Droid DNA has a 1080p screen, but everything else is top notch and even though it's not the best in those categories it's still no slouch. There's also the newest version of Android and the fact that this phone will receive every Android OS in the next 2 years. Factor in the cheap price as you mentioned and the freedom from contracts and this truly is a great and possibly game changing device.

At the end of the day be happy with your phone and don't let other people bring you down with hate, misunderstanding, or ignorance. Remember that it's only a phone.

NeXuS4 · Dec 12, 2012

THIS IS A NICHE DEVICE

jhawkkw · Dec 12, 2012

Personally I would go that exact same route, but contract etfs have me stuck. Paying 3 etfs and then buying 3 nexus 4's is a real pain in the wallet. I'm so sick of Verizon politics/corporate policy that not even unlimited data would get me to stay.

sean76 · Dec 12, 2012

Banished Angel said:
Outside of the US the reviews for this phone are very good. Unfortunately in the US this phone is just viewed as a joke because it doesn't have LTE. Read any review and they all call it a dealbreaker, fatal flaw, etc.. It's not because the data speeds are that much worse it's just because of all the marketing hype of "4G" in the states. If it's not "4G" (LTE) it's not worth your time. Now I don't see the point in having all that speed with data caps so low personally. 25Mbps down? Awesome, I can use my entire month's data allowance streaming 1 HD video!

Now this phone isn't the greatest thing ever made, but all things considered i'd rather have this phone than any other. It is bleeding edge in the hardware department. The GS3 and One X series have better cameras and the Droid DNA has a 1080p screen, but everything else is top notch and even though it's not the best in those categories it's still no slouch. There's also the newest version of Android and the fact that this phone will receive every Android OS in the next 2 years. Factor in the cheap price as you mentioned and the freedom from contracts and this truly is a great and possibly game changing device.

At the end of the day be happy with your phone and don't let other people bring you down with hate, misunderstanding, or ignorance. Remember that it's only a phone.

What he said...lol

However I still would like LTE, what can I say, I like to drive fast.

But other then that I'm fairly happy

chrlswltrs · Dec 12, 2012

jhawkkw said:
Personally I would go that exact same route, but contract etfs have me stuck. Paying 3 etfs and then buying 3 nexus 4's is a real pain in the wallet. I'm so sick of Verizon politics/corporate policy that not even unlimited data would get me to stay.

I left Verizon a few years ago and I will NEVER go back. Their customer service is some of the worst I have ever dealt with.

yfan · Dec 13, 2012

I think the $300 price point for the 8 gig model really hits the sweet spot. At least, it did for me. I don't need that much space on my phone, and I already live somewhat in the cloud anyway. The freedom from carrier contracts is huge. T-mobile is also creative around this as they built their value plans, which are contract based, but priced much lower than the usual plans. Prepaid has moved long past an option of last resort for college students and people with bad or no credit. Instead, it's becoming about being able to choose the best plan available, regardless of the carrier. The Nexus 4 allows that.

hstroph · Dec 13, 2012

NeXuS4 said:
THIS IS A NICHE DEVICE

You can always move over and make room for others in the niche, you know.

Remeniz · Dec 13, 2012

I see reviews banging on about the lack of LTE, lack of external storage and the camera! What the hell do they expect for the price??????

Seriously. The camera can be sorted with software updates. You want storage? Plenty cloud solutions available.... or go for a different phone. You want LTE?? Go for a different phone. Either way if you want these 'extras' your gonna pay a lot more than

sean76 · Dec 13, 2012

Remeniz said:
I see reviews banging on about the lack of LTE, lack of external storage and the camera! What the hell do they expect for the price??????

Seriously. The camera can be sorted with software updates. You want storage? Plenty cloud solutions available.... or go for a different phone. You want LTE?? Go for a different phone. Either way if you want these 'extras' your gonna pay a lot more than £280 for an unlocked phone, with Nexus 4 specs with LTE & external storage.....

What you get is a piece of hardware that, somehow, Google can sell under priced and it will sport the latest software, is a top end performer and looks great.

I have mine on a one year contract with O2 with unlimited data, unlimited calls, unlimited texts.

Oh..... and the phone is amazing!

I think what people are saying is that they really want a stock Android experience with LTE speeds...simple as that!

