Nexus-Five thread

I'm kind of disappointed in 4.4/Kitkat in that it didn't do more for power efficiency. There's no reason that a 2300 mAh battery can't easily get you through a day of normal use. The Nexus 4 seems to have better battery life with older hardware and a smaller battery. Yes, the N4 is missing LTE and has a smaller, lower res display, but the S800 in the N5 should still be more power efficient even with LTE since it's all integrated into the same chip (right?). The only thing that should be more taxing on the N5 over the N4 is the larger display, which is only .3" larger. My guess is that the S800 does indeed use more power than the S4 Pro in the N4 though, either due to the LTE integration, higher clock speeds, or GPU since it's always driving a 1080p display rather than the 720p on the N4.

But if the HTC One and Moto X can make it all day on the same size battery using an older SoC (S600/S4 Pro), there's no reason that the N5 can't do it. It doesn't help that Google hasn't even implemented a native power saver feature that throttles the CPU and adjusts the display like every other OEM has built into their custom skin. They could at least give you that option to enable to help out a bit. I'm sure the S800 running at 1.5 GHz would still outperform the S600 running at similar speeds and use less power while doing it.

Power efficiency is the one last areas that Android really needs improvement. I don't see how they don't see that yet and haven't done anything about it. Performance is pretty much there now with newer hardware and software improvements, so I think they can push performance improvements to the side for the time being.
 
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T4rd said:
I'm kind of disappointed in 4.4/Kitkat in that it didn't do more for power efficiency. There's no reason that a 2300 mAh battery can't easily get you through a day of normal use. The Nexus 4 seems to have better battery life with older hardware and a smaller battery. Yes, the N4 is missing LTE and has a smaller, lower res display, but the S800 in the N5 should still be more power efficient even with LTE since it's all integrated into the same chip (right?). The only thing that should be more taxing on the N5 over the N4 is the larger display, which is only .3" larger. My guess is that the S800 does indeed use more power than the S4 Pro in the N4 though, either due to the LTE integration, higher clock speeds, or GPU since it's always driving a 1080p display rather than the 720p on the N4.

But if the HTC One and Moto X can make it all day on the same size battery using an older SoC (S600), there's no reason that the N5 can't do it. It doesn't help that Google hasn't even implemented a native power saver feature that throttles the CPU and adjusts the display like every other OEM has built into their custom skin. They could at least give you that option to enable to help out a bit. I'm sure the S800 running at 1.5 GHz would still outperform the S600 running at similar speeds and use less power while doing it.

Power efficiency is the one last area that Android really needs improvement. I don't see how they don't see that yet and haven't done anything about it. Performance is pretty much there now with newer hardware and software improvements, so I think they can push performance improvements to the side for the time being.
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I do agree with you.

But with large batteries like the 3,000mAh size readily and easily available to manufacturers now, that all Snapdragon 800 equipped Android phones come with, EXCEPT the Nexus 5, that 3,000mAh does do the trick.

Look at the LG G2, Note 3, and Sony Honami, all have the Snap 800 + 3,000mAh battery and they last a full day easily, even 2 days.

To me new Android phones should come standard stock with a minimum 3,000mAh battery at least. Hell, look at the Motorola Droid Ultra MAXX, it has a 3,500mAh battery, fit into a thin 8.5mm frame.

Why the Nexus 5 came with only a 2,300mAh battery is beyond me, especially since the phone it is based off, the G2 uses a 3,000mAh stock.
 
Yeah I barely make it through a full day w/ my N5 and I don't use my phone a whole lot. It's not a huge deal for me, but I'd appreciate either a long battery life or a user replaceable batter.

I knew this going into the purchase though and I'm okay with it.
 
The s800 may be more efficient but that doesn't mean it won't use more power. But 4.4 seems more like an ode to developers.
 
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T4rd makes a good point. Android should natively have power management, switch to low power modes, have screen off profiles etc. None of this is hard to do.

Google seem to focus on one thing at a time. Before it was hardware acceleration, it took ICS+JB to get that done. With KitKat its memory consumption, its supposedly optimized for low end devices, although we have seen no evidence of this from Google or anyone else. Maybe in the future they'll look into power management.
 
I may have to go for another phone, maybe even the LG G2. I need a phone with FM Radio. I go to the gym, and would like to listen to TV. Why isn't it in the Nexus 5? Or is there a hack that could enable this?
 
MrCrispy said:
T4rd makes a good point. Android should natively have power management, switch to low power modes, have screen off profiles etc. None of this is hard to do.
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I disagree. I don't think Google should add any of that. All "low power" modes do is disable features. It just leads to user confusion.

