It’s been long since the Nexus 4 arrived on Malaysian shores and on our hands. The phone is just oh-so cheap despite the non-Google Play Store price of RM1650 compared to the about RM1050 if directly converted from the US Google Play Store price.
In this review, we’ll take a look at the Nexus 4, in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. We’re not going to look into the software, as it is your typical Android 4.2 Jelly Bean which can be found in all current Nexus devices.
Front
Every phone review starts with the front, and I find no reason not to start with the front.
At the first sight, it looks like a black slab a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, with a cluster of sensors at the top left corner, a front-facing camera at the top right corner, earpiece at the top center, and a notification light at the bottom center, no physical buttons.
Particularly, the only difference is the flat instead of the curved screen prior to its brother, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
But in the end, the only difference is just the metal frame, and the earpiece had been moved all the way up. Still, it looks like a black slab awaiting you.
Back
Undeniably the back of the phone is a striking view to behold. First ever phone to feature such magnificent speckles that only reflects like in certain angle, yet they’re randomized in a mesmerizing way. Let me just show you another shot of the back of the phone.
Also a major point is that the back cover can easily be scratched, so beware Nexus 4 users! Numerous claims says that it’s Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and some say it isn’t, but it seems the latter is true. View up the enlarged version of the photo to see clearly. Nevertheless though, it’s still a major upgrade for the eyes from the boring (but grippy) HyperSkin on the Galaxy Nexus.
Sides
Again, nothing much has changed from the Galaxy Nexus. The position of the power and volume rocker is exactly the same, except for the audio jack which moved all the way from the bottom to the top, and all the buttons are chrome-plated instead of plastic.
Left side : Volume rocker
Right side : Power button
Top : Audio jack
Bottom : Micro USB port and two screws
Display
Instead of using the Samsung’s Super AMOLED HD with a resolution of 720×1280 like its predecessor, it now features an LG True HD IPS Plus display with a resolution of 768×1280. It’s a hard choice when it comes down to both the displays as both has its own pros and cons. I’d say that the Nexus 4 has a brighter, more natural colour, albeit being less saturated and sharp compared to the Galaxy Nexus. Both displays however, are still 4.7 inches.
The colour reproduction on the LG Nexus 4 as mentioned, is less saturated and I came to a conclusion that reading eBooks or using it in the dark strains the eyes a lot less.
In a side-by-side comparison, the Nexus 4 LCD display is no match for the mighty Galaxy Nexus’s Super AMOLED HD, but then again the Galaxy Nexus uses a PenTile display (two pixels shares a common subpixel), which affects the colour production by quite a lot.
And not to forget, LED screens tend to have burn-ins, which I already got on my Galaxy Nexus (no pictures, sorry)
Battery
Everyone’s common problem with smartphones is always the battery life. The Nexus 4 features a non-removable 2,100mAh Lithium Polymer battery compared to the 1,750mAh Lithium Ion battery. A little chemistry lesson here – LG used Lithium Polymer instead of Lithium Ion is due to their own technology which they had proven to increase battery life with the same capacity.
In my own personal take however, the Nexus 4 battery life lasts through the day without any struggle. A brief summary of my usage in a day – 60% WhatsApp, 5% Facebook, 20% games (3D games), 10% browsing, 5% miscellaneous. Total usage is about 5 hours a day, so you do the math. Definite a lot better than the Galaxy Nexus.
Speaker
A lot of reviews never talked about this, but I can’t deny that the one problem I had with the Galaxy Nexus is the loudness of the speakers at the back.
Comparing both the phones, Nexus 4 has a much more louder speaker with the same quality of audio.
The position of the speakers however, is questionable as I use phones with my left hand, and the way I grip the phone covers the speaker almost completely. Perfect for right handers though.
Another point to note it that if you let the back face down on a flat surface, the speakers can be muted completely!
Camera
It’s a plus to note that the camera lens is integrated to the rear glass. It might cause fringing to the photos taken, but that’s not the case.
Upping a notch to 8 megapixel from its 5 megapixel predecessor is definitely a plus, but in this case it is not. The new 8MP camera is inferior in hardware but offers HDR mode. Let’s hit up some samples.
Taken in normal mode, the colour reproduction seems a little washed out and slightly blurry.
In a less sunny day, the colour is more accurate but the details are still washed out and noise is noticeable in full size.
Taken in a shopping mall, with adequate lighting the noise is more noticeable when viewed in full size.
The LG Nexus 4 offers HDR mode, which means high dynamic range. The photos taken in this mode are of multiple exposures, then combined together to make an evenly-bright photo, as shown below
HDR mode however, requires a longer time to take the photo compared to the normal mode, which means a steady hand or a tripod is needed for the clearest image.
Macro mode on the Nexus 4 is worse compared to its predecessor, but nevertheless, the higher megapixel does indeed compensate back.
Problems?
Starting off with the most obvious one, the glass sandwich. The back is obviously not made out of Corning Gorilla Glass, which makes us worry more with the easier shattering and scratches.
Secondly is the fingerprints. The photo below explains it all.
Thirdly is the grip of this phone. On hand it’s totally fine with the grippy sides, despite the large gap between your palms and the back of the phone, but if you place it on a slightly slanted surface, it can slide off easily. Yes, that’s how slippery both the glasses of the Nexus 4 is.
Conclusion
It’s a great phone nonetheless, great price for great hardware and great looks. Camera is a bit of a letdown but manageable. Display is crisp and sharp, better build quality than its predecessor, and definitely much better hardware.
But is it worth the upgrade from the Galaxy Nexus? I would say no, unless you’re a hardcore user who feeds on speed and tortures phones like I am who flashes a new custom ROM nearly every day as if it’s a routine, and then intensively play games, surf the web, etc. on it. It might be worth the upgrade if you’re getting it from the United States Google Play Store though, as it only costs about RM1050.
Paranoid Android 3+ on the Nexus 4 with Bluemint theme for CM10.
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