7 ms·

Don't buy a Nexus. I have and it's a huge disappointment. I had a perfect Nexus 10 device running KitKat. And then it keeps nagging to upgrade to Lollipop, so

Don't buy a Nexus. I have and it's a huge disappointment. I had a perfect Nexus 10 device running KitKat. And then it keeps nagging to upgrade to Lollipop, so I did. Ever since that, it runs every application slow as hell. If you allow the battery to run out, prepare for pain. Once you fill up the battery and it restarts it will start "optimizing" all installed applications. I have about 80 applications and this takes an hour. Every time it reboots! Also, whether the sound will work after reboot, is a lottery. If you leave it plugged into the power, it surely won't work. It's been how long since Android L came out and they still haven't fixed these issues for their own flagship device. Nexus is a mess and we're not even beta testers. Just a big fu from Google.

xd1936 11y ago
That sounds like a list of uncommon issues. My company's Nexus 10 runs Lollipop really well... Maybe something went poorly with the OS update. Try a factory reset and see if those issues are still happening?
- babuskov 11y ago
  A short google search for "Nexus 10 sound" would show you that it isn't uncommon at all. See how many people commented in these threads: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/0CDPXvY5Zpc https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/0CDPXvY... https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/nexus/NR3ItKIieH4 https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/nexu... http://androidforums.com/threads/nexus-10-volume-wont-work-please-help.886973/ http://androidforums.com/threads/nexus-10-volume-wont-work-p...
  - Macha 11y ago
    A search for "iPad Air sound" is equally negative: https://www.google.ie/search?sclient=tablet-gws&q=iPad+air+sound&oq=iPad+air+sound&gs_l=tablet-gws.3..0i7i30l3.13024.16184.0.16551.17.14.1.0.0.0.167.1506.5j9.14.0....0...1c.1.64.tablet-gws..7.10.936.VuseAGMCOWQ https://www.google.ie/search?sclient=tablet-gws&q=iPad+air+s...
  - thegeekpirate 11y ago
    Do that with any phone and you'll get a bunch of results.
- sfa_aok 11y ago
  Sorry to pick on your response, and you're right, a factory reset might be worth a shot, but factory resets on Android are a PITA. The last time I did it (my last 3 phones have been Nexuses), it literally took half a day to get the phone back to the point it was at previously - I had to install OS updates, re-install apps (which also reset to 0 in many apps), re-download music (I admit, I could copy files over from my laptop). It makes setting up a new iPhone for the wife look like magic. I wouldn't mind, but even with Nexus phones, my experience of issues is that you end up crawling Google, and the answers are the technical equivalent of doing the hokey cokey in the hope of curing a cold: "Uninstalling Snapchat made the problem disappear!"; "Install this app and use it to work around an issue", etc.). And then the last resort - the factory reset. I'm not doing anything particularly exotic with my phone, the thought of the hassle of a factory reset is just depressing. I bought a Nexus 5X at launch, after my replacement Nexus 5's power button died. And it has been a laggier experience than the 5 (I admit the latest update seems to have improved things (though it's still not equivalent to the 5 IME). But looking for other people with the same problem you see the same responses, like a repeating background in a roadrunner cartoon - "Mine runs buttery smooth"; "Maybe yours is faulty, RMA?"; "Tried a factory reset?". Sorry, I don't enjoy this detective work/maintenance. I doubt the iPhone experience is perfect, but it can hardly be worse, can it?
  - mohaine 11y ago
    Ahhh no. Factory resets don't do ANY OS upgrades. All they do is wipe the data partitions. Unsess you downgrade the firmware no OS needs to be upgraded. I've wiped my n10 many times. Wipe boot and let it reinstall. Takes a while to reinstall but hands off. The n10 is problematic hardware wise. Mine will do random reboots and always has. Boots fast so not a huge issue but annoying.
    - kuschku 11y ago
      > Factory resets don't do ANY OS upgrades. Quick mention: To the average user it might seem like an OS ugprade when integrated apps, like the Play Store, have to be updated.
rhodysurf 11y ago
This is the exact opposite of my experience. Lollipop revived mine.
BuckRogers 11y ago
Nexus devices have pretty much proven out to be that way. I was going to move to a Nexus before abandoning Android (after about 7 years of using various phones) but they cut off updates way too early. My friend has one and overall I was just not pleased with it. Build quality as well. I ran Cyanogenmod on my phones usually and helped a lot but I'm still happier with my iPhone. I ended up moving to an iPhone 5S and I love it. Right size (for me) to hold with 1 hand while holding the rail on the train or bus, and runs really well with no problems. I maintain my work computer and home machines, that's enough. I really didn't appreciate what Android offers and it really is a shame that even the Nexus isn't the answer. I'm not a hater, I use what works for me. There is no real iPhone equivalent in the Android market. The real kicker for me was that my wife has been using an iPhone 4S to this day, since 2011. I went through 3 or 4 Android phones in that time. Not low end phones either, Motorola Droid, GS3, GS4, HTC Thunderbolt... absolutely absurd. Today we buy apps once and both use them, enjoy the iPhone tracking services that are built in, and the fact she just got iOS 9.3 is flat out fantastic. Apple has literally earned our business and will continue to get it.
- mreiland 11y ago
  I'm still using an iPhone 4S and I have no reason to upgrade. a while back I called to see what it would cost me to upgrade through my provider, and I think I was quotes something like $600 (that's the cheap, 2 year contract version), and I just cannot fathom why it's worth spending an extra $600 for the new iphone. The only think I wish was better is the load times on the kindle app. We're talking seconds, so not worth $600 to get better hardware for it. As far as I'm concerned, the 4S is perfectly usable.
  - BuckRogers 11y ago
