Mobile
7 Reasons the Nexus 4 is Better Than the iPhone 5
The Nexus 4 has enough advantages over the iPhone 5 to make long-time iPhone users consider Google’s latest Android phone. The Nexus 4 has several hardware and software features that are simply not found in Apple’s offering.
Google’s Nexus 4 is built by LG and is the first Nexus phone launched with the updated version of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2) baked in. Google’s Nexus smartphone line offer a vanilla Android experience, free of manufacturers’ and carriers’ skins, applications, customizations and restrictions, many of which do more harm than good.
Of course there’s a lot more to the Nexus 4 and iPhone 5 than what we list below, but here are the features that make the Nexus 4 compare favorably to the iPhone 5.
The Nexus 4 is better than the iPhone 5 in key areas.
1) Nexus 4 is More Affordable than the iPhone 5
The Nexus 4 Starts at Just $199
Most mobile users are rightfully concerned with how much gadgets cost, both in terms of upfront costs and long-term costs. The Nexus 4 costs $299 (8GB) to $349 (16GB), but that’s the full unsubsidized price. This means Nexus 4 owners aren’t tied up with two-year contracts. iPhone 5 buyers can get the base model (16GB) for $199, which sounds relatively cheap at first glance, but users have to agree to stick with AT&T, Sprint or Verizon to get that subsidized price. Without a two-year contract, the 16GB iPhone 5 costs $649. Carriers bake the iPhone 5’s $450 subsidy into subscribers’ monthly service contract over time, so it’s not like you’re actually getting a free lunch.
Nexus 4 owners can get some ridiculously cheap service plans without signing up for a two-year contract. One of our favorites is T-Mobile’s $30 pre-paid plan. It’s perfect for people that use their smartphones as little computers more than actually placing calls since it has unlimited data (5GB at 4G speeds) and unlimited messaging, but just 100 minutes. Extra minutes are 10 cents each, but you’d have to spend an awful lot of time talking with friends to make it more expensive than AT&T’s cheapest iPhone 5-compatible plan with similar features. The $199 iPhone 5 will cost individual users $109.99 per month with 450 minutes, 5GB of 4G data and unlimited messaging.
Read: Nexus 4 Carrier Comparison
2) Nexus 4 Display Larger than iPhone 5 Display
The Nexus 4’s 4.7″ Display is Much Larger Than the iPhone 5’s 4″ Display
The Nexus 4 has roomy 4.7″ (measured diagonally) display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. That’s a lot more screen real estate than the iPhone 5’s 4″ Retina display, which has a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels. Pixel density is nearly identical between the two phones.
The Nexus 4 display is noticeably better for watching videos and playing games, providing a more immersive experience.
3) Nexus 4 is Unlocked
The Nexus 4 Can Run on Any GSM Network
Since the Nexus 4 is unlocked, users can jump between AT&T, T-Mobile and a smattering of pre-paid providers in the United States. For example, they can start off with the cheap $30 T-Mobile plan we reviewed here, but join their parents’ AT&T Mobile Share plan for $40 if the whole family goes the smartphone route.
Perhaps even more importantly, the Nexus 4 can be used with international SIM cards while traveling. Not only are AT&T’s roaming fees ridiculously expensive, the carrier doesn’t even let you call anywhere except for back home to the United States and to others in the country you’re currently in. If you’re in Germany, but need to call London you’re out of luck. With international SIM cards you generally have to pay more to call out of whatever country you’re in, but at least it’s doable. The Verizon and Sprint iPhone 5 can be used with international SIM cards when traveling, but they are locked to either Sprint or Verizon while in the U.S.
4) Nexus 4 Has Better Maps than the iPhone 5
Nexus 4 Maps Are Accurate and Full of Useful Info
The Nexus 4 ships with the freshest version of Google Maps, which is miles ahead of Apple’s new iOS 6 Maps app. Google’s Maps app lets the users dive into neighborhoods with street views, provides accurate 3D views and see business names without clicking on icons. Google Maps beats out Apple’s Maps app when it comes to navigation and location accuracy. Google’s been working on Maps and Google Earth for years, acquiring and partnering with experts in the field when necessary. Apple’s new to the maps game and it shows.
The iPhone 5’s Maps are good enough for some tasks, lulling users into relying on the app until it throws a serious wrench into their plans by guiding them to the incorrect destination or worse. Apple’s maps app simply can’t accurately find emergency rooms, which is important for obvious reasons. Apple’s improved the specific search for emergency rooms since we first wrote about the issue, but the results are still muddled with non-emergency businesses, such as private doctor offices and pharmacies.
iPhone 5 Maps:Suggest Bank 3,000 Miles Away
Perhaps an emergency room search isn’t in your immediate future? Apple’s Maps still struggles with basic searches, producing inexplicable errors. For example, after going to the dentist yesterday in Pacifica, a town about 10 miles south of San Francisco, I needed to deposit a check and get some cash. I searched for a Bank of America branch on my iPhone and the maps app suggested I go to Broadway and 72nd, a couple of blocks west of Central Park (yes, that park in the middle of Manhattan), which is only about 2,950 miles away from Pacifica. I haven’t been to New York for five months and my iPhone 5’s never been there. I most recently searched for a San Francisco business with the Maps app. Instead of running another search I asked my dentist’s office assistant for help and she directed me to a Bank of America branch a few hundred feet away.
5) Nexus 4 Wireless Charging and NFC
The Google Nexus 4 features Near Field Communication (NFC) and can charge wirelessly, while the iPhone 5 has neither. Both of these features are a little premature, but they are requisites for power users looking for the latest and greatest mobile tech.
The Nexus 4’s NFC Feature Allows for Mobile Payments
NFC allows the Nexus 4 to communicate with other phones and other objects, such as payment terminals at stores. The Nexus 4 can run Google Wallet, an app that allows users to checkout with their phones and have the charge passed on to any credit card or debit card.
The iPhone 5 can be used to pay for some items, but it relies on barcodes generated through apps and Passbook.
