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I placed an order for the Nexus 4 16GB on the Play Store last week for around 380 including tax and shipping. It will still take two weeks before it ships, and now I am having second thoughts. I like my One S and am not too impressed by the Nexus 4 specs. Any personal thoughts / opinions?
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
The only things it has over the one s is double the speed/ram and stock android updated by Google, other than that the one s has a better build quality better camera
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I've heard bad things about the N4's battery life. And I am very sceptical to any phone with a back made of glass. That said, it is really cheap for the specs it has. Snapdragon S4 Pro is pretty sexy.
Yea I'm not into the back being made of glass, the galaxy note 2 to me is the best on the market but until I get onto a new carrier which won't be for awhile I'm stuck on the one s
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Wait everyone.....
Does the HTC one S have lte technology?
cannondale0815 said:
I placed an order for the Nexus 4 16GB on the Play Store last week for around 380 including tax and shipping. It will still take two weeks before it ships, and now I am having second thoughts. I like my One S and am not too impressed by the Nexus 4 specs. Any personal thoughts / opinions?
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Cannondale, it is only thanks to you that I stuck with the One S. I only had it for 2 days and thought I had bricked it until I found your post on repairing a soft brick.
My opinion is that a LG phone will never have as good a build quality as a HTC phone, also camera is way below HOS spec. I have heard that the battery life is very poor. The only current phone I would possibly swap for is the Galaxy Note 2!
Change your mind and stay with the better phone for now.
I don't know, I see all this praise over the One S, only from the owners of one, I have the Galaxy Nexus and the HTC One S unrooted stock (for now) and I always prefer to use my GNex. Bigger and better display makes a big difference for the better and the customizations and support. The HTC One S is more powerful but the freedom of the Nexus is a wonderful thing! I haven't rooted my One S yet cause I can't find a Cincinnati Bell Wireless RUU for it, I guess there isn't one. So when I use my One S I miss all the things I can do with my Nexus. I suppose I can do the same things with the HTC it just doesn't seem easy or practical. The Nexus is a developers phone and if you are a flash addict like me thats what makes Nexus users always go back to Nexus. Once you go Nexus you never go back! Lol. I loved my Nexus S and love my Galaxy Nexus even more and I am sure I would love the Nexus 4, just don't have any reason to give up on my GNex yet. So if you are happy with the development for the HTC One S then I would probably stay, I still need to root mine to find out. From what I have seen, especially since there is no RUU for my network it seems to much of a hassle.
Unfortunately the one S is a highly under rated phone, people right it off straight away before even using one for more than a few minutes (even though pretty much every expert review has spoken very highly of it and the only disadvantages they mention of it, is the screen sharpness and limited storage), you don't get to appreciate just how good it really is in 10-20 minutes of usage. IMO the only phones that are truly better overall are the:
- XL and the X+
- GS 3 and note II
- RAZR HD/MAXX
Plus having virtually no advertisements for the phone means average joes etc. will think that it mustn't be that good and therefore won't care, advertise/market the phone as good as the GS 3 and iphones and people will be interested.
The galaxy nexus display is nice, definitely sharper/clearer than the S, however, IMO it is too dull for SAMOLED panel, the one S is the best when it comes to calibration for colour settings, whites are the best I have seen on a SAMOLED screen, view ability in sunshine is far better from my usage with both. The display isn't "much" bigger due to the on screen buttons, iirc the height is pretty much the same but the galaxy nexus is a bit wider, I would have liked the screen on the S to have been a bit wider.
I was going to get the nexus 4 if HTC didn't get the JB update out by the end of this month, however, after reading reviews and loads of users comments, I will probably stay with the S till the butterfly comes out here. Seems more like a side/down grade overall:
- Mixed opinion on the screen, some say it is as good if not better than the X display, but others say the screen is washed out and poor viewing angles, which I can't stand, personally I prefer SAMOLED screens overall
- camera overall isn't as good
- build/perceived quality and design IMO isn't as good (still a lovely looking phone though)
Main advantages of the nexus 4 over the S:
- battery life once they fix the problems with the drivers/software
- nexus device so will get updates
I didn't get the N4 simply because it's too big. I have a one S with AOKP JB ROM and it works like a charm--fast internet, data, no problems with any apps I've tried. I recognize I'm probably in JB 4.1 for the life of the phone but JB finally realizes the promise of Android and I'll probably be happy with it for the next couple of years. And on eBay the one S, rooted and all, was a third cheaper than the N4.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
I had the two phones side by side the other day, and after turning both screens on my decision was made. After being spoiled by the true blacks and rich colors of the one s screen, I couldn't stand the nexus 4 screen.
As far as the specs go, yeah, you get more processing power and ram, but do you need it yet? Does screen size outweigh screen quality? And as far as updates go, if you're rooted, you got 'em.