    We're waiting on hers to break too. But I'll be more than happy when that time comes to toss Apple their $600 or whatever they're asking for a iPhone6S Plus (that's what she wants) or 7 Plus. She's a heavy user of it, both games and calls. That little thing has seen a lot of "Cookie Run". :) It's amazing too because the phone was originally Verizon carrier locked, then Apple/VZW sent out an update to unlock 4S phones through iTunes and now she's been using AT&T and before that, T-Mobile. I sparsely use my 5S, and will probably replace it with a SE when the time comes. I'm more than happy buying apps from Apples store because of the ability to install on both our phones. My most expensive app was $20 for TouchDown (coming from Android I was using this for work email and liked it). She's able to use it as well. But given something with the right utility, I'd pay more than $20 if it's on iOS. Apple made the right call in building higher quality devices, providing the best support they can, and then banking on the AppStore to pay off. Since there's only so many iPhones to optimize for, when we do buy apps they Just Work. I had a lot of trouble with certain apps on the phones I listed in my last post. When she's missing on a Saturday morning I can see she just went to the store without hassling her. If I'm at a Python meetup or other user group, she can see if I'm still there without calling/texting. Just now I see she's 2 miles from being home from work. If she loses her phone, I can locate it or make it sound an alert, lock it, wipe it. iCloud is so nice as well for both backups and getting access to photos without even plugging it in. It's rendered iTunes useless for me, and I was never an iTunes fan. Yes, a lot of these features are possible on Android but iOS got there first and they just work so well and built in from day 1. Zero additional apps needed. I'm also happy with iOS' interface. It's just ideal IMO. Then the build quality and support as mentioned before. I use a NUC for my desktop, but she uses a laptop and I've never had a Mac or Macbook but we have absolutely no qualms in buying them when we need new machines. If I weren't 100% satisfied with the NUC, I'd strongly consider just buying a Mac Mini as well. Anyway, sorry about that. I'll stop singing the praises of our experiences with an old iPhone 4S and 5S. :) But I completely understand how you're happy with a 4S. We're really that happy about our situation as well. And I hated smartphones before. I wanted to go back to no phone at all before moving to iOS.
dman 11y ago
Apple did the same thing to the original ipad. It was a great device with ios 3.x when it launched. The ios 4.x -> 5.x transition rendered it useless. The original ipad had just 256 megs of ram, around the time ios 5. arrived the ipad 3 was out with 1 GB of RAM. As a result you could see that apples own apps were making assumptions about system resources that were not true on the ipad 1. Safari, Itunes etc would crash routinely. Added bonus with apple is that they dont allow you to downgrade to previous versions of ios.
foobarian 11y ago
Opposite experience with a Nexus 6P--it's the best phone I ever had, and my wife who has an iPhone 6 looks with envy at what I do with mine.
MrMullen 11y ago
You need to factory reset your device or maybe even reinstall the OS. I had the same issue with my Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2nd gen) and after doing factory resets after the update to 5.1.x, it was like I had a new device.
loudmax 11y ago
In 2010, I was considering getting into Android development, so I paid full price for an unlocked Nexus S when it came out (I think it was about $500). At about the same time, I bought an iPhone 4 for my wife. That Nexus S became slower after each upgrade until it was nearly unusable. The UI was so janky that making or receiving phone calls was difficult, and wasn't even worth considering using the browser. The iPhone 4 stayed just as good as the day we bought it and my wife didn't bother upgrading until the iPhone 6S. My current phone is a $200 Moto G and I'm perfectly happy with it. Lollipop runs well, battery life is good, and with a cheap SD card I don't have to think about storage. It isn't as nice as the iPhone 6S, but the Moto G is great value.
- takno 11y ago
  Honestly the Moto g is probably the best value phone available. Even the earliest version without 4g or the SD card would still serve my purposes perfectly at a great price point.
- magicalist 11y ago
  > The iPhone 4 stayed just as good as the day we bought it and my wife didn't bother upgrading until the iPhone 6S. This isn't a typical experience. There's a reason that iOS9 is only on 80% of "active devices": people hold off deliberately. There have been many iOS updates since iOS4 that have caused widespread criticism for their effects on older phones.
kozukumi 11y ago
Sounds like you have a buggy or faulty device.
sandGorgon 11y ago
Talk to anyone who is running iOS 8 on iPhone 5 . it's worse. But the best part - you can't run iOS 8 on iPhone 4...even if you want. A Nexus may be hardware limited after 2 years, but it doesn't stop you. Nexus 6p is still considered to be the best phone (and camera) all around even though it's last year's phone. And it's selling for massive discounts.
spacehome 11y ago
Does anybody know what it's doing when it's "optimizing" applications?
- drewg123 11y ago
  It is pre-compiling apps from java to native executables. This comes from the ART runtime which is the default in Lollipop and newer. Google for "android ART" I think this is a HUGE problem, and that somebody is going to die because they're unable to call 911 while the phone is "optimizing"
  - zacharytamas 11y ago
    Allegedly in Android N this will be much faster. When I upgraded my Nexus 9 to N this step was probably less than 30 seconds long. I almost didn't even notice it.
  - goldbrick 11y ago
    Shouldn't it be possible to do this as part of the build process, or even by the play store?
    - hobarrera 11y ago
      Even during install time seems to make a lot more sense than after reboots!
- gryph0n 11y ago
  It is performing AOT compilation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahead-of-time_compilation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahead-of-time_compilation The phone environment is not conducive to JIT'ing, unlike your typical desktop/laptop.
  - spacehome 11y ago
    Then why on Earth is it doing it on restart?????

