Nexus 5 Teardown(ifixit.com)
ifixit.com
Nexus 5 Teardown
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+5+Teardown/19016
122 comments
So far, my biggest gripe with KitKat is that there is literally zero customization available for the launcher, and if you switch to something like Nova (my previous choice), you lose the 1) easy access to a Google Now screen, and 2) "Ok Google" voice search. This wouldn't ordinarily bother me much but there are two big UI/UX gripes I have with the KitKat launcher:
1) To quote a Reddit meme, the icons are just... too damn big! Yes, the screen is lovely and the new icons are perfectly good looking, but they're huge! Even on a 5" 1080P screen, you are only allowed a 4x4 grid. I used a 6x6 grid on my Galaxy Nexus and think that size is far more appropriate, especially if you want to take advantage of multiple widgets on your homescreens, or a mix of widgets and shortcuts on the same homescreen.
2) Related to the first complaint, you can't create app folders in the app drawer. This makes it impossible to "hide" things like LightFlow, News & Weather, Keep Screen On, the default Email client, or other utilities and random apps you don't ever want to see. At least you get five rows of four, but still, the icons are infuriatingly large.
I haven't played with the camera enough to comment, and the battery is light years better than my Galaxy Nexus so I have no complaints there (yet). I do carry a Powerstick (http://www.powerstick.com) in my briefcase when traveling, though.
The fact that you can now do both video and voice, or just voice, Hangouts while on cellular networks is enough for me to overlook quite a few issues.
One last tidbit: the new dialer & phone app is much, much better than the old stock one (imho, this is something Samsung really did a good job of with Touchwiz), but it is not intuitive and there are some wonky things about it, like the fact that the standard dialing screen only shows 3 of your starred contacts and there is no apparent way to scroll/view the rest of your favorites.
I'm expecting a 4.4.1 sometime not too long from now because there are enough things lacking polish to warrant a few extra weeks in the oven.
As for the hardware, not a huge fan of the sharp edges, but it does feel good in the hand and the small side bezels make it feel smaller than a 5" phone should.
1) To quote a Reddit meme, the icons are just... too damn big! Yes, the screen is lovely and the new icons are perfectly good looking, but they're huge! Even on a 5" 1080P screen, you are only allowed a 4x4 grid. I used a 6x6 grid on my Galaxy Nexus and think that size is far more appropriate, especially if you want to take advantage of multiple widgets on your homescreens, or a mix of widgets and shortcuts on the same homescreen.
2) Related to the first complaint, you can't create app folders in the app drawer. This makes it impossible to "hide" things like LightFlow, News & Weather, Keep Screen On, the default Email client, or other utilities and random apps you don't ever want to see. At least you get five rows of four, but still, the icons are infuriatingly large.
I haven't played with the camera enough to comment, and the battery is light years better than my Galaxy Nexus so I have no complaints there (yet). I do carry a Powerstick (http://www.powerstick.com) in my briefcase when traveling, though.
The fact that you can now do both video and voice, or just voice, Hangouts while on cellular networks is enough for me to overlook quite a few issues.
One last tidbit: the new dialer & phone app is much, much better than the old stock one (imho, this is something Samsung really did a good job of with Touchwiz), but it is not intuitive and there are some wonky things about it, like the fact that the standard dialing screen only shows 3 of your starred contacts and there is no apparent way to scroll/view the rest of your favorites.
I'm expecting a 4.4.1 sometime not too long from now because there are enough things lacking polish to warrant a few extra weeks in the oven.
As for the hardware, not a huge fan of the sharp edges, but it does feel good in the hand and the small side bezels make it feel smaller than a 5" phone should.
Well put all around. Here's to hoping Nova and the like add Now integration.
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Re number 2, is disabling apps from settings not a stock feature? I've never needed to hide apps in the drawer, I just disable them and they never bother me.
Yes, you can definitely still disable apps in order to hide them. (Though this isn't as flexible, especially when one app owns multiple Launcher icons such as the Google Settings one).
I'd have hoped Google would've learned about the importance of a good speaker with the N7. Seriously, good speakers are not optional.
Then again, I wonder how much of the "your speakers suck" problem is really just "OMG netflix why the hell are your streams so quiet"?
Then again, I wonder how much of the "your speakers suck" problem is really just "OMG netflix why the hell are your streams so quiet"?
Do you prefer to not use headphones? Because it's a problem I pretty much never think about because I always use headphones.
I absolutely prefer to use headphones, when they're available. But I prefer not to have one more thing in my pocket getting tangled up with my keys.
Use one of those pouches that come with some earphones.
Those are pretty big to be throwing in your pocket. A lot the time I leave the house with nothing but my jeans to carry stuff. Pocket space is a limited commodity.
I would hope that you could use the Nexus 5 as a speakerphone too.
Would you buy it again if you had to do it over again? I'm on the fence, having an aging Galaxy Nexus.
I get to play with a lot of phones in my company so would I take it over the:
Galaxy Nexus? Yes. Nexus 4? Closer, but still yes. Galaxy S3 and S4? Yes, because Samsung is really pissing me off with their lack of speedy updates. HTC One Play Edition? Undecided. Merging the two together would be the best phone (speakers on One, the proud buttons and texture on the N5) but I wouldn't trade one for the other at this point.
