[Eug]

Nexus 4:

Looks decent, a la iPhone 4 Nexified and a 4.7" screen, but has not-so-good battery life, and the quad-core CPU actually throttles when the phone heats up. No LTE either, but nonetheless the pricing is killer as it supports 42 Mbps HSPA+ and it's US$349 / CAD$359 for a 16 GB model unlocked.

I tried to order one today, but it sold out in 5 minutes. Killed Google's servers too. Google's. They bungled the launch IMO.

Nexus 10:

Not interested in any 10" tablet. 7-8" is where it's at, which is why I have a Nexus 7. And if I were to buy another iPad, it'd be the mini, albeit preferably when it gets a higher pixel density screen.

[Phileas]

Totally bungled the launch. I didn't get one either.

Nexus 7, as much as I like the build quality, I've come to the conclusion that the screen size is too small for me. I put it away last night and got the iPad, reading my RSS stream.

I'm trying to find somebody who has the skills to replace the in-dash GPS in my car with the Nexus 7. The size is about right and the build in solution sucks majorly.

[mattyb]

Ordered the 32G Nexus 7, wi-fi + HSPA.

Mobile phone is going to be a calls + sms only POS.

And my monthly charges? 16€ for the Nexus 7 (up to 3G then throttled after that) and 2€ for 60 mins + 60 SMS.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Ordered the 32G Nexus 7, wi-fi + HSPA.
Mobile phone is going to be a calls + sms only POS.
And my monthly charges? 16€ for the Nexus 7 (up to 3G then throttled after that) and 2€ for 60 mins + 60 SMS.

While in-ear headsets do make you look ridiculous, they are the next logical step. I mean, why not leave the heavy lifting to the box in the pocket, do the talking with a dedicated tool?

[Eug]

The claim is that there will be more Nexus 4 stock in a couple of days:

https://plus.google.com/106515095432315677569/posts/fAA6PNbUxCK?authuser

I'm both skeptical and hopeful.

---

I've given up on in-ear wireless Bluetooth headsets. Too much hassle. Pairing issues, and the requirement for charging, etc. With my iPhone I just use my included cheapie iPhone headphones with built-in mic. With the Nexus 4, I'll have to find something similar, assuming it doesn't work with the iPhone ones.

And to think I paid $200 for my first Sony Bluetooth headset, back before anyone had one.

[Phileas]

That's what I do - actually currently I am using the headphones that came with my Nexus. Working well, even the home button and calling up Siri.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

While in-ear headsets do make you look ridiculous, they are the next logical step. I mean, why not leave the heavy lifting to the box in the pocket, do the talking with a dedicated tool?

Might look at this eventually, but the POS phone plus the charges for a year is probably cheaper than buying a bluetooth headset.

[mattyb]

I've had an Asus TF101 for a while. I start up the Nexus 7 (also an Asus) get the account details setup, and it installs the same apps that I had on the TF101 onto the Nexus 7. Is this a good thing? Maybe having a list come up that allowed you to choose your apps would have been better.

Need a case, its very slippery. Its light in the hand.

[mattyb]

Google Music has synced 2000 of my 8000 songs in my iTunes library. Lets see if it any good.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

I've had an Asus TF101 for a while. I start up the Nexus 7 (also an Asus) get the account details setup, and it installs the same apps that I had on the TF101 onto the Nexus 7. Is this a good thing? Maybe having a list come up that allowed you to choose your apps would have been better.
Need a case, its very slippery. Its light in the hand.

Google's Play Store still sucks in implementation in many ways, as there is no desktop equivalent to iTunes in terms of installs for new hardware (or reinstalls for old hardware).

This means that personalizing the install offline is an annoyance, and there is no true backup either. Also there is no way to do an offline OS update without doing a bunch of things completely manually. The only easy way to do an OS update is over-the-air/WiFi.

Google should focus less on hardware paper specs (quad-core, NFC) and more on software and implementation (better and more reliable Play Store retail front, better desktop interaction with hardware, etc.)

eg. It's completely lame that Google has put out a flagship phone that hard-throttles when it gets warm because its quad-core. They would have been much better off putting out a dual-core phone that's both cheaper and which doesn't throttle. Instead, they would have been much better off cleaning up the Play Store experience.

