Review: Two Months and Counting - Android and Nexus 5

Rahul Pulikkot Nath
Rahul Pulikkot Nath

Table of Contents

Gadgets, especially mobile phones have always been of interest to me and so is it even today. Its been over two months since I have moved over to Android on Nexus 5. I have been a loyal, hardcore Windows phone fan for over 3 years before that and it did take time to get used to the new operating system. There are still things that I like about Windows phone but there are things that I don’t like too, so I though of giving Android a try. Nexus 5 is one powerful device that is worth every penny for its power packed features and there is no reason not to like it. The White vs Black confusion was there but then I got the White one, as that was the only thing in stock, and after all with a protective cover on, it didn’t matter much.

Things that I love:

  • Notification : The one stop place for all notifications is one of the best things that I like moving to Android from Windows phone. A missed toast is always missed until I next decide to open that app in Windows phone or maybe a lock screen notification. But now it is right there on the notification center. (though I have many notifications turned off as part of Staying Organized)
  • Toggle Settings : Toggling settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G etc is also top on my likes. There is at least 2 steps required for toggling these settings in Windows phone
  • **Google Now : **I have been googling around for a lot of years and like the way Google Now updates on searches that I have done. Yes I know that we have a privacy problem here, but I have decided to stay on the internet – everything gets tracked here. The speech recognition of Google is as best it can get today, best thing being it understands my accent (Indian) pretty much all the time.
  • **Apps: **I have never been a fan of apps and I rarely used them. Windows phone did have all the major apps, but most of them lacked all the features because of which I had to switch to the web app at times. This in fact made me use the web app always. But Android apps mostly has all the features which makes me use them more. Some of the apps that I use regularly are :
  • **Customization: **The level of customization and control that each application gives is enormous that almost everything is configurable. You can mute/turn off notifications on annoying text promotion messages, different color notifications, auto update settings and a lot more.
  • **Chrome: **This definitely is one another on my top likes. I have been using chrome for a long time and absolutely love the experience even on android. The password sync across devices is cool and so is Sync tabs across devices. Bookmarks sync and support for Delicious is also good. IE definitely has a long way to go there. The developer support for chrome on android is also worth mentioning.

Things that I don’t like and miss:

  • Jumplist: Jumplists really made navigating through large lists a lot easier on Windows phone. Now I always need to hit the search button and type.
  • **People Hub: **This was one of the best things of Windows phone, having the ability to link all your social networks into one and have a quick access of all updates.
  • **Nokia Music and Drive: **In fact all the Nokia suite apps were really good and especially these two.

The lists itself explains much of it – **I am liking it a lot. **The android experience on a Nexus device is fast and smooth.

Cases and Covers:

I have been alternating between 2 cases for my Nexus 5 from Spigen and liking them both especially the Neo Hybrid. The white shows of through its transparent back and the overall grip on the phone is very good and comfortable.

The battery backup on the device is pretty good and is lasting for me through a day. I have not yet been on any trips with the phone, so can’t comment on the battery in such situations where generally it lasts lesser. But Google has also announced on a battery leak issue for which a fix would be out soon. Hope that would improve it further. I have never been a fan of phone **camera, **since I prefer my DSLR for that, but even then for a camera it is pretty decent with lots of options and filters. At times it does come handy and works perfect.

If you are planning to get a new phone and then this is worth considering. If you are already using one then do let know on what you feel about the phone?

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