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Has anyone actually looked at the sample pictures from The Verge?

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/4/5063428/nexus-5-camera-sample-photos

I'd hardly score those a 5/10 rating. I think the score has more to do with the camera software than the actual quality of the camera -- Josh's main gripe sounded like the camera was frustrating slow, made all the more ironic considering Google's slogan for the Nexus 5 about capturing moments that matter. And based on what Josh has gathered from Google reps, this will be addressed in the 4.4.1 update.
 
Just got my Nexus 5. Immediately does a 125mb system update. It is def a little lighter feeling over the Nexus 4 and thinner. Not quite as long as the HTC One though. Like the feel of the soft rubber back, much better than the glass back of the Nexus 4.

Time to unlock the bootloader and root it, so I can install all my apps from my Nexus 4. Should be up and running in about 10 minutes. Then to test out the camera. (By the way, there is a plastic film over the camera lens. Wonder if the verge crew forgot to take it off?
 
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First thing I noticed was how light the phone is. It feels fantastic in hand. The display is gorgeous and it truly feels like a premium phone. I snapped a photo really fast to compare to the n4 and it is definitely better.
Selling the n4 so I needed a box photo too
 
I wouldn't put too much stock in The Verge's reviews. It's one of the least useful tech sites out there...extremely poor quality reviews most of the time; much like Engadget. It's good only for news, nothing else.

Wait for the Ars Technica, Anandtech, GSM Arena (my personal favorite), etc reviews.
 
No youtube at work for me, what was the context of the comment?

"It takes really beautiful pictures in the perfect setting but in so many settings, its a huge step down from something like an iPhone 5s, lumia 1020, or even the Moto X. It takes photos and videos with to little contrast, to little saturation, and to little color. When you get the camera to focus at all."
 
"It takes really beautiful pictures in the perfect setting but in so many settings, its a huge step down from something like an iPhone 5s, lumia 1020, or even the Moto X. It takes photos and videos with to little contrast, to little saturation, and to little color. When you get the camera to focus at all."

Thanks. That's interesting, I think every review I've seen except the Verge's has said the camera is pretty decent, with some sprinkled reviews here and there that say it's excellent. It does make one wonder if they indeed left the plastic wrap over the camera lens.
 
Thanks. That's interesting, I think every review I've seen except the Verge's has said the camera is pretty decent, with some sprinkled reviews here and there that say it's excellent. It does make one wonder if they indeed left the plastic wrap over the camera lens.

In a few minutes of use it still takes a second to focus like the n4 does
 
It was in the video at 6:35. This link takes you directly to his comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=umW0xnRu-VU#t=395

Thanks for clearing that up, the statement is only about the camera and not the phone overall.

Has anyone actually looked at the sample pictures from The Verge?

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/4/5063428/nexus-5-camera-sample-photos

I'd hardly score those a 5/10 rating. I think the score has more to do with the camera software than the actual quality of the camera -- Josh's main gripe sounded like the camera was frustrating slow, made all the more ironic considering Google's slogan for the Nexus 5 about capturing moments that matter. And based on what Josh has gathered from Google reps, this will be addressed in the 4.4.1 update.

Hopefully it will be addressed but we'll have to see. It seems pretty clear in the review, the problem is less that the pictures aren't good and more that the camera takes a long time to focus and is slow enough that action shots often miss the action. That does make a camera very frustrating and much less useful, and if it really is that bad that makes it a weakness for this phone.
 
I'd hardly score those a 5/10 rating. I think the score has more to do with the camera software than the actual quality of the camera -- Josh's main gripe sounded like the camera was frustrating slow, made all the more ironic considering Google's slogan for the Nexus 5 about capturing moments that matter. And based on what Josh has gathered from Google reps, this will be addressed in the 4.4.1 update.

Personally I'd knock off a couple points for the sheer lack of tap to focus in video mode. And the fact that when you do tap, audio and video stutter for a bit while it takes a picture. Sucks that they took out such great functionality in favor of such poor functionality.
 
In a few minutes of use it still takes a second to focus like the n4 does

Don't most other cameras? I know just the other night I was taking pics of my daughter with my wifes iphone 5 and I couldn't stand it, the half second delay in focusing made it almost impossible to get a good picture. I ended up having to video and taking simultaneous pics during videoing on my G2, for some reason those focused almost immediately.

I'll bet this is a software issue. The G2 also had very slow auto focus, but there exist many software fixes on XDA which work very nicely.
 
Don't most other cameras? I know just the other night I was taking pics of my daughter with my wifes iphone 5 and I couldn't stand it, the half second delay in focusing made it almost impossible to get a good picture. I ended up having to video and taking simultaneous pics during videoing on my G2, for some reason those focused almost immediately.

I'll bet this is a software issue. The G2 also had very slow auto focus, but there exist many software fixes on XDA which work very nicely.

Yes and no. Other cameras I feel like can get away without focusing. The nexus phones need it or the photo is a little blurry. Granted I always use the HDR+ mode.
 
Don't most other cameras? I know just the other night I was taking pics of my daughter with my wifes iphone 5 and I couldn't stand it, the half second delay in focusing made it almost impossible to get a good picture. I ended up having to video and taking simultaneous pics during videoing on my G2, for some reason those focused almost immediately.