Sent from a baked One S
If I've helped hit the thanks button
I want to thank everyone for your sensible responses and advice. I decided to sell my Nexus 4 to a colleague. It was very, very difficult to give it away. I had only opened the box one time before, and when I opened it again to give it to him, I almost went back on the deal to keep it. But my resolve was strong
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
I have a N4 and One S. I haven't had it long enough to give a full review. I've been waiting for the successor to the Galaxy Nexus for a while and was turned of at first to hear it was produced by LG. Now that I have one I don't care who made it. He's some simple observations.
Build quality: Very Good - My phone has no creeks or blemishes it's a perfect example.
Screen: Looks great, I don't have much experience with color accuracy but the colors/brightness/clarity are good.
They did speed binning on the SOC and I also got lucky there and got a "Fast" one. I think it just means the kernel will under-volt it by 50ma vs a "Normal" chip
I flashed CM on both phones as fast as I could so there isn't really any difference in terms user experience.
I don't use any of the new 4.2 features.
While it feels thicker laying the two phones flat on a table side by side they seem the same thickness overall. The One S is slimmer in the middle of course.
HTC One S has USB OTG. The Nexus does not, I'm really bummed about that.
Speed wise they are the same to me.
Turns out the 3g/4g switching that alarmed us when the One S came out is hear to stay. It's just more honest reporting of phones connection. Both my phones drop to H when not pulling down data and switch up to H+ when there is actual through put.
I thought I would like the buttons drawn on the screen but they seem to close. I don't like it now that I have it.
That's it for now. I need a little more time to get a better feel for it.
I am getting HTC One S with S4 processor for $180 and Nexus 4 16GB for $280
which one should i choose at this price ? Help experts ....
Wait
Wait for nexus 5
I wanted to know if anyone regrets his/her decision to get a Nexus 5 since im kinda stuck. My S4 is fine but i saw 2friends getting this weird break in the screen, where the gorilla glass is all fine, but the amoled behind it is broken. So I'm really scared that, that will happen to me.
I was wondering if its worth to upgrade? what do you think?
thanks in advance
I don't someone else can answer this for you. It's really all about personal preference, necessity, financial feasibility, etc.
Are you happy with your S4? Does it suit your purposes or not? Do you just want to have the latest/greatest? Are there features of your S4 that you may not be able to live without by switching to a pure Google device?
As for the break in the screen, that doesn't happen on its own. It would require pressure to break. So long as you treat your device right I wouldn't worry about it.
Toxina said:
I wanted to know if anyone regrets his/her decision to get a Nexus 5 since im kinda stuck. My S4 is fine but i saw 2friends getting this weird break in the screen, where the gorilla glass is all fine, but the amoled behind it is broken. So I'm really scared that, that will happen to me.
I was wondering if its worth to upgrade? what do you think?
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S4 has far better speakers (soundquality and volume level), better camera, higher storage capacity, and some usefull TW features as well (apart from the bloatware). So i wouldn`t change personaly. The 4.4 stock UI looks awfull imo if you don`t slap a custom launcher and icons on it.
Toxina said:
I wanted to know if anyone regrets his/her decision to get a Nexus 5 since im kinda stuck. My S4 is fine but i saw 2friends getting this weird break in the screen, where the gorilla glass is all fine, but the amoled behind it is broken. So I'm really scared that, that will happen to me.
I was wondering if its worth to upgrade? what do you think?
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the S4, HTC One, Moto X and now the Nexus 5 in the past 4-5 months. I personally didn't like having a physical home button or the back button setup on the GS4 and I couldn't stand TouchWiz. I honestly wish there was a high end Moto X. I would buy that in heartbeat.
Just like Tony said, it's all based on personal preference.
I have just received my Nexus 5 as a replacement for the S4 (international) that I have had for the past nine months.
The S4 has had CM10 for as long as I have been able to, and so I can't comment on Touchwiz, which I thought was a design abomination.
The drivers for change were:
Cheap exterior on S4
Annoying placement of butttons
Poor battery/network issues due to the proprietary bits hacked into CM
Camera issues for the same reason
Slow uptake on new ROMs due to there being 72 different versions of the phone (no OmniROM for example)
Wanting the Google experience unadulterated
Samsung's stance on custom ROMs (Knox implementation and so on)
I will report back in a few days but first impressions of the Nexus are that it feels like a much higher quality device.
gee2012 said:
The S4 has far better speakers (soundquality and volume level), better camera, higher storage capacity, and some usefull TW features as well (apart from the bloatware). So i wouldn`t change personaly. The 4.4 stock UI looks awfull imo, so slap a custom launcher and icons on it.
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Click to collapse
I am actually liking the 4.4 look and the white status bar. I was never a fan of the blue.