xd1936 11y ago

That sounds like a list of uncommon issues. My company's Nexus 10 runs Lollipop really well... Maybe something went poorly with the OS update. Try a factory reset and see if those issues are still happening?

babuskov 11y ago
A short google search for "Nexus 10 sound" would show you that it isn't uncommon at all. See how many people commented in these threads: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/0CDPXvY5Zpc https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/0CDPXvY... https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/nexus/NR3ItKIieH4 https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/nexu... http://androidforums.com/threads/nexus-10-volume-wont-work-please-help.886973/ http://androidforums.com/threads/nexus-10-volume-wont-work-p...
- Macha 11y ago
  A search for "iPad Air sound" is equally negative: https://www.google.ie/search?sclient=tablet-gws&q=iPad+air+sound&oq=iPad+air+sound&gs_l=tablet-gws.3..0i7i30l3.13024.16184.0.16551.17.14.1.0.0.0.167.1506.5j9.14.0....0...1c.1.64.tablet-gws..7.10.936.VuseAGMCOWQ https://www.google.ie/search?sclient=tablet-gws&q=iPad+air+s...
- thegeekpirate 11y ago
  Do that with any phone and you'll get a bunch of results.
sfa_aok 11y ago
Sorry to pick on your response, and you're right, a factory reset might be worth a shot, but factory resets on Android are a PITA. The last time I did it (my last 3 phones have been Nexuses), it literally took half a day to get the phone back to the point it was at previously - I had to install OS updates, re-install apps (which also reset to 0 in many apps), re-download music (I admit, I could copy files over from my laptop). It makes setting up a new iPhone for the wife look like magic. I wouldn't mind, but even with Nexus phones, my experience of issues is that you end up crawling Google, and the answers are the technical equivalent of doing the hokey cokey in the hope of curing a cold: "Uninstalling Snapchat made the problem disappear!"; "Install this app and use it to work around an issue", etc.). And then the last resort - the factory reset. I'm not doing anything particularly exotic with my phone, the thought of the hassle of a factory reset is just depressing. I bought a Nexus 5X at launch, after my replacement Nexus 5's power button died. And it has been a laggier experience than the 5 (I admit the latest update seems to have improved things (though it's still not equivalent to the 5 IME). But looking for other people with the same problem you see the same responses, like a repeating background in a roadrunner cartoon - "Mine runs buttery smooth"; "Maybe yours is faulty, RMA?"; "Tried a factory reset?". Sorry, I don't enjoy this detective work/maintenance. I doubt the iPhone experience is perfect, but it can hardly be worse, can it?
- mohaine 11y ago
  Ahhh no. Factory resets don't do ANY OS upgrades. All they do is wipe the data partitions. Unsess you downgrade the firmware no OS needs to be upgraded. I've wiped my n10 many times. Wipe boot and let it reinstall. Takes a while to reinstall but hands off. The n10 is problematic hardware wise. Mine will do random reboots and always has. Boots fast so not a huge issue but annoying.
  - kuschku 11y ago
    > Factory resets don't do ANY OS upgrades. Quick mention: To the average user it might seem like an OS ugprade when integrated apps, like the Play Store, have to be updated.

