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[Vyse The Legend]

I'm 90% 'no' on the Nexus 6 after having bought every single Nexus phone until today, but if the battery and camera turn out excellent, I may come around as they are the only shortcomings of the N5.

However, Motorola has a terrible history with cameras, and the QHD+screen size combo may wreck even a 3,220mAh battery.

So, I'm seriously skeptical and waiting for reviews.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

One Plus One. $350 with flag ship specs and performance.

Last year's flagship specs. Maybe the One Plus Two will be a real contender.

Right now, I cannot fathom buying a device with almost year-old specs.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Last year's flagship specs. Maybe the One Plus Two will be a real contender.

Right now, I cannot fathom buying a device with almost year-old specs.

It outperforms pretty much every new phone with the 805 in benchmarks and game performance. The QHD screen kills the performance increase of the processor. It also has 3GB ram and a 801 processor that came out this year. Not sure how that is last years specs.

 

[jiggle]

Are there any great alternatives to nexus 7?
Gen1 battery wont charge anymore
And was waiting for this to upgrade
But at that price I rather get an iPad mini

 

[sparkeysam]

Damn I want this but its just a bit too big

 

[Mayyhem]

Do you guys think the Nexus 5 will have a price drop through Google Play Store?

I'm debating on ordering it now cause I can't wait any longer for a new phone and theres no way I'm buying the 6.

Should I wait? Or buy the 5 now?

 

[MercuryLS]

Are there any great alternatives to nexus 7?
Gen1 battery wont charge anymore
And was waiting for this to upgrade
But at that price I rather get an iPad mini

That's the biggest problem with the Nexus 9, the pricing is high enough to be in iPad Mini/Air territory. The hardware might be nice, but the lack of tablet optimized apps for Android is what's going to hold it back. The Nexus 7 was cheap enough that you could argue that it was worth the trade off.

If they could have brought out the Nexus 9 at $300, that would have been awesome and I would have bought one.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Do you guys think the Nexus 5 will have a price drop through Google Play Store?

I'm debating on ordering it now cause I can't wait any longer for a new phone and theres no way I'm buying the 6.

Should I wait? Or buy the 5 now?

A One Plus One is a better buy at $350. I'd wait to see if they keep it at $350, because One Plus One is better in Nexus 5 in every way unless you just want a smaller phone.

 

[mambadragon]

As a Nexus 5 owner, the price and dimensions of the Nexus 6 are really unappealing to me. I'm a sucker who's paying for the T-Mobile Jump program, and at this point I'm finally considering getting an iPhone 6, since my whole family has iPhones and the I already thought the Nexus 5 was too large.

My work has me developing Android apps, but to that point I think our customer is going to think 6“ is too big.

Regardless, I'm really disappointed in the direction Google is going with the Nexus line. I suppose I misunderstood the Nexus line as the consumer/developer standard for App development, but with the Nexus 6 I feel that's no longer the case.

 

[XBP]

One Plus One. $350 with flag ship specs and performance.

Sadly i wouldn't really recommend the OPO to anyone. Had a lot of problems with mine and going to send it back (still waiting for them to respond to my RMA request). Sigh, their support is almost non-existent.

Right now its between the Z3 and N6 for me. I'm going to try out the N6 first in a store before getting it though. I'm getting a feeling that 5.96'' might end up being too big.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Sadly i wouldn't really recommend the OPO to anyone. Had a lot of problems with mine and going to send it back (still waiting for them to respond to my RMA request). Sigh, their support is almost non-existent.

Right now its between the Z3 and N6 for me. I'm going to try out the N6 first in a store before getting it though. I'm getting a feeling that 5.96'' might end up being too big.

What problems are you having?

 

[Zoned]

A One Plus One is a better buy at $350. I'd wait to see if they keep it at $350, because One Plus One is better in Nexus 5 in every way unless you just want a smaller phone.

Come on man, do you work for One Plus or something? Are you gonna talk about that phone in like every post and get into arguments taking a shit at Nexus devices?

You have a One plus one and it is a good phone. We get it. Now move on.

 

[BeEatNU]

Sadly i wouldn't really recommend the OPO to anyone. Had a lot of problems with mine and going to send it back (still waiting for them to respond to my RMA request). Sigh, their support is almost non-existent.

Right now its between the Z3 and N6 for me. I'm going to try out the N6 first in a store before getting it though. I'm getting a feeling that 5.96'' might end up being too big.

yeah I have x2 OPO and I hate it to death due to all the issues I've been having.
I am also waiting for RMA to replace both of them.

Massive touch screen and responsiveness issues.

I just bought a z3 for me and a z3 compact for my wife.