Galaxy Nexus? Yes. Nexus 4? Closer, but still yes. Galaxy S3 and S4? Yes, because Samsung is really pissing me off with their lack of speedy updates. HTC One Play Edition? Undecided. Merging the two together would be the best phone (speakers on One, the proud buttons and texture on the N5) but I wouldn't trade one for the other at this point.
Nexus5 or GN3 for T-mobile? The ONE must have feature for me in native tethering, which is available on the Nexus4, and I presume will be available on the Nexus5. Thoughts? Thanks.
I have the Nexus 5 on my T-Mobile account as I write this, so my answer is definitely that!
What do you mean by "native tethering"? I have free tethering on my TMO Simple Choice plan for all my lines - which all have iPhones (I gather the phone doesn't matter).
I think because you have tethering, that is why the tethering option on your iPhone is enabled. When you don't pay for tethering, or get it for free, that option is disabled.
On the Nexus 4 and 5, the option is enabled regardless if you paid for tethering or not. This is because the phone comes directly from Google, so t-mobile did not get to install bloatware (custom OS) that disables the feature.
I call it "native" because it is built into the OS, versus installing third party apps that mimic the feature. Usually these apps require rooting your phone.
On the Nexus 4 and 5, the option is enabled regardless if you paid for tethering or not. This is because the phone comes directly from Google, so t-mobile did not get to install bloatware (custom OS) that disables the feature.
I call it "native" because it is built into the OS, versus installing third party apps that mimic the feature. Usually these apps require rooting your phone.
Samsung as pretty much lost me as a customer at this point..
I have used nothing by samsung smart phones, the last phone I had that was a non-samsung was the Moto Razr Original Flip phone.
I currently run a Note II, will never buy another directly as a Result of their lack of updates for the device. Stilling have 4.1 as the official rom is ridiculous
I have used nothing by samsung smart phones, the last phone I had that was a non-samsung was the Moto Razr Original Flip phone.
I currently run a Note II, will never buy another directly as a Result of their lack of updates for the device. Stilling have 4.1 as the official rom is ridiculous
I went from the Galaxy Nexus to the Samsung S4, and I wouldn't do it again if given the chance.
The unremoveable bloatware and need-to-root for certain features is beyond frustrating. It's like that Dell laptop you got back in the early 2000's, except you need to reinstall the OS to run it normally.
The unremoveable bloatware and need-to-root for certain features is beyond frustrating. It's like that Dell laptop you got back in the early 2000's, except you need to reinstall the OS to run it normally.
The GS4 is available in a Google edition without the Samsung junkware...
How practical is it to do just that, reinstall the OS, say Kit-kat? If its pretty easy, I wouldn't mind doing it.
What about vs IPhone 4s? I'm looking to get my wife a new phone. The 5 and 5s are too expensive, so my choices are 4s and this Nexus 5. She already has Android, but we aren't picky about OS.
The iPhone 4s looks and feels like the two year-old phone that it is. The only reason to choose it over the Nexus 5 is because either you want iOS or you really like the small form-factor.
I don't like the 4S form factor from a screen perspective. I found that when I carried two phones (work and home) the iPhone would get less use than any other phone because it wasn't as easy to use as a reference device.
It's leagues better than the Galaxy Nexus, and quite a bit better than the N4. No question. The only other phone I'd been considering was the LG G2, with an intent of loading a new ROM (or hoping they release a GPE), and really just because of the 3000mAh battery.
Great, those were precisely my top 2 gripes with the Nexus 4 and I was hopeful they received enough complaints about it to rectify it, but I guess not.
Too bad I already ordered the 5, but if its as bad as you say, I may have to sell it and just give up on Nexus and get the HTC One.
Too bad I already ordered the 5, but if its as bad as you say, I may have to sell it and just give up on Nexus and get the HTC One.
I'd recommend the Play edition HTC one, which I've been using for 4 months, since it was released. Updates seem to be only a week or so behind Nexus phones. Everything else seems pretty similar to the 5, except that the case is metal, the speakers are loud, and the camera is probably better. The loud speakers are the biggest difference to me - this is the loudest smartphone I've ever owned, and I was coming from the barely-there Galaxy Nexus.
I really wish they'd put some more effort into the speakers and camera on the Nexus phones, though the Verge review implies that the meh Nexus 5 camera is mostly software.
I really wish they'd put some more effort into the speakers and camera on the Nexus phones, though the Verge review implies that the meh Nexus 5 camera is mostly software.
What are the issues about KitKat you're talking about?
Well Google Hangouts on iOS7 can make and receive phone calls for your Google Voice account but KitKat cannot. Hangouts is considered the primary SMS application but even though option screens exist you cannot make Voice your primary app for texting. This means voice control is effectively useless.
I'm extremely disappointed that Google launched such a tight integration with such key functionality missing.
I've also had to clean my phone off twice because Google's backup service continues to think the phone is new so it keeps sending me a bunch of crap I don't want on my phone.
I haven't seen a lot of lag issues yet, but I've only had it for 24 hours or so.
I'm extremely disappointed that Google launched such a tight integration with such key functionality missing.
