Happy with your Nexus 4?

John Bean · Apr 11, 2013

I was a bit concerned about battery life when I first got my Nexus 4, but after a "settling down" period of poor battery life - probably related to initial excessive sync activity - it's now pretty good - certainly well over 24 hours which is all I ask of a device like this.

Banished Angel · Apr 11, 2013

MartinS said:
I get that screen on time stock.

I didn't use the phone much yesterday but I have the following without an overnight charge:

48% remaining - 1d 2h 28m - Screen 2h 19m

Your stock battery life is certainly more than I got. Then again I wasn't on stock for very long so I don't have much to go on.

timndfan · Apr 11, 2013

BEST phone I've ever owned. One son bought galaxy 3S and loves that, but me, my wife and other son went with nexus 4. Lightning fast processor with still good battery life considering processor. Agree battery life is in the settings - have to clear apps in task manager or tile view that aren't being used - easy habit to do. We'd all buy it again hands down. I currently have a weird problem where I created a folder with files on the home screen, decided to empty the folder instead, now the folder is locked and cannot be tapped or dragged to delete - it's locked in the same position on any home screen like an overlay ghost. So far I cannot find a thread with anyone explaining how to get rid of the ghost folder. Tried via PC but cannot find any trace of it that way. Anyone have an idea? THANKS!

Robogar · Apr 13, 2013

Coming from a LG Optimus 2x (the first dual-core phone ever yay!) I swore I would never own a LG device ever again.

But low and behold I caved due the to N4's amazing price point for what you get. So far I'm super impressed with the phone. When I'm using the device, it makes me confident that it'll last for years given it can handle almost any tasks I'm doing without freezing or hiccups.

The only thing that makes me unsure about the longevity of this phone is that it's pretty fragile. The only way I see myself getting another phone in the next little while is if I physically break it, which is pretty likely!

JunBringer · Apr 13, 2013

I still love mine. I have a Note 2 as well because I need something for music (I have a lot and the Nexus' sound quality isn't great) but the Nexus is better in most other ways. Highly recommended.

timmyh318 · Apr 13, 2013

Robogar said:
Coming from a LG Optimus 2x (the first dual-core phone ever yay!) I swore I would never own a LG device ever again.

But low and behold I caved due the to N4's amazing price point for what you get. So far I'm super impressed with the phone. When I'm using the device, it makes me confident that it'll last for years given it can handle almost any tasks I'm doing without freezing or hiccups.

The only thing that makes me unsure about the longevity of this phone is that it's pretty fragile. The only way I see myself getting another phone in the next little while is if I physically break it, which is pretty likely!

Actually for the time it came out i kinda liked the 2x lol then again i kinda liked the optimus black/lg marquee to so that aint sayin much. But i thought it was decent for the time it was released.

mb41186 · Apr 16, 2013

I've been following this phone since it came out, in fact I switched services just to get this phone with T-mobile. Although It had been sold out from google for a few months finally when the playstore restocked back in late Jan I jumped on it and purchased the phone. This is absolutely the best phone I have ever had hands down. Fluidity is great. Screen is crisp and clear. Have no problem with apps. The only really major issue that might concern you is battery life, which does get better with 4.2.2 but at the same time you still might have to charge it at least once through out the day depending on use.

Treknologist · Apr 17, 2013

I'm very happy with mine. The phone is amazingly fast and the pure Android experience has been great. I did get Nova Prime launcher on mine given how customizable that is as a launcher. This is a phone I can recommend without hesitation. Also knowing that I'll be getting the next Android version very quickly is another plus.

revcraig · Apr 19, 2013

Very happy with my Nexus 4. If I had a wayback machine I'd use it to order my phone as soon as they came out instead of waiting a week.

Ashlon · Apr 24, 2013

Banished Angel said:
I can get 24 hours with 3-4 hours screen time. Obviously our usage differs, but you'd be surprised what a different kernel and some minor tweaking can do to this phone's battery life.

new optimus said:
I agree, settings and kernel make a big difference.

How do you get so much time? I have franco kernel installed , brightness almost minimum and every sinc disabled. Any extra advice?

Crashdamage · Apr 24, 2013

Ashlon said:
How do you get so much time? (24hrs + 3-4 screen) I have franco kernel installed , brightness almost minimum and every sinc disabled. Any extra advice?

I get similar time with max brightness, sync, GPS and WiFi on using a stock, unrooted N4.

ROMs, kernels make little difference. The stock kernel is well optimized. Power savers like Juice Defender often use more juice than they save. Task killers and memory boosters/optimizers are evil.

Setup is the thing. The more you follow the KISS rule the better the results.

jhawkkw · Apr 24, 2013

Over the weekend, I managed to almost pull 6 hours of screen time out of mine, but I was also using it almost all day and thus it only had 11 hours of uptime. Auto-Brightness, AOKP & Faux Kernel with auto sync and GPS enabled.

new optimus · Apr 24, 2013

Crashdamage said:
I get similar time with max brightness, sync, GPS and WiFi on using a stock, unrooted N4.

ROMs, kernels make little difference. The stock kernel is well optimized. Power savers like Juice Defender often use more juice than they save. Task killers and memory boosters/optimizers are evil.

Setup is the thing. The more you follow the KISS rule the better the results.

I agree.