[Shaddim]

The Play Store is Google's weakest link with Android. It's a vast wasteland of crappy apps with s***loads of spam. "Free" is a relative term; although they don't cost money, you do pay in annoyance and lost productivity. I'd rather pony up a few dollars than put up with all the BS.

[mattyb]

Between the Play Store, Amazon's store, App Brain and downloading .apks I can't say that I'm missing any functionality. I don't have loads and loads of apps though (most stuff is news or store-related), only a couple of games. What is a pain though is that one reader is never good enough for all ebooks.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Shaddim 

The Play Store is Google's weakest link with Android. It's a vast wasteland of crappy apps with s***loads of spam. "Free" is a relative term; although they don't cost money, you do pay in annoyance and lost productivity. I'd rather pony up a few dollars than put up with all the BS.

The Play Store is indeed a vast wasteland of crappy apps, but then again, iTunes is also a vast wasteland of crappy apps. OTOH, both have their fair share of very good apps. I don't find myself wanting for apps there. My main beef is the userfriendliness, not the apps themselves.

I will admit that enterprise-oriented apps etc. favour iOS, but then again that doesn't affect me. I want stuff like personal banking, video players, IP camera stuff, games, etc. For that type of stuff, iOS and Android are near equivalent now.

[mattyb]

Typing is better in portrait mode. Yet browsing is better in landscape. The copying of the swype keyboard functionality helps typing but I wonder if I'm actually faster this way.

Much more screen manipulation is needed than on my larger tablet.

[Shaddim]

The crap all over Google Play is way more over the top, not to mention the overall lower quality of the apps themselves. No need to defend them, I'm not an iOS fanboy, I use both platforms.

[Phileas]

Agreed, Android apps, by and large, are crap in comparison to iOS.

I recently tried a drawing app that compared itself to paper.app for the iPad. It was such a terrible heap of garbage, I uninstalled it within 10 minutes. Thankfully, the Play store offered a refund option.
The other thing bothering me is that there are no design guidelines for widgets. As a result, screens look like a dog's breakfast.

Also, how do I get google music to work here in the Great White North? I'd like to synch my iTunes library to the google cloud.

[mattyb]

Download Google Music onto your Mac. Follow the instructions.

It really is an easy as that.

[Phileas]

"The Google Play music player is currently available in select territories."

Canada, apparently, isn't one of them. I wonder if a little VPN magic could solve that problem.

[Phileas]

It did.

[mattyb]

I had a few failures, presumably because my library is a mess. Otherwise its pretty good. Be careful of data usage though.

[Phileas]

I've got the base WIFI model, so not worried about the data usage.

On my iPhone however, iTunes Match is something I need to watch out for.

[mattyb]

Found a setting that you can choose to only play music via Wi-fi. Clever. Still no official cases available yet.

[Eug]

Best Nexus 4 comparison against the Nexus 4 so far

[Eug]

Nexus 4 has functional LTE radio

http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/11/23/nexus-4-reportedly-hooked-onto-telus-lte-network-video/

"We’re testing is out and apparently it only works on the 1700MHz and 2100MHz bands – so Rogers, Bell, TELUS and their associated sub-brands. All that’s needed is to open the dialer, type *#*#4636#*#* to the phone’s settings, change the network type to LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL), wait, and you’ll eventually see the settings change with LTE connected."

We already knew that the Nexus 4 had an LTE chip, but the claim was that there was no amplifier or antenna to support it.

At first I didn't believe this, but there have been multiple independent confirmations now that LTE can be activated on the Nexus 4, simply with a keypad shortcut to the carrier settings. Most who have tried this have gotten faster speeds, and although the download speeds often are still in the HSPA+ range, often the uploads are beyond HSPA+ speeds, achievable real world only on LTE networks.

So, it indeed may be true: The Nexus 4 has an unadvertised LTE radio that is actually functional.

EDIT:

Definitely confirmed:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6474/nexus-4-includes-support-for-lte-on-band-4-aws

However, it's very limited LTE support... which is good for places like Canada, but not US AT&T.