I've also had to clean my phone off twice because Google's backup service continues to think the phone is new so it keeps sending me a bunch of crap I don't want on my phone.
I haven't seen a lot of lag issues yet, but I've only had it for 24 hours or so.
For starters it's the lag which at this point seems to be so nested into the core that unless vital components get rewritten from scratch, will not fade away anytime soon. Every reiteration of Android sees a new stab at taking the lag and overall unresponsiveness away, but all they do is adding work-arounds or surface optimizations.
Leaving the "lag does exist or not" issue aside, Google is working on a Dalvkit replacment called ART (http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/art.html).
KitKat ship with an experimental version of ART, and it seems to perform better in synthetic benchmarks than Dalvkit. People online are also reporting a smoother experience with it (but it might be placebo, I don't think there's a scientific and unbiased comparative between the two yet).
KitKat ship with an experimental version of ART, and it seems to perform better in synthetic benchmarks than Dalvkit. People online are also reporting a smoother experience with it (but it might be placebo, I don't think there's a scientific and unbiased comparative between the two yet).
What lag are you talking about? Even critics of Android have offered up that the Nexus 5 is smoother and silkier than even the iPhone 5s.
The single and only lag complaint I've seen was an utterly ridiculous "scroll up and down quickly in Chrome" video preview on the Verge. Not only does it have zero association with actual use, iOS displays exactly the same so-called "lag" on premium devices with complex websites like the Verge.
The lag beast has been slayed. Perhaps mostly through just enormous computational horsepower, but it is a non-complaint.
The single and only lag complaint I've seen was an utterly ridiculous "scroll up and down quickly in Chrome" video preview on the Verge. Not only does it have zero association with actual use, iOS displays exactly the same so-called "lag" on premium devices with complex websites like the Verge.
The lag beast has been slayed. Perhaps mostly through just enormous computational horsepower, but it is a non-complaint.
There were recent touch responsiveness benchmarks that show that even the iPhone 4 outshines the latest Android models.
http://bgr.com/2013/09/20/iphone-android-touch-screen-respon...
I'm a very happy owner of a 2013 Nexus 7, but I have to say I think this is perceptible. It's not showstopping or even disorienting, but it does translate in performance critical tasks like web browsing and gaming being slightly less satisfying. With an iPhone, scrolling feels like you're manipulating a piece of paper under your finger; Chrome on my Nexus 7 doesn't quite achieve that illusion.
Then again, the OS itself feels way more nimble than iOS: things like text-to-speech, app installs and multi-tasking are way more satisfying on Android.
http://bgr.com/2013/09/20/iphone-android-touch-screen-respon...
I'm a very happy owner of a 2013 Nexus 7, but I have to say I think this is perceptible. It's not showstopping or even disorienting, but it does translate in performance critical tasks like web browsing and gaming being slightly less satisfying. With an iPhone, scrolling feels like you're manipulating a piece of paper under your finger; Chrome on my Nexus 7 doesn't quite achieve that illusion.
Then again, the OS itself feels way more nimble than iOS: things like text-to-speech, app installs and multi-tasking are way more satisfying on Android.
Reading your comment I had to try this out, now down to the hardware it's proven that iDevices beat out Androids by quite a bit with regards to responsiveness, although I can't find the article describing it, but safe to say I know there's a difference.
However, I own a Samsung Galaxy S1 (that's 2010 era, people) running CyanogenMod 10.1.3 (that's 4.2.2) and my responsiveness is... just fine! Pulling down the slider I get the very slight initial lag (simply because my phone is crazy slow), and the slider itself does lag behind but that seems like it's by design.
Next I am on my homescreen; ADW Launcher, and I'm running running some taxing animations with 1x Animation Scale. There is no input lag. I can get the initial lag and again that is just my phone being a wreck by today's standards, but going back and forth the animation is as responsive as could be.
Based solely on my anecdotal evidence, I call BS.
However, I own a Samsung Galaxy S1 (that's 2010 era, people) running CyanogenMod 10.1.3 (that's 4.2.2) and my responsiveness is... just fine! Pulling down the slider I get the very slight initial lag (simply because my phone is crazy slow), and the slider itself does lag behind but that seems like it's by design.
Next I am on my homescreen; ADW Launcher, and I'm running running some taxing animations with 1x Animation Scale. There is no input lag. I can get the initial lag and again that is just my phone being a wreck by today's standards, but going back and forth the animation is as responsive as could be.
Based solely on my anecdotal evidence, I call BS.
Hand it to an iPhone user and they'll complain about lag. I'm not sure if it's bias or actual lagginess. I haven't noticed real lag on the phones since the Galaxy S2.
The Nexus 5 should have much better touch response times compared to every Android device on that list. It isn't quite as quick as the iPhone 5, but I suspect it would beat out the iPhone 4.
I suppose it depends upon what the definition of "lag" is. If it's a 50ms difference in touch response on some devices, that is quite a change from the historic meaning of lag.
Lag historically was a significant delay between interaction and response. It was also continual stutters and variances in interaction speeds.
But by Android 4.4 and the N5, that is generally annihilated. Paradoxically at the same time iOS 7 on my 3rd generation iPad has brought Android 2.x-style lag to that platform -- I now have an experience on it where keyboard presses respond 700ms later, and other activities have completely unpredictable delays.