rhodysurf 11y ago

This is the exact opposite of my experience. Lollipop revived mine.

BuckRogers 11y ago

Nexus devices have pretty much proven out to be that way. I was going to move to a Nexus before abandoning Android (after about 7 years of using various phones) but they cut off updates way too early. My friend has one and overall I was just not pleased with it. Build quality as well. I ran Cyanogenmod on my phones usually and helped a lot but I'm still happier with my iPhone. I ended up moving to an iPhone 5S and I love it. Right size (for me) to hold with 1 hand while holding the rail on the train or bus, and runs really well with no problems. I maintain my work computer and home machines, that's enough. I really didn't appreciate what Android offers and it really is a shame that even the Nexus isn't the answer. I'm not a hater, I use what works for me. There is no real iPhone equivalent in the Android market. The real kicker for me was that my wife has been using an iPhone 4S to this day, since 2011. I went through 3 or 4 Android phones in that time. Not low end phones either, Motorola Droid, GS3, GS4, HTC Thunderbolt... absolutely absurd. Today we buy apps once and both use them, enjoy the iPhone tracking services that are built in, and the fact she just got iOS 9.3 is flat out fantastic. Apple has literally earned our business and will continue to get it.

mreiland 11y ago
I'm still using an iPhone 4S and I have no reason to upgrade. a while back I called to see what it would cost me to upgrade through my provider, and I think I was quotes something like $600 (that's the cheap, 2 year contract version), and I just cannot fathom why it's worth spending an extra $600 for the new iphone. The only think I wish was better is the load times on the kindle app. We're talking seconds, so not worth $600 to get better hardware for it. As far as I'm concerned, the 4S is perfectly usable.
- BuckRogers 11y ago
  We're waiting on hers to break too. But I'll be more than happy when that time comes to toss Apple their $600 or whatever they're asking for a iPhone6S Plus (that's what she wants) or 7 Plus. She's a heavy user of it, both games and calls. That little thing has seen a lot of "Cookie Run". :) It's amazing too because the phone was originally Verizon carrier locked, then Apple/VZW sent out an update to unlock 4S phones through iTunes and now she's been using AT&T and before that, T-Mobile. I sparsely use my 5S, and will probably replace it with a SE when the time comes. I'm more than happy buying apps from Apples store because of the ability to install on both our phones. My most expensive app was $20 for TouchDown (coming from Android I was using this for work email and liked it). She's able to use it as well. But given something with the right utility, I'd pay more than $20 if it's on iOS. Apple made the right call in building higher quality devices, providing the best support they can, and then banking on the AppStore to pay off. Since there's only so many iPhones to optimize for, when we do buy apps they Just Work. I had a lot of trouble with certain apps on the phones I listed in my last post. When she's missing on a Saturday morning I can see she just went to the store without hassling her. If I'm at a Python meetup or other user group, she can see if I'm still there without calling/texting. Just now I see she's 2 miles from being home from work. If she loses her phone, I can locate it or make it sound an alert, lock it, wipe it. iCloud is so nice as well for both backups and getting access to photos without even plugging it in. It's rendered iTunes useless for me, and I was never an iTunes fan. Yes, a lot of these features are possible on Android but iOS got there first and they just work so well and built in from day 1. Zero additional apps needed. I'm also happy with iOS' interface. It's just ideal IMO. Then the build quality and support as mentioned before. I use a NUC for my desktop, but she uses a laptop and I've never had a Mac or Macbook but we have absolutely no qualms in buying them when we need new machines. If I weren't 100% satisfied with the NUC, I'd strongly consider just buying a Mac Mini as well. Anyway, sorry about that. I'll stop singing the praises of our experiences with an old iPhone 4S and 5S. :) But I completely understand how you're happy with a 4S. We're really that happy about our situation as well. And I hated smartphones before. I wanted to go back to no phone at all before moving to iOS.