I'll bet this is a software issue. The G2 also had very slow auto focus, but there exist many software fixes on XDA which work very nicely.

Back when I had my iPhone 4S, it could focus quicker than my Nexus 4 does. If someone said focus time is the same as the Nexus 4, thats not a good sign.
 
Yes and no. Other cameras I feel like can get away without focusing. The nexus phones need it or the photo is a little blurry. Granted I always use the HDR+ mode.

Back when I had my iPhone 4S, it could focus quicker than my Nexus 4 does. If someone said focus time is the same as the Nexus 4, thats not a good sign.

When you have a 19 month old who won't sit still any amount of focus time means no picture, lol. I've learned to love the feature where you can take pics while you record video. For some odd reason I get some nice clear focused shots when I use that, I don't know why.
 
In a few minutes of use it still takes a second to focus like the n4 does

Ive been taking side by side comparison pictures with my N4 and Nexus 5 and the Nexus 5 is way better. My N4 struggles to even get in focus where the Nexus 5 takes sharp shots everytime, the Nexus 5 also lets in more light so it performs much better in low light conditions. Im quite happy with the N5's camera tbh. Ive got both on right now and as i move them around the Nexus 5 is getting in focus quicker then the N4 each time.
 
Ive been taking side by side comparison pictures with my N4 and Nexus 5 and the Nexus 5 is way better. My N4 struggles to even get in focus where the Nexus 5 takes sharp shots everytime, the Nexus 5 also lets in more light so it performs much better in low light conditions. Im quite happy with the N5's camera tbh.

Agreed. The quality is much better. It still just takes that extra time to focus. By better...I mean much better photos

Oh and the front camera is 1000x times better.
 
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When you have a 19 month old who won't sit still any amount of focus time means no picture, lol. I've learned to love the feature where you can take pics while you record video. For some odd reason I get some nice clear focused shots when I use that, I don't know why.

If the G2 can do it right, thats good to hear. Same thing with the iPhone 5s. I know many professional photographers and VFX artists who love the speed and clarity of the 5s. Its just unfortunate to hear the Nexus line including a sub-par camera again.
 
Thanks for clearing that up, the statement is only about the camera and not the phone overall.



Hopefully it will be addressed but we'll have to see. It seems pretty clear in the review, the problem is less that the pictures aren't good and more that the camera takes a long time to focus and is slow enough that action shots often miss the action. That does make a camera very frustrating and much less useful, and if it really is that bad that makes it a weakness for this phone.

Agreed. In some ways it's good that josh is making a big fuss about it. That'll get Google to make sure the update software fix will be good. And indeed josh has said Google is working on it. He did say one they solve that this phone can be recommended whole heartily.
 
Ive been taking side by side comparison pictures with my N4 and Nexus 5 and the Nexus 5 is way better.

Still subjects or mobile ones? No doubt it is fine for scenery or objects, but how is it with squirmy children?
 
Just curious what The Verge meant when they said that the best new features in Kit-Kat are reserved for the Nexus 5 and do not appear on other devices running Kit-Kat if I understand correctly. Anything major?
 
I wouldn't put too much stock in The Verge's reviews. It's one of the least useful tech sites out there...extremely poor quality reviews most of the time; much like Engadget. It's good only for news, nothing else.

Wait for the Ars Technica, Anandtech, GSM Arena (my personal favorite), etc reviews.

Unfortunately I feel the same way.

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After having 4.4 on my Nexus 4 for a couple of days and 2 battery cycles, I tested out how much battery life I could get out of it.
This did include 3G/HSPA+ use out in town (I don't have LTE here), Wifi at home (so very stable connection), lots of web surfing/Chrome use, lots of Google+ and of course playing music via BT in my car.
It looks to me like Android 4.4 KitKat has done some major under the hood tweaking that will help in both speed and battery life of "older" phones. (While I am rooted, this is the stock 4.4 OS and kernel. No modifications done).
I consider this a pretty big improvement, at least on my Nexus 4! This is more than I ever got before on 4.3 by more than an hour of on screen time!

It would be interesting to see your results when not on wifi the whole day.
 
squirmy children?

This is what makes or breaks a great camera IMO, any camera can take still shots. Give me one that can catch my kid as they mindlessly bounce off the walls.

On another note, I've seen a couple of reviews lambast the very low speaker volume on the N5. The G2 also has crappy speaker volume and I'd be very bummed if this was the case with the N5 as well. Can any of you guys who have a N5 comment on the speaker volume and also the bluetooth earpiece volume?
 
Just curious what The Verge meant when they said that the best new features in Kit-Kat are reserved for the Nexus 5 and do not appear on other devices running Kit-Kat if I understand correctly. Anything major?

Maybe they are referring to HDR+ and being able to search Google from the home screen by saying "OK Google"...? As far as I know, HDR+ is limited to the Nexus 5 and saying "OK Google" is limited to phones with the stock Android launcher and a Snapdragon 800, which is also at this point just the Nexus 5.
 
By the way, it appears that all your settings for Google apps now transfer over to a new device. All of my settings matched what I had on my Nexus 4. That was an unexpected surprise.
 
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