 

[SlickVic]

Shame it seems they're moving away from 7" tablets. I like tablets, but don't use them nearly enough to justify spending more than $200-$230 on one. Nexus 7 was just in that sweet spot along with the Kindle tablets, and Nexus won quite handily because Android is much preferable to me than the Kindle OS.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Come on man, do you work for One Plus or something? Are you gonna talk about that phone in like every post and get into arguments taking a shit at Nexus devices?

You have a One plus one and it is a good phone. We get it. Now move on.

The guy asked for opinions on which phone to get, since the Nexus 6 price was too high. I gave him my opinion. It's a great phone for the price and really the best price vs performance option out at this time. It's not a perfect phone, but it satisfies the segment of people that wanted a Nexus like device at a Nexus like price. I was ready to jump to a Nexus 6 at $400 or less, but Google screwed themselves at the price they are asking. I've never badmouthed the Nexus 6. The hardware is nice. The price is not.

 

[Perfect Cha0s]

Shame it seems they're moving away from 7" tablets. I like tablets, but don't use them nearly enough to justify spending more than $200-$230 on one. Nexus 7 was just in that sweet spot along with the Kindle tablets, and Nexus won quite handily because Android is much preferable to me than the Kindle OS.

Yeah I'm pretty bummed by the pricing on the N9. It looks like a great device, but seeing the $400 point, it seems like it's aimed more at the crowd who are looking at a tablet as their workhorse and main content consumption device. The cool thing about the N7 was that it wasn't hard at all to find it on sale for $30-50 off retail, so you could get yourself a fast, sleek, pure android device at an impulse price-point.

For someone like me who mainly uses the N7 as a reader for my school texts and an internet browser, it is a fantastic device. It's small, has great battery life, a sharp, colorful screen, and even over a year out from when I bought it, runs completely smooth.

 

[belvedere]

Come on man, do you work for One Plus or something? Are you gonna talk about that phone in like every post and get into arguments taking a shit at Nexus devices?

You have a One plus one and it is a good phone. We get it. Now move on.

I'm also a OPO owner so please feel free to disregard the following statement, but he's not said anything untruthful. The phone is literally the best android phone for your money right now. I don't really see how that's debatable . You can criticize the marketing and launch all you want or you can judge it based on its capabilities and price point .

I was fully prepared to swap my OPO with the N6 and have been saying as much for months, but at the current price point the OPO is the better alternative . For me anyway.

 

[Trouble]

I'm also a OPO owner so please feel free to disregard the following statement, but he's not said anything untruthful. The phone is literally the best phone for your money right now. I don't really see how that's debatable . You can criticize the marketing and launch all you want or you can judge it based on its capabilities and price poin .

That really depends on what you value. If you want the most horsepower per dollar, sure. The best screen, maybe LG G3 wins that. Best customer service, probably Apple or Amazon. Point is, that sort of absolutism is problematic. People have different priorities and opinions, no one phone is going to be the 'best' for everyone.

 

[threetri333]

I love the Oneplus One 64GB since I paid $360 after Tax and Shipping, but if you need Customer Support, look elsewhere.

 

[outsidah]

That really depends on what you value. If you want the most horsepower per dollar, sure. The best screen, maybe LG G3 wins that. Best customer service, probably Apple or Amazon. Point is, that sort of absolutism is problematic. People have different priorities and opinions, no one phone is going to be the 'best' for everyone.

+1

I had both the Nexus 5 and One+ and can tell you the Nexus was a better all around package. The One definetly has advantages such as the battery, but the Id still pick the Nexus over it.

Nexus 6? I like it but not jumping in day one. Maybe after some hands on and reviews. I don't mind the price since it's giving us a top of the line device for a decent price compared to other phablets.

 

[RoadHazard]

A One Plus One is a better buy at $350. I'd wait to see if they keep it at $350, because One Plus One is better in Nexus 5 in every way unless you just want a smaller phone.

I don't know. More expensive, marginally better hardware that makes no practical difference in most use cases, worse software (CM has some nice features, but it's not as stable and bug-free as stock Android - although that's not to say stock Android never has any issues). And I've seen a lot more reports of people having issues with the OPO. I'd pick the N5. It's gonna run 99% of everything you throw at it just as well or better.

 

[BoboBrazil]

I don't know. More expensive, marginally better hardware that makes no practical difference in most use cases, worse software (CM has some nice features, but it's not as stable and bug-free as stock Android - although that's not to say stock Android never has any issues). And I've seen a lot more reports of people having issues with the OPO. I'd pick the N5. It's gonna run 99% of everything you throw at it just as well or better.