Lag historically was a significant delay between interaction and response. It was also continual stutters and variances in interaction speeds.
But by Android 4.4 and the N5, that is generally annihilated. Paradoxically at the same time iOS 7 on my 3rd generation iPad has brought Android 2.x-style lag to that platform -- I now have an experience on it where keyboard presses respond 700ms later, and other activities have completely unpredictable delays.
I'm a big Android fan and have to agree with 'pearjuice'. I have yet to see an Android device without the extra lag compared to iOS. Maybe you're confusing low lag with smoothness? Android can be smoother than iOS, i.e. you slide the finger and get a perfectly smooth animation where iOS shows a small stutter. But this smooth animation doesn't start immediately, and that is the lag we're talking about.
On iOS, putting the finger on an icon and moving it feels more "real" because the icon stays under the finger. On Android, a quick motion of the finger lets the icon trail behind... Perfectly smoothly, but behind. I hope Google fixes this at some point but I suspect the low latency we see on iOS is possible thanks to a tight integration between hardware and software that would be difficult to achieve on Android.
On iOS, putting the finger on an icon and moving it feels more "real" because the icon stays under the finger. On Android, a quick motion of the finger lets the icon trail behind... Perfectly smoothly, but behind. I hope Google fixes this at some point but I suspect the low latency we see on iOS is possible thanks to a tight integration between hardware and software that would be difficult to achieve on Android.
Honest question, but can you point me to some of the critics that are saying the N5 is smoother and silkier than the iPhone 5S? I haven't seen any yet.
Off the top of my head, Topolsky refuted complaints about the Chrome browser, then observing that it operates and feels faster than other leading phones, including the 5s.
Hm, I just read his review and he mentioned that he turned off all animations. That probably has a lot to do with a phone feeling faster (just did it on my One and it really does feel faster). He also mentions that the 5S still has the best touch response, which kind of implies that if the animations weren't disabled, the 5S would feel smoother.
Overall though, I feel like my HTC One with CM10.2 feels just as smooth as my previous iPhone 5 90% of the time. 10% of the time, it stutters a bit, but I'm going to chalk that up to CM10.2 being a community project.
Overall though, I feel like my HTC One with CM10.2 feels just as smooth as my previous iPhone 5 90% of the time. 10% of the time, it stutters a bit, but I'm going to chalk that up to CM10.2 being a community project.
Faster than Safari on the 5s or faster than Chrome on the 5s?
Chrome has no access to the iOS Nitro JS engine so a difference would certainly be expected.
Chrome has no access to the iOS Nitro JS engine so a difference would certainly be expected.
>Perhaps mostly through just enormous computational horsepower, but it is a non-complaint.
You just proved my point. They are not fixing anything, just adding work around after work around and one of them is throwing more horse power at it. The inherent problem is still there, they just keep covering it up.
You just proved my point. They are not fixing anything, just adding work around after work around and one of them is throwing more horse power at it. The inherent problem is still there, they just keep covering it up.
I didn't "prove" anything. I offered up side comment conjecture. At this point I'm unsure what your motives are.
Can anyone shed light on why the battery cannot be replaced like back in the day with (smart)phones? This is a real deal breaker for me, especially with the very limited battery life you would at least expect that it would be easily replaceable. I don't mind carrying an extra battery pack with me. At all.
It's a thinness issue.
If you want a removable battery you have to build a clip or latch system to allow the battery to be removable as well as a component shielding so that grubby little fingers don't go in there gumming up the works. Finally, a removable battery will have different receptors on it to allow it to be more easily swapped by laymen as opposed to a ribbon cable which takes a bit more finesse.
You CAN replace the battery in these units..you just have to be better at your job than your grandmother replacing her cordless phone battery.
If you want a removable battery you have to build a clip or latch system to allow the battery to be removable as well as a component shielding so that grubby little fingers don't go in there gumming up the works. Finally, a removable battery will have different receptors on it to allow it to be more easily swapped by laymen as opposed to a ribbon cable which takes a bit more finesse.
You CAN replace the battery in these units..you just have to be better at your job than your grandmother replacing her cordless phone battery.
The N5 is thicker than the galaxy s4, which has a removable battery and sdcard slot. It's likely more a decision driven by part count and assembly costs. I don't understand why the market doesn't demand this either. It was certainly a major driver of my phone choice.
> I don't understand why the market doesn't demand this either.
The only time I ever used a removable battery is to cut power to my phone to do a hard reboot because it stalled.
While this is useful, I wouldn't pay extra for it nor would it be a deciding factor.
SD Card? Why? What do you people put on your phones? I'm lucky if I break 3GB with apps. Photos, movies, etc. on Dropbox where I have 70GB worth of stuff.
The only time I ever used a removable battery is to cut power to my phone to do a hard reboot because it stalled.
While this is useful, I wouldn't pay extra for it nor would it be a deciding factor.
SD Card? Why? What do you people put on your phones? I'm lucky if I break 3GB with apps. Photos, movies, etc. on Dropbox where I have 70GB worth of stuff.
If you load a buttload of mp3s on there and / or a small library of movies and tv shows, then 16GB is not that much. Especially once you add in a few hundred photos at 3 or 4MB a pop. And some of the more graphically intense games out now surpass the 1GB mark.
