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Nexus 4 or Xperia T/TL

Hi all.
So I currently have a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon. My intent has been to cancel my VZW contract and buy an unlocked Nexus device, back when rumors were that we would see multiple Nexus devices from Sony, HTC, Samsung, and LG.
When the Xperia range was announced I was extremely impressed and was holding out hopes for an Xperia Nexus.
With everything announced about the Nexus 4, I am not entirely convinced it's the device I want. I have a Nexus 7 so I'll have the benefit of the newest Android version on release, but I wanted to know if the developer support of the T or TL would be active enough to get Cyanogen Mod or AOKP updates timely? I can live without a Nexus phone if I can expect a new CM or AOKP build within a month or two, but not if I have to rely entirely on Sony for updates.
What do you think? Should I pick up the T or TL? How is the dev support for each?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

TL will have a locked bootloader
Sent from my Xperia T

If you are not a Sony fan like me then definitely Nexus 4!

Id say dev community for the newest xperia phone isn't too strong look at the xperia ion or S ..
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

I'll be switching phone to the Asus Padfone 2 or Galaxy Note 2.
But I am really interested in the LG Nexus 4 as it's really a cheaper than most of the high ends phone in the UK anyways (£399). Only downside is 16gb, if they released a 32gb, i'll defo get it!

Totally happy with the unbranded T though. Best phone I've owned
Sent from my Xperia T

Thank you all form the candid advice. I'm a bit disappointed - had my heart set on a Sony Nexus, love their hardware design, but it looks like I'll be picking up the Nexus 4. Looks rather uninspiring, but maybe it will win me over in person.
Thanks for the advice!
Sent from my Nexus 7

Just for everyone expecting a Sony Nexus, they said at IFA that it'd be extremely (extremely) unlikely for them to release one. On the hardware side Sony's profit margin on the Xperia's is rather low and they're pushing their services and integration with other Sony products really hard (Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited, PlayMemories, PS Suite, Sony Select app store, ...).
Releasing a Sony Nexus at a sharp price would mean a pretty much complete lack of Sony's strong points: their ecosystem and their software.
For me especially Sony's software is a major selling point for their phones. Sure, it's not the latest Android version, but who the hell cares? The things Sony adds on top of a clean AOSP build are so much better than a few version jumps. You get the best music player available for Android by far (Walkman), an awesome camera UI, a skin that looks nice without getting boring (unlike AOSP Android), a totally epic Album application and I can go on. Everything Sony's done in their software builds is really nice and provides a lot of value over a clean Android in my opinion.
But it's your decision of course. If you prefer AOSP over Sony's Android then by all means go for a Nexus, you'll love it!

In reality you can not make your final decision till you see the actual Nexus phones in Google' upcoming event which was cancelled? If I recall correctly, we were suppose to have few nexus phones this year? Or, Google said that Vanilla android in more devices?
Anyways, only reason I choose all Nexus family on Sony or other devices is their update time and more development but I have never been impressed by their design and I hope that Sony picks on a Nexus phone with Vanilla android and Google supports it. You call it anything you like.

papped said:
Totally happy with the unbranded T though. Best phone I've owned
Sent from my Xperia T
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Completely agree, and this is my first Sony. Primarily held HTC devices in the past.
Also, the Nexus 4 is basically the LG phone, which would scare the hell out of me right away. I had an LG G2x, and had is not a strong enough word to describe how quickly I dropped it. My daughter uses it now, and I feel sorry for her.

Hi all,
Believe me, I am wary of LG and have not had good hardware experience with them through any friends phones, and designs are uninspiring. I will reserve judgement until I see it in person, but I may just buy a GSM GNex and dump my VZW contract if I don't find it satisfactory.
I am turned off of anything on Verizon due to their lengthy update delays and horrible battery life from CDMA. I feel that their delays are deliberate and made in their own interest - which they are well within their rights to do, but I can also take my money elsewhere. The VZW logo on the GNote just reinforces it.
I love AOSP Android, and CyanogenMod/AOKP customization, and run it on my N7, GNex, and GS2 on ATT.
But -I love Sony's hardware design, specs, and build quality - and I could live without having AOSP from Google the moment it was released, as long as it has decent dev support and CM10/AOKP devs working on it with prompt release. This is really the only thing holding me back from jumping on the Sony wagon, I just feel they have a huge missed opportunity by not wanting to release a Nexus.
A locked bootloader is a no-go for me - especially as I intend to buy it SIM unlocked.
I wouldn't mind Sony pushing their Xperia stuff and ecosystem, as long as they had quick release of drivers/binaries to allow dev support. But if its not there, I can't buy it.
I suppose I have to hold out hope that the LG is not as bad as it looks or as I expect.
Fingers crossed!
Sent from my Nexus 7

Get the Nexus 4. £280 for the 16GB. Really! That's the cheapest high-end phone i've seen to date!