Google and LG built in wireless charging, which means Nexus 4 users don’t have to fiddle with charging cables. The technology’s nowhere to be found in Apple land.
The Nexus 4’s wireless charging feature is based on the Qi standard. This means it’s compatible with any Qi-enabled wireless charging station, including Google’s own charging Orb. Unfortunately, the Orb still isn’t available for purchase quite yet.
Read: Nexus 4 Compatible Wireless Chargers
We expect wireless charging surfaces to become much more prevalent in the coming years, making it easier to keep the Nexus 4 juiced up. Of course you can charge the Nexus 4 the old-fashioned way with any micro USB cable. The iPhone 5 has the new-fangled Lightning connector, forgoing the traditional 30-pin iPod/iPhone adapter, making it difficult to keep the latest iPhone juiced up unless you carry around your own charging cable or adapter.
6) Google Services
The Nexus 4 has an unfair advantage over the iPhone 5 competing for users that rely heavily on GMail or use Google’s Apps for Business.The Nexus 4 runs all of Google’s mobile apps beautifully, including Gmail, YouTube, Google+ and Talk. Since the phone’s already tied into users’ Google accounts, all of Google’s services just work out of the box.
While Google generally makes its apps available for iOS, Apple doesn’t integrate them into the core experience. For example, YouTube used to ship with every iPhone, but the app now must be manually installed. You can download Chrome on the iPhone 5, but users can’t make it their default browser. Apple, of course, would rather have its customers use its own apps and services rather than Google’s.
Google Now is another service that shines on the Nexus 4. It’s not perfect, but it’s much more multidimensional that Apple’s Siri. Google Now predicts what information users need and presents it proactively rather than waiting for users to ask for it.
7) More Options in Nexus 4 Camera app
Nexus 4 Camera App
The Nexus 4’s camera app offers a lot more control than the iPhone 5’s stock camera app. The Nexus 4 allows users to quickly make adjustments with a single tap on the display. Users can quickly switch to the front-facing camera, turn on HDR mode, adjust the flash settings, adjust exposure compensation, correct white balance and go to advanced settings using a single gesture.
Read: Nexus 4 v.s iPhone 5 Camera Shootout
While the iPhone 5 camera app has panorama mode, the Nexus 4 allows users to capture 360-degree Photo Spheres. There are tons of iPhone 5 compatible apps that match or exceed the Nexus 4 camera app’s capabilities, but it’s a nice treat to have these features ready to go in the phone’s native camera app.
Follow Gotta Be Mobile’s Nexus 4 coverage for more on the latest Google smartphone.
Stay tuned for a look at reasons the iPhone 5 is better than the Nexus 4.
Geri O
12/06/2012 at 7:31 am
As an iPhone 5 and Droid Razr Maxx HD user on Verizon, I pretty much agree with the article. However, being tied to T-Mobile is an epic fail. I just wonder if Verizon users will ever experience the true Nexus experience that the Galaxy Nexus miserably failed at. But with the two phones I have, I don’t think I’m missing out on much.
Ash
12/06/2012 at 7:36 am
Dude you forgot the most important thing about the nexus 4?it doesn’t have the extremely boring in your face app launcher as soon as you unlock the screen lol
Abdurrahim
11/08/2013 at 2:10 am
DAMN!! WE DONT HAVE A LIKE COMMENT OPTION HERE :P
RW
12/06/2012 at 9:00 am
The Nexus 4 is a pile of garbage and everyone knows it – there are far better android choices and the iPhone 5 destroys it as well…
Ray
12/06/2012 at 10:49 am
STFU you illiterate rodent. Why don’t you go buy something from iTunes, or the App store. That’s all the iPhone 5 is good for – a fking vending machine for feeble-minded fools like you. Make sure you camp outside in front of the Apple store for 1 week, to purchase a device that looks just like the last one. Except, this one might include 1GB of ram instead of 512MB.
Android 68% of all smartphones
iPhone iOS, WELL UNDER 20%.
Don’t you see the picture evolution is painting for you?
SRH247
12/06/2012 at 11:32 am
Love how you have to call him names, maybe to make you feel better? Also love how you said 68% of android and under 20% for iOS. Do you know there are only 6 iPhones ever made? And that one company makes them AND their mobile operating system. How many android devices are out there worldwide? Too many to count. Don’t be so rude, I am just giving you facts.
Nate
12/06/2012 at 11:50 am
‘one company makes them’..
What exactly do you mean by this? You do know that 25% of iPhones are made using Samsung parts, right? Aside from the new A6 processors and the housing I don’t think Apple actually ‘makes’ much else..
Kasey
12/06/2012 at 2:18 pm
The way i wrote that comment, I understand why you thought that. I meant to say was. Apple, has only produced 6 phones that use the iOS software. Samsung, Motorola, LG, HTC, etc produce Android phones. And they run on Google Android…they have a lot more than just 6 phones since 2007. It’s not a fair statement to assume Android is better just cause they have more users using Android.
Bagpuss McTaint
10/10/2013 at 11:00 pm
We call people like you names because you obviously never got an education you dumb f*ck. ONE COMPANY CANNOT MAKE ONE PRODUCT! Have a valid point the next time you try to argue…
SMJ
12/06/2012 at 3:33 pm
Ray – the same author of this post, Xavier Lanier, came out with a post today with the 4 reasons iPhone 5 is better than the Nexus. I guess you will want to leave a ridiculous and childish rant for him too. I guess you failed to see that the person you replied to said there are better android devices too, or do you selectively scan posts to rant about?
Ray
12/07/2012 at 3:20 pm
How the heck are you going to assume a device is “garbage” without actually using it? He is childish for making assumptions.
AndroidTeensChewer
01/03/2013 at 10:57 am
Ray, if they forced age restrictions on this website, google fanboy teens like you and your foul mouth wouldn’t be allowed to make comments, do us all a favour and go geekingly fap at ur android plastic toy away from your mums and our eyesights LOL
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:04 pm
I am seriously ashamed to have people like you rooting (no pun intended) for android. Your arguments are kind of valid, though for the wrong and exaggerated reasons, and I wonder why I can’t reply (first time on this site) to the last comment in a chain or else I would be bashing him instead of you…but seriously, go home and stop embarrassing yourself and the android community.