There is no reason whatsoever for Google to bake something like Tasker into the OS. That'd be a disaster.
 
kllrnohj said:
I disagree. I don't think Google should add any of that. All "low power" modes do is disable features. It just leads to user confusion.

There is no reason whatsoever for Google to bake something like Tasker into the OS. That'd be a disaster.
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No, power saving modes don't have to disable features. On Galaxy phones the only feature it disables is haptic feedback and you can toggle that if you want (along with any other power options). All I'm saying to do though is throttle the CPU and adjust the display for lower power consumption, which is pretty much all power saver does on OEM skinned phones. I'm not sure how doing that will lead to any confusion. Never seen any Galaxy phone owners confused about their power save mode, lol. If you have a phone with any of the last couple generations of SoCs, throttling the CPU pretty much has a negligible impact on UI performance too.

Not sure how you got Tasker out of power saver either. Tasker is an extremely versatile and (can be) complicated app that can automate virtually anything on your phone. Power saving mode is a feature that you have to manually enable whenever you want it or maybe set up to kick in when your battery gets below a certain threshold. If you're confused by that, then maybe you should consider going back to a flip phone and staying away from computers in general. But even so, Smart Actions (like a really watered down Tasker) on the Moto Droid phones was pretty well received by reviewers and users alike, so your point is moot there too.

It comes down to it just being an option. Having an option available to you is never a bad thing. If only the techies like us see the power saver mode and use it, great, at least it's there for us and if no one else sees and uses it, then it doesn't affect them anyways. Regardless, these options are already on every non-Nexus phone anyways and do you see people getting confused or impeded by this feature? And who buys a Nexus phone? Pretty much all tech enthusiasts, who know WTF a power saver mode is and what it entails and would very much appreciate the option to have it on a phone that gets mediocre battery life as it is. But then again, I'm sure a lot of N5 owners will be flashing custom ROMs/kernels in order to improve battery life too, which shouldn't be required to make up for Google's shortcomings. At that point, you're probably sacrificing stability/reliability in some way for more battery life.
 
Even desktop operating systems have power management built in for apps - both OSX, Windows and I'm sure Linux have very aggressive app throttling features. As well as idling the cpu, gating the cores. A mobile OS needs even more.

There is no point in keeping all radios and the cpu running at full strength if the screen is off. The only activity the phone needs is finish background downloads, and wake up periodically to check for new content. This uses a fraction of power, which is why phones like MotoX have a dedicated core just for this. Android should have support for this and let the rest of the phone conserve power.

Unfortunately as with everything else, the answer in Android is to throw more hw at the problem - now on a phone with 10x the computing power of only a few years ago, you need a 300mAh battery to make it last a day ?!

WP8 and iOS are far more optimized, and its because they actually have developed the OS. Android is Dalvik (now going away, thank god) + Linux with some tweaks by Google. That's an oversimplification but essentially true.
 
T4rd said:
No, power saving modes don't have to disable features. On Galaxy phones the only feature it disables is haptic feedback and you can toggle that if you want (along with any other power options). All I'm saying to do though is throttle the CPU and adjust the display for lower power consumption, which is pretty much all power saver does on OEM skinned phones. I'm not sure how doing that will lead to any confusion. Never seen any Galaxy phone owners confused about their power save mode, lol. If you have a phone with any of the last couple generations of SoCs, throttling the CPU pretty much has a negligible impact on UI performance too.
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That's not true at all. The "low power" modes on plenty of OEM skins do some fairly aggressive stuff. HTC's disables data when the screen is off, for example, which is what the article you linked to confirms.

The only thing on that list that would have an actual impact to battery life without breaking features, by the way, is biasing the automatic screen brightness to be darker. I'd like to see Android have that option (as well as the reverse, bias towards brighter). But the rest of that like disabling haptic feedback doesn't do a damn thing to improve your battery life. Even the CPU clock limit is going to do very little. Your CPU very rarely runs at max clock speeds in the first place.

It comes down to it just being an option. Having an option available to you is never a bad thing.
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This has been proven false time and time again. There is a real cost to every single option that's added. There's a cost to the user experience. There is a cost to simplicity. There is an engineering cost.