As far as changing, if you like your S4 keep it. If you dont then try the N5. You have to weigh what is important to you.
gee2012 said:
The S4 has far better speakers (soundquality and volume level), better camera, higher storage capacity, and some usefull TW features as well (apart from the bloatware). So i wouldn`t change personaly. The 4.4 stock UI looks awfull imo, so slap a custom launcher and icons on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The N5 speaker is fine for me as is the camera; I never even came close to utilizing the storage capacity on my S4 and I absolutely despise TouchWiz. I think that stock 4.4 looks absolutely fantastic and wouldn't change a thing about it as of yet.
So you see how personal preference really drives a decision like this. If you like the Google Experience and aren't keen on the crap customizations that other OEMs put on their devices, I really think that the N5 is a fantastic option and am really loving mine so far.
I own the GE S4 and did purchased the N5. The GE S4 does have ridiculous battery life and also swappable battery and a SD card. I only reason why I went back to the nexus line up is the nexus forum. I am praying the N5 does have better bettery life then the N4(one of reason why I sold it)
Sent from my GT-I9505G using xda app-developers app
In terms of usability I think that the S4 is just as good as the Nexus 5, no real point in spending money on something you don't *really* need.
Then again, if you can sell your S4 for about the same price it would cost you to get a Nexus 5, and you really dig the Nexus 5, then why the heck not?
rivlez said:
I've had the S4, HTC One, Moto X and now the Nexus 5 in the past 4-5 months. I personally didn't like having a physical home button or the back button setup on the GS4 and I couldn't stand TouchWiz. I honestly wish there was a high end Moto X. I would buy that in heartbeat.
Just like Tony said, it's all based on personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
my few cents, i've got my N5 today and I am really torn between it and my old SGS3 with 1 GB ram (the crappy version)!
Design and Build quality:
My first impression was that this is the coolest and sexiest mobile phone i ever held in my hands. Feels awesome and looks awesome, much better than you would imagine seeing the pics online.
Display:
N5 display is certainly sharper, but also a bit washed and kinda unimpressive compared to IP5 or HTC one. What surprised me is that the SGS3 amoled produces whiter whites unless i really crank up the brightness on N5, which makes it really annoyingly bright and hard to look at. Viewing angles are much better on amoled of course. N5 Soft keys take too much screen estate imho, but that can be fixed.
UI:
N5 is extremely responsive and fast. Feels very good. No Lag at all, but tbh the difference to TW is not that bad as 4.2.2 and some modded kernels and frameworks make TW smooth and acceptably lagfree.
Camera:
Big advantage for the SGS 3 and probably much more for the S4. Unbelievably ****ty and laggy camera app on the N5, picture quality is disappointing, much worse than S3. Video is unbearable, permanent refocusing and overreaction on bright/dark areas, massive overexposure. I really hope google fixes the software.
Speaker:
Ok, no difference for me.
Battery Life:
My crappy S3 survives more screen-on time while browsing with wifi, kinda unimpressive tbh for a new generation device. Maybe 4 hours of screenon time for N5, 4.5 to 5 on S3. Let's see what tweaking can or cannot do.
Big Letdown: Chrome. This crap browser is notably slower than the samsung browser, probably a lot slower than s4 browser. Chrome on the N5 loads faster but it is lagging and just a huge disappointment, really bad experience.
I will think about it for a few days, currently I tend to returning the N5.
Hope this helps.
Knox was the last straw so selling my s4 before the 4.3 TouchWiz releases in Canada. I don't like a device that if I root + custom recovery, I can not return to default state. No more Samsung for me.
Sent from my SGH-I337M
This crap browser is notably slower than the samsung browser, probably a lot slower than s4 browser. Chrome on the N5 loads faster but it is lagging and just a huge disappointment, really bad experience.
I will think about it for a few days, currently I tend to returning the N5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone recommend a browser similar to the AOSP/Touchwiz one? It's the only thing I miss on my N5 after switching from a Note II. Boat browser crashes, flash doesn't work in firefox...
Any one coming from an S4 regrets getting the nexus 5?
None! It was my biggest worry but I defnintely don't regret it. I love not having all the bloat that the S4 had. Even with a smaller battery, I'm getting better battery results than I ever did on the S4 as well. I honestly don't see a difference in the camera either.
My absolute biggest worry was losing all the space. Coming from a phone with a 64gb external sd card worried me a lot, but I finally gave in and subscribed the the Google Music service and I couldn't be happier.
Once all the ROM's fix the Sprint data issue, this phone will be even better, but I have no regrets.
Coming from an S4 too, gods I hated that phone, the bloatware, the knox (introduced after I bought it).
The battery life i find is better on my Nexus 5, seem strange but it's true, it waste very little battery power when on stand by.