Here in the states you really only have 2 major carriers with a really good LTE rollout, Sprint really isn't in the conversation yet, but will be in a few months, as will T-Mobile also. But for now its only really at&t and Verizon with full blown LTE and they're choices for android don't include a real stock running device. I don't want sense and am tired of touch wiz, and definitely don't want last years watered down Galaxy nexus on VZW with they're added bloatware and crappy update schedule.

So in essence I and a lot of other people just want stock with LTE. Sooner or later these carriers are going to have to give us what we want.

Banished Angel · Dec 13, 2012

sean76 said:
So in essence I and a lot of other people just want stock with LTE. Sooner or later these carriers are going to have to give us what we want.

You're giving the majority of America too much credit. Face it most people aren't tech/Android savy. Carriers TELL people what they want and people believe them because they don't know any better. On top of that they agree to whatever the carrier sells them for 2 years and pay $100+ a month for it. If the majority of buyers were informed and demanded change it would happen. Sadly that is not the case.

sean76 · Dec 13, 2012

Remeniz said:
I see reviews banging on about the lack of LTE, lack of external storage and the camera! What the hell do they expect for the price??????

Seriously. The camera can be sorted with software updates. You want storage? Plenty cloud solutions available.... or go for a different phone. You want LTE?? Go for a different phone. Either way if you want these 'extras' your gonna pay a lot more than £280 for an unlocked phone, with Nexus 4 specs with LTE & external storage.....

What you get is a piece of hardware that, somehow, Google can sell under priced and it will sport the latest software, is a top end performer and looks great.

I have mine on a one year contract with O2 with unlimited data, unlimited calls, unlimited texts.

Oh..... and the phone is amazing!

As for the camera...its not bad! Definitely not for the price, could it be better, sure!

As for fixing it with 3rd party apps, nope I don't see that being too helpful, however an update may help a little bit with the sharpness.

But in my testing right along side an iPhone 5, I really can't say the nexus 4 had a bad camera, its actually fairly good when u factor price into the whole conversation. A good example is that the nexus 4 can focus much better on really close subjects, and the iphone 5 definitely struggles in that area. To me for $700 that iPhone should make me lunch after taking the picture, let alone being able to focus in on a really close shot, but it just doesn't...lol

Every phone has its down falls, every phone will have haters and fans...just the name of the game.

sean76 · Dec 13, 2012

Banished Angel said:
You're giving the majority of America too much credit. Face it most people aren't tech/Android savy. Carriers TELL people what they want and people believe them because they don't know any better. On top of that they agree to whatever the carrier sells them for 2 years and pay $100+ a month for it. If the majority of buyers were informed and demanded change it would happen. Sadly that is not the case.

That is an old trend my friend.. I've been around since the Palm days, the early black and white Blackberry days....

Times are a changing....and they are changing really really quick! People are getting way more phone savvy as of late.

If we want proof....look no further then the Nexus 4.. Look at how many people want a nexus, look at the demand. I was one of those people like many reviewers that considered this a pure niche phone. Its changing, more and more people are breaking away from that mold.

And I 100% support LTE, especially if your in a market where its available. I would have never kept the nexus 4 using it on at&t's HSPA network...no way, it was a slug here in NYC. Especially after using LTE for a while now. However on T-Mobile, its pretty darn close to LTE, not exactly the same, but a very good second choice..

RaLeX · Dec 13, 2012

What the heck do you Verizon-customers use your phone for that you need 4GLTE speeds over HSPA+ or even 3G?

I feel like I'm mostly connected to wifi (home/works/friends house/coffee shop)- Especially when I'm doing data hungry tasks. I also wonder how many people have the unlimited data to take advantage of using 4G everywhere...

I'm in and around LA and when I had the S3, my phone spent most of the time going in and out of 4G/3G.

Maybe I just don't take full advantage of my phones (never bought an SD card or spare battery, I don't watch full movies on my phone) but I really don't get this perceived obsession with "4G" speeds or bust. iPhone-users got by just fine until the new iTVRemote5 came out. My maps have always loaded very quickly, my Yelp, Facebook, Instagram, Fantasy Football apps, webpages, all load sufficiently fast when I'm out and not connected to wifi, I can honestly say I didn't ever feel cheated (and didn't even notice other than the status bar icon) when I wasn't on 4G with my S3.