"The conclusion is that the Nexus 4 at present curiously includes the software profile on MDM9215M that enables support for LTE on Band 4 (AWS), and users only need to set the appropriate network type preference in Android to use it. None of the other bands that there are even power amplifiers for have LTE support, which is unfortunate for users in places where carriers aren't running LTE on AWS, such as the USA. For example, in the USA, AT&T previously discussed plans for LTE on Band 4 but has only rolled out LTE on Band 17 to date, and is rumored to be turning to refarming its PCS (1900 Band 2) and Cellular (850 Band 5) holdings for additional LTE capacity, perhaps in the stead of AWS. T-Mobile US however will use AWS for LTE. Nexus 4 LTE support is definitely unofficial (and somewhat surprising) at this point, but if you're lucky enough to be in a place where your carrier has rolled it out on Band 4, it's just a setting away."

[Phileas]

Read that this morning. Wondering how it'll affect the battery and/or the processor. No point in having a fast connection, if your cores shut down.

Still, exciting stuff.

[shifuimam]

Is the native keyboard a hybrid of Swype and SwiftKey?

[Eug]

The Nexus 4 is going back on sale today apparently, at least for the US. Dunno about other places.

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Is the native keyboard a hybrid of Swype and SwiftKey?

Dunno. I don't use the swipe typing. I find it gimmicky, and found it gimmicky on the Samsung Galaxy S III too, but YMMV.

[mattyb]

Never used Swiftkey but for me on the Nexus 7 its exactly like Swype.

Dunno if the Nexus 4 was ever for sale in France today, but it isn't now.

[Eug]

Pretty lame. The Nexus 4 restock was indeed just for the US, and sold out in 2 minutes. I didn't realize Google could be so utterly inept at retail.

[Phileas]

Nexus 4 went on sale at 3:00 EST. I managed to grab one five minutes later.

[Eug]

I ordered one after 4, so 7-8 weeks shipping.

[Phileas]

Sold out again. I got 1-2 weeks shipping, but with Christmas approaching, we'll see about that. Google really screwed this up royally.

[Eug]

According to posts who followed the whole Canadian sale on Monday, there were no 8 GB models at all. Right from the outset, the 8 GB was listed as sold out. WTF? The other surprising thing was that although the sale was only limited to Canada, which has 1/10th the population of the US of A, their servers still couldn't handle it. Major problems in the first 10 minutes, similar to the initial launch.

With today's UK/Germany sale, there were some 8 GB models, but they sold out very quickly. The 16 GB stayed around longer though. Same problems.

And nobody can order this from any independent retailer, because LG isn't giving them pricing with which they can compete. The MSRP is 549 Euros... for a phone that's 299 Euros from Google.

I predict that their sales numbers for the Nexus 4 in Q4 2012 will be low, despite the high interest. People want it, but Google just isn't getting it out there.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Best Nexus 4 comparison against the Nexus 4 so far

That was pretty entertaining.

[Eug]

My carrier Fido has killer promotional plan - 2 GB data plus unlimited everything - for a great price. The surprising part is if you sign up for it with a 2-year contract, you can get the Motorola Droid Razr HD for $50, or even $0 for some people. In my case I had some promotional credits so the phone itself doesn't cost me anything extra. (The iPhone 5 is not available on this plan.)

This is Motorola's flagship Android phone, with 4.7" 720p AMOLED, 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, LTE, microSD, and mini-HDMI. Currently it's Android 4.0, but 4.1 updates are rolling out now in the US, and are scheduled for Q1 2013 in Canada.

So, I signed up, and the phone is due to arrive a few weeks. I haven't decided if I'll just cancel the Nexus 4 order. $359 plus tax is a great price for the unlocked Nexus 4, but $0 is even better, even if the Razr HD is carrier locked, esp. with official LTE support and microSD.

[Phileas]

For me, the Nexus is really the only Android phone worth having. I hate all the garbage the manufacturers and carriers install - we've got a Samsung Tab at work, using it is a constant wtf moment. I also don't want to wait for Android updates which may or may not arrive in a timely fashion.