The only thing I miss of the S4 is the camera. the Nexus' one is a clear step back, but I don't mind really I don't take many photos.
now i currently have an htc one with a cracked screen and i want to replace it.. Im an att user and well can get the s4 for like $150 but can always sell it buy the nexus and still have money left.. But one of the main issues i had with the HTC one is that no one! made accessories for it... like i was never able to find a waterproof cover, etc etc.. Im a bit worry that it will be the same with the nexus 5, that because it is not as popular it wont have many accessories
The only thing I miss is the AMOLED screen from my S3. It's a far better quality of colour reproduction. The N5 is a bit washed out.... but it is far sharper. Oh... and the camera SUCKS on the N5 in anything but perfect lighting conditions. I miss the shutter speed on the Samsungs. But this should be fixed in the next update.
Battery life isn't nearly as bad as I was lead to believe.
I like my S4 better. My S4 has better reception, I stripped off the extras I did not like. I currently have a 4.4 rom on my S4 so spare me the updates line, I unlocked it and added the TMobile band. What I hate about N5 is the body. Its a nightmare. Sharp edges where the glass meets plastic, the lens mount, power button is too high, feels cheap and feels horrible in my hand. As for price, with etf+tax+1st month, my S4 was only $30 more. Not much in savings
It's not a bad device once you get past the body, seems plenty fast, takes ok pics, battery life is ok. So it's not horrible and is starting it's life with top end hardware specs unlike the N4. It's just not for me. If it came in a similar body to the N4 or would have shaped the glass like the S3, it would have been a home run.
trendiggity said:
The only thing I miss is the AMOLED screen from my S3. It's a far better quality of colour reproduction. The N5 is a bit washed out.... but it is far sharper. Oh... and the camera SUCKS on the N5 in anything but perfect lighting conditions. I miss the shutter speed on the Samsungs. But this should be fixed in the next update.
Battery life isn't nearly as bad as I was lead to believe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the S3? I had 2 of those and came to this. Not even comparable. The N5 destroys the S3 in EVERY way. Low light pictures, sunny day pictures, the camera is better on the N5. The S3 is supersaturated and does not reproduce color accurately at all.
I've had a n4, s4 and now have n5. Think they are all brilliant phones. I think I can certainly feel the performance on the n5 though and I really like the screen. It has such an understated no frills look about it and that really appeals to me. I loved the s4 but it was a bit blingy for my liking and I didn't feel like it was so much as a blank canvas as what the nexus 5 is if that makes sense.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Alo also trying to get into custom room and apps development... Is there any advantages on using the nexus instead of the samsung? I
SuperMiguel said:
Any one coming from an S4 regrets getting the nexus 5?
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Click to collapse
I'm on my 2nd day with the 5 coming from an S4 running and early CM build of Kit Kat. So far, the only thing I really miss about the S4 is the screen. I guess I'm used to that super saturated AMOLED display. The Nexus display is sharper but like some others have said, a little washed out looking by comparison. The Nexus is noticeably faster and the battery life is about the same which is impressive considering I had a 3000mah battery in the S4. I think I'll be sticking with the 5 mostly for the dev community. I've always been a fan of straight AOSP and can't stand the OEM skins. The Nexus will be much more future proof than the S4. Getting new versions of Android on the Samsung will always be a bit hacky.
fallingd0wn said:
I'm on my 2nd day with the 5 coming from an S4 running and early CM build of Kit Kat. So far, the only thing I really miss about the S4 is the screen. I guess I'm used to that super saturated AMOLED display. The Nexus display is sharper but like some others have said, a little washed out looking by comparison. The Nexus is noticeably faster and the battery life is about the same which is impressive considering I had a 3000mah battery in the S4. I think I'll be sticking with the 5 mostly for the dev community. I've always been a fan of straight AOSP and can't stand the OEM skins. The Nexus will be much more future proof than the S4. Getting new versions of Android on the Samsung will always be a bit hacky.
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Click to collapse
any issues running this phone on att? and how come only tmobile and sprint got it?
My S4 had better/stronger signal and a more HD intensive screen. I don't know how to explain it.
My N5 is faster definitely, but camera is kind of laggy though. The vibration motor is weaker, but still good.
Depends on budget, I'd go for a Note 3 over S4 for the price range.
But for $350, there is nothing better than the Nexus 5.
fallingd0wn said:
I think I'll be sticking with the 5 mostly for the dev community. I've always been a fan of straight AOSP and can't stand the OEM skins.
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Click to collapse
I think this is a great comment. Coming from the Sprint S4, for some reason, the dev community never really sped up like I thought it would. Sure, there were some great ROM's, but it was pretty much between a couple Touchwiz ROM's and hoping that 3minit would work, or you had AOSP based ROM's where you were happy to have working data.