Rob
02/12/2013 at 4:57 pm
Don’t be such a fan boy. Having recently owned a Samsung galaxy 3, an iphone 5 and the nexus 4, I can say that while the nexus 4 is miles better than the galaxy in terms of having decent build quality and running a version of Android which is unmolested with rubbish addons, I have returned to the iphone 5 as I find it easier to use on a day to day basis and there are quite a lot of apps not yet available on android which I use.
Ignoring cost, as it is not a factor for me (under £1000 anyway… ) the only real advantage the nexus 4 really has still on this list is the nfc and wireless induction charging. Google maps is available for iphone as well as all the google apps and the text is perceptibly sharper on the iphone because its ppi is still higher than both of the aforementioned androids. You cannot use imessage on android, and all my friends own iphones and dont want to go back to sms messages. There might be more camera controls, but the camera shots from the iphone 5 and video are considerably nicer in reality. Its a nice phone, but let’s not get carried away…
mwirmm
07/26/2014 at 3:02 am
“Ignoring cost, as it is not a factor for me (under £1000 anyway… )”. Absolutely horrible logic. Cost is always important..whether you’re making $200 a year or $2,000,000. It is about the principle, it’s about the consumer not getting duped and paying an unbelievable price when you compare component and labor costs. Its a sad sad picture of where society is going today when they are happy to pay premium price for a product that utilizes cheap labor and fairly standard components in comparison to the rest of the playing field just because somewhere down the line they were convinced it’s “premium”. If you are going to maximize your profit margin at least make your phone stand out, have the bigger screen, have the highest quality material. The only advantage the iphone has over other phones is the unity of software.and hardware. And that’s only been achieved because society has been brainwashed enough to buy re releases of one product year in year out in over privileged societies, making it logical for software manufacturers to flood the the apple app store.
Medley
10/12/2013 at 10:26 pm
That means that there is still 3 reasons why Nexus is better, android wins.
Samuel
12/09/2012 at 9:23 pm
most valuable company in the world for a reason bud. dont worry android is a close second.
Drew
01/08/2013 at 6:11 pm
Yeah Android is a real company too. Nice try buddy, but since Steve Jobs has been gone apple has gone way downhill.
nofo
01/09/2013 at 4:41 am
Android is a company? android is a hobo like mobile open source OS created by google, go hang yourself quietly haha
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:09 pm
…ok here goes my other rant…I am seriously ashamed to have people like you rooting (no pun intended) for android. Android is a great open source project (that blows apple’s seeds out of the fruit and burns them into a pie, I should add) from GOOGLE, the company that will TAKE OVER THE WORLD, so yeah, what the hell, google is much more valuable than apple. and I wonder why I can’t reply (first time on this site) to the last comment in a chain or else I would be bashing him instead of you…but no, android is not a real company, so get your facts straight and stop embarrassing the android community
Gauss Rifle
09/28/2013 at 3:05 pm
I don’t like iOS at all and am 100% android but no disrespect to the man, apple have gone up since jobs passed.
xblazestormx
12/14/2012 at 6:11 pm
hahaha your funny, you get so mad over nothing
Nick
01/02/2013 at 9:24 am
YOU sound like an idiot if that is the best you can do at communicating what I assume was going to be something logical and not emotional. This is exactly why android users have a bad name.
alltheway
01/24/2013 at 1:19 pm
Too right..
Brooks Seale
02/03/2013 at 2:06 pm
I am still trying to find out why you called him illiterate, I can understand his post far better than I can yours.
Nick
03/04/2013 at 1:59 pm
At least you don’t get viruses and spyware on iPhone’s iOS Like android phones and thank god iPhone is not made of cheap plastic and other toxic materials that our children are gonna be exposed to..! Evolution in the wrong direction, to get people cancer and so many other illnesses! You must be insane !!
bwebmasta
05/13/2013 at 5:17 am
This is another silly comment, the iPhone has plastic within it, and do you even realize the process and pollution that is created of making the aluminum body of an iPhone? The battery? Intelligence and common sense are skills that are circling the drain or what?
Internet Dzyns LLC (@idzyns)
09/21/2013 at 4:16 pm
5c – cheap plastic toxic. ;-) thank god.
Dennis
10/08/2013 at 10:26 pm
iPhone is the original innovator and carries an aura, a mystique like a Bugatti Veyron and the rest of the field are f***ing imitators who don’t have minds of their own
Paul Chersulich
11/07/2013 at 6:08 am
You do realize that the iphone 2g was a clone after an lg phone, and the software is just bought and all software assembled together :) nothing touched by apple, only the design is theirs :)) and that’s the only good thing about ios, the design is ok.
But i can say iphone is cute, but just cute, a mediocre camera, a mediocre mp3 player, a decent display and a too small to be called anything else but a handwatch :)) it has the size of a nut that display, that’s because it is a device for kids :)
Nexus 4 can make 90% more than ios, apps that don’t exist in ios, more apps than ios, and apps that can’t work on ios like gps status, altometer, barometer … and many more and let’s not talk about nexus 5 which has 1,5 times more dpi than iphone 5s :)) and camera with smaller pixel size and allot more than toy iphone, i had all iphones except 5s :) and i can say i like them, but as toys, i lak everything when using them but i feel good using them, so as a resume, iphone is a great device for the people who don;t really need much, they don;t need a full featured smartphone.
furlong
12/06/2012 at 10:53 am
Butthurt iFanboy is butthurt
SMJ
12/06/2012 at 3:39 pm
The poster said that other Android and iPhone is better – do you comprehend what you read?
Ray
12/07/2012 at 3:24 pm
“The Nexus 4 is a pile of garbage and everyone knows it” That’s what he posted, not me. That is why I’m talking trash, so buzz off.
xblazestormx
12/14/2012 at 6:13 pm
someone needs his meds
Jean-Philippe Auguste
12/27/2012 at 1:38 pm
I guess that is the reason why no one can find a Nexus 4 these days !! or trying to sell the Nexus 4 at full retail price ?? that is one garbage that I would be glad to take if i can find it.