You can install aosp on the OPO and be pretty much bug free. Cyanogen does have bugs though. OPO has a better camera, bigger screen, more storage space, and way better battery. I could never recommend the N5 over it at the same price point.

 

[SparkPeople]

Just a general question for this thread (since I've been seeing a lot of talk about this). I'm an iPhone user, specifically the iPhone 5, and have enjoyed it pretty solidly for its lifetime.

What do you guys do with your phones that requires so much horse power? Is it intense gaming, video editing?

Last year's flagship specs. Maybe the One Plus Two will be a real contender.

Right now, I cannot fathom buying a device with almost year-old specs.

Not to pick on Vyse here, but I keep seeing this posted as a response to the high-price and unavailability of a 'normally' priced nexus phone. I just don't see a case for a quad core 2.7 ghz processor in a phone, I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.

 

[RoadHazard]

You can install aosp on the OPO and be pretty much bug free. Cyanogen does have bugs though. OPO has a better camera, bigger screen, more storage space, and way better battery. I could never recommend the N5 over it at the same price point.

Sure, I'm not saying the OPO is a bad purchase. They're both among the best deals you can get for a really good phone. Guess I'm just a sucker for official Android updates right from Google, that adds to the N5's value in my opinion. If its price drops once the N6 is available it's gonna be hard to beat as a semi-budget choice.

What do you guys do with your phones that requires so much horse power? Is it intense gaming, video editing?

In most cases the answer is probably "nothing". Sure, more power and RAM ensures that everything (and more of it at the same time) keeps running smoothly with few hiccups, but situations where the N6 will perform noticeably better than the N5 (which is quad core at 2.3GHz, for reference) will be few and far between. Phones have reached and gone way past what's really necessary to keep everyday things running smoothly. The most demanding games will be the exception, I guess. The N5 still runs everything very well, but that's where you'll eventually see some noteworthy differences. But yeah, mostly I think it's just a case of "hey, those numbers are higher, I want that".

 

[rrvv]

You can install aosp on the OPO and be pretty much bug free. Cyanogen does have bugs though. OPO has a better camera, bigger screen, more storage space, and way better battery. I could never recommend the N5 over it at the same price point.

The things is that you have tweak it. Not everyone can tweak their phone even if they are as easy as you think. Compare to easy stock Nexus 5 experience from get go

On paper 1+1 is better than Nexus 5. But there is several factors that I will recommend N5 over 1+1 such as customers and developer support and how accessible it's to the store. So you can try it out before you buy it

 

[Trouble]

The things is that you have tweak it. Not everyone can tweak their phone even if they are as easy as you think.

Not everyone wants to either.

 

[DarkFlow]

So, looking at the Android TV. I don't see the point of it over the $30 chromecast really. Yeah it will run all the apps nativly and I don't need a phone to use it, but for $99 I need a little more. I might as well get a Roku for that price, and the Roku can use more.

 

[DrFaustPhD]

One plus fans seem to be forgetting that not anyone can just go out and buy one.

As for other Nexus 6 alternatives, the Nexus 5 still benchs quite close to 2014 flagships, and the Moto X is basically an unofficial Nexus (as everything that isn't stock Android can be disabled and hidden) and then of course there's GPE devices.

And for the tech spec focused, the Note 4 benchmarks on Anandtech and phonearena indicate that SD805+1440p is only marginally different than SD801+1080p, with the only meaningful improvements being in game performance.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

Not to pick on Vyse here, but I keep seeing this posted as a response to the high-price and unavailability of a 'normally' priced nexus phone. I just don't see a case for a quad core 2.7 ghz processor in a phone, I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.

Well, the screen is QHD, which requires more processing power. However, one can definitely argue that QHD is wholly unnecessary, and I completely agree. 64-bit is also as gimmick as there are no phones with enough RAM to really take advantage of it and such.

With that said, there's no putting the genie back in the bottle. Manufacturers will always push specs, even if they're unnecessary, and people are psychologically conditioned to want the best and newest specs for their hard-earned cash.

Right now, the only inexpensive off-contract phone is the One Plus One. For the price, it's still a great deal, but it is no longer the cutting-edge, which depending on the person may or may not matter at all.

 

[ginger ninja]

so Droid turbo or this

 

[BoboBrazil]

Sure, I'm not saying the OPO is a bad purchase. They're both among the best deals you can get for a really good phone. Guess I'm just a sucker for official Android updates right from Google, that adds to the N5's value in my opinion. If its price drops once the N6 is available it's gonna be hard to beat as a semi-budget choice.

