If you are in the market for a new smartphone, this article lists some good reasons for getting a Google Nexus device
1. Stock Android
2. Always Up-to-Date
3. Carrier Unlocked
4. Developer Friendly
5. Affordable Pricing
The article has very good explanation for each of the five reasons.
"As an Android user myself, I would like Android platform to have a broad spectrum of hardware choices. However, the lack of software updates from the manufacturer and with the added bloatware apps and bad custom skins have left only one option for my future purchases: Google Nexus devices."
Source
Nexus devices are great. The only downside is lack of SD card support :/
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
I love the nexus line but I wish they all had more internal memory, SD card support, removable batteries, and took back the lead in terms of cutting edge hardware
Sent from my Nexus 7
np231 said:
If you are in the market for a new smartphone, this article lists some good reasons for getting a Google Nexus device
1. Stock Android
2. Always Up-to-Date
3. Carrier Unlocked
4. Developer Friendly
5. Affordable Pricing
Source
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some markets would add
6. LTE compatable
7. onboard NFC capability
Very informative thanks
And 8:
Google Nexus is better if produced by Samsung
Actually to be honest, I wanted to buy the new nexus before I got the s3 but I had the s3 in a really good price
I would say that the lack of expandable memory and cased in batteries are drawbacks however the latter not so much. Combined with unlimited Internet the lack of physical memory becomes a non issue. On one hand I hate the direction Samsung is taking. I left ios for android for one reason. Freedom. The s4 is all about s-this and s-that with no mention of android. The Samsung galaxy is becoming the iPhone. After seeing their presentation the only thing that was clear for me is that I want the next nexus. On the other hand however if there was a way for the Dropboxes and Google drives of this world to have a separate data plan, what I mean is if our clouds and remote music sites didn't count as part of our Internet consumption. An 8gig nexus would be more than enough.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Premium HD app
1. Stock Android
2. Always Up-to-Date
3. Carrier Unlocked
4. Developer Friendly
5. Affordable Pricing
1. I don´t get it.. are you talking to the people that will never root or flash a custom rom? On XDA?
2. What new android phone are not that here on XDA?
3. That can be fixed and many others are that default.
4. Aren´t most Android phones that?
5. Compared to what?
Tesla said:
1. Stock Android
2. Always Up-to-Date
3. Carrier Unlocked
4. Developer Friendly
5. Affordable Pricing
1. I don´t get it.. are you talking to the people that will never root or flash a custom rom? On XDA?
2. What new android phone are not that here on XDA?
3. That can be fixed and many others are that default.
4. Aren´t most Android phones that?
5. Compared to what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You're right about this, many people on XDA use a stock Android ROM. However
2. Some validity, but a Nexus device will be on latest firmware for YEARS to come. Just look at the Nexus S and One, both with custom ROMs.
3. Carrier phones have annoying branding (hello VZW Note 2!), unlocking costs money, bloatware
4. NO! Ever heard of HTC and hboot? Motorola's near unlockable bootloaders? The Nexus devices are extremely easy to root, just a few simple adb commands.
5. Compared to every other high end phone. $350 unlocked compared to ~$550 for unlocked iPhone 5, Galaxy S3 back when it first debuted, probable price of Galaxy S4, $600+ for more space on iPhone 5, Xperia Z, BBZ10, Droid DNA.
How could you possibly question #5? That's the biggest selling point of the Nexus 4
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
BigMan0nCampus said:
I love the nexus line but I wish they all had more internal memory, SD card support, removable batteries, and took back the lead in terms of cutting edge hardware
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Gnex has 32g internal memory, of which I've had trouble filling any more than 15 of it and justifying it, a removable battery, and was running 4.2.2 just a couple days after Google released it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Five reasons Will vanish in front of one reason.
NOT AFFORDABLE PRICE..
If HTC makes the next Nexus: I imagine that would send out a lot of ripples. Or if Samsung makes the next Nexus with their Exynos chipset. One thing for sure is that a Nexus device with a Qualcomm CPU is boring for us music lovers. Other than that, an unsaid reason why one would buy a Nexus device in general is the sole fact Nexus devices are always "World Phones" in the literal sense.
i wish i have nexus 4 :c
Is Motorola going to make the next Google branded phone?