I think back to the Sidekick days. Click a webpage, set the phone down and come back 5 minutes later to see it half-loaded, lol. I understand the whole, "if it's available, I want it on my phone", concept. But is 4G really a huge thing for you all? I feel like spare battery and SD card would absolutely trump 4G if you HAD to find something to complain about with this phone.

sean76 · Dec 13, 2012

RaLeX said:
What the heck do you Verizon-customers use your phone for that you need 4GLTE speeds over HSPA+ or even 3G?

I feel like I'm mostly connected to wifi (home/works/friends house/coffee shop)- Especially when I'm doing data hungry tasks. I also wonder how many people have the unlimited data to take advantage of using 4G everywhere...

I'm in and around LA and when I had the S3, my phone spent most of the time going in and out of 4G/3G.

Maybe I just don't take full advantage of my phones (never bought an SD card or spare battery, I don't watch full movies on my phone) but I really don't get this perceived obsession with "4G" speeds or bust. iPhone-users got by just fine until the new iTVRemote5 came out. My maps have always loaded very quickly, my Yelp, Facebook, Instagram, Fantasy Football apps, webpages, all load sufficiently fast when I'm out and not connected to wifi, I can honestly say I didn't ever feel cheated (and didn't even notice other than the status bar icon) when I wasn't on 4G with my S3.

I think back to the Sidekick days. Click a webpage, set the phone down and come back 5 minutes later to see it half-loaded, lol. I understand the whole, "if it's available, I want it on my phone", concept. But is 4G really a huge thing for you all? I feel like spare battery and SD card would absolutely trump 4G if you HAD to find something to complain about with this phone.

Yes LTE has come a long way...both on at&t and VZW...its all about speed. Now can we live without it, yes! But if its available why not use it. Its kind of like a why not type thing.

As for me, I'm a speed demon.

However...I gotta say I'm really enjoying my N4 on T-Mobile's HSPA + network!

As I've said before, its a close second to using LTE.

OverByter · Dec 13, 2012

I can understand why they went with no LTE at this point in time, considering how small the footprint is on all carriers why pay for something now that just doesn't exist in most markets. Leave that for the Nexus 5 and be able to hit your price points with the current offering.

acp · Dec 13, 2012

This phone does have a fully functional LTE radio based on everything I've read it just works on a band that only T-Mobile will use and one small market outside OKC that ATT uses. Based on that info I don't think it was a hardware cost problem, I think it was a lack of agreement with ATT or something.

I could be wrong.

thebryceee · Dec 13, 2012

RaLeX said:
I think back to the Sidekick days. Click a webpage, set the phone down and come back 5 minutes later to see it half-loaded, lol.

Hahah! I remember those days. When 2G was the shizz and you can fully load a MySpace page like you would see on a desktop.

Banished Angel · Dec 13, 2012

From my understanding it was a lack of standardized LTE frequencies. They wanted to make a phone with only one model that would work virtually anywhere in the world. While carriers are starting to roll out LTE, they are all using different bands for the most part. Either way expect the Nexus 5 to have LTE for sure.

sean76 · Dec 13, 2012

acp said:
This phone does have a fully functional LTE radio based on everything I've read it just works on a band that only T-Mobile will use and one small market outside OKC that ATT uses. Based on that info I don't think it was a hardware cost problem, I think it was a lack of agreement with ATT or something.

I could be wrong.

You may have hit the nail on the head about the at&t theory!

I'm also hoping when Tmo lites up LTE this phone will be able to run on it.. Only thing is going to be battery. I'm only seeing about 12 to 13 hrs with the N4 now, add LTE on board and that gets cut in half.

chrlswltrs · Dec 13, 2012

Personally I use 4G on my phone most of the time. It is faster than my home Wi-Fi. The only time I use WiFi is when I work at a location that has WiFi but no 4G signal.

I occasionally watch TV or movies on my phone, but a big chunk of my data is music. All of my music, including while driving, is Slacker Radio.

Today is the last day of my billing cycle that started the day I bought and activated my Nexus 4. I'm right at 8gigs for the month.

thebryceee · Dec 13, 2012

I'm starting to wonder if that's a coincidence that the ONLY LTE band that it supports so happens to be the one that T-Mobile is planning on launching next year.

Something tells me it was planned.

acp · Dec 13, 2012

Well, they are the only carrier carrying the Nexus 4.

Stop Underestimating The Nexus

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