AnroidPit - Nexus 4 Review: How Does It Compare to the Galaxy Nexus?

by Nico Heister (translated by Steven Blum)

on 11/22/12 6:38 PM 

After a long, long wait, a Nexus 4 finally arrived by mail this morning and I couldn’t wait to open the box. The joint project between Google and LG is a device I’d long anticipated. Seeing one in the flesh, I have to admit that this is one classy device. But is it worth your heard-earned Benjamins? Read on for our full review.

Design and Details

Press photos of the Nexus 4 made me a bit skeptical about the back casing. All those sparkles seemed more reminiscent of an 80s glam rock band than an elegant smartphone. But now that I’ve been playing around with the device all day, I can assure you that the sparkle effect is very subtle and can only be seen in direct light. I really like it, and it is certainly a more interesting design than a continuously black backing.

The other details do not disappoint. The edges of the device are slightly rubberized, keeping the Nexus 4 firmly centered in the palm of your hand. The buttons on the sides have a silver finish which lend the device an elegance, even if everything is made out of plastic. In our test model, however, we noticed that the ON / OFF button wobbled ever-so-slightly. While not a big deal, we just thought it should be mentioned.

Yes, the device – in pictures – looks similar to the Galaxy Nexus. But when you’re holding it, it truly feels like an entirely different device. The materials are of a higher quality and it feels like a lot of care went into its design.

Display and Speakers

Unlike my Galaxy Nexus’s AMOLED display which features a PenTile matrix, the Nexus 4 features an IPS display. This was a smart decision by Google: the colors look strong, but not over-saturated, and whites popped much better. On the Galaxy Nexus, white always looked more like light gray. Blacks were also rich and dark.

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