Nate
12/06/2012 at 11:47 am
Pile of garbage? Read any review and the phone gets the highest claim for any Android device out. You can’t get much better than the Nexus for Android…lay off the drugs and jump off Apples dick.
Drew
01/08/2013 at 6:12 pm
^Truth
Shazaam
12/06/2012 at 12:31 pm
Yes everyone knows it. Must be why it keeps selling out within minutes of going on sale.
Oli b
12/06/2012 at 1:54 pm
Do you think we could finally have a comments section that doesn’t descend into schoolboy rants about how the iPhone or android is best. Each to their own and both have their merits
brandnew234
12/06/2012 at 7:23 pm
No.
Ray
12/07/2012 at 3:24 pm
lol..agreed
Jean-Philippe Auguste
12/27/2012 at 1:53 pm
Hey , that is the reality of things. In the 90`s PCs were outselling Macs and Apple has an history of starting an innovation to get slam later by competition and that is exactly what is happening again in the mobile world.
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:32 pm
as long as idiots keep apple in business, hell no.
brandnew234
12/06/2012 at 7:19 pm
Care to explain why precisely?
Cool Hand Luke
12/14/2012 at 3:05 pm
the iphone is a very smooth working phone no hicups. its built to run one operating system with no thought of future inovation. The nexus s had nfc over 3 years ago and it may be added to the iphone 6 in 2014 not the iphone 5s in 2013. The iphone is very closed and locked down where as android is open which also means you may get some bugs and hicups from time to time but tech savy user will have it no other way. Ive owned a nexus one, nexus s, galaxy nexus and now the nexus 4 with a iphone and a few androids blackberrys and windows phones in there. Like I said the iphone works great and will be a great phone for most users but for me I can not last 2 weeks straight with just an iphone, now if I have more than one phone than I could do it. Once you get mixed up in the apple ecosystem its like crack its hard to get off. But what it boils down to is what you like.
Kevi
12/21/2012 at 9:26 pm
Jailbreak it and u see what iPhone can do :)$
mark
12/25/2012 at 7:48 pm
Oh You mean have stock android..
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:13 pm
root it and you can see what, oh wait, you don’t need to, it already beats apple’s plant waste
Drew
01/08/2013 at 6:14 pm
Spot on comment, iOS is very user-friendly and is better if you aren’t too tech-savvy.
rory
12/20/2012 at 4:37 pm
lol your just jelous u dont have a nexus 4
mark
12/25/2012 at 7:46 pm
Please tell me how.. Dickhead..
Jean-Philippe Auguste
12/27/2012 at 1:58 pm
Mark ,
There is reason to be jealous here , the Nexus 4 is nowhere to be found that some of us are getting really angry and post stupidities to stimulate Google and LG to produce more for the demand.
vanquishuk
01/02/2013 at 8:54 am
How does that work when the nexus is the most powerful phone on the planet at this point…iphone fan boy ?
Trevor jaspen moore
01/11/2013 at 3:35 pm
Dude people like iphone because apple makes it. They used to be the best choice. And people still believe it is. But there are better things now. Nexus 4 is the best phone.
Carl
01/16/2013 at 4:12 pm
iPhone 5 F#$@ing sucks, it has the worst software ever created. Android is clearly better.
lc
01/24/2013 at 3:22 pm
shut up, search more and then u come and comment
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:37 pm
you did a lot of research, I can see. search up “jelly bean vs ios 6”, please go find ONE article that tells me why ios is better, because I am at a loss as to why apple is still in business, and I can’t find a reason
BoBo
01/31/2013 at 11:18 am
Haaahahaha, are you by any chance crapPHONE5 owner ? :)
Umberto
02/26/2013 at 3:10 am
the difference being that the iphone 5 costs nearly 3 times more.
Nema
03/06/2013 at 11:12 pm
iPhone 5 is a joke compared to the Nexus 4
Diord Vuli
12/06/2012 at 10:01 am
This phone is not tied to T-Mobile. There are other prepaid carriers that use AT&T network towers too. For 45 bucks a month you can have unlimited calling, text, and HSPA+ data on AT&T. However I think the data is throttled after 2Gb is used, but heck, it’s only $45! The Nexus 4 pays for itself in a year instead of paying off your contract device over 2 years with expensive data plans.
Zachary Parker (@xyzyxx)
12/10/2012 at 8:10 am
You don’t even need to go prepaid if you want no contract. AT&T does NOT put you in a 2-year contract unless you buy a subsidized phone. I joined AT&T a week ago with my Nexus 4, no contract.
Joe Davis
12/11/2012 at 7:34 pm
Why would you go with ATT? You can only use full browsing speeds on T-mobile’s HSPA+? And depending on your location, they can be amazing! My HSPA+ speeds in PA are just mind-blowing. I normally get 18-27 MB/s. on speed tests with an average of 3MB/s Upload. My peak was actually 36MB/s, but then again that was a test at like 4 am or so.
Also, TMO has cheaper plans then ATT. Non-contract $45/month for 500 Minutes and 5GB before throttle data. Or you can go with their $30 – 100 minutes and 5Gb before throttled data if you only use your phone for data.
Brian Nicholson (@Brian_Nicholson)
12/06/2012 at 10:08 am
Droid Vuli is right; the savings can be huge off contract. Here’s some math for a couple with smartphones. https://obsessiveoverthinker.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/how-1-hour-of-time-can-save-you-780-every-2-years-on-cell-phone-service/
warlockofdoom
12/06/2012 at 10:20 am
Of all your points only the seventh actually holds any weight. Thanks for the writeup though.
korbaker
12/06/2012 at 12:07 pm
Really? So the screen is bigger on the iPhone 5 than the Nexus 4. The flawed mapping system on iOS 6 is better than the (defacto mapping standard) Google Maps? The iPhone is CHEAPER unlocked than the Nexus 4? The iPhone has access to the WEALTH of Google apps that Nexus does? And how does WIRELESS charging work on the iPhone 5? I, and the millions of those with iPhones out there would LOVE to know… not to mention NFC… how does that work on an iPhone.