After owning the Galaxy Nexus, i'll never going to buy a non-Google phone.
hello friends first time posting here!
i am in the market to buy a new smartphone but confuse which one to go with. In past i have used iphone 3gs and iphone 4s never tried android.
so i want to buy a best android smartphone , but confuse because as report suggest Samsung GS5 will be launched in january, so i want to know
should i buy nexus 5 , wait for samsung gs5 or buy any other smartphone ?
abuzz11 said:
hello friends first time posting here!
i am in the market to buy a new smartphone but confuse which one to go with. In past i have used iphone 3gs and iphone 4s never tried android.
so i want to buy a best android smartphone , but confuse because as report suggest Samsung GS5 will be launched in january, so i want to know
should i buy nexus 5 , wait for samsung gs5 or buy any other smartphone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u should get the nexus 6
Sent from Mars™
hello00 said:
u should get the nexus 6
Sent from Mars™
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 5 seems to be pretty solid. It does not have all the functions the s5 will probably have, but at least what I did was buy the Nexus 5 unlocked from Google so I didn't extend my contract with ATT and when the next latest greatest comes out I will buy that on my upgrade from ATT. Hard to argue with a good phone that the total cost is what I would pay for a subsidized phone and with the subsidized phone I would have to extend my contract with ATT.
I for one will never purchase another Samsung phone with the whole Knox security situation
Sent from my Nexus 5
buy the s5 when it is released or wait for the next flagship by an other company which will be released just weeks after with better specs?????
just buy the N5 and dont think too much, its a really nice device!:good:
are u sure nexus 5 is what i should buy ? i just want the best android smartphone budget is not the problem and i will be buying an unlocked one.
and is 16 gb enough
abuzz11 said:
are u sure nexus 5 is what i should buy ? i just want the best android smartphone budget is not the problem and i will be buying an unlocked one.
and is 16 gb enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if this is your first android phone I would recommend the galaxy s5. Nexus devices are more targeted at android enthusiasts/purists and don't have the bells and whistles that a lot of the others do. If you're not planning to unlock and flash custom roms and kernels then you're losing the biggest advantage of the phone (in my opinion). But if money really isn't an issue, then you could just buy both and sell the one you decide against.
premo15 said:
Honestly, if this is your first android phone I would recommend the galaxy s5. Nexus devices are more targeted at android enthusiasts/purists and don't have the bells and whistles that a lot of the others do. If you're not planning to unlock and flash custom roms and kernels then you're losing the biggest advantage of the phone (in my opinion). But if money really isn't an issue, then you could just buy both and sell the one you decide against.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have jailbroken my iphone 4s so i am kind aware of all these , yes i don't have much idea about roms and flash but i will learn
so just tell me is 16gb enough ? i will be playing games . and do u think gs5 will released in jan 2014 ? or march ?
abuzz11 said:
i have jailbroken my iphone 4s so i am kind aware of all these , yes i don't have much idea about roms and flash but i will learn
so just tell me is 16gb enough ? i will be playing games . and do u think gs5 will released in jan 2014 ? or march ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, go with the n5...it will be much easier to unlock than the s5. I would be surprised if the s5 came out in January; they are targeting a "Q1" release date so to me that means March.
I actually just ordered my n5 last night and had the same dilemma about the storage. I don't usually store a lot of music or movies on my phone but in the end I decided on the 32gb version since there's no external sd slot and it's only $50 more. 16gb may be enough, but keep in mind that you'll really only have about 12-13gb of user storage available.
Sent from my EVO LTE
premo15 said:
In that case, go with the n5...it will be much easier to unlock than the s5. I would be surprised if the s5 came out in January; they are targeting a "Q1" release date so to me that means March.
I actually just ordered my n5 last night and had the same dilemma about the storage. I don't usually store a lot of music or movies on my phone but in the end I decided on the 32gb version since there's no external sd slot and it's only $50 more. 16gb may be enough, but keep in mind that you'll really only have about 12-13gb of user storage available.
Sent from my EVO LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here i will also not be storing too much of a music , :good:
and yes i have decided to go with nexus 5 and may end up buying 32gb version ,How about lg g2 ?
And one thing please can you tell me what is flash root, roms etc etc.? i am noob in these so please bare with me
If you're in the UK, Amazon are doing G2 for just fifty quid more than the nexus 5
abuzz11 said:
hello friends first time posting here!
i am in the market to buy a new smartphone but confuse which one to go with. In past i have used iphone 3gs and iphone 4s never tried android.
so i want to buy a best android smartphone , but confuse because as report suggest Samsung GS5 will be launched in january, so i want to know
should i buy nexus 5 , wait for samsung gs5 or buy any other smartphone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ignore the comment about the Nexus 6. The Nexus 5 just launched and it'll be awhile before a new Nexus device is launched. You're looking to get an Android smartphone and soon.
Choosing between the Galaxy S5 (unofficial) and the recently released Nexus 5, it's a matter of opinion. The Nexus phones and Galaxy series phones have always been different. The Galaxy S5 is going to be significantly more expensive than the Nexus 5.