Having said that, the Nexus is not my primary phone and the bill is paid for by work. Would it come out of my own pockets I might be singing a different tune.

[mattyb]

Sounds like a great deal Eug. I'll Paypal you for the Nexus 4 if you're selling it.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

For me, the Nexus is really the only Android phone worth having. I hate all the garbage the manufacturers and carriers install - we've got a Samsung Tab at work, using it is a constant wtf moment. I also don't want to wait for Android updates which may or may not arrive in a timely fashion.
Having said that, the Nexus is not my primary phone and the bill is paid for by work. Would it come out of my own pockets I might be singing a different tune.

What you say is true, but for just a little less than $15 ($12.50 + tax for activation fee) for a free flagship phone, I couldn't pass that deal up. It's over $400 less than the Nexus 4 I ordered (for $359 + tax + shipping = $423, I can deal with some quirks, delayed OS updates, and slower speed. Plus there are a few advantages, namely LTE, longer battery life, and microSD.

We'll see though. Who knows, maybe I'll hate it...

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Sounds like a great deal Eug. I'll Paypal you for the Nexus 4 if you're selling it.

Aren't you still in France? If so I'll have to pass. Sorry.

[Phileas]

Of course. I wasn't trying to tell you what to do or like.

Enjoy.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Aren't you still in France? If so I'll have to pass. Sorry.

Racist.

[Phileas]

On a related note, I got to play with a Lumia 920 this last weekend. Beautiful phone, Windows 8 looks stunning on it.

There's a bunch of features in there that I thought were much superior to iOS.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

On a related note, I got to play with a Lumia 920 this last weekend. Beautiful phone, Windows 8 looks stunning on it.
There's a bunch of features in there that I thought were much superior to iOS.

I'll have to check it out but I can't consider it because there is no 3rd party support for iCloud syncing. My carrier doesn't carry it either.

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Racist.

Anyhoo, I've cancelled my Nexus 4 order.

BTW, if you care, the phone doesn't support USB OTG.

Nexus 4 Lacks OTG USB Cable Support, May Never Have It

Originally sold as a device with OTG (USB) compatibility, that may no longer be true. In fact, within the last day, Google updated their Nexus 4 support page titled “Connect to keyboards, mice, & other devices” to say that the device supports Bluetooth connections of 3rd party devices, but not through USB. Two days ago, it said the same thing as the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 pages, which say, “…to your tablet via USB or Bluetooth and use it just as you would with a PC.”

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Anyhoo, I've cancelled my Nexus 4 order.
BTW, if you care, the phone doesn't support USB OTG.
Nexus 4 Lacks OTG USB Cable Support, May Never Have It
Originally sold as a device with OTG (USB) compatibility, that may no longer be true. In fact, within the last day, Google updated their Nexus 4 support page titled “Connect to keyboards, mice, & other devices” to say that the device supports Bluetooth connections of 3rd party devices, but not through USB. Two days ago, it said the same thing as the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 pages, which say, “…to your tablet via USB or Bluetooth and use it just as you would with a PC.”

Now that REALLY makes me think that Google are forcing you to use their cloudy stuff. IMHO, dumb.

[mattyb]

Piss poor :http://m.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2233674/manufacturing-woes-limit-nexus-4-sales-to-meagre-400-000

[Phileas]

Not to worry - the Nexus 4 is a pretty mediocre phone. I've been using it in conjunction wit my iPhone for the last couple of weeks.

The camera quality sucks. Slow, really slow, focus is one of the main issues. Image quality is also markedly inferior to the iPhone. Add to this general frustration with the Android eco-system - many iOS apps don't have an equivalent or if it does exist it's a crappy hack - and it's back to the iPhone as my main tool for me.

[mattyb]

A mediocre phone for a very interesting price (less than half the price of the cheapest iPhone 5). The Misses has never had a smart phone so she'll love it.

[mattyb]

A mediocre phone for a very interesting price (less than half the price of the cheapest iPhone 5). The Misses has never had a smart phone so she'll love it.

[mattyb]

That shit doesn't happen for me in other forums.

[mattyb]

That shit doesn't happen for me in other forums.

[mattyb]

That shit doesn't happen for me in other forums.