Either you didn’t READ the article, or you are just unable to face facts and live in a fantasy world.
Diord Vuli
12/06/2012 at 10:30 am
@ warlockofdoom. So you think number 4 is wrong? Apple maps > Google?
Examples please.
NotWaiting
12/06/2012 at 10:58 am
All these superior Android and Nexus features are completely abstract if the phone is not available for purchase. The 8 GB model is sold out, *again*. No shipping date listed. The 16 GB is set to ship in 7 weeks. What does having the latest greatest Jelly Bean OS mean if I’m waiting almost 2 months for the phone? What’s so great about the wireless charging orb if the only people who have it are a handful of tech reviewers? I weighed the pros and cons of contract vs. no contract (I’m on a cheap AT&T plan, as most of my smartphone use is over WiFi) and having the latest Android updates and getting sporadic updates. After months of waiting for the release date, and after looking at mid-January for the delivery of the Nexus, I just walked into an AT&T store and purchased the LG Optimus G, which is the cousin of the Nexus 4. No regrets. I just wanted a great Android phone and got it. The only reason I even knew about the LG Optimus G is because of all tech reviews putting it side by side with the Nexus 4. Are you an Android fan looking to upgrade and don’t want to wait? Get the LG Optimus G. You will not regret it. Getting an iPhone wasn’t even in the picture. (When will iPhone do away with their ancient keyboard and get the equivalent of Swype on their phones?)
Diord Vuli
12/06/2012 at 11:05 am
I couldn’t agree more about the inept way that the Nexus 4 has been launched. I think this caught Google by surprise, and the timing here was perfect too. Unfortunately though, I see that Google may have pushed away alot of potential customers who have been eagerly awaiting this device. This is a hard lesson for Google.
bb is da best
12/07/2012 at 12:25 am
Pffft we all know bb is the best…. bettter than android and apple combined together
Chris
12/17/2012 at 3:59 pm
This is a joke… Right? … Please tell me your joking so I can start laughing… Please.
Drew
01/08/2013 at 6:17 pm
Would have respected it if you said Windows Phone, still no match for the Nexus 4, but sick phones in any case.
Lorie
12/07/2012 at 2:52 am
Rubbish article. Wireless charging, why on earth would I care about that ? It’s novelty. NFC, one again I don’t happen to care for this feature as I’d much prefer to pay using my card anyway. More camera options don’t mean better pictures, the iphone still has the best camera out there.
Diord Vuli
12/07/2012 at 3:55 pm
Just because you don’t care for those features doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be put on a phone, what you call a novelty is not a bad thing. Others may use and enjoy them.
Having something the iPhone doesn’t makes it very novel indeed.
Don’t get your panties in a knot over critique. Artists need and depend upon it to improve. So do bleeding edge tech companies. And potential smartphone customers deserve to hear about every aspect of the device they are interested in. Sorry if your feelings got hurt, but it’s not like you made the iPhone.
So get over it, and realize every product has its flaws.
AndroidFan
12/09/2012 at 7:58 am
One of the most neatly written comment by Diord Vuli! I really loved the way you dissected the issue in the most calm way! Being a user of iPhone and Android [galaxy s], I must say Android has gradually overtaken iOS, fanboys should realize that. But when it comes to camera, I still say, iPhone has the best over Android [Not sure of nokia cameras off late]…
Rackie
12/08/2012 at 4:09 pm
You don’t care doesn’t mean no body cares. The review is not just written for you.
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:17 pm
I guess the solid price and multiplied specs are rubbish too, right? as long as it’s not in an iphone? no? you are the kind who says “we don’t need a bigger screen, 3.5 inches is perfect” and when apple comes out with a bigger screen, you say “apple is the best because they have a better and bigger screen”…pointless arguing with people like you
ONE Voice Mobile (@onevoicemobile)
12/08/2012 at 8:05 am
Here is a really good review of the Nexus 4 on Solavei from One Voice Mobile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9hT-DItJmA&feature=plcp
Solavie has no contract mobile phone plans
Dany
12/09/2012 at 11:11 pm
Let us make it easy: nexus 4 is much cheaper than iphone to start with, and this price is for an unlocked version, making it even cheaper in the long run. Focus on that! One iphone 5 unlocked is equal to two nexus 4. Iphone is not in the same price range with nexus. Do the math guys. Apple sells a similarly priced device, the ipod touch, and even that one, with no phone at all, side by side would loose to nexus 4 on screen size, gps, maps, camera specs, nfc and wireless charging. Nexus 4 is a game changer in cell phone pricing! Read the last sentence again and again!
Thomas Arson
12/12/2012 at 5:35 am
I had three generations of iPhone. Until 4 weeks ago when I got my Nexus 4.
Farewell, IOS.
alltheway
01/24/2013 at 1:24 pm
Welcome Padwan
John
12/13/2012 at 4:36 pm
Don’t you just love the pocket digging business model of Apple? They are releasing the iPhone 5S in march, just for you iSheep who camped out and paid for an over-priced ancient phone. How does that make you feel that your flagship device is now ancient in two months? Not to mention the fiasco with the Maps stuff, wait- Their using Google Maps again! I wonder why?…
xPhantom
12/13/2012 at 11:08 pm
Pple who cannot afford apple products or even purchase the apps and games they use; are always having a nigative Impact on apple,
Pple have different taste for different trades and products how come most pple out there can’t just adopt the idea !
Duh
ya mum
12/15/2012 at 10:10 pm
dumb fux
Viviane Moritz (@vmoritz)
12/18/2012 at 10:20 am
I am a mac user and iphone 3, 3GS and 4 user and switched to the Nexus 4. It is by far the best phone I have ever used. The list above doesn’t even crack the surface. Choice of locking options. Choice of what you can view with a locked screen, Bluetooth Audio, beautiful large type, seamless Google cloud integration (which is much simpler that iCloud), plus the best feature is wifi calling with T-Mobile. You really can only pay $30 a month for service and have the best phone on the market. I’m sold!