MrCrispy said:
There is no point in keeping all radios and the cpu running at full strength if the screen is off. The only activity the phone needs is finish background downloads, and wake up periodically to check for new content. This uses a fraction of power, which is why phones like MotoX have a dedicated core just for this. Android should have support for this and let the rest of the phone conserve power.
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Uh, what the fuck are you talking about? Dynamic CPU clock speed, core gating, CPU suspend, etc... has been stuff Android has done since 1.0 (well, core gating didn't happen until multi-core CPUs showed up, but you get the point). That sort of automatic power management is already there, and has been since forever. Similarly, waking up the phone periodically to check for content is a disaster for battery life - and Android doesn't do it. At all. It uses a push notification system instead. And in 4.4 with the N5 you can even have some of the sensors active while the CPU is asleep - such as for step counter apps.

WP8 and iOS are far more optimized, and its because they actually have developed the OS. Android is Dalvik (now going away, thank god) + Linux with some tweaks by Google. That's an oversimplification but essentially true.
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Made up bullshit unsupported by any shred of evidence. But whatever.

But if you want oversimplifications, then iOS is just BSD + some tweaks by Apple. And WP8 is just Windows 8 + some tweaks by Microsoft.
 
Anyone who is looking for a carrying case for the Nexus 5, I have a Poetic Slimbook Case for Google Nexus 5 Black. So far I like it.

http://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Slimbook-Function-Manufacturer-Warranty/dp/B00FNWM41I

Things I like:

  • Flip cover design that protects the screen when its in my pocket
  • Fits the phone snugly
  • Exposes the camera so you can still take pictures
  • Phone automatically locks when the case is closed
  • Doesn't block headphone or USB ports
  • NFC still works through the case (tested with farebot and my clipper card)
  • Three year warranty

Things I don't like:

  • The volume controls are a little difficult to get to with my large fingers when using this case
  • I'm a little worried about the stitching around the flip cover fold wearing out prematurely.
 
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kllrnohj said:
That's not true at all. The "low power" modes on plenty of OEM skins do some fairly aggressive stuff. HTC's disables data when the screen is off, for example, which is what the article you linked to confirms.

The only thing on that list that would have an actual impact to battery life without breaking features, by the way, is biasing the automatic screen brightness to be darker. I'd like to see Android have that option (as well as the reverse, bias towards brighter). But the rest of that like disabling haptic feedback doesn't do a damn thing to improve your battery life. Even the CPU clock limit is going to do very little. Your CPU very rarely runs at max clock speeds in the first place.



This has been proven false time and time again. There is a real cost to every single option that's added. There's a cost to the user experience. There is a cost to simplicity. There is an engineering cost.
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If you'd read that article, you would have seen that even with the data being disabled on the One, it still didn't completely disable the data connection and allowed the phone to keep getting notifications and sync. So not really any loss of functionality there. And on my phone, if I pull up System Panel and look at the CPU clock speed, it does indeed sporadically reach max speed with some apps and services, so throttling can definitely help out while using the phone, scrolling usually ramps it up quickly.

The rest of your post is pretty much your opinion, which I'll go ahead and respectfully disagree with unless you can link to something to back it up.
 
Christopher said:
Anyone who is looking for a carrying case for the Nexus 5, I have a Poetic Slimbook Case for Google Nexus 5 Black. So far I like it.
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Thanks for the impressions, I appreciate the feedback. How is the GPS functionality in the case? It appeared from the Amazon reviews that the magnets screwed with the compass, and this created issues. Any truth to it?
 
quadnad said:
Thanks for the impressions, I appreciate the feedback. How is the GPS functionality in the case? It appeared from the Amazon reviews that the magnets screwed with the compass, and this created issues. Any truth to it?
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The compass seems to work just fine in this case to my limited testing. I just fired up the compass app and it aligned north with true north pretty quickly inside my house.

Note that Google Maps prefers the GPS once you start moving to orient itself.
 
You guys realize this thread is the same repeat as the N4 thread when it first came out yah? :p
 
CHANG3D said:
I may have to go for another phone, maybe even the LG G2. I need a phone with FM Radio. I go to the gym, and would like to listen to TV. Why isn't it in the Nexus 5? Or is there a hack that could enable this?
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I'm kind of in the same boat. I like to listen to the radio while walking to and from work. I'd been hopefull about the N5 after hearing the G2 had FM but from what I've heard, the fm radio in the N5 is either physicaly disconnected or completely absent from the hardware, depending on who you ask.

I suppose it makes sense, Google want you to stream everything so they have more chance of getting yet more metrics from you. Unfortunately for those of us with data caps or cellular dead spots on their commute that's not really an option.

It was one reason I passed on the N4 and stuck with my venerable second hand N8 for another year but I reeeealy want to upgrade and I'll only buy a phone off-contract. For all the negatives that price buys a lot of forgiveness. The price also means I can buy a bluetooth headset with FM built in like the Sony Ericsson MW600's and a years worth of unlimited data for less than something like the G2.
 