Currently you can buy the Nexus 5, 16GB model full retail from Google for $349 and the Galaxy S4 costs $749. I owned the Galaxy S4 for 6 months and switched to the Nexus 5 and enjoy the Nexus 5 more than. You can buy a 32GB Nexus 5 model from Google for $399. The Samsung Galaxy phones will have Touchwiz (their launcher) along with the Android you'll be getting. For the past many years, people have "hated" Android for being laggy and having bad battery life. Those typically come from added 'bells and whistles' that most people don't end up using. The Galaxy S4 has those neat features where if a video is playing and you look away, it pauses the video. Those features are tedious and don't always work as great as they're expected too. When you get a Nexus device, you get a pure vanilla Android experience. It's just Android, it doesn't have carrier crap or manufacturer features from Samsung that 96.4% of people just disable. The Nexus 5 is significantly snappier and more responsive than my S4 ever was.
If you're concerned about space, get a 32GB. Only $50 more.
I know your asking about the Galaxy S5, but there's no official specs or expectations to go on so i'm basing my experience with the S4. Both have an immaculate screen and we can assume the S5 will be similar.
***What I would do if I were you is get yourself a Nexus 5, a fast, great Android experience - so you can adjust to having Android instead of iOS from your iPhones. Then after the S5 officially releases and they've worked past the issues they're going to have (being that it's Samsung) and play with one at a local store to see if you like it over the Nexus 5.
My recommendation: get the Nexus 5 for the best Android experience for your money.
Hope i've helped.
FourPointedFreak said:
Ignore the comment about the Nexus 6. The Nexus 5 just launched and it'll be awhile before a new Nexus device is launched. You're looking to get an Android smartphone and soon.
Choosing between the Galaxy S5 (unofficial) and the recently released Nexus 5, it's a matter of opinion. The Nexus phones and Galaxy series phones have always been different. The Galaxy S5 is going to be significantly more expensive than the Nexus 5.
Currently you can buy the Nexus 5, 16GB model full retail from Google for $349 and the Galaxy S4 costs $749. I owned the Galaxy S4 for 6 months and switched to the Nexus 5 and enjoy the Nexus 5 more than. You can buy a 32GB Nexus 5 model from Google for $399. The Samsung Galaxy phones will have Touchwiz (their launcher) along with the Android you'll be getting. For the past many years, people have "hated" Android for being laggy and having bad battery life. Those typically come from added 'bells and whistles' that most people don't end up using. The Galaxy S4 has those neat features where if a video is playing and you look away, it pauses the video. Those features are tedious and don't always work as great as they're expected too. When you get a Nexus device, you get a pure vanilla Android experience. It's just Android, it doesn't have carrier crap or manufacturer features from Samsung that 96.4% of people just disable. The Nexus 5 is significantly snappier and more responsive than my S4 ever was.
If you're concerned about space, get a 32GB. Only $50 more.
I know your asking about the Galaxy S5, but there's no official specs or expectations to go on so i'm basing my experience with the S4. Both have an immaculate screen and we can assume the S5 will be similar.
***What I would do if I were you is get yourself a Nexus 5, a fast, great Android experience - so you can adjust to having Android instead of iOS from your iPhones. Then after the S5 officially releases and they've worked past the issues they're going to have (being that it's Samsung) and play with one at a local store to see if you like it over the Nexus 5.
My recommendation: get the Nexus 5 for the best Android experience for your money.
Hope i've helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks alot for your kind reply!
i am pretty sure now nexus 5 is going to be my first android smartphone!
one thing can i get multitasking experience like note 3 in nexus 5 ? and other note 3 feature ? because i like note 3 layout
abuzz11 said:
hello friends first time posting here!
i am in the market to buy a new smartphone but confuse which one to go with. In past i have used iphone 3gs and iphone 4s never tried android.
so i want to buy a best android smartphone , but confuse because as report suggest Samsung GS5 will be launched in january, so i want to know
should i buy nexus 5 , wait for samsung gs5 or buy any other smartphone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, the Nexus 5 is an affordable smartphone with decent specs, Galaxy s5 isn't even released yet and will likely cost close to twice as much. Sure the S5 will probably have better specs since it's newer and costs a lot more.
From personal experience and I'm coming from an iPhone as well, I liked the S3 it was a nice phone with a good amount of options, didn't care for the S4, it was loaded with lots of features that I'd never use other than to show someone "hey look what this can do" It was big and felt like a mini tablet, total overkill for a phone unless you like that sort of thing.