While working data on Sprint with some ROM's is an early challenge, it doesn't look like it will be an issue long term (there's already a flashable fix) and we already have a wide variety of ROM's available.
I definitely don't miss Touchwiz whatsoever.
dicecuber said:
My S4 had better/stronger signal and a more HD intensive screen. I don't know how to explain it.
My N5 is faster definitely, but camera is kind of laggy though. The vibration motor is weaker, but still good.
Depends on budget, I'd go for a Note 3 over S4 for the price range.
But for $350, there is nothing better than the Nexus 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im eligible with att for upgrade, so i can get the S4 for like $150, either way ill get it... Then sell it and back the rest, while i care about dev, im more worried about accessories availability, like for example a waterproof cover, i take my phone alot in my boat, and its wet alot..
I am starting to have regrets as I'm having issues with push notifications that I can't resolve. I might end up having to return the phone for a refund. If that issue can be fixed though, then I would have no regrets at all. I think the Nexus 5 is an otherwise great phone.
SuperMiguel said:
Im eligible with att for upgrade, so i can get the S4 for like $150, either way ill get it... Then sell it and back the rest, while i care about dev, im more worried about accessories availability, like for example a waterproof cover, i take my phone alot in my boat, and its wet alot..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny you say that, because my first S4 was water damaged in a boating incident lol. it was deemed unrepairable by 5+ cell phone repair shops. So I purchased a Note 2 afterwards. Sold that and bought another S4. I loved that device too much. My device was then stolen so I had to use a old POS non-smartphone for 2 months. I couldn't see myself spending another $600+ to buy another S4. So I jumped on buying a nexus 5. I love the Nexus 5 now. 1080p 5inch screen quad core processor 2gb ram to name a few.
I have the n4 and s4 sitting next to me currently my s4 is on sprint while my n5 is on straight talk att. And I can tell you IMO that my n5 in ALL areas is better than both devices. One area that is extremely noticeable is the all around speed and smoothness of the n5 when compared to the other phones. Also typing and touch seems a lot more responsive on this device as well. Often times I would find typing on the s4 to be choppy and laggy and often couldn't keep up. And I am running the latest official 4.3 release from sprint all stock. Tried swapping keyboards too on it and its just not the same as the n5. I do a ton of multi tasking on my phone. And this is where the n5 really shines. I can jump between texting and surfing the web and checking emails without a single hitch. And I really love that. I have owned all the major Samsung phones and after the n4 I have been pretty much hooked on nexus devices. As for the camera I actually find it on par with my s4 a lot of people talk about shutter lag but I find the shutter speed to be about the same as it is on the s4. So not much of a difference there. And in a lot of my low light shots my n5 out performed my s4. So all around I am a pretty happy camper. Oh and service on at straight talk is so much better than sprint for me. I get consistent LTE everywhere.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
From reading the more in-depth reviews the Nexus 5 screen has some of the most accurate colours on an LCD beating out iPhone models even which are known for their calibration. It however does not have as high of a contrast ratio as even the LG G2 or the saturated colours AMOLED screens are known for. That mixed with the slightly smaller usable screen space when including the Home bar on the N5 would give the S4 the brighter and more stand out screen at first glance and on store shelves.
Myself I prefer accurate colours versus over saturated ones and only use high brightness settings when being used in direct sunlight. That being said after seeing AMOLED's "completely off" black levels (and the features it can bring such as Glance support and 24/7 Daydream) no black screen on IPS can ever look as dark.
I hated how weak the s4 would feel. I was afraid to put it in my pocket becausw it would break. And i hated the screen. You could see there were 2 0arts of the screen and the digitixer was glued under a piece of plastic. While with the nexus everything is so nice. I know in 4 months I will get bored of aosp roms and miss some tw features but whatever there is time till then.
i just found out that the S4 is at a very bad spot at the moment, if you have their latest baseband you cant use custom kernels, etc.. So that may lean me more towards the s5
Ive been eyeing up the nexus 5 for a little while now and since the patch has come out regarding the camera I'm more tempted again.
I currently use a s3 lte is it a worthwhile upgrade to the nexus 5?
How does camera quality and battery life compare between the two?
http://bit.ly/IOKdQ6
the N5 is a great device so far. the best, if you're coming from the rooting/unlocking angle.
I'm in the same situation, I have the sgs3 [I9300] international version, I already bought the n5, tomorrow it will be arriving, I will try and compare camera and overall experience such as battery, mostly camera as I am nearby a charger most of the time.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
angel_strife said:
I'm in the same situation, I have the sgs3 [I9300] international version, I already bought the n5, tomorrow it will be arriving, I will try and compare camera and overall experience such as battery, mostly camera as I am nearby a charger most of the time.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came from a GS3. I used it stock for a year, then on a 4.2 and 4.3 ROM for about 8 months. My GS3 was good at everything, so my main comment is that the Nexus 5 is just incrementally better at everything.