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not sure if i like the nexus 5 size so much, hard to hold and reach across screen to me...may switch to moto x
 
I find that it's the prefect size for my hands. I always felt like the N4 was just a touch too small.
 
Trimlock said:
The X is probably the perfect one handed android phone right now.
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Finally looked at the size spec's of the moto x.......

I will pass. My current phone HTC Radar is as thick as the moto X.....Just cant get over a blockyish phone.....

Not saying I want credit card thin.....but most phones should be sub 8mm thick if you ask me....even more so the 5+ inch phones.....
 
Got mine ordered last night, cant wait for it to ship on Dec 3rd
 
JPF_ said:
Finally looked at the size spec's of the moto x.......

I will pass. My current phone HTC Radar is as thick as the moto X.....Just cant get over a blockyish phone.....

Not saying I want credit card thin.....but most phones should be sub 8mm thick if you ask me....even more so the 5+ inch phones.....
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It's rounded back, the 10+mm is at the thicket part in the center.
 
JPF_ said:
Finally looked at the size spec's of the moto x.......

I will pass. My current phone HTC Radar is as thick as the moto X.....Just cant get over a blockyish phone.....

Not saying I want credit card thin.....but most phones should be sub 8mm thick if you ask me....even more so the 5+ inch phones.....
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I'm the same, don't like thick heavy bricked sized phones, they uncomfortable when wearing light shorts, and they look outdated. The EVO 4G was like a stone brick in my pocket, very thick, and heavy, and with a otterbox case that one phone was carrying two S4's.

I like the size of my Galaxy S4 with Spigen Neo Hybrid case, it's as thin as my old nexus 4 without a case.
 
JPF_ said:
Finally looked at the size spec's of the moto x.......

I will pass. My current phone HTC Radar is as thick as the moto X.....Just cant get over a blockyish phone.....

Not saying I want credit card thin.....but most phones should be sub 8mm thick if you ask me....even more so the 5+ inch phones.....
Click to expand...

That thickness really comes from the molded back, since it's not flat back there.
 
For those of you reconsidering the MotoX you may want to run to a store that carries them and hold one. It's a heck of a lot smaller than the specs suggest. I had one in my hand yesterday at the AT&T store and it's a lot thinner than the measurements show due to the curved back....much more comfortable to hold than the N5.


FYI for those struggling with battery life. AT&T has the Nokia wireless charging plate on sale. Half off for one and an additional 10% and 25% off for 2 and 3 respectively. The discount comes up for in-store pickup and straight in-store purchases as well. 1 for $24, 2 for $44, and 3 for $55:

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/accessories/chargers/sku6290260.html#fbid=xNOG0DaKn2l
 
I saw a few reviews all of which seemed to suggest that Moto X is just as good as a N5/S4 because of its extra features and optimizations. I'm a little skeptical since its SoC is almost 2 generations behind now, and who knows how well it will keep up. Plus the difference in 4.7" vs 5" is quite obvious.

I wish Motorola made an updated version with S800/5" screen, it would be perfect. It has a better screen and better software and has KitKat already.
 
Raxiel said:
It was one reason I passed on the N4 and stuck with my venerable second hand N8 for another year but I reeeealy want to upgrade and I'll only buy a phone off-contract. For all the negatives that price buys a lot of forgiveness. The price also means I can buy a bluetooth headset with FM built in like the Sony Ericsson MW600's and a years worth of unlimited data for less than something like the G2.
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Thanks for the suggestion here. Although I would wish to have a bluetooth 4.0 device, but there aren't any other alternative. Fortunately, one of my friend has one that's hardly been used. So I got it from him for $40.

Blown 89 said:
AT&T has the Nokia wireless charging plate on sale. Half off for one and an additional 10% and 25% off for 2 and 3 respectively. The discount comes up for in-store pickup and straight in-store purchases as well. 1 for $24, 2 for $44, and 3 for $55:

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/accessories/chargers/sku6290260.html#fbid=xNOG0DaKn2l
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Thanks... getting three.

I'm ordering the N5 now.
 
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As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Not really, I have T-Mo and love it.

As for protector, look at the Speign Glas.tr when it gets re released (They had a production issue that should be fixed), have it on my S4 and love it, will be picking it up for my N5 when it gets in.
 
Could be I'm too picky about it and noticing it but now 2 for 2 with dead pixels. Although XDA has other people complaining about dead pixels as well.
 
JPF_ said:
Finally looked at the size spec's of the moto x.......