I'd say the Nexus 5 would be good at $250. I doubt they will charge less for it since they are charging a premium for the Nexus 6 now. Stock updates that are immediately available is the main advantage of the Nexus line over any other phone, but nightlies will probably be available within a few weeks on the OPO. Maybe OnePlus will officially release another asop build of L once source is released. 64 bit processors are coming too soon to buy a phone at $650 imo. The snapdragon 810 will probably be in phones Spring 2015. I'm buying the first phone that comes out with the 810 and Nexus resale values aren't that great so by Spring I would probably take a $200 loss if I bought the N6 at full price.

 

[blitz64]

nevermind

 

[sdijoseph]

Do you guys think Verizon will do the same not releasing the phone until 2 months after the original release bullshit they did with the GNex, or are they not as awful in 2014?

 

[RoadHazard]

Stock updates that are immediately available is the main advantage of the Nexus line over any other phone, but nightlies will probably be available within a few weeks on the OPO.

Those two things aren't exactly equal though. CM nightlies aren't guaranteed to be stable at all, and are probably not a good idea to use as a daily driver for the average user (or anyone, really). So I stand by my opinion that software- and update-wise the N5 handily beats the OPO.

 

[elty]

Now I think the Nexus 5 won't get a price drop, otherwise the difference would be too ridiculous between 5 and 6.

 

[DarkFlow]

Now I think the Nexus 5 won't get a price drop, otherwise the difference would be too ridiculous between 5 and 6.

It's already ridiculous, so why over charge for year old tech?

 

[gcubed]

Now I think the Nexus 5 won't get a price drop, otherwise the difference would be too ridiculous between 5 and 6.

the main reason the 6 is so high is because it went to carriers. Couldnt undercut their contract pricing!! I doubt the $49 rumor is true, but if it is, thats google subsidizing, but they are beholden to carriers with the device, and because of that, they fuck over all the people who used their devices before.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Those two things aren't exactly equal though. CM nightlies aren't guaranteed to be stable at all, and are probably not a good idea to use as a daily driver for the average user (or anyone, really). So I stand by my opinion that software- and update-wise the N5 handily beats the OPO.

Stock android is pretty limiting though without xposed or the CM added features. I'm sure it will be buggy at first though on the OPO. CM promised to have a stable build of L officially on the OPO within 3 months of L release. Getting updates straight from google is very nice though, like I said earlier.

 

[elty]

the main reason the 6 is so high is because it went to carriers. Couldnt undercut their contract pricing!! I doubt the $49 rumor is true, but if it is, thats google subsidizing, but they are beholden to carriers with the device, and because of that, they fuck over all the people who used their devices before.

I don't believe it is solely the carrier. Look at the Nexus 9 for instance. 16GB is $399, 32GB is $479 and LTE is $599. The premium for 16GB extra memory is $80 - it used to be just $50 for the Nexus 7. The LTE tax is now $120, which is also more than the $80 premium on Nexus 7. It is very close to the Apple 3G/LTE tax ($130).

I suspect Google just think they don't need to price their hardware at cut rate price now, so they price their stuff at near Apple.

 

[RuGalz]

I don't believe it is solely the carrier. Look at the Nexus 9 for instance. 16GB is $399, 32GB is $479 and LTE is $599. The premium for 16GB extra memory is $80 - it used to be just $50 for the Nexus 7. The LTE tax is now $120, which is also more than the $80 premium on Nexus 7. It is very close to the Apple 3G/LTE tax ($130).

I suspect Google just think they don't need to price their hardware at cut rate price now, so they price their stuff at near Apple.

I wouldn't be surprised if the storage in N9 is higher quality than N7. It feels like they got the bare minimum of "that's fast enough" with N7 imo.

 

[SparkPeople]

In most cases the answer is probably "nothing". Sure, more power and RAM ensures that everything (and more of it at the same time) keeps running smoothly with few hiccups, but situations where the N6 will perform noticeably better than the N5 (which is quad core at 2.3GHz, for reference) will be few and far between. Phones have reached and gone way past what's really necessary to keep everyday things running smoothly. The most demanding games will be the exception, I guess. The N5 still runs everything very well, but that's where you'll eventually see some noteworthy differences. But yeah, mostly I think it's just a case of "hey, those numbers are higher, I want that".

Do those higher numbers do anything meaningful in everyday life?

I used android from the 2.1 days, so the spec push made sense back then. I own a single core android tablet that does everything well, but I'm kinda confused as to why there isn't a bigger focus on stability than raw horse power.

I guess I'm confused as to why google is signalling the need for more processing power when their main focus with these release was making the code leaner, and the materials design.

