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Having to wait and sometimes pray for your vendor to ship an update is why I chose to stick to the Nexus line of phones until it ended. My next device may or m

by na85 9y ago

Having to wait and sometimes pray for your vendor to ship an update is why I chose to stick to the Nexus line of phones until it ended. My next device may or may not be a Pixel, but the above coupled with the shitty "value adds" like custom file managers and stuff that Samsung et al tend to cram into their already bloated Android implementations pretty much guarantees I'll never by a Samsung or similar. My wife's Galaxy S3 was slow the day she got it, and it only went downhill from there, to the point that a spare BB Priv felt like an upgrade to her. At that point the Priv was already 2 years old. edit: can someone explain the down votes? for real, I thought this was a pretty level headed comment. is it just that I dumped on Samsung?

foota 9y ago
Fwiw I like my first gen pixel xl.
nextos 9y ago
It's sad Nexus got replaced by Pixel, which is extremely expensive in comparison. I liked running LineageOS or CopperheadOS on an inexpensive device with good updates. That said, some cheap devices which are well supported on LineageOS have decent updates.
ruytlm 9y ago
As a long time Nexus user (back to Nexus S), the clean OS and updates were always the selling points for me. With Pixel now dropping the headphone jack, I'm starting to look elsewhere. Here's hoping I get some more life yet out of my 5X.
- pasbesoin 9y ago
  Make sure you are regularly backed up. Anecdote, but I bootlooped -- that's with quite gentle care. Friend bootlooped a couple of weeks later.
  - VintageCool 9y ago
    My 5X bootlooped, so I bought a Pixel. I want to go back to the 5X, that was the best phone I've ever had.
  - Geeflow 9y ago
    Second that. I bought three Nexus 5x for me and my family. Two of those bricked themselves without warning. Plus I keep reading these stories over and over again. Multiple anecdotes in the discussion to this article alone... Both got repaired (mainboard replaced) under warranty without issue. I'm still happy with the phone and haven't found anything comparable considering the price (270€ approx. 1 year after release), but you definitely need to have a solid backup strategy.
- lern_too_spel 9y ago
  Looking at Android One devices for the spiritual successor of the utilitarian Nexus 5. No headphone jack is a dealbreaker.
ams6110 9y ago
Would be great if Google made a phone that was affordable. As it is now your choices are spending at least $600 or more to get a phone that will be supported, or buying a phone that probably comes with an outdated Android out of the box and that will never get an update.
- dmitrygr 9y ago
  did you see the new AndroidOne phones? google does updates for them and they are quite affordable. The Moto one is $400-ish and Xiaomi is $200-ish
  - yegle 9y ago
    The Moto X4 sell at $400 and the Xiaomi A1 is not available in US yet (you can get it ~$220 on some website). Note Xiaomi A1's system update is not handled by Google according to Wiki.
    - dmitrygr 9y ago
      You're right about Moto. Ill fix my post. Can you send me a link to this source for A1? I'll try to check on it.
      - yegle 9y ago
        I just searched Xiaomi A1 on Google Shopping and there are several results and all looks legit.
  - kuschku 9y ago
    As a developer, I need a device that gets Android DevPreview releases, so I can see it my apps work on real hardware before users will try them. (The emulator sucks, and you never know if a bug is caused by the emulator or the app). Currently that's tonly the Pixels, which sell between $900 and $1300 in Germany.
    - 9y ago
flukus 9y ago
Updates for 2 years, security patches for 3: http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/05/google-announces-new-update-policy-for-nexus-devices-including-monthly-security-patches-for-3-years-and-major-otas-for-2-years-from-release/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/05/google-announces-new... That is still way to short, especially if you don't buy it on release day. If you buy a nexus device 12 months after release you've already lost 1/3 of it's effective lifetime.
- kbwt 9y ago
  I bought a Galaxy Nexus for Android app development in September 2012 and it lasted me less than a year before security updates ended. I specifically picked that phone because it was supposed to be the best choice for always receiving the latest Android updates.
  - guelo 9y ago
    5 years ago you unluckily bought a Nexus at the exact point in time where it had the shortest support window in the whole history of the Nexus/Pixel line.
thomastjeffery 9y ago
> can someone explain the down votes? for real, I thought this was a pretty level headed comment. is it just that I dumped on Samsung? That's a good question.