And various social media apps have fairly large local caches. Examples include instagram, tumblr, and vine.
So if you're just using a bunch of cloud services you don't need a lot of space, but not everyone uses their mobile that way.
And various social media apps have fairly large local caches. Examples include instagram, tumblr, and vine.
So if you're just using a bunch of cloud services you don't need a lot of space, but not everyone uses their mobile that way.
Exactly. I have a 64gb SD card and a dedicated battery charger with three extra batteries.
As lame as it might seem I just keep a spare battery with me at all times when the unexpected happens and I'm out later than usual or just use my phone too much.
I guess a case with a battery built in work work just as well, but I'm not willing to add the extra bulk.
As lame as it might seem I just keep a spare battery with me at all times when the unexpected happens and I'm out later than usual or just use my phone too much.
I guess a case with a battery built in work work just as well, but I'm not willing to add the extra bulk.
Keep a spare micro USB battery and you can charge almost any device. Good for emergencies though indeed not quite as convenient for a single gadget like this. Pro tip: you can get micro USB adapters for lightning. ;-)
Oh and get the 32GB model, that was obvious to me....
Oh and get the 32GB model, that was obvious to me....
I can't count how many times I've had to hard reboot this way. And only 3gb of photos and movies (no music?), come on.
And whats worse is that if your streaming it, your gonna be eating your battery even more.
And whats worse is that if your streaming it, your gonna be eating your battery even more.
I've found that my nexus four has a "hard poweroff" mode when you hold the power button down for five seconds or so.
15 seconds, but yes, this should always work.
You sound a lot like someone who never needs their phone to go for longer than a day without recharging and spends their whole time in an area of good signal.
I imagine most of "the market" just don't care about it. Given the speed new phones are coming out, by the time the battery has degraded to the point it's worth doing something about, they'd rather have a new phone than spend a nontrivial amount on their old phone. I know that'd be my choice.
S4 has AMOLED display and N5 has LCD (LCDs are thicker than AMOLEDs). That's why S4 has space for the battery latch and N5 doesn't.
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I find these comments interesting. I see them all the time, yet I have never had any battery issues with my iPhone. (that being said, my wife does tend to run hers down sometimes)
Perhaps I just don't look at facebook and instagram enough on my phone, but I never have issues under normal conditions. I'd say I usually have > 50% left at the end of the day, and I very rarely get under 20%.
Perhaps I just don't look at facebook and instagram enough on my phone, but I never have issues under normal conditions. I'd say I usually have > 50% left at the end of the day, and I very rarely get under 20%.
I don't know how the Nexus 5 is, but my Nexus 4 usually lasts for a day and a half and I'm always checking my email, writing messages, browsing the web and stuff like that. If I keep it idle, then it can last for 3 days, but that never happens.
The big problem with smartphones is that if you forget to plug it in at night, the next day you can end up without battery in the middle of the day.
I also have a dumbphone that I keep in my backpack for family emergencies. Battery lasts for at least 7 days, so I only have to remember to charge it once per week.
The big problem with smartphones is that if you forget to plug it in at night, the next day you can end up without battery in the middle of the day.
I also have a dumbphone that I keep in my backpack for family emergencies. Battery lasts for at least 7 days, so I only have to remember to charge it once per week.
It all depends on how the phone is used. In my case, with a Nexus 4, the battery life is an issue. When traveling, I will often take multiple photospheres (computationally expensive). I will use it to do research on where I am visiting (lots of screen use). I use it for general browsing (more screen use). And in those scenarios, I rarely can go a full day without charging.
That said, it seems the portable chargers are the preferred way now. They often hold enough charge for 4-5 phone charges, so that is nicer than carrying around 4-5 batteries. And, I can charge lots of other things with it as well.
That said, it seems the portable chargers are the preferred way now. They often hold enough charge for 4-5 phone charges, so that is nicer than carrying around 4-5 batteries. And, I can charge lots of other things with it as well.
> When traveling, I will often take multiple photospheres (computationally expensive).
The computation is actually relatively cheap, it's keeping the camera open and on that's expensive. The camera is, bar none, the most power hungry component on modern smartphones.
The computation is actually relatively cheap, it's keeping the camera open and on that's expensive. The camera is, bar none, the most power hungry component on modern smartphones.
Hey, what portable charger are you using?
>The big problem with smartphones is that if you forget to plug it in at night
I hear that complaint a lot as well. Just not something I've ever had a problem with. I set it on the nightstand and plug it in when I go to bed. I don't think I've ever forgotten to do that.
I hear that complaint a lot as well. Just not something I've ever had a problem with. I set it on the nightstand and plug it in when I go to bed. I don't think I've ever forgotten to do that.
Our sales guys can go through a couple batteries a day while traveling. They pack extra batteries since they can easily swap them out. The guy with an iPhone is jealous.
I guess he's never heard of portable usb chargers? I have one the size of a small candy bar that charges my iPhone from 0 to 100% in less than an hour.
It's easier and cheaper for them to lug around a spare $8 battery.
You'd probably have better results if you didn't use the crappy $8 batteries...