dman 11y ago

Apple did the same thing to the original ipad. It was a great device with ios 3.x when it launched. The ios 4.x -> 5.x transition rendered it useless. The original ipad had just 256 megs of ram, around the time ios 5. arrived the ipad 3 was out with 1 GB of RAM. As a result you could see that apples own apps were making assumptions about system resources that were not true on the ipad 1. Safari, Itunes etc would crash routinely. Added bonus with apple is that they dont allow you to downgrade to previous versions of ios.

foobarian 11y ago

Opposite experience with a Nexus 6P--it's the best phone I ever had, and my wife who has an iPhone 6 looks with envy at what I do with mine.

MrMullen 11y ago

You need to factory reset your device or maybe even reinstall the OS. I had the same issue with my Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2nd gen) and after doing factory resets after the update to 5.1.x, it was like I had a new device.

loudmax 11y ago

In 2010, I was considering getting into Android development, so I paid full price for an unlocked Nexus S when it came out (I think it was about $500). At about the same time, I bought an iPhone 4 for my wife. That Nexus S became slower after each upgrade until it was nearly unusable. The UI was so janky that making or receiving phone calls was difficult, and wasn't even worth considering using the browser. The iPhone 4 stayed just as good as the day we bought it and my wife didn't bother upgrading until the iPhone 6S. My current phone is a $200 Moto G and I'm perfectly happy with it. Lollipop runs well, battery life is good, and with a cheap SD card I don't have to think about storage. It isn't as nice as the iPhone 6S, but the Moto G is great value.

takno 11y ago
Honestly the Moto g is probably the best value phone available. Even the earliest version without 4g or the SD card would still serve my purposes perfectly at a great price point.
magicalist 11y ago
> The iPhone 4 stayed just as good as the day we bought it and my wife didn't bother upgrading until the iPhone 6S. This isn't a typical experience. There's a reason that iOS9 is only on 80% of "active devices": people hold off deliberately. There have been many iOS updates since iOS4 that have caused widespread criticism for their effects on older phones.

kozukumi 11y ago

Sounds like you have a buggy or faulty device.

sandGorgon 11y ago

Talk to anyone who is running iOS 8 on iPhone 5 . it's worse. But the best part - you can't run iOS 8 on iPhone 4...even if you want. A Nexus may be hardware limited after 2 years, but it doesn't stop you. Nexus 6p is still considered to be the best phone (and camera) all around even though it's last year's phone. And it's selling for massive discounts.

spacehome 11y ago

Does anybody know what it's doing when it's "optimizing" applications?

drewg123 11y ago
It is pre-compiling apps from java to native executables. This comes from the ART runtime which is the default in Lollipop and newer. Google for "android ART" I think this is a HUGE problem, and that somebody is going to die because they're unable to call 911 while the phone is "optimizing"
- zacharytamas 11y ago
  Allegedly in Android N this will be much faster. When I upgraded my Nexus 9 to N this step was probably less than 30 seconds long. I almost didn't even notice it.
- goldbrick 11y ago
  Shouldn't it be possible to do this as part of the build process, or even by the play store?
  - hobarrera 11y ago
    Even during install time seems to make a lot more sense than after reboots!
gryph0n 11y ago
It is performing AOT compilation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahead-of-time_compilation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahead-of-time_compilation The phone environment is not conducive to JIT'ing, unlike your typical desktop/laptop.
- spacehome 11y ago
  Then why on Earth is it doing it on restart?????