Steve
12/25/2012 at 8:14 pm
AMEN!!!!!
gante
12/27/2012 at 12:49 pm
While all this is great, the Nexus 4 has been almost impossible for the masses to get there hands on. I want to shake LG and Google and scream “Take my money, you fools!” No iPhone has ever been this difficult to get a hold of, especially this long after launch. I am not willing to wait so long to replace my phone, which is a shame, because I love my Nexus 7 and would like that experience on a phone. But if Google and LG can’t pull their heads out of their you know what and use their massive resources to solve a simple problem, they don’t deserve any ones business.
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:45 pm
I do agree with this, but it’s mostly LG’s fault, since Google only had the designing part, and LG does the actual manufacturing, I was never a big fan of LG, and for the right reasons. By the time I get my hands on a n4, the s4 would be out…gee…should I wait?
wastedsuperfly
12/27/2012 at 1:22 pm
How about the higher clocked quad core? The HD resolution screen, and all of the other indisputable hardware facts?
Jessie
12/28/2012 at 6:52 am
Whats the issue why nexus4 is not yet out of the market?pending for more costly price?ive been checking for a long time since my phone got scrap.im looking for a smartphone that is less expensive than the rest yet very disappointing waiting too long.
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:19 pm
hey, you’re not alone, apple pulls this kinda shit every time there’s a new iphone, this time, LG is at fault, never was a big fan of them, and they can’t keep up with demand
Jerry Yee
12/29/2012 at 10:09 pm
I have a Nexus 4 and it is an amazing smartphone that is incredible regarding performance. Buttery smooth like an iPhone, all glass design like the iPhone 4, but with a sick 4.7″ HD screen, quad core processor and 2gb RAM. EVEN weighs about same as the iPhone 4. To be honest…it is kinda cool that not many people have 1. It gets a lot of attention….
vanquishuk
01/02/2013 at 8:59 am
I have the nexus 4 and its amazing best phone that i have ever owned and right now the best phone you can get.
Also no one has one so im happy to be one of the few people who has this great device.
Any who disagrees either loves apple and is jealous beyond belief or is just an idiot.
Google and LG have done a great job.
Jeremy S
01/02/2013 at 11:35 am
Yep :) I have it too man its amazing
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:47 pm
people post hate comments about the n4 while reading this on their ishit, having never set hand on a modern android.
Arafat
01/02/2013 at 3:05 pm
ugh… can we just say both os’s are good…..
Donnie
01/04/2013 at 12:00 pm
I am true believer in Android and Motorola technologies…in my opinion the iPhone is a dinosaur to the mobile world… Google and Motorola have unsurpassed OS’s Jelly Bean and ICS which are far more advanced and responsive than Apple…the iPhone was the shit back in the day,…but look out MS users!
James J
01/04/2013 at 1:23 pm
Oh unlimited HSPA for way less money than you pay. Yea, EPIC fail for using T-mobile where I pull close to 30 MBS down sitting on my couch at home… SMH
Zarif Rahman
01/05/2013 at 5:17 am
Am I the only one here who is just reading the comments saying wtf?
rose
01/10/2013 at 2:36 am
i just need a nexus 4 unlocked..when will it be available again
neogeo
01/13/2013 at 1:14 pm
lol all this fighting makes me laugh so hard reading these comment.,i still use a flip phone…..i like it really simple.but i aint going to lie, i’m looking into a nexus 4 maybe maybe.i don’t want to become a fanboy like the clowns on here fighting whos better…
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:42 pm
It’s not much of a fight, the android community gives logical and feasible reasons (and a few swear words) for why android is better, and apple fan boys give out swear words and how android sucks in every way (for no reason they can mention)
Oh FFS
02/16/2013 at 7:43 am
This comment speaks for itself. You need to step back from your words and realize how saying Android users give “logical and feasible reasons” and Apple users “give out swear words and how Android sucks” gives you zero credibility and makes the entirety of the Android community look like buffoons. I like Android just fine, but someones choice of operating system doesn’t make them a lesser person, and people like you are only looking to troll or pick fights on the internet.
Also, if this gets a reply, and you use the words “Apple fan boy” to describe me, I will disregard your words and assume you are not worth speaking to. Thanks.
FryerTuck
01/23/2013 at 7:23 am
One benefit of the iPhone over Nexus 4… you can actually buy one. ;-(
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:30 pm
are you kidding me? do you remember when the iphone, any iphone, came out? people line up in CAMPS, OUTDOOR CAMPING CAMPS, for a WEEK in front of apple stores, google never pulls this shit, it’s LG not able to keep up with demand and poor communication between google and LG, who will never make another nexus again
Christopher Wilkinson
01/28/2013 at 2:44 pm
dude the nexus 4 is a great phone. i love it. but regardless of who has the fault in why the phone is not available doesn’t matter. thats like saying “its not apples fault if the iphone goes out of stock because samsung and other companies makes some of the parts. therefore it is samsung’s and other companies fault”. what matters right now is that many people, including myself wants this phone and cant get it because its out of stock. i have been back and forth from the google play website for about 2 months now, and every time i check its out of stock. i want to order the nexus 4 for 350 dollars brand new and google play is most likely the only place that can meet those standards. what people do in order to get an iPhone doesnt matter. the fact is that iPhone is available, to buy on the internet or at different stores, at the same price. google does not have this option. the place we are able to get it the cheapest is on google play. And it is regrettably out of stock. As much as i love android i have to admit that apples iPhone has NEVER been out of stock for this long. I love android and i think Nexus 4 is great. but i give credit where credit is due. yes the nexus 4 is better than the iPhone, (which is the point of the article,) the fact that it is not available on google play doesnt take away from this. But as for stocking an availability of devices, which has nothing to do with the quality of the device, Apple has done a better job.
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:50 pm
True enough. The n4 was available for like 5 minutes last week before it got sold out again. but yeah, apple does do better as a fruit.
googleboyfandestroyer
01/28/2013 at 4:42 pm
you know your hole could do better as something else, you know?