The camera is better, battery life is slightly better (though much better in standby), the screen is better, it's faster (and the GS3 wasn't exactly slow).
GS3 has a better external speaker and I did get better wifi reception on the 5gz band. Also, swappable batteries and SD card support is nice.
cwepruk said:
I just came from a GS3. I used it stock for a year, then on a 4.2 and 4.3 ROM for about 8 months. My GS3 was good at everything, so my main comment is that the Nexus 5 is just incrementally better at everything.
The camera is better, battery life is slightly better (though much better in standby), the screen is better, it's faster (and the GS3 wasn't exactly slow).
GS3 has a better external speaker and I did get better wifi reception on the 5gz band. Also, swappable batteries and SD card support is nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up.
I haven't seen a decent comparison between the two, so when I bought the n5 it was not clear what areas would it be better at, it's nice to know overall is better, battery life in my s3 has always been crappy so I actually use an 3600mA extended bat, I know that isn't possible with the n5 so that could be my first complain.
Camera is also a concern to me, as I like to snap pictures every now and then, nice to know it would be as good as this one at least.
As comment my sgs3 struggles with ram, it will close all my apps as it feels the need to do it, let's say watching YouTube or playing a game, it's annoying.
Anyhow, thanks pal'.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
angel_strife said:
Thanks for the heads up.
I haven't seen a decent comparison between the two, so when I bought the n5 it was not clear what areas would it be better at, it's nice to know overall is better, battery life in my s3 has always been crappy so I actually use an 3600mA extended bat, I know that isn't possible with the n5 so that could be my first complain.
Camera is also a concern to me, as I like to snap pictures every now and then, nice to know it would be as good as this one at least.
As comment my sgs3 struggles with ram, it will close all my apps as it feels the need to do it, let's say watching YouTube or playing a game, it's annoying.
Anyhow, thanks pal'.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's tough to remember my battery life on the original ROM, but with a custom ROM, it was a bit better underclocking. I never had any issues with mine. I bought a battery stick to carry with me when I think I will need more battery.
The speed is noticeable. There just isn't any waiting for multitasking.
The Nexus 5 camera I do think is better, though Samsung's camera interface is much better and offers burst mode and more customization. I prefer point and shoot, which the Nexus can be finicky, but there is an update coming any day now to fix this. Samsung still has the best front cam in the business though.
It's a better phone, but I think it goes to show how good the GS3 is for being 18 months old.
angel_strife said:
Thanks for the heads up.
I haven't seen a decent comparison between the two, so when I bought the n5 it was not clear what areas would it be better at, it's nice to know overall is better, battery life in my s3 has always been crappy so I actually use an 3600mA extended bat, I know that isn't possible with the n5 so that could be my first complain.
Camera is also a concern to me, as I like to snap pictures every now and then, nice to know it would be as good as this one at least.
As comment my sgs3 struggles with ram, it will close all my apps as it feels the need to do it, let's say watching YouTube or playing a game, it's annoying.
Anyhow, thanks pal'.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
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I had 2 S3s. The N5 blows it out of the water. Especially after making the camera better with the update released yesterday.
No competition in my opinion.
I know people may have asked this same question before but I wanted to get some personal opinions.
I am in UK and I can get galaxy s4(16gb) or Nexus 5 at almost same price(32gb). I am aware of the specs of each of the phone.
I like the clean and fast ui of nexus but I can always install a custom rom on s4 to do the same. I like the clean look and feel of the nexus hardware over s4 but s4 has few perks such as the IR blaster and expandable memory card slot and removable battery which I can replace for a bigger battery and also a 13mp camera.(I am an architecture student so I take a lot of pics). I use to have galaxy note 2 and it had a good battery life and good speaker which I have heard is the main problem with nexus 5.
What do you think, should I choose s4 or nexus 5
Thank you
thestar1992 said:
I know people may have asked this same question before but I wanted to get some personal opinions.
I am in UK and I can get galaxy s4(16gb) or Nexus 5 at almost same price(32gb). I am aware of the specs of each of the phone.
I like the clean and fast ui of nexus but I can always install a custom rom on s4 to do the same. I like the clean look and feel of the nexus hardware over s4 but s4 has few perks such as the IR blaster and expandable memory card slot and removable battery which I can replace for a bigger battery and also a 13mp camera.(I am an architecture student so I take a lot of pics). I use to have galaxy note 2 and it had a good battery life and good speaker which I have heard is the main problem with nexus 5.
What do you think, should I choose s4 or nexus 5
Thank you
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I don't know how easy it is these days to flash to Samsung phones. Binary counters and what not.
Plus they really pissed me off by not open sourcing their drivers in my Note 1 days.
No ICS buttery smooth experience on CM9 there. And the bloat Samsung packages with their roms is just horrible.
