The Samsung Galaxy S24
dinosaur1's profile

Mentor

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61 Messages

Sunday, November 4th, 2012 2:54 AM

iPhone 5 to Nexus 4 switch

I have owned all previous iPhone models that have existed.  I am ready to try something different and go for the Nexus 4.  The iPhone 5 is great, but it also seems behind the times as well when it comes to screen size, customization and battery life.  I am also finding that when Apple gets too big as they are now the quality of their products goes downhill.  I also don't feel like waiting in lines or spending $500 when the Nexus phone is set at a very competitive price. The Genius Bar always pushes back when I go and try and get help.  I will never own a MacBook and wil always have a windows pc so in the long run the Nexus 4 is the way to go.

 

I have owned a droid phone in the past and it was 50/50.  I heard the Nexus 4 is going to be out of this world.

 

Has anyone else gone from iPhone to Nexus p roduct lineand how do they like it?

 

What do I have to do to switch to a Nexus 4 snice I have an unlimited data plan with at&t?

Professor

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2.7K Messages

11 years ago


@Jnorton2724 wrote:
Android has a imessage type of service so please stop spreading false information. I don't have texting and I use google talk or google+ for texting.

Google Talk and Google+ are not limited to other Android users, as far as I know, but are able to be used across the different platforms.  iMessage can only be used with other iOS users; text messages to non-iOS users go through as regular SMS messages.  This is why I said that there is not a function in Android similar to iMessage.  I don't have carrier text messaging through AT&T and used Google Voice on an iPhone, and I know that Google Voice is cross-platform.

 

Mentor

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61 Messages

11 years ago

So the Nexus 4 comes out on Nov. 13?

Professor

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2.7K Messages

11 years ago

That's the available for purchase date.  I don't know when it will ship, though.

Mentor

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61 Messages

11 years ago

Other than the Samsung Galaxy S iii will the Nexus 4 be considered an iPhone 5 competitor?

Professor

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2.7K Messages

11 years ago

Yes.  The Nexus line shows Android phones as Google intended them to be, much like an iPhone is the phone that Apple intended it to be.

Professor

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3K Messages

11 years ago


@dinosaur1 wrote:
I listen to some podcasts. Does the Nexus 4 have something similar to podcasts? When it comes to games how are they compared to the iPhone 5 as far as quality, screen sensitivity, lag, etc

Podcasts are not exclusive to iPhone or Apple, and they are not really made or controlled by Apple.  You can get them a variety of ways, including download or subscribing straight from the source in many cases.  Or if you want, you can just keep using iTunes to download them, then load them onto an Android phone.  There are different ways to sync podcasts and music (including your playlists) from iTunes to an Android phone, but the iSynr app works great.

 

There are games every bit as good on Android as on iPhone. And there is a lot of garbage too, due to the open nature of the Android Play Store.  Some higher quality (and popular) games are on iPhone, and don't make it to Android.  Although there should are still plenty of quality games to keep most people busy.  But if you want specific games, they may or may not be available on Android.  So you may check for availability on Android, if its a deal breaker for you.  iPhone users simply spend more money on apps then Android users, plus iPhone is easier to develop for (having far less hardware configurations)  so that is where software developers concentrate their time (even Android users now outnumber iOS by a factor of nearly 2 to 1).

 

It seems like you are basing lots of opinions about Android on an old phone.  The Droid X is over 2 years old, ancient in smartphone terms.  Modern flagship Android phones (Nexus or otherwise) have great specs, responsive, and work great.  The performance difference between iOS and Android is not really a valid difference anymore.  If people are talking about a difference in smoothness or lag on Android vs. iOS, they are talking about milliseconds, or comparing an outdated Android device.  Just do to a store and play around with a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an HTC One X, and you'll see what I'm talking about.  The Nexus 4 has pretty similar specs to those phones (a little better CPU, in fact).

 

Mentor

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61 Messages

11 years ago

Here's an article that I read. What does he mean at the very end there?

"A little over a year ago, I bristled at the fact that the iPhone 4S didn't have LTE, but I also admitted that the phone was a still a "force to be reckoned with." The same can be said for the Nexus 4, with a caveat. The mobile industry has changed a lot in the last 12 months. LTE is the norm, not a nice-to-have, and its performance has shown the cracks in the aging GSM networks of the US. No flagship device is released without it. Not even the iPhone.