Would you mind carrying a portable battery about the same size as the phone that can recharge the phone via USB? (this is my solution)
Yeah, my Nexus is coming today and while I'm not thrilled to hear stories about battery life, I'd be fine carrying around a backup battery.
Something like this: http://amzn.com/B005X1Y7I2 seems to be small enough to be pocketable while having enough juice to help you out if you need it.
The only problem I would have is remembering to keep the thing charged.
Something like this: http://amzn.com/B005X1Y7I2 seems to be small enough to be pocketable while having enough juice to help you out if you need it.
The only problem I would have is remembering to keep the thing charged.
Plus a portable battery charges more than just your phone.
And with USB being so standard and available pretty much everywhere, it almost seems like a non-issue. It's not like back in the day when you had to have separate car chargers for different phones for example. I've seem USB charging ports in trains, airplanes, airports, hotel rooms, portable camping battery packs and even some power extension cables.
And with USB being so standard and available pretty much everywhere, it almost seems like a non-issue. It's not like back in the day when you had to have separate car chargers for different phones for example. I've seem USB charging ports in trains, airplanes, airports, hotel rooms, portable camping battery packs and even some power extension cables.
My 'dumb' phone lasts 25 days on battery.
Over the years I have owned 1 blackberry, 3 models of iPhone, and 4 android devices.
About 6 months ago my phone began restarting constantly through out the day. Instead of fixing it I decided to turn it off.
The decision was a combination of a lot of things- I save money. I am aware of my surroundings. I think. A lot. Sometimes I talk to people on the train. Or I will print out a paper and not bring anything else with me. "You read this you lazy no-attention mfucka or you sit here and do nothing". I am learning to draw- also on paper. I do not care which wireless company has been revealed this week to have a direct back door for the NSA. No one ever calls me. This is a big deal for me. Even when I had a phone, there is rarely necessity or cause for disruptive synchronous communication.
And, for everything I miss about phone ownership, there is almost always something good that came out of it. I miss maps. But I also never learned where anything was. I always depended on my phone even after living in a city for years.
I miss being able to immediately find the results to some shitty singing compeition show. Others miss me being more responsive- my response time is now ~5-10 minutes during the work day but on the weekend it might be a few hours. But really, its ok.
I would consider a really nice dumb device though.
The decision was a combination of a lot of things- I save money. I am aware of my surroundings. I think. A lot. Sometimes I talk to people on the train. Or I will print out a paper and not bring anything else with me. "You read this you lazy no-attention mfucka or you sit here and do nothing". I am learning to draw- also on paper. I do not care which wireless company has been revealed this week to have a direct back door for the NSA. No one ever calls me. This is a big deal for me. Even when I had a phone, there is rarely necessity or cause for disruptive synchronous communication.
And, for everything I miss about phone ownership, there is almost always something good that came out of it. I miss maps. But I also never learned where anything was. I always depended on my phone even after living in a city for years.
I miss being able to immediately find the results to some shitty singing compeition show. Others miss me being more responsive- my response time is now ~5-10 minutes during the work day but on the weekend it might be a few hours. But really, its ok.
I would consider a really nice dumb device though.
Yea, I notice a certain amount of freedom when I'm not walking around with a any hardware.
How fast can you text on it?
And mine lasts ~40 days (Philips Xenium X130)
What kind?
The battery door and clips presented a variety of design limitations that weren't worth the trouble anymore. You can get the exact same functionality with an external battery pack or extended battery life case.
> exact same functionality
You've got a strange definition of "exact same functionality" when it means making the phone effectively double the size & weight for half of its operational time.
You've got a strange definition of "exact same functionality" when it means making the phone effectively double the size & weight for half of its operational time.
afaik, the story has always been about being able to make the phone thinner.
I think I will be sticking with my Nexus 4.
I acknowledge that the new 5 has bigger and better everything, however, I can live without it. Furthermore, I think the Nexus 4 is a design classic, I like the glass back with its embedded speckles. I am a bit the same way with the N7, I prefer the original to the new and improved version. All considered, I am pleased that I do not feel 'miffed' to have the old models of both tablet and phone.
I acknowledge that the new 5 has bigger and better everything, however, I can live without it. Furthermore, I think the Nexus 4 is a design classic, I like the glass back with its embedded speckles. I am a bit the same way with the N7, I prefer the original to the new and improved version. All considered, I am pleased that I do not feel 'miffed' to have the old models of both tablet and phone.
glass and LCD are fused to the display frame. Fixing broken glass will be either expensive or very difficult
It's called Optical Bonding http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_bonding
"The main goal of optical bonding is to improve the display performance under outdoor environments. This method eliminates the air gap between the cover glass and the display"
"The main goal of optical bonding is to improve the display performance under outdoor environments. This method eliminates the air gap between the cover glass and the display"
Why does he even bring that up? There's no going back. It's like complaining that the processor is attached to the motherboard.
He had pretty good reasons for bringing this up since in other phones like my Galaxy S3 , I was able to replace my broken screen for $80 instead of replacing the entire display which would have been pretty expensive.
I replaced the glass on an iPod without purchasing a new screen.
8 out of 10 repairability
How common is a simple DIY-fixable screen?
On flagship phones, it sure doesn't seem to be common.
GS4, iPhone5, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, HTC One (Horrible offender here).