IR blaster is a gimmick, just as a lot of other stuff it has. I wouldn't let that weigh in too much.
The camera is way better though. But I must say if you are going to take architectural pictures the N5 will not disappoint.
Moving subject are, even after the update, hit or miss. But still shots of buildings will look great.
Speaker on the N5 is no problem for me, although I only use it for YouTube videos.
Never used it for voice calls, but I don't expect good quality sound out of any phones speaker.
I would check how easy it is to install CM on the S4. It's probably easy given there is Google Play Edition.
For me physical buttons below the screen are a huge fail. And I will never buy another device that has them.
For the same price, it's a difficult decision. I love the N5 but I think the S4 build quality is a little bit better.
thestar1992 said:
I know people may have asked this same question before but I wanted to get some personal opinions.
I am in UK and I can get galaxy s4(16gb) or Nexus 5 at almost same price(32gb). I am aware of the specs of each of the phone.
I like the clean and fast ui of nexus but I can always install a custom rom on s4 to do the same. I like the clean look and feel of the nexus hardware over s4 but s4 has few perks such as the IR blaster and expandable memory card slot and removable battery which I can replace for a bigger battery and also a 13mp camera.(I am an architecture student so I take a lot of pics). I use to have galaxy note 2 and it had a good battery life and good speaker which I have heard is the main problem with nexus 5.
What do you think, should I choose s4 or nexus 5
Thank you
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Hi, I used to have a galaxy S4, it was an awesome phone but I switched to N5 and I'm very satisfied with it.
Like you said, N5 has a clean and fast ui compared to S4. Of course you can always have custom roms for that, but all custom AOSP based roms I tried had problems with the camera, especially HDR. So if you want to keep all features and camera quality, you will have to stay on stock ROM or touchwizz base roms, which I personnaly don't like because it isn't as fluid and snappy as AOSP base roms.
Concerning the battery, I have better battery time with the N5 even though it has a 2300mah (vs 2600mah for the S4). But both phones would last a day without charging.
So I would advise you to buy the N5 because the difference between 8 and 13mpx pictures is not huge
The only thing I miss from S4 is the sd card slot !
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
IMO nexus 5 all the way. First it's generally cheaper. Second, it's a true developer device meaning it's unlocked in all possible ways(except hardware )
benfiller said:
Hi, I used to have a galaxy S4, it was an awesome phone but I switched to N5 and I'm very satisfied with it.
Like you said, N5 has a clean and fast ui compared to S4. Of course you can always have custom roms for that, but all custom AOSP based roms I tried had problems with the camera, especially HDR. So if you want to keep all features and camera quality, you will have to stay on stock ROM or touchwizz base roms, which I personnaly don't like because it isn't as fluid and snappy as AOSP base roms.
Concerning the battery, I have better battery time with the N5 even though it has a 2300mah (vs 2600mah for the S4). But both phones would last a day without charging.
So I would advise you to buy the N5 because the difference between 8 and 13mpx pictures is not huge
The only thing I miss from S4 is the sd card slot !
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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I did see a review that said that the N5 did quite a bit better on battery than the S4. Maybe Anandtech
Former S4 user here, really glad I made the switch to the N5. The only thing I miss is the SD card slot. I still wish I could use my 64gb card that is currently just sitting idle. Other than that, the N5 is better in every way.
A big part of the reason I switched is because of all the Knox crap that Samsung is installing on their phones now. It makes the whole rooting/flashing process a much bigger pain in the a$$. Plus, the battery life on my N5 has been at least as good as the S4, if not better. I would definitely advise you to go with the N5.
Son in law has the s4.. I have to admit the screen made me say 'wow'.. camera is also awesome
If you can live with the s600 chip set rather than the 800, I'd say get the s4, as long as it's the 9505 version you can put the gpe edition software on it if that's a concern.
meangreenie said:
Son in law has the s4.. I have to admit the screen made me say 'wow'.. camera is also awesome
If you can live with the s600 chip set rather than the 800, I'd say get the s4, as long as it's the 9505 version you can put the gpe edition software on it if that's a concern.
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Over saturated colours tend to do that at first glance. If you prefer accurate colours however, it's Nexus 5 all the way. Due to calibrating their screens Google has even given Apple a run for their money in this department.
I went from an S4 to a Nexus 5 and haven't looked back. If you care at all about modding, get the Nexus 5. Samsung makes modding intentionally difficult by locking down the bootloader, and if you happen to screw something up, reflashing the factory firmware requires making a trip to a 'Samsung Experience Shop'. Samsung could easily make their bootloader unlockable, and they could release flashable firmware but they choose not to in order to discourage tinkering and modding. Their loss, as far as I'm concerned they may as well be Apple. With an S4, you're stuck with Touchwiz and a bunch of half-baked, gimmicky features that don't even work. If you really don't want to get the Nexus 5 and you must get a carrier phone, consider the Moto X. At least with the Moto X you get a stock Android user experience and you have the ability to mod.
