[HELP] iPhone 5 or Nexus 4

alwaysbboy · Dec 5, 2012

I currently own Samsung's Galaxy S2 with a custom Jelly Bean (4.1.2) ROM installed on it and it's running smooth and great except that I have owned the device for a year already and also its screen quality bothers me (low PPI/Amoled).

Yes, I love installing custom ROMs and kernels but I could easily live without it as it consumes a lot of my free time. Oh, and jailbreaking seems to be just as fun.

The thing is, Nexus 4 16gb would cost me £355 unlocked whereas I could get an iPhone 5 32gb for £520 on a 2 year long contract (£21,5/month).

Also, it seems like Google will start shipping the Nexus 4 in 5-6 weeks, however, I could get an iPhone 5 before Christmas.

Why do I even look at the iPhone 5?
The price difference for me is £165, which is much less than what it is in the USA (price difference between Nexus 4 and iPhone 5) and I really like the apps available on the Appstore (yes, not all of them are available on Google Play store).

Apparently, I am worried that the iPhone's 5 screen is too small for reading text on it, yeah, I tend to use Tapatalk a lot! Yet it seems like the screen is the same length as my Galaxy S2 except it's a little narrower.

I would like to see reviews from people who have bought an iPhone 5 after owning a larger device such as Galaxy S3, Nexus or any other device.

I should also mention that I have no other Apple devices and have a Windows 7 PC.

daveathall · Dec 5, 2012

I have had both and they are superb. I would find it difficult going back to the smaller screen of the iPhone 5 though.

Jibbajabba · Dec 5, 2012

alwaysbboy said:
The thing is, Nexus 4 16gb would cost me £355 unlocked

Make it £279

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_16gb

The price difference is not that big ? I think £240 is quite a lot actually. You can get a Nexus 4 8 and 16GB together for the price of a single iPhone 5 ... Just to put things in perspective ..

----------

daveathall said:
I have had both and they are superb. I would find it difficult going back to the smaller screen of the iPhone 5 though.

I had the 4S before going to the S3 and I agree - wouldn't want to go back (taller is not really "bigger" is it).

0dev · Dec 5, 2012

Use both and see which one you like the best. As Jibbajabba pointed out, though, the price difference is quite significant.

alwaysbboy · Dec 5, 2012

Jibbajabba said:
Make it £279

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_16gb

Unfortunately, I live outside the UK and the only way I can get my hands on it is by importing it.

aerok · Dec 5, 2012

I wouldn't suggest any of them, do you have other alternatives?

alwaysbboy · Dec 5, 2012

aerok said:
I wouldn't suggest any of them, do you have other alternatives?

Yes, wait for Galaxy S4, which, rumors say, might come out April 2013.

mattopotamus · Dec 5, 2012

0dev said:
Use both and see which one you like the best. As Jibbajabba pointed out, though, the price difference is quite significant.

That is by far the best thing to do. Everyone can tell you what "they think" is better, but only you can decide what is best for you. Either way you will be happy.

THE JUICEMAN · Dec 5, 2012

I had both until yesterday. In my opinion here's what it comes down to. Hardware vs software.

The iPhone 5's hardware is superior in almost every way. Remember just my opinion but I think the screen quality, both cameras, touch responsiveness, external speakers, earpiece, build quality, LTE, and battery life are all better on the iPhone.

That being said I STILL returned it and kept my Nexus 4. The reason is the software. Apple is playing it too safe. It's old, stale, boring, and it all works almost perfect. But the freedom and software experience on 4.2 Jellybean is fantastic. I am ready enjoying it. Also, I can't wait to have the ability to choose a new phone next year! With apple I would have a contract and have to wait a full two years. Ugh. Hope that helps!

mattopotamus · Dec 5, 2012

THE JUICEMAN said:
I had both until yesterday. In my opinion here's what it comes down to. Hardware vs software.

The iPhone 5's hardware is superior in almost every way. Remember just my opinion but I think the screen quality, both cameras, touch responsiveness, external speakers, earpiece, build quality, LTE, and battery life are all better on the iPhone.