If Android could nail stability and ease of use, and make it as rock solid as iOS...pre-8, it would be wonderful. the google search app's cards are phenomenal to have.

 

[XBP]

What problems are you having?

Touch responsiveness issues and extremely poor signal strength are my major concerns. Just hope they reply to my ticket soon otherwise i'm filing a paypal dispute.

Anyway, I think 750$ is an acceptable price of the N6 assuming its on par with the latest flagships in the market (which seems to be the case).

 

[gcubed]

Do those higher numbers do anything meaningful in everyday life?

I used android from the 2.1 days, so the spec push made sense back then. I own a single core android tablet that does everything well, but I'm kinda confused as to why there isn't a bigger focus on stability than raw horse power.

I guess I'm confused as to why google is signalling the need for more processing power when their main focus with these release was making the code leaner, and the materials design.

If Android could nail stability and ease of use, and make it as rock solid as iOS...pre-8, it would be wonderful. the google search app's cards are phenomenal to have.

Android has been more stable than iOS for a while. As far as smoothness, the way the os is built it will never be as fluid as iOS or WP on the latest hardware, but it's so very close.

A new device will always have new more powerful hardware, and Google will release a new device every year

 

[BoboBrazil]

Touch responsiveness issues and extremely poor signal strength are my major concerns. Just hope they reply to my ticket soon otherwise i'm filing a paypal dispute.

Anyway, I think 750$ is an acceptable price of the N6 assuming its on par with the latest flagships in the market (which seems to be the case).

Are you on update 38R? Do you have an unlocked bootloader? If you have an unlocked bootloader I can give you a different modem to flash that might improve your results?

 

[XBP]

Are you on update 38R? Do you have an unlocked bootloader? If you have an unlocked bootloader I can give you a different modem to flash that might improve your results?

Yep, its on 38R but the bootloader isn't unlocked. These problems really put me off the device alongside the lack of support from OPO. Kinda disappointed in their inability to even reply to a ticket properly.

 

[malyce]

I'd say the Nexus 5 would be good at $250. I doubt they will charge less for it since they are charging a premium for the Nexus 6 now. Stock updates that are immediately available is the main advantage of the Nexus line over any other phone, but nightlies will probably be available within a few weeks on the OPO. Maybe OnePlus will officially release another asop build of L once source is released. 64 bit processors are coming too soon to buy a phone at $650 imo. The snapdragon 810 will probably be in phones Spring 2015. I'm buying the first phone that comes out with the 810 and Nexus resale values aren't that great so by Spring I would probably take a $200 loss if I bought the N6 at full price.

....

 

[BoboBrazil]

Yep, its on 38R but the bootloader isn't unlocked. These problems really put me off the device alongside the lack of support from OPO. Kinda disappointed in their inability to even reply to a ticket properly.

Well I can tell you there are no touch issues with 38R and franco kernel. You have to have an unlocked bootloader to be able to use that though. The unlock process is simple if you want to do it. That would also allow you to flash a new radio. Their support team sucks. English isn't their first language and they are very short staffed. Reception wise I get the same signal strength on T-Mobile that I did on my S4 with google edition rom. Don't go by bars, because most companies like Samsung and Apple show a higher number of bars to make you think signal is better on their devices.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

I'm so torn, I'm rocking the nexus 4 currently, and I REALLY wan't this nexus 6. It's everything I want in a phone.

Bigger, note sized screen
AMOLED over LCD
HUGE battery
Motorola made

BUUUUUUT

I also want a GTX 970 (I'm rocking integrated graphics on my pc).

For the cost of the Nexus 6, I could have a Nexus 5 and a graphics card.

I just think the Nexus 5 is "good" and not truly exceptional.

If it weren't for that damned Amoled screen this would be a no brainer

 

[BoboBrazil]

I'm so torn, I'm rocking the nexus 4 currently, and I REALLY wan't this nexus 6. It's everything I want in a phone.

Bigger, note sized screen
AMOLED over LCD
HUGE battery
Motorola made

BUUUUUUT

I also want a GTX 970 (I'm rocking integrated graphics on my pc).

For the cost of the Nexus 6, I could have a Nexus 5 and a graphics card.

I just think the Nexus 5 is "good" and not truly exceptional.

If it weren't for that damned Amoled screen this would be a no brainer

The graphics card and N5 are the better option. Or a OPO, which is same price as N5 with better specs, and the graphics card.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

The graphics card and N5 are the better option. Or a OPO, which is same price as N5 with better specs, and the graphics card.

It's what I'm learning towards as well, it's just a tough call for me. All that new device jazz and what not.

Are the OPO's easier to get now? I've been out of the scene for a while lol