If you get an 8/10 on iFixit, you have about the most perfect score possible with top of the line phones.
GS4, iPhone5, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, HTC One (Horrible offender here).
If you get an 8/10 on iFixit, you have about the most perfect score possible with top of the line phones.
Previous generation of phones could replace glass without replacing screen.
Easily the worst thing about the iPad and the iPad Mini is the huge air gap between the LCD and the cover glass, which reduces clarity and makes glare much worse. The big plate of glass in front of the LCD is something I appreciate for say the iPad my daughter plays with, but for something I actually have to look at give me a fused display any day.
The tradeoff being subpar outdoor performance, viewing angles, and touch accuracy.
Only on devices with glued glass. Of course glueing it on the rims and leaving a huge air gap would do all that.
if you do decent product design instead of copying every bad decision apple made, you'd have the glass framed. It would have no discernible air gap. all the things you said would be just as fine. and it could be replaced by removing the frame, probably with screws.
but no, let's use corning glass (with lots of impurities so it is crack prone but hard to scratch... the perfect glass to be framed) and use it on the whole front of the device so it is guaranteed that it will break if the device falls.
sometimes i really wish apple had had it's way on the illegals claims about owning design elements. we'd at least be safe from their bad choices.
if you do decent product design instead of copying every bad decision apple made, you'd have the glass framed. It would have no discernible air gap. all the things you said would be just as fine. and it could be replaced by removing the frame, probably with screws.
but no, let's use corning glass (with lots of impurities so it is crack prone but hard to scratch... the perfect glass to be framed) and use it on the whole front of the device so it is guaranteed that it will break if the device falls.
sometimes i really wish apple had had it's way on the illegals claims about owning design elements. we'd at least be safe from their bad choices.
If you don't fuse (glue) the glass to the display, and don't leave an air gap, the result is an easily-damaged screen as the glass sheet rubs the LCD. Framing the display would change nothing about this equation, and the decision to use Corning glass has nothing to do with optical fusion.
Just about the only downside to fusing the display is repairability.
Just about the only downside to fusing the display is repairability.
if both are equally secured there is no rubbing.
and yes i know corning glass decision is only because it does not scratch.
my main point thought is about extending a fragile glass like corning to the corners.
and yes i know corning glass decision is only because it does not scratch.
my main point thought is about extending a fragile glass like corning to the corners.
It seems to me like many phones are going the fused glass and LCD route these days, so it's getting harder/more expensive to replace the glass and/or LCD.
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I've bought it the very first day, and it should arrive sometime tomorrow... I've always been disappointed in my Galaxy Nexus, so I'm really hoping that this one won't disappoint.
My hopes are pretty high though. And I thought the battery wasn't easily replacable, but that video tells the contrary. I'll see for myself I guess.
My hopes are pretty high though. And I thought the battery wasn't easily replacable, but that video tells the contrary. I'll see for myself I guess.
Seems there's some confusion about whether the nexus 5 ended up with a mems camera. I thought that it did not...
"With a little help from our MEMS, you can still take photos in quick succession with the speedy new autofocus."
"With a little help from our MEMS, you can still take photos in quick succession with the speedy new autofocus."
I just tried taking some shots at my desk and while it focused fast, I wouldn't say it's living up to the hype of 6 multi focal shots per second.
EDIT: It appears that they are using the MEMS acronym, not the branded product. The component itself does not look like the MEMS|Cam branded components either.
Edit 2: Just read more on MEMS and if this phone has MEMS, then the camera software is NOT supporting it. It can take up to a solid second for the camera to make even minute adjustments.
EDIT: It appears that they are using the MEMS acronym, not the branded product. The component itself does not look like the MEMS|Cam branded components either.
Edit 2: Just read more on MEMS and if this phone has MEMS, then the camera software is NOT supporting it. It can take up to a solid second for the camera to make even minute adjustments.
It would surprise me if it had it, or if it supported it, because from what I noticed, the photos tend to have some focus issues.
I also think Google needs a whole rewrite for the Android camera app, by camera experts, because the camera is becoming a great competitive advantage, and I think the Android camera app/driver framework is keeping a lot of OEM's back. If they do rewrite it and make it very good for Android 5.0, they will hopefully allow it to be installed to other devices, too, like they already did for the keyboard and launcher.
I also think Google needs a whole rewrite for the Android camera app, by camera experts, because the camera is becoming a great competitive advantage, and I think the Android camera app/driver framework is keeping a lot of OEM's back. If they do rewrite it and make it very good for Android 5.0, they will hopefully allow it to be installed to other devices, too, like they already did for the keyboard and launcher.
I don't care if they rewrite the camera app, so much as standardize a sufficient set of fine grained APIs so that other people can write great camera apps. I know there's a lot of low level, custom interaction with the DSP that is hard to capture in an API, but the current level of granularity is just woefully inadequate. If they just focused on getting a really detailed standard API as part of Android I'm sure a thousand beautiful camera apps would bloom and we might even see a whole new mini-industry come from specialist camera apps for specific situations.
I thought they re-wrote it when Photosphere came out and I seem to remember there being some sort of animated-gif/parallax gif feature being added that I can't seem to find.
I totally agree...time to get a decently functioning camera in there.