I will pass. My current phone HTC Radar is as thick as the moto X.....Just cant get over a blockyish phone.....

Not saying I want credit card thin.....but most phones should be sub 8mm thick if you ask me....even more so the 5+ inch phones.....
Click to expand...

Hold it in your hand, if I hadn't just bought an N4 and dropped verizon it would be my current phone.
 
Silentbob343 said:
Hold it in your hand, if I hadn't just bought an N4 and dropped verizon it would be my current phone.
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I did.


So far on my list for next phone (in 2-3 weeks) and my reasoning:

Nokia Lumia 1520 (Still using WP, so would be easy integration, screen size wasnt bad)
Galaxy Note 3 (Screen size, stylus, pretty screen, wouldn't mind getting back into Droid)
Nexus 5 (Get back into droid, size/feel, and a clean version of Droid)
Moto X (Only if wood back option comes available before I make my purchase)
 
JPF_ said:
I did.


So far on my list for next phone (in 2-3 weeks) and my reasoning:

Nokia Lumia 1520 (Still using WP, so would be easy integration, screen size wasnt bad)
Galaxy Note 3 (Screen size, stylus, pretty screen, wouldn't mind getting back into Droid)
Nexus 5 (Get back into droid, size/feel, and a clean version of Droid)
Moto X (Only if wood back option comes available before I make my purchase)
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That is a fairly broad range of phones, you sure like to keep your options open.
 
Trimlock said:
That is a fairly broad range of phones, you sure like to keep your options open.
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I am not one of those people with a specific use in mind.

I play music, e-mail x4 accounts, little web surfing (sub 1gb a month), and the occasional youtube video. Roughly 200-300 min's of total monthly talk time, and around 300-400 text messages a month.

I don't do social media or anything that involves my life being put on blast for the world to see.
 
JPF_ said:
I am not one of those people with a specific use in mind.

I play music, e-mail x4 accounts, little web surfing (sub 1gb a month), and the occasional youtube video. Roughly 200-300 min's of total monthly talk time, and around 300-400 text messages a month.

I don't do social media or anything that involves my life being put on blast for the world to see.
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Hey I'm not saying anything bad, just most sick to a system, you had your bases covered well is all.

I'm somewhat the same way but I do dive a little into Facebook.
 
Trimlock said:
Hey I'm not saying anything bad, just most sick to a system, you had your bases covered well is all.

I'm somewhat the same way but I do dive a little into Facebook.
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Oh I wasn't taking any offence at all.


I hope one day I can meet one of these [H] folk who trash talk other phones and find out what it is they do that is so gosh darn taxing to a phone.....

I know people who own businesses with 100's of contacts in a phone and e-mails non-stop who just use a straight talk Android phone for god sake.

lol


My buddy who owns a recording studio here locally works with people all around the world and has a loooot of contacts....emails....phone calls. He is still rocking an I-phone 4.

So it just kinda boggles my mind when people talk trash about WP, Android, BB, or iphone's.....they are all great devices, they all have the options a lot of people could want (no one goes shopping for a phone solely based on if it has facebook, twitter, instagram etc etc.... at least I hope not).

idk, I could rant all day I guess.
 
JPF_ said:
Oh I wasn't taking any offence at all.


I hope one day I can meet one of these [H] folk who trash talk other phones and find out what it is they do that is so gosh darn taxing to a phone.....

I know people who own businesses with 100's of contacts in a phone and e-mails non-stop who just use a straight talk Android phone for god sake.

lol


My buddy who owns a recording studio here locally works with people all around the world and has a loooot of contacts....emails....phone calls. He is still rocking an I-phone 4.

So it just kinda boggles my mind when people talk trash about WP, Android, BB, or iphone's.....they are all great devices, they all have the options a lot of people could want (no one goes shopping for a phone solely based on if it has facebook, twitter, instagram etc etc.... at least I hope not).

idk, I could rant all day I guess.
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Yup, if it works it works. Talked to someone in the net yesterday that claimed tw on the s4 and note 3 were unusable. Before that I've heard people try to tell me wp was only good for making phone calls.
 
Zorachus said:
Why the Nexus 5 came with only a 2,300mAh battery is beyond me, especially since the phone it is based off, the G2 uses a 3,000mAh stock.
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This is the main reason I haven't got one, plus you can't swap batteries. No FM radio is another but minor.

I use my S3 heavily and always carry an extra battery. I travel frequently, do a bunch of urban exploring, and am often away from a power source for extensive periods. When your use is impeded or restricted by the threat of running out of power then it's really not 'mobile' in my book.
 
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