My setup, mostly just personal preference.
Auto brightness, used to keep it on max but this light sensor seems to do its job well, wifi on almost constantly (as its connected to wifi most of the time) bluetooth off unless actively using, sync off, gps off unless using. I make sure to shut down all apps when I am done using, I also have it set to kill the process when I leave the app, in stock settings developer menu.
Screen time out is set to 1 minute.
I try not to recharge (unless I know I wont be near the charger) until it gets down to 10 or less %. Dont really think that affects things much as these batteries are not supposed to have the memory effect but old habits and all.

xploPR · Apr 24, 2013

More than happy, came from another carrier 2 weeks ago, and im very happy with tmobile speeds and the nexus 4 perfomance and display 10/10 , but what really impressed me is the battery life im getting with the N4, im a heavy user and i get pass 8 hours of usage and still have enough juice to make it to the night before i plugin the charger.

N4 best money spent on a phone

Happy User here

Crashdamage · Apr 24, 2013

new optimus said:
...gps off unless using. I make sure to shut down all apps when I am done using, I also have it set to kill the process when I leave the app

new optimus · Apr 24, 2013

Crashdamage said:
Leaving GPS off is kinda pointless since it turns itself off when not needed.

Shutting down apps is unnecessary and wastes power. Killing processes is even worse. DO NOT use any task killer or memory optimizer. They actually waste power and may disrupt critical system processes and degrade performance. Android is excellent at handling processes and memory with no help from 3rd-party apps or user assistance. Just let Android do it's job, relax and enjoy your phone.

See:
Android Task Killers Explained: What They Do and Why You Shouldn't Use Them
...for a full explanation.

I dont mean using a app, I mean android itself. I close the app android shuts it down.

I agree 3rd party apps that do this just run constantly and hinder your battery life and may slow down android.

Ashlon · Apr 24, 2013

Crashdamage said:
I get similar time with max brightness, sync, GPS and WiFi on using a stock, unrooted N4.

ROMs, kernels make little difference. The stock kernel is well optimized. Power savers like Juice Defender often use more juice than they save. Task killers and memory boosters/optimizers are evil.

Setup is the thing. The more you follow the KISS rule the better the results.

Right now I have 20% of battery, 12h24 total, 3h of screen time and 3h of WiFi, with average utilisation of music. Sinc off, GPS off, auto brightness (franco kernel). I usually can't get more time

MartinS · Apr 26, 2013

Bit bored of my N4 now. Needs a new lease of life somehow but I haven't got time to flash ROMs and set everything back up again.

Any ideas?

brounmoney · Apr 26, 2013

MartinS said:
Bit bored of my N4 now. Needs a new lease of life somehow but I haven't got time to flash ROMs and set everything back up again.

Any ideas?

Wait and see what KLP has to offer. It may blow our minds. Most likely not, but it might just be the freshness you are looking for.

Until then try a new live wallpaper, switch stuff around, look for a cool new widget, or a launcher can sometimes do the trick.

MartinS · Apr 26, 2013

Thanks.

I'm not expecting a great UX departure from KLP but we'll see what happens.

On the other things, I've looked at a few things. I'm using Nova Launcher, have tried Chameleon Launcher which looked interesting but isn't ready yet.

I've never been happy with live wallpaper, even on the N4 I find that it causes some slowdown and kills the experience for me. Plus I like my Newcastle United pictures!

Widgets - any recommendations? I'm struggling to find anything really useful. I have APW, quite like the Google Now widget, using Google Keep, Clock is sorted, Power Toggles is on, one screen of pictures of my Son and Wife...

jhawkkw · Apr 26, 2013

I don't know about nova, but I know that apex launcher pro permits the use go launcher along with standard nova /apex themes. Applying one of these can radically change the look of your phone and keep it fresh. Having this along with a CyanogenMod based rom like cm10.1 or aokp, etc which has its own theme manager that allows even more changes to keep your experience fresh.

MartinS · Apr 26, 2013

jhawkkw said:
I don't know about nova, but I know that apex launcher pro permits the use go launcher along with standard nova /apex themes. Applying one of these can radically change the look of your phone and keep it fresh. Having this along with a CyanogenMod based rom like cm10.1 or aokp, etc which has its own theme manager that allows even more changes to keep your experience fresh.

Thanks, maybe I do need to give CM or PA a try if I have time... I like the look of PIE controls anyway.

SiempreTuna · Apr 26, 2013

Ashlon said:
Right now I have 20% of battery, 12h24 total, 3h of screen time and 3h of WiFi, with average utilisation of music. Sinc off, GPS off, auto brightness (franco kernel). I usually can't get more time

That's not too good.

The usage sounds similar to my weekday usage, but my battery is rarely far under 50% when I pop it back on charge - and that's more like 15 hours after taking it off.

Only time I get as low as 20% is say when I've used the turn-by-turn for an hour or more without a charger attached.

Most of my music (well, podcast) listening is done on headphones - I guess that would use a little less power than the speakers.

The only difference I can see is that I'm using the stock kernel.

jhawkkw · Apr 26, 2013

MartinS said:
Thanks, maybe I do need to give CM or PA a try of I have time... I like the look of PIE controls anyway.

I tried to use them, and found myself triggering them accidentally more often than I would like. They're pretty awesome otherwise though.

brounmoney · Apr 26, 2013

MartinS said:
Thanks.

I'm not expecting a great UX departure from KLP but we'll see what happens.

On the other things, I've looked at a few things. I'm using Nova Launcher, have tried Chameleon Launcher which looked interesting but isn't ready yet.

I've never been happy with live wallpaper, even on the N4 I find that it causes some slowdown and kills the experience for me. Plus I like my Newcastle United pictures!

Widgets - any recommendations? I'm struggling to find anything really useful. I have APW, quite like the Google Now widget, using Google Keep, Clock is sorted, Power Toggles is on, one screen of pictures of my Son and Wife...

Eye in the sky weather widget is really a nice one. I also fin calwidget really nice. Keeps you calendar appointment right on your home screen. Looks pretty good too. You can the background of it transparent and just see the events and dates.

Happy with your Nexus 4?

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