I didn't care much for the Nexus 4 design, but I really like the Nexus 5, my only complaint is the camera which is supposed to be fixed with an update.
So, if you want lots and lots of features on a super expensive phone that won't receive updates quickly (unless you install a custom rom) go for the Galaxy S5
If you want an affordable phone that looks and works well and gets fast updates, go for the nexus.
PS: My only other complaint about the Nexus is that there's no Otterbox for it, but since Google has their own cases it doesn't bother me so much.
abuzz11 said:
Thanks alot for your kind reply!
i am pretty sure now nexus 5 is going to be my first android smartphone!
one thing can i get multitasking experience like note 3 in nexus 5 ? and other note 3 feature ? because i like note 3 layout
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what you mean by multi-tasking experience? If you mean app-switching, there is a dedicated button on the Nexus 5 on the far right which allows easy app switching.
If you're referring to the "Multi-Window" feature to split your screen in two apps, no. That's a Samsung Multi-Window feature that the Galaxy S4 and Note 2/3 have. There are other things similar to that which you can get on a rooted Nexus 5, but it isn't stock.
Just my final thoughts on this... Carriers usually have a return policy. If you like the note setup then maybe Samsung is more to your liking? And about the space.... Since the n5 has no SD slot I bought the largest.... Would rather potentially waste 50$ than constantly run out of space and dislike my phone because of it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
S5 has more ram. 3gb ram is more than 2gb
Sent from my Nexus 5
FourPointedFreak said:
Ignore the comment about the Nexus 6. The Nexus 5 just launched and it'll be awhile before a new Nexus device is launched. You're looking to get an Android smartphone and soon.
Choosing between the Galaxy S5 (unofficial) and the recently released Nexus 5, it's a matter of opinion. The Nexus phones and Galaxy series phones have always been different. The Galaxy S5 is going to be significantly more expensive than the Nexus 5.
Currently you can buy the Nexus 5, 16GB model full retail from Google for $349 and the Galaxy S4 costs $749. I owned the Galaxy S4 for 6 months and switched to the Nexus 5 and enjoy the Nexus 5 more than. You can buy a 32GB Nexus 5 model from Google for $399. The Samsung Galaxy phones will have Touchwiz (their launcher) along with the Android you'll be getting. For the past many years, people have "hated" Android for being laggy and having bad battery life. Those typically come from added 'bells and whistles' that most people don't end up using. The Galaxy S4 has those neat features where if a video is playing and you look away, it pauses the video. Those features are tedious and don't always work as great as they're expected too. When you get a Nexus device, you get a pure vanilla Android experience. It's just Android, it doesn't have carrier crap or manufacturer features from Samsung that 96.4% of people just disable. The Nexus 5 is significantly snappier and more responsive than my S4 ever was.
If you're concerned about space, get a 32GB. Only $50 more.
I know your asking about the Galaxy S5, but there's no official specs or expectations to go on so i'm basing my experience with the S4. Both have an immaculate screen and we can assume the S5 will be similar.
***What I would do if I were you is get yourself a Nexus 5, a fast, great Android experience - so you can adjust to having Android instead of iOS from your iPhones. Then after the S5 officially releases and they've worked past the issues they're going to have (being that it's Samsung) and play with one at a local store to see if you like it over the Nexus 5.
My recommendation: get the Nexus 5 for the best Android experience for your money.
Hope i've helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was one of the most useful posts I've ever read here at XDA.
---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
Jarvarro said:
In my opinion, the Nexus 5 is an affordable smartphone with decent specs, Galaxy s5 isn't even released yet and will likely cost close to twice as much. Sure the S5 will probably have better specs since it's newer and costs a lot more.
From personal experience and I'm coming from an iPhone as well, I liked the S3 it was a nice phone with a good amount of options, didn't care for the S4, it was loaded with lots of features that I'd never use other than to show someone "hey look what this can do" It was big and felt like a mini tablet, total overkill for a phone unless you like that sort of thing.
I didn't care much for the Nexus 4 design, but I really like the Nexus 5, my only complaint is the camera which is supposed to be fixed with an update.
So, if you want lots and lots of features on a super expensive phone that won't receive updates quickly (unless you install a custom rom) go for the Galaxy S5
If you want an affordable phone that looks and works well and gets fast updates, go for the nexus.
PS: My only other complaint about the Nexus is that there's no Otterbox for it, but since Google has their own cases it doesn't bother me so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What camera issue is the update supposed to be fixing? I just got mine and I'm not very impressed with the camera at all..
kryptoniteguy said:
This was one of the most useful posts I've ever read here at XDA.
