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Android 4.3 Issues Plaguing Nexus 4 Users

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It appears that not all is well in the world of Android 4.3 as Nexus 4 owners are complaining about a myriad of problems with the new update which began rolling out last week and is slowing trickling to Nexus devices across the globe.

Last month, after weeks of rumors, Google announced both a new Nexus 7 and a new update to Android dubbed Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The update, which is an incremental update from Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, features a number of new enhancements including additions to the camera app, Bluetooth Low Energy, and as it turns out, some fixes for some of the issues that have been plaguing Nexus owners since the debut of Android 4.2 back in November of last year.

Read: Nexus 4, Nexus 7 Android 4.3 Updates Hitting More Users.

The Nexus 4 Android 4.3 update has apparently brought issues along with it.

The Nexus 4 Android 4.3 update has apparently brought issues along with it.

It also looks like the update brought some issues to Nexus owners, and in particular, owners of the Nexus 4, Google’s current Nexus smartphone and one manufactured by LG.

For several days now, we’ve received complaints about Netflix not working properly on Android 4.3 as users are reporting that the application is hanging up. Google says that it’s aware of the issue and that it’s working on a fix for the problem though it’s unclear when or how that fix will emerge from hiding. Unfortunately, It appears that Netflix isn’t the only thing that Nexus users are complaining about.

There are also complaints about the device hanging up on the boot up screen, forcing users to boot the phone in recovery in order to solve the issue. It appears that a hard reset has also fixed the issue for some owners.

The Nexus 4 is part of Google's new focus on design and build quality.

Android 4.3 is the first major update for the Nexus 4.

Other complaints that we’re seeing and hearing about including sluggish performance, problems with the gallery, and of course, the usual battery life issues that tend to accompany major Android updates. Phones Review also suggests that users are experiencing issues with the device’s Gallery feature as well, something that also tends to happen after major Android updates. This is something that we’ve been hearing as well.

While the Netflix and hang up issue appear to have fixes, the other issues plaguing the Nexus 4 on Android 4.3, at least for the moment, do not. And given the rising amount of complaints, Nexus 4 owners may want to hold off on updating to Android 4.3, at least until Google can issue a fix for the Netflix issue and perhaps address some of the other issues as well.

In the past we’ve seen Google work quickly to fix glaring issues within a new operating system, Android 4.2.1 is a prime example, so it could be that we see another update or another quick fix issued sometime soon.

18 Comments

18 Comments

  1. Don_Keibals

    08/01/2013 at 1:20 pm

    My nexus 4 is having camera issues since the update.

    • Julian

      08/02/2013 at 7:06 am

      Same here as well. I can’t seem to utilize the “brigthen/contrast” button on instagram to enhance the photos. There seem to be an overload of green pixels.

  2. Amer Canada

    08/01/2013 at 3:40 pm

    My nexus 4 sucks now, reboots a lot and especially when using skype, some programs keep force closing, screen freezes and sometimes i have to reset the device, never had this problem with 4.2.2 its really disappointing my nexus 4 is not the device i thought it was.

  3. Ronald Geiken

    08/01/2013 at 4:11 pm

    One Positive effect of Android 4.3 is that the Bluetooth Keyboard is not getting continually disconnected. That was happening for the past 9 months with my Nexus 10. Now when you select the BT Keyboard, it seems to stay around so you can use it right away. On earlier versions with BT 3.0, it kept disconnecting, with BT 4.0 this problem seems to have gone away. Right now as far as I can see for the Nexus 10 at least Android 4.3 is a big improvement. Then it could take several seconds to get BT 3.0 operational.

  4. Capt Chopper

    08/01/2013 at 6:01 pm

    yes I have a minor problem after the update to Android 4.3 my issue is with the wifi my 5g wifi speed has been reduced by over 60 percent however it did not affect my 2.5 G wifi who’s speed remains the same as before the upgrade google says I must reset the phone with a factory reset no way how live with the 5g wifi reduce speed I just won’t use it good luck to everybody I still love my Nexus 4

  5. nexus addict

    08/01/2013 at 7:47 pm

    Same here in both of mine. Just find them dead or frozen. Won’t hardly reboot at times. Apps cannot download etc. Not having the same probz on my brand new nexus 7 with 4.3 but killer issues with Nexis 4 for sure!

  6. amit jain

    08/01/2013 at 9:24 pm

    camera is not working on my galaxy nexus :(

  7. Jimmy

    08/02/2013 at 2:29 am

    Camera takes awhile to load up and sometimes when trying to open camera app, the phone just restarts.