Bradley Newson
01/24/2013 at 7:47 am
You know what, this stupid iPhone vs android and so on makes me mad. I say, GO TEAM APPLEDRIOD!!!!
veerasekar
01/27/2013 at 9:15 pm
iplanet
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 2:27 pm
I don’t see the point in the article, the n4 beats iphone’s ancient samsung guts out of its fancy metal casing and we all know it
googleboyfandestroyer
01/28/2013 at 4:40 pm
oh boy, I am frowning upon your parent’s irrecoverable mistakes, first of having a mentally challenged child when they knew it was going to happen, and secondly for letting their mentally challenged child get on this page and start flooding the comments sections with his nonsense when we already forgot about it… put an android up your hole and disappear
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 5:08 pm
I’m not even gonna bother with this so.oh boy, I am frowning upon your parent’s irrecoverable mistakes, first of having a mentally challenged child when they knew it was going to happen, and secondly for letting their mentally challenged child get on this page and start flooding the comments sections with his nonsense when we already forgot about it… put an ishit up your hole and disappear
googleboyfandestroyer
01/29/2013 at 1:12 am
now that we have introduced and acknowledged you being an android attention seeking teen boy, can I piss on you? It’s gonna feel good on your googly-looking face, promise! I’m even gonna give you some bucks to help you buy a nessus, what do you say googly-face? :D
yiweitech
01/28/2013 at 5:12 pm
Your hole is where an iPhone deserves to be born and where it should die
steve
01/29/2013 at 1:16 am
I used to think my Iphone 4s was great until I got a galaxy nexus, I soon realised the Iphone was not capable of doing many of the things that I could on the nexus, I hardly use my Iphone anymore except for making phone calls now and again, The only thing I find that is better on the Iphone is the build quality and battery life. I can wait to get my hands on a nexus 4 from what ive seen the build is excellent the specs are amazing for the price. I think that jelly bean is far more advanced than IOS and Apple really needs to vastly improve there operating system if they want to retain there market share. Google are really starting to make major inovations in Android and the future is looking very bright for them.
Fred
01/30/2013 at 1:19 pm
Nexus 4’s are available again. Mine just shipped today, after ordering it last night (1/29).
zuluzambia
02/02/2013 at 1:29 am
Android!Android!Android!
Sean
02/05/2013 at 5:17 am
Now, Xperia Z has became even better than Nexus 4. isn’t it?
Graham Hedley (@lardarz)
02/09/2013 at 10:30 pm
Just bought a Nexus 4 after using an iPhone for a week. It is far superior to the iphone in almost every respect and is not tied to that horrendous itunes thing that Apple makes you use. Wasn’t impressed with the Lumia or Xperia when I tried them in the shop either
faranguiz
02/12/2013 at 11:00 am
I have the Nexus 4 and I also have the iPhone 4s. I do love them both but I tend to use the Nexus 4 more and more…
Chetan- Nexus 4
02/15/2013 at 3:55 pm
Nexus 4 is really awesome phone. I got it last week . Build quality & look are really awesome.
Specifications wise.. no one can beat it !! & jelly is 4.2.1 is like butter.
Camera features are truly good & can take descent picture. Display size is 4.7″ which properly fits into pocket & fulfill big screen wish of user.
Iphone 4 looks like a white toy in front of it which u will buy paying… lot money.
One more think which is not mentioned above article is unlocked phone so I can use it anywhere in the world with any sim
Just me...
02/20/2013 at 9:37 am
iOS doesn’t get viruses, android OS’s do. It’s the same way that people still by windows OS’s; the only operating system you can get a virus on. Linux you are fine because viruses are not made in the correct file format, iMacs are fine because the anti virus software is built into the OS, hell even Chrome OS can’t get viruses. It’s just any OS that shoots out mincrosofts door that can get millions of viruses and YOU have to spend more money on anti virus software, it’s just a joke!!! Microsoft only care a out money, how hard could it have been for them to imbed anti virus in to windows 8? No why do that, lets just throw in a bunch of squares and rectangles as a start menu and make users have to go to settings to shut it down!!! You don’t get that with apple products, you pay premium price for a premium device. I’m sure you will rant and race about apple getting hack or what ever, that because some (insert bad word here) desired to spend hours apon hours finding a way to hack it(I’m betting 1’000’000 on Microsoft fan boy and/or someone that can’t afford/candle the fact that people have an overall better device then them.
If you want a customisable phone by all means get the nexus but if you want something that is more user friendld, faster go for the iPhone 5. I have owned both these phones and if ou are someone that would player proper games on thee trip to work, go for the iPhone, I feel that games have equal graphics to a proper games console and the phone puts ps vitas / 3ds’s to shame. You are either an android person or an iPhone person. I personally prefer the iPhone but there is no need to kill each other over it deciding what is better!!! Enjoy what you have and as bob Marley put very nicely “be happy”!!!
slash1913
04/03/2013 at 1:59 am
Plain and simple. IPhone is not an evolutionary phone and is bound to play catch up to android eternally. They may have set the smartphone standard, but standards are made to be broken. Remember this post. The iPhone will be less and less striking to the masses because when a new model is release it will have already be outdated, like the iPhone 5. Apple is no longer an innovator and like history has showed, all “good ” thinks come to an end. When you buy an iPhone you are just buying the hype. Also to the ignorant coment made by someone in here, there is nothing healthy about any phone and all have hazardous parts and chemicals that can cause all sorts of health issues. ALL! P.s. I dare all iPhone users to drop their glass phones on solid concrete from a height of 3.5 feet. I say this because my best friend went android after 3 broken I phones just for shots and giggles and never went back.
Trevor Henry
04/14/2013 at 2:40 am
I use both the Nexus 4 and iPhone 5 as my daily drivers and the iPhone 5 is the better handset for the below reasons imo.
1. Longer battery life.
2. Better quality speaker and overall build quality.
3. Better quality camera.
4. Smoother operation with no lag.
5. Better quality apps and ecosystem.
6. iCloud backup/ restore of full handset.