---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
What camera issue is the update supposed to be fixing? I just got mine and I'm not very impressed with the camera at all..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your kind words, just providing my insight.
Hey.
I don't know which one should I choose. I live in Brazil and there is no Nexus 5 yet over here (maybe it'll be released in March 2014)
The LG G2 is available at a VERY affordable price, for less than R$1300. For comparison, Galaxy Note 3 costs R$2899 and iPhone 5S costs R$2799. Nexus 4 costs R$900 and a Galaxy S3 costs the same R$1300, so you get the image.
The thing is, the Nexus 5 isn't available here officially. There are independent importers that brought them to here (with 4G compatibility n' all, D821), but they cost as much as R$1800~2000.
As Nexus 5 is nothing more than a "simplified" and unlocked version of LG G2, I expect it to cost a little bit less or the same thing as the LG G2 (but I'd not be surprised if both prices increased).
I currently have an Galaxy S3 i9300 which I'm now using mostly for phone calls and tethering for my Nexus 7 2013, which I carry around everywhere, because the i9300 is no more enough for me (screen estate, multitasking, old android).
I like to mod the phone a lot, and I've heard the LG G2 isn't that good for this, so I don't know what to get. The G2 is really really cheap considering other phone's prices, but I'm a modding addict.
Should I wait and buy the Nexus 5 next year or I'll not lose too much by getting the G2 this christmas?
Please use one of the following two sticky threads in this section to continue your inquiry:
[Discussion] Consolidated Device Comparison/ Q&A/ Discussion Thread!!
[Discussion] What's your next smartphone / What should I buy
:good:
So I'm due for an upgrade on our company verizon plan soon. I'm really struggling on what to settle on.
I've been a big Samsung fan for my last 4 phones, Captivate, Vibrant, GS2, GS3, etc. but I've wanted to see if the grass is greener on any other top brands like LG and motorola.
Here's what I've been looking at. LG G3, S5, Droid Turbo, Note 4.
Should I be looking at some other diamond in the rough? Should I hold out for a newer phone soon to be released?
Root and developer support is important but not crucial. My work related apps are sometimes broken on root and custom ROM's.
Thanks!
jayjr1105 said:
So I'm due for an upgrade on our company verizon plan soon. I'm really struggling on what to settle on.
Here's what I've been looking at. LG G3, S5, Droid Turbo, Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Turbo and Note 4 are the next-gen phones you listed. Go with either of those.
MichaelEGR said:
The Turbo and Note 4 are the next-gen phones you listed. Go with either of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also strongly considering the moto x 2nd gen 32gb version. I like the bare android look and feel. No touch wiz, sense, etc.
leve contract, pay moar for new fone, save monies
Hello,
First a litttle background (skip to the 2nd paragraph for the question): My first experience with Android and XDA came with the Galaxy S5... On AT&T. As you know, its not the most friendly phone when it comes to the development community but thanks to Safestrap, I was at least able to do some tweaking. But, shortly after I bought it, the Note 4 was released and I immediately wanted it... it became my dream phone. But, of course, on AT&T, its locked down just like the S5 (maybe even more so?). I then bought a Tab S 8.4 and had a much better experience with being able to customize the tablet how I wanted. When it came time to upgrade, I was going to buy the Nexus 6 so I could have complete freedom and once my upgrade date came, both AT&T and Best Buy both promptly stopped selling the Nexus 6. So, I decided to just say screw it, and bought the Note 5. While its a fast phone and Touchwiz is night and day better on it than it was on my S5, I really miss my root.
So, here's my question: I have been monitoring the forums and have seen that AT&T users with the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge and the LG G4 have been able to successfully root. Ironically, I almost bought the G$, but bought the Note b/c of my desire for the Note 4. Anyway, if I were to buy a S6 Edge or G4 at Best Buy today, would it come with the stock firmware that is rootable (with Pingpong for the Samsung or flashing with the LG) or will they have been updated to one of the newer un-rootable firmwares? I'm not trying to get into an OEM debate here, I just want the best Android experience possible in my current situation and, unfortunately, that means buying an AT&T phone. I don't know if it matters, but If I buy the G4, it would be the silver H810 as I'd buy the leather back anyway and if I buy the S6Edge, it would be gold version with model number of SM-G925AZDAATT.
Thanks for reading and for any advice you can give!
PS.. There may be other rootable AT&T phones I don't know about and I'm open to them as well but at this point, I'm restricted to buying an AT&T phone through Best Buy. Thanks again!
Go with G4 I might be a little subjective but just start with the removable battery and micro sd card...
There's a thread for this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Thread closed