by na85 9y ago

foota 9y ago

Fwiw I like my first gen pixel xl.

nextos 9y ago

It's sad Nexus got replaced by Pixel, which is extremely expensive in comparison. I liked running LineageOS or CopperheadOS on an inexpensive device with good updates. That said, some cheap devices which are well supported on LineageOS have decent updates.

ruytlm 9y ago

As a long time Nexus user (back to Nexus S), the clean OS and updates were always the selling points for me. With Pixel now dropping the headphone jack, I'm starting to look elsewhere. Here's hoping I get some more life yet out of my 5X.

pasbesoin 9y ago
Make sure you are regularly backed up. Anecdote, but I bootlooped -- that's with quite gentle care. Friend bootlooped a couple of weeks later.
- VintageCool 9y ago
  My 5X bootlooped, so I bought a Pixel. I want to go back to the 5X, that was the best phone I've ever had.
- Geeflow 9y ago
  Second that. I bought three Nexus 5x for me and my family. Two of those bricked themselves without warning. Plus I keep reading these stories over and over again. Multiple anecdotes in the discussion to this article alone... Both got repaired (mainboard replaced) under warranty without issue. I'm still happy with the phone and haven't found anything comparable considering the price (270€ approx. 1 year after release), but you definitely need to have a solid backup strategy.
lern_too_spel 9y ago
Looking at Android One devices for the spiritual successor of the utilitarian Nexus 5. No headphone jack is a dealbreaker.

ams6110 9y ago

Would be great if Google made a phone that was affordable. As it is now your choices are spending at least $600 or more to get a phone that will be supported, or buying a phone that probably comes with an outdated Android out of the box and that will never get an update.

dmitrygr 9y ago
did you see the new AndroidOne phones? google does updates for them and they are quite affordable. The Moto one is $400-ish and Xiaomi is $200-ish
- yegle 9y ago
  The Moto X4 sell at $400 and the Xiaomi A1 is not available in US yet (you can get it ~$220 on some website). Note Xiaomi A1's system update is not handled by Google according to Wiki.
  - dmitrygr 9y ago
    You're right about Moto. Ill fix my post. Can you send me a link to this source for A1? I'll try to check on it.
    - yegle 9y ago
      I just searched Xiaomi A1 on Google Shopping and there are several results and all looks legit.
- kuschku 9y ago
  As a developer, I need a device that gets Android DevPreview releases, so I can see it my apps work on real hardware before users will try them. (The emulator sucks, and you never know if a bug is caused by the emulator or the app). Currently that's tonly the Pixels, which sell between $900 and $1300 in Germany.
  - 9y ago

flukus 9y ago

Updates for 2 years, security patches for 3: http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/05/google-announces-new-update-policy-for-nexus-devices-including-monthly-security-patches-for-3-years-and-major-otas-for-2-years-from-release/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/05/google-announces-new... That is still way to short, especially if you don't buy it on release day. If you buy a nexus device 12 months after release you've already lost 1/3 of it's effective lifetime.

kbwt 9y ago
I bought a Galaxy Nexus for Android app development in September 2012 and it lasted me less than a year before security updates ended. I specifically picked that phone because it was supposed to be the best choice for always receiving the latest Android updates.
- guelo 9y ago
  5 years ago you unluckily bought a Nexus at the exact point in time where it had the shortest support window in the whole history of the Nexus/Pixel line.

thomastjeffery 9y ago

> can someone explain the down votes? for real, I thought this was a pretty level headed comment. is it just that I dumped on Samsung? That's a good question.