For a phone and an OS built for the cloud, I think it's unacceptable to not offer a version that takes advantage of our fastest mobile networks.

If you buy the Nexus 4, you have to decide whether you're willing to compromise data speeds for the purest and best form of the Android OS. After comparing the options and seeing the gulf between Google's flagship and other devices on the market, I've decided it's a compromise I won't be making again."

Professor

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2.7K Messages

11 years ago

I take it that the author won't be getting a Nexus 4 because he wants LTE data speeds.  For those with a need for speed, I can understand this feeling.  I can take an HSPA+ only phone because I have several other LTE devices to watch video on.  For those with only one device, that's a consideration that could take a different turn. I live in an area that gets good LTE speeds on AT&T (25Mbps+ down).  If I had to choose one phone, it would be a phone that had LTE. 

 

This is also a testament to how far other OEMs have come and how far Android has come, in general.  Nexus devices were necessary for my enjoyment of Android 1-2 years ago.  Now, I can enjoy Android under Touchwiz.  Also, Android OS versions are going from good to great whereas a couple of years ago, I would have described them as "maturing".

 

If you take Redpoint's suggestion from above (I recommend this, as well), do a factory data reset on the phone in the store before you test it.  I have run into non-responsive and laggy devices that were in-store displays.  Some of the time, this is caused by people downloading conflicting apps and leaving tasks running in the background on the phone.

Professor

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3K Messages

11 years ago


@dinosaur1 wrote:
Here's an article that I read. What does he mean at the very end there?


You mentioned you don't have LTE in your area.  So that being the case (and if its not anytime coming soon), the article you quoted is a moot point.

 

It comes down to how you use your phone, and the quality of the HSPA+ network in your area.  I've read comments by people that the AT&T HSPA+ network in their area is good.  On the other hand, I've read comments by other users that can't stream any music or video on their phone due to the speed on the HSPA+ network.  If the current network works for the things you do, then you don't need LTE.  Speeds of 4 to 6 Mbps is pretty average in many places on HSPA+, and some have even commented on speeds close to 10 Mbps.  That is more than enought for most web browsing,and lots of other uses.  But if you are doing lots of streaming or downloading of files, LTE may make a big difference for you.

 

Some people even prefer the HSPA+ network over LTE, as LTE can use more battery (although I often get close to 2 days on a single charge while on LTE most the day).  Some even go as far as to toggle LTE off (even when its available) in order to save battery life.

 

My personal experience, the AT&T HSPA+ signal has always been pretty weak at my house.  Download speed is often 1 Mbps or less, and with frequent dropouts.  But switching over to LTE, the signal is rock solid now, and download speed is 20 or 30 Mbps.

 

But as already mentioned, its really a moot argument if LTE is not available in your area.

 

Professor

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3K Messages

11 years ago


@dinosaur1 wrote:
Other than the Samsung Galaxy S iii will the Nexus 4 be considered an iPhone 5 competitor?

Those phones all do the same things, and are all "flagship" high end smartphones.  So if that is what you mean, yes they are competitors.  The HTC One X (soon to be superceded by the One X+) is in the same category, as well.

 

My take on Android:  Its customizable in ways the iPhone simply is not.  It does things that Apple will simply not let you do.  It drives my wife crazy that she can't just plug her iPhone or iPad into our PC and just drag and drop files (which even a 2 dollar thumb drive can do) and she is forced to go through the cumbersome iTunes interface to sync files.

 

If you are a big user of Google products (Gmail, Maps, Calendar), the integration with Android is simply awesome.  Its really a shame that Apple is in the process of wiping Google from their OS.  I know at least a couple people that are going to ditch their iPhones for this reason.

 

On the other hand, if you have a lot invested in the iOS ecosystem (such as games and other apps), the transition may be a bit jarring.

 

Some people say that iOS is more user friendly than Android.  But honestly, unless you are the type that needs help setting a digital clock, I don't see it making that much of a difference.  Sure, there is a bit of a learning curve, as there is with any electronic device.  But its still very user friendly.  Yes, there are lots of things you can configure, but that is a good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

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