Article Nexus 4 - Ownership Log

​

​

LG Nexus 4 - Ownership Log​

​

Cost - 22k​

Product Link - LG Nexus 4 E960​

Owned since - 25/Feb/2013​

Official Reviews - GSMArena TheVerge AnandTech​

​

​

​

Coming soon ..​

​

- Initial impression
- Pros & Cons
- Accessories
- Pics
- Usage pattern
- Milestones

 

Initial Impressions:

Hoo boy ! This thing is a beauty, for a powerhouse of a phone I can write more about its apperance that its benchmarks. The wait was well worth it. All the praises it got for its design fall short when you actually hold it your own hands. IT feels rigid, elegant & classy. The very unique Starry (or glittery) Back of the phone which shines at various angles is still not enough to distract from the truly gorgeous Screen.

HD IPS+: More than just a marketing buzzwords this time. A crips 4.7" screen displaying 1280 x 768 pixels, this is wider than your everyday Android screen. The front glass + digitizer + screen is fused into one, which visibily eliminates any gap between your touch and the screen pixels. A very aesthetic & practical implementation, its look apart from its competitors & allows for better viewing angles.

Another striking feature of the Nexus 4 is that is very smoothly tapered on its left and right edges at the front. You finger will glide over the edges unhindered, very pleasing.

Minimalism: The phone has just 3 buttons. Other phone artifacts are just the Earpiece, Camera & Flash. The design is not obstructed in any way by 'un-needed' intrusions. The physical buttons are flattened but soft & responsive. The Nexus standard of using on-screen keys leaves you with a glossy black slab when the screen is switched off.

Performance: The boot up is noticeably quick. Stock Android 4.2 running on the current top-end Hardware is a treat to use. The UI is extremely responsive and multitasking is a "joy" to use. The beastly Quad Snapdragon Krait Cores is the 4.4 Litre Twin Turbo V8 of an M5. The 2GB RAM can hold more than apps than you remembered opening. The Nexus 4 is the perfect exhibit of the level of maturity that Android has achieved.

 

Pros & Cons:

+ Flagship Specifications
+ Brilliant Display
+ Its a Nexus
+ Smooth Stock UI
+ Superb Multitasking
+ Elegant design

- Fragile
- Buggy Bluetooth
- Lack of Expandable Memory Option
- Heats up easily & Throttles while gaming.
- Sound output is low.


Consider this as more of a Strengths vs Weakness. Many features like Camera & Battery life are deemed average performers and so they don't feature in either list.

 

Accessories:

1. GadgetShieldz Full Body Protector - Link

Cost: Rs. 399/-

Rating: 3.5/5


2. Skinomi Techskin - Link

Cost: $ 8.95

Rating: 4/5


3. Rearth Ringke Slim - Link

Cost: $ 9.99

Rating: 4/5

 

Finally got my hands on all the accessories I purchased separately .. Lets do a quick run-though of how they held up.

1. GadgetShieldz Full Body Protector.

I got this the first. Cheap & Quick delivery. The package only includes 3 sets. 1 Front 1 Back & 1 covering the sides.
I wasn't too convinced of the quality and as I had already ordered a Skinomi TechSkin .. I only applied the read protector as a tryout and it didnt go very well.
Granted this was my first time .. I used an over-Soapy solution and stretched the protector too much so its a little disproportionate. I blame the poor cutout for the misalignment but didn't worry too much about the appearance as it was only for the rear.

2.5 / 5

2. Skinomi Techskin

Now these came highly reviewed on XDA & Amazon so I picked it as my choice of screen-protection but due to the incredible delay in receiving it I had to resort to purchasing the GadgetShieldz protector mentioned above. When I finally got around to applying them I realized that the Applicator Solution had dried out in the as the tube wasn't capped tightly.
So I had to resort to my own Soap-solution and after some trials I found that Pears + Water seemed to be best.

The application process went smoothly this time. I should mention that the Skinomi Packaging is awesome. It includes a squigy + Lint-Free Cloth and the website has a video tutorial to help you out. Impressive so far. The cut-out is very-precise and it is one of the few protectors that covers the curved glass of the Nexus 4 as well. Despite using a home-made solution I think it turned out ok. The protector lined up easily without much effort. I can't fully rate the product as I didn't get to use it as per the instruction but based on what I put together I rate it very highly and lived upto its hype.

3.5 / 5


3. Rearth Ringke Slim

This is a slim plastic body protector for the Nexus 4 .. The Slim line as named add very little bulk to the device and in case of the Nexus it rounds out it profile very well and provides a much more confident grip. There isn't much in terms of protection against shock & bumps, mostly protects the back + front glass from scratches, you still need to be careful while handling the device. Since I've applied it the phone has had a few 3-4 feet drops .. Bedside, Table etc. but the protector has fulfilled its job of keeping the phone scratch free. It come in various bright colors, I chose the white because it contrasts the full-black look very well, according to me atleast. Very well reviewed elsewhere, I was equally satisfied with the Ringke Slim delivers in terms of protection & comfort.

4 / 5