That being said I STILL returned it and kept my Nexus 4. The reason is the software. Apple is playing it too safe. It's old, stale, boring, and it all works almost perfect. But the freedom and software experience on 4.2 Jellybean is fantastic. I am ready enjoying it. Also, I can't wait to have the ability to choose a new phone next year! With apple I would have a contract and have to wait a full two years. Ugh. Hope that helps!

you can still get a new phone...just would have to pay for it. You don't have to keep the iphone for two years, you would have to keep the same service carrier.

zbarvian · Dec 5, 2012

Well, buying the Nexus 4 unlocked for that price is obviously a better value. The screen size on the iPhone 5 is great for one-handed use, but I'll admit that I've been lusting for a larger screen lately. iOS is great and the apps are second to none, but it is getting long in the tooth. The build quality and battery life are fantastic, though.

It's a tough choice, you really can't go wrong with either. The Nexus 4 maybe sounds better for you, but who knows.

THE JUICEMAN · Dec 5, 2012

mattopotamus said:
you can still get a new phone...just would have to pay for it. You don't have to keep the iphone for two years, you would have to keep the same service carrier.

True. If you are willing to sell yours and buy a full price phone. Good point.

onthecouchagain · Dec 5, 2012

The iPhone 5 is tiny, tiny I say! I feel like I can crush it in my hands... the narrowness still bothers me, too.

alwaysbboy · Dec 5, 2012

onthecouchagain said:
The iPhone 5 is tiny, tiny I say! I feel like I can crush it in my hands... the narrowness still bothers me, too.

Thanks for posting the images. It really looks like its too small for extended usage.

Big thanks to everybody who posted their opinion!
Most likely I am going to buy the Nexus 4, which I would then keep until the next Nexus phone comes out. I only wish Google shipped the devices earlier because I was expecting to get a new device before Christmas.

mattopotamus · Dec 5, 2012

onthecouchagain said:
The iPhone 5 is tiny, tiny I say! I feel like I can crush it in my hands... the narrowness still bothers me, too.

is it weird that I still think of the way the nexus 4 looks haha. It is such a sleek phone...probably my favorite design on the market.

raptorstv · Dec 5, 2012

definitely iphone 5, they're world's apart..

zbarvian · Dec 5, 2012

onthecouchagain said:
The iPhone 5 is tiny, tiny I say! I feel like I can crush it in my hands... the narrowness still bothers me, too.

The more of these pics I see, the more I'm drooling for a bigger screen. I actually wish there were capacitive buttons instead of onscreen buttons, though, it's a waste of screen real estate and looks weird to me.

alwaysbboy · Dec 5, 2012

zbarvian said:
The more of these pics I see, the more I'm drooling for a bigger screen. I actually wish there were capacitive buttons instead of onscreen buttons, though, it's a waste of screen real estate and looks weird to me.

You can modify/hide the buttons anyway.

EDIT: I an going to try my luck in some of the auctions on eBay. For £380 I can get the device shipped out tomorrow.

mattopotamus · Dec 5, 2012

^ plus, the buttons really do not seem like they take up screen real estate if that makes sense? It may be b.c I am use to iphones so it still was a bigger screen with the captive buttons.

THE JUICEMAN · Dec 5, 2012

When the screen is turned off it looks soooo sexy because there are no buttons or logos. That is one reason I like the on screen buttons.

BFizzzle · Dec 5, 2012

i have a 5..but the nexus 4 is really good. my roommate has one. Super smooth UI and screen looks good.

mattopotamus · Dec 5, 2012

BFizzzle said:
i have a 5..but the nexus 4 is really good. my roommate has one. Super smooth UI and screen looks good.

They just need to update the way stock apps look. I know you can change them, but by default they look hideous.

Tinmania · Dec 5, 2012

mattopotamus said:
^ plus, the buttons really do not seem like they take up screen real estate if that makes sense? It may be b.c I am use to iphones so it still was a bigger screen with the captive buttons.

I know what you mean but they do really take up space. I love playing games or browsing with them gone.

Michael

onthecouchagain · Dec 5, 2012

mattopotamus said:
^ plus, the buttons really do not seem like they take up screen real estate if that makes sense? It may be b.c I am use to iphones so it still was a bigger screen with the captive buttons.

I've said it before, I'm glad they're there. It makes the screen "smaller" and easier to reach across for one handed use.

daneoni · Dec 6, 2012

onthecouchagain said:

Is that an SGP screen protector on the Nexus?

[HELP] iPhone 5 or Nexus 4

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