  8. gaye gee

    08/03/2013 at 10:53 am

    I use my Nexus 4 for phone calls and email. On 4.4.2 I would get 1.5 to 2 days before charging was required. Now on 4.3- I must recharge after 6-7 hours with identical settings (screen brightness, etc) That’s pretty significant. Also, I did notice my internet both on wifi and cellular seems to be about 30-40% slower. Some apps have problems but I don’t blame Google for that. I called Google help and they said I cannot revert back to 4.2.2… so in 35 years in computers this is the first device I have had where I cannot restore an older OS.. I am sincerely not impressed and will probably explore the apple ecosphere again.

    • Ronald Geiken

      08/03/2013 at 11:09 am

      For Google, that is known as shooting yourself in the foot. Bluetooth 4.0 is better than BT 4.0, but my BT keyboard may be shut off just a few seconds after it is turned on. BT 4.0 is supposed to be a low energy version, but evidently somebody that was working on Android 4.3 didn’t get the message. I wish there was a way to control things and keep BT 4.0 connected to my Keyboard all the time, but unfortunately that option seems to have been left out. Sounds like in Android 4.3 that they broke as many things as they fixed.

    • Ronald Geiken

      08/03/2013 at 11:12 am

      Sorry in the paragraph above, BT 4.0 is better than BT 3.0.Apple has had BT 4.0 forever so that is probably why their External BT keyboards work better than Android.

    • manuel

      09/14/2013 at 7:06 am

      call apple and ask them if you can revert to an older iOS, they’ll tell you it is IMPOSSIBLE.

  9. Neo® (@Neoprimal)

    08/03/2013 at 1:56 pm

    For anyone having glaring issues, I would suggest a factory reset. I am only having 1 niggle with mine and that is that my wifi 5ghz is now crawling. I get 5Mbps max on a 50Mbps connection, where I used to get the full 50 before. 2.4Ghz band is working fine. I get full reception all over my apartment.

    Haven’t tested Netflix since I mainly ever use that on my tablet which I have on me most of the time.

    Chances are that if you have apps crashing all over the place and slowdowns, that an app or 3 are going rogue. When I’d updated to 4.2.2, Beautiful Widgets played hell with the N4 (due to a bad lockscreen widget). Everytime it updated the phone would reboot. So yeah, sometimes it’s really just misbehaving apps.

    1 thing I’d suggest to try first is removing all apps from the lock screen. The second would be to see exactly what programs are running in the background or cached. Finally, do a hard reset (power and lower volume button) to see if that helps.

    Failing that, it may be a good idea to start fresh. Factory reset. I know it’s not as easy for some, but I have everything backed up to the cloud and everything flows back into the phone after a factory reset for me anyway so I’m not inconvenienced by it (apart from having to log back into a few of the apps).

    • rebecca

      08/05/2013 at 7:51 pm

      I just bought a nexus 4. Updated to 4.3 first thing hoping this was like windows where it’s about existing apps getting hosed but fresh phone same problems. Netflix bad and the phone shuts off by itself all the time. combined with learning from my old 2.3 phone hard to tell how much is the problems and how much is the os.

  10. Amod

    08/04/2013 at 6:39 am

    In my Nexus 4, once you select photosphere option in camera and use it, the return & home button does not respond. I need to choose the task manager and then close the camera application.

  11. Andreas

    08/04/2013 at 12:24 pm

    the bluetooth is hit and miss, i have a junky mini bluetooth keyboard that works great on all devices in my house, but i just purchased a larger bluetooth3 keyboard that only causes both generation nexus 7’s on 4.3 to hotboot
    at first i was going to complain about the keyboard, but it turns out its android itself, sad day. ill have to revert my first gen back to 4.2.2 to use for school, while ,y new n7 waits for fixes.

  12. Adam Parkin

    08/05/2013 at 3:25 pm

    After 4.3, I’m often getting ~14 hours of battery life — while leaving my phone idle (before 4.3 I’d often go the better part of a week between charges). Last night my phone exhausted the battery while charging via USB on my Mac.

    Yeah, I’d say this was a bad upgrade.

  13. Harry316

    08/19/2013 at 11:18 pm

    bullshit is this… i dnt no wen dis rebooting issue will get fix by google.. i thought its great if i have 4.3 jelly bean but now it sucks.. reboot while using camera gallery or Bluetooth sending..

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