7. Uses all Google apps including Google Maps (which is less cluttered on iOS version).
8. Better quality screen with more accurate colour gamut.
9. iMessage and Siri.
10. LTE
none
04/21/2013 at 1:44 pm
I use a iPhone 4s and nexus 4 both as daily drivers. I have to say I much prefer my nexus 4. I personally find the batteries to be about even. (I know the nexus 4 battery is bigger, but with the CPU and big screen it all comes out in the wash). I also much prefer Google now over siri, I find siri to be a toy rather than a useful tool. I’m seriously not bashing, there is potential there – but it needs work. My only complaint with the nexus 4 is the lack of lte, but I really don’t need it and I’m sure it would kill battery. BTW, I am no fanboy. I have a PC running windows/Linux and a Mac mini. I like the Mac mini because they are quiet and small. Apple’s computer line it much better than their mobile line if you ask me.
Ben
05/05/2013 at 8:42 am
These responses are totally, completely immature. Does it really matter to argue about which smartphone you think is better? Sure, some of us like iphones, and some of us like android devices. I, myself like android because of it’s feel, but I’m not going to go crazy on how much I love it, and try to force others to love it. Both have strengths and weaknesses to themselves, and you may like one more than the other. Does that mean you have to yell over the internet about it? If you like one, great. Like the other, great. Just get along about it. You can share opinions, but why do you need to yell about it? Sheesh, you’re acting like 10 year olds.
mihail
05/06/2013 at 10:51 pm
Hey !!! wtf ???!!!! Ambele telefoane sunt ok ! Nu exista mai bun sau mai prost ! Diferenta dintre cele doua telefoane, tine de gustul fiecaruia ! Eu am si Nexus 4 si Iphone 5 . Sunt ok ambele !
mehboob
06/10/2013 at 10:08 pm
I have Used android and Iphone too for long time here is my experience
The worst part in Iphone is that its full of restriction and not user friendly phone. there is no customization in phone which user want. for example i wanted to have i9 Keyboard there were just one or two but they were also paid and they were not as good as you can find in android free and good one. Camera is so dry to function no low light imaging and many things. Android gives user complete freedom use as you please. it is truth that iphone has no lagging but in google nexus is pure android so it doesnt have lagging too. it is fact if iphone does not change himself with the bullshit security restriction and with its prestige he would be history.
PhOnElOvEr
06/22/2013 at 8:41 am
Ladies, don’t let your feminine hormones take over. Either phone you like or prefer more than the other its fine, its not the end of the world… get laid or something to relax. Stop being ridiculing yourselves with none sense side of the coin.
Ron Alberts
06/23/2013 at 2:31 pm
BEST ANDROID DEVICE ON THE PLANET IS HTC ONE. iPhone 5, NEXUS, SAM S4, all toys compared to the HTC ONE. It combines all the best. Apple built quality (even better), it is the only android device with NO LAG (Sams are the laggiest androids). 4.7″ full hd about 469 ppi (best mobile screen on the planet). Has infra-red and can be used as remote control of any home device. It’s perfomance is ultra-high. Beyoned anything else. No need to look for anything else. Apple and Sam’ has a better marketing. Thus they sell more devices. HTC ONE is the best smartphone on the planet, June 2013.
Regards,
Ron Alberts,
Computer Engineer.
John Smith
07/14/2013 at 10:36 am
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, these posts are hilarious, some of you should be comedians.
androidfan12
09/04/2013 at 11:38 am
You also seems a great comedian because you made me laugh … ha ha ha ha
N/A
09/06/2013 at 10:05 pm
I use an iPhone 5 64GB and have tried the nexus 4; lasted 24 hours before I realised that this is not what I wanted. TO HELL to those who put us iOS user’s down; GET A LIFE DOLTS! This post is already a waste of my time and so are those who want to sit here and tell me I’m a loser for choosing iOS over Android which will soon become Google OS. So to those who do; GO COMPLAIN TO SOME ONE WHO REALLY CARES. Good bye!
Ben
09/07/2013 at 12:30 am
Sounds like a childish rant, who said anyone was a loser to choose a one OS over another. Also, the head teams at Google already stated Google OS is not moving to the Android based phones.
Roger Donald
09/10/2013 at 9:22 pm
I used iPhones for over 4 years and was always happy with them. When Apple simply stretched the iPhone 4 screen and called it the iPhone 5, I decided to jump ship. I got the Nexus 4 because of the screen size, price, and since it’s unlocked. I was disappointed by the short battery life but I fixed that by getting wireless chargers for both work and home. Now I am a happy vanilla Android user and I can’t wait for the Nexus 5.
sim
09/19/2013 at 6:44 am
Nexus 4 battery – 3-4 hours. If you are out on the road with no charger….hmmm
iPhone battery – 2-3 days.
Nexus 4 – EPIC FAIL!!!!
Bwebmasta
09/19/2013 at 7:35 am
Honest comments is one thing, but lying blatantly is another. The Nexus 4, even with heavy usage gets about 7-8 hours of battery life before a recharge is needed. Speaking from personal experience over 6 months of everyday use.
Internet Dzyns LLC (@idzyns)
09/21/2013 at 4:24 pm
All the fanboy bs aside, I owned a HTC tilt with the windows mobile os and loved it. Switched to a droid when it came out. Easy transition. When that finally died I went to the iPhone 4. Great device but sucked for content management. I had over five hundred and my primary contacts I could drop on the home screen through wigits on both the win. Phone and the android. Not possible with the iPhone 4. Switched to a thunderbolt. That was a POS. Now I am on my second nexus 4 and I still love this phone. For me the customization of the screen and wigits are a huge selling point. Also the fact that I can travel to mexico or overseas and use the same phone makes thing easier. – only complaint would be the glass back, though I have not had any real issues with it, you still have to be a little extra careful
Dika
10/03/2013 at 12:49 am
iPhone (4S) and Nexus 4, both are an awesome phone. I’ve used both, both are smooth, beauty, and great. So please, stop being a fanboy, there no benefit being one. Use what fits you better. Sincerely, a user of iOS and Android that never involved in a fan war