After using a friend's S4 I have to say I can never use a galaxy phone again. The horribly placed home button and the amoled screen makes me mad. Plus the amoled screen makes everything look almost fake, I prefer accurate colors.
Imho the only phone worth getting over the n5 is the z1. Im a former s3 user and have to say, I could never go back to samsung....
If you do get an s4, ensure its not the exynos version.
Megapixels don't make for a better picture btw
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i sold my htc one for the galaxy s4.. then sold my s4 for the nexus 5.. couldnt be happier.. my fav phone i ever owned
Here I have a S4, note 3 and the Nexus 5.
I bought the Nexus the last because I was bored of all the bloatware from Samsung...
Both Samsung got an awesome camera while the N5 is crap. But I don't really care since I don't take picture. If I need to picture I'll use my Canon.
The Nexus is way more fun to use everyday and it doesn't feel that cheap vs these 700-800$ device.
For the price, you can't go wrong
Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
rootSU said:
Imho the only phone worth getting over the n5 is the z1. Im a former s3 user and have to say, I could never go back to samsung....
If you do get an s4, ensure its not the exynos version.
Megapixels don't make for a better picture btw
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Took the words right out of my mouth and I had the S4 (octa-lag version). Even with kernel guru Andrei_Lux, it still lagged. It was one of the more disappointing phones I've had in a while. Won't go Samsung again for a long time.
I have both the N5 and Z1 and while I love the N5, the Z1 is better in a number of respects. If i had to chose just one it would be the Z1. for business reasons I require two devices so thankfully i don't have to make choice but I agree with your statement
Former S4 owner --> now N5 Owner.
If you can get an S4 that supports unlocking the boot loader (US AT&T doesn't for example) then I would still consider it a worth while device. Samsung piles on a ton of garbage into the ROM, but as long as you disable the bloat or go with a debated ROM as you mentioned then I had very few complaints. The camera was solid, you can purchase a cheap Qi receiver from Ebay and the battery was definitely better for me.
I still prefer the N5 though. The image stabilization on the camera has made for better low light performance and honestly the camera is still pretty good compared to the S4. The N5 is definitely faster and feels a bit better in the hand. It's not Moto X comfortable, but still really good.
Honestly, it's one of those choices that only you can make. I personally never got really, astonishingly good pictures with the S4 but I think I've gotten decent ones with the N5 so I don't feel like I've lost anything. Battery can be solved with something like the Powerskin Pop'n which I love, and I've yet to feel cramped with the built in 32GB of storage. For me it really boiled down to Samsung's locked boot loaders and slow updates.
I just last week enjoyed destroying my S4 because of a locked bootloader and am using my S2 till I can get the Nexus 5.this phone from all I have read about is super sweet.
Sent from my SGH-i777 using Tapatalk
thestar1992 said:
I know people may have asked this same question before but I wanted to get some personal opinions.
I am in UK and I can get galaxy s4(16gb) or Nexus 5 at almost same price(32gb). I am aware of the specs of each of the phone.
I like the clean and fast ui of nexus but I can always install a custom rom on s4 to do the same. I like the clean look and feel of the nexus hardware over s4 but s4 has few perks such as the IR blaster and expandable memory card slot and removable battery which I can replace for a bigger battery and also a 13mp camera.(I am an architecture student so I take a lot of pics). I use to have galaxy note 2 and it had a good battery life and good speaker which I have heard is the main problem with nexus 5.
What do you think, should I choose s4 or nexus 5
Thank you
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If u are architecture student I will suggest try Note 3 in store before decide, spl look Use of S pen.
<3 my nexus 5. Best device I've ever owned, would love to get another.
thestar1992 said:
...What do you think, should I choose s4 or nexus 5...
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I've come to realize that the only way to determine whether or not you like a phone is to try it out. I have a second line on my T-Mobile account that I use to test new devices. Yes, it's an extra $30/mo, and, there's the restocking fees, but, all in all, it's a very cheap hobby. Compared to golf, for example. (At least that's what I'm always telling my wife)
Sent from my Nexus 5
rootSU said:
Imho the only phone worth getting over the n5 is the z1. Im a former s3 user and have to say, I could never go back to samsung....
If you do get an s4, ensure its not the exynos version.
Megapixels don't make for a better picture btw
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I share the same sentiment, I'm also a former s3 user and I gotta say Samsung still has a bad taste on my mouth. If EVER I'm getting back to Samsung I won't touch any Exynos version of it. Nexus 5 all the way! But if you want Samsung, get the Note 3 Snapdragon 800.
Just my 2 cents