I totally agree...time to get a decently functioning camera in there.
It's likely referring to a MEMS gyroscope used for optical image stabilisation. A MEMS camera doesn't exist, it was rumoured to be a MEMS motor was used as part of the focusing system.
Why no microSD?
"Nexus" phones that shipped with 4.0 ICS or later do not have a microSD slot and only use internal storage.
This was a design decision by the Android team, in response to users on the Nexus One (Android 2.x) getting confused about having 2 GB free on their SD card and not being able to install DRMed apps because their 512 MB of internal storage was full.
This was a design decision by the Android team, in response to users on the Nexus One (Android 2.x) getting confused about having 2 GB free on their SD card and not being able to install DRMed apps because their 512 MB of internal storage was full.
Because storage fails and most of the tech world is tired of trying to recover your data when it breaks.
In my opinion, the less you store on your phone the better off you will be. I've seen the look on the faces of people who don't backup regularly and using your phone as a USB drive for your life is a "Bad Idea"
In my opinion, the less you store on your phone the better off you will be. I've seen the look on the faces of people who don't backup regularly and using your phone as a USB drive for your life is a "Bad Idea"
That is a presumptuous attitude, completely wrongheaded.
I have a ton of music and that's what I put on the microSD. If I lose it, no big deal, but it's really nice to be able to have all my music there.
I have a ton of music and that's what I put on the microSD. If I lose it, no big deal, but it's really nice to be able to have all my music there.
Yeah maybe he should join the majority of the tech world that doesn't feel obligated to be everyone and their mother's free tech support.
Personally I'm pretty comfortable taking a quick glance and saying "Looks like it's not working, I don't really know anything about these, you should try the tech support number" without going all nuts or passive aggressive on innocent friends and family.
Personally I'm pretty comfortable taking a quick glance and saying "Looks like it's not working, I don't really know anything about these, you should try the tech support number" without going all nuts or passive aggressive on innocent friends and family.
That is a presumptuous attitude, completely wrongheaded.
Instead of being comfortable feigning ignorance I instead choose to be proactive in educating my friends and family about the dangers of local storage and a haphazard backup schedule.
Don't be rude and assumptive.
Instead of being comfortable feigning ignorance I instead choose to be proactive in educating my friends and family about the dangers of local storage and a haphazard backup schedule.
Don't be rude and assumptive.
This is from one year ago: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/mg14z/whoa_whoa_ics...
No one wants to put a micro sd card in their phone, they just don't want to pay $100 for another 16GB storage
Because most people don't care.
Because Google really wants you to use their cloud services. Like seriously, even if you have shitty data service in your area.
I hear that comment often when it comes to microsd. I don't think it has anything with google wanting you to use their cloud services. External storage is horrible for the user experience. Where do my photos go when I take them? What about my apps? If you mount external storage to /sdcard, where does internal storage go?
Previously phones would mount the external storage to /sdcard/_external and /sdcard would be the internal storage. It is really crappy and horrible. What happens to my installed apps on external storage when I suddenly yank out the card? What about if I take the microsd card and then delete a bunch of app data on it and put it back in?
Personally I don't want to have a complicated exposed file system on a phone. I don't want to have the option of moving apps between internal and external storage. This sort of stuff is why Android gets a bad reputation.
Previously phones would mount the external storage to /sdcard/_external and /sdcard would be the internal storage. It is really crappy and horrible. What happens to my installed apps on external storage when I suddenly yank out the card? What about if I take the microsd card and then delete a bunch of app data on it and put it back in?
Personally I don't want to have a complicated exposed file system on a phone. I don't want to have the option of moving apps between internal and external storage. This sort of stuff is why Android gets a bad reputation.
I think people who want onboard removal storage are in the minority. Not to say its not important (I myself would love a microSD slot on the Nexus 5), I just don't think that many people are not going to buy a phone over it.
Anyway, I'd much prefer simplified file sharing/connectivity between my Android phone and my Macbook Air. I already have all my music, data, etc on the Mac in Dropbox, I just need an easier way for my phone to get to it (adhoc wifi?).
Anyway, I'd much prefer simplified file sharing/connectivity between my Android phone and my Macbook Air. I already have all my music, data, etc on the Mac in Dropbox, I just need an easier way for my phone to get to it (adhoc wifi?).
Pretty sure it's more to do with most people likely not ever needing more than 16/32GB over the lifetime of their phone, meaning adding a microSD slot would be simply a waste of time, effort and space.
I've always thought it's to allow price gouging for the 32GB version over the 16.
I was inspired to google for price discrimination, and enjoyed this pharase:
"consumers are being asked to reveal their degree of price sensitivity"
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The vibration motor is at the top of the phone. This is causing some people to complain on XDA that the haptic feedback is weak or non-existent. When you run a vibration test its easy to hone in on exactly where the motor is located which seems a bit off to me.
The speaker is absolutely anemic. I 'feel' the sound vibrating the back of my phone more than I can hear it through the single tiny speaker located at the bottom of the phone. Companies need to start emulating the HTC One and place the speakers on the front.
Otherwise the device feels elegant and the texture allows for a softer grip that allows longer use without getting crab hands.
Now KitKat (and specifically Hangouts) is a different story altogether...