I never thought I would even consider owning a LG product in my life. Google has changed it for me!!!! Damn, I will miss Sony phones until they catch up in keeping us with latest OS updates or comes with extraordinary design and build quality.

Note that the nexus 4 will not have LTE. It pretty much has everything else but LTE.
Sent from my LT15a using xda-developers app

DdcCabuslay said:
Note that the nexus 4 will not have LTE. It pretty much has everything else but LTE.
Sent from my LT15a using xda-developers app
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Also no sdcard

MrPhilo said:
Get the Nexus 4. £280 for the 16GB. Really! That's the cheapest high-end phone i've seen to date!
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... it's an LG. Mention of questionable build quality out of Sony really baffles me at this point, I've had both LG and HTC, and the Sony blows them away, IMHO of course.

charlatan01 said:
... it's an LG. Mention of questionable build quality out of Sony really baffles me at this point, I've had both LG and HTC, and the Sony blows them away, IMHO of course.
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Not even the fact that it's LG, just the price they are asking versus the specs... The low price had to come from somewhere... It's not like they're selling it at a loss or anything.

On the dev support thing. CM10 support is now official. After the new milestone aokp will be asked to add it. Paranoid android is official. Any other ROMs that you are interested in?
Sent from my Xperia T using Tapatalk 2

tilal6991 said:
On the dev support thing. CM10 support is now official. After the new milestone aokp will be asked to add it. Paranoid android is official. Any other ROMs that you are interested in?
Sent from my Xperia T using Tapatalk 2
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Thats great news.
Official cyanogenmod "mint" page is here

I'm not touching xperia tl. Was dying from it's found a while but, low dev support and locked bootloaders is a deal breaker for me.
If I'm going to be stuck with outdated android versions it may as we have quad core potential.
Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using xda app-developers app

Advice: which phone to buy (inc non HTC)

Hi,
I am looking forward to buying a new phone (Android). For my currently owned HTC IncS, I am quite satisfied the way custom ROM have turned up. Well, that would remain one of the major criteria for my new phone as well.
Currently I have Samsung Galaxy SIII in mind but I also need advice on which phones are likely to be 'alive' in terms of development around new Android releases, etc.
Note: I searched for other similar topics but none touch on this area

I'm waiting for the butterfly. Expected launch in India is this month.....
Dead cookies leave no trails...

Htc m7 is going to be quite good
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda app-developers app

IT depends on what you are interested, screen, nfc, lte...
IDK if samsung has already published the new lte versione of s3 with 2gb ram...
Samsung's end phone has s-amoled display, you'll have to adapt yourself because the difference in colour is huge from out phone ( in worse or better it's personal)
Personally I would like to buy the nexus 4 (best quality/price, but soo much difficult to obtain). time by time I've appreciated android aosp over sense ...
M7 should be a great choose but it's too soon to talk about it...

srv.abhishek said:
Hi,
I am looking forward to buying a new phone (Android). For my currently owned HTC IncS, I am quite satisfied the way custom ROM have turned up. Well, that would remain one of the major criteria for my new phone as well.
Currently I have Samsung Galaxy SIII in mind but I also need advice on which phones are likely to be 'alive' in terms of development around new Android releases, etc.
Note: I searched for other similar topics but none touch on this area
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Click to collapse
Well the note 2 is a great device as long as size isn't an issue...
Sent from my not so Incredible S

If you could wait for HTC M7, it's gonna be new flagship phone of HTC. But if you want to buy a phone right now, I suggest Samsung Note 2. One of my friends has that one and it is wonderful. Smooth, fast and graphically outstanding phone.

Just tried out the Nexus 4 yesterday... Holy sh*t!! What an awesome piece of joy!
M7 will probably rock also I'm not sure about Sense 5 though....

SG S IV is coming – with the new ROMs keeping us going for a bit longer on Inc S, this might also be a contender for potential upgraders.

I would consider another thing when buying a new phone: HOW u get s-off'ed or rooted...
I would prefer to root using a bug and "not" voiding warranty, rather than ask asus or htc to unlock my phone and say goodbye to warranty...

I was using Incredible S too until last month when I finally got the Nexus 4. For this price, nothing much can beat Nexus 4 at this moment. The only complain I have is I wish the screen can be bigger......
I played with the HTC Butterfly last week in Taiwan during a business trip. Wasn't very impressed......

I would think in terms of development, SGIII would be a safe choice, although I think Nexus phones are the best in terms of the amount of active and future development since they are the first to get OS updates. The only thing that stops me from getting one is the lack of a removable battery and Microsd storage, which are things I don't want to go without. If those things are important to you, I'd probably go for the SGIII. Just my 2 cents anyway

Xperia Z especially if you are up to serious customisation since Sony is being very very kind to devs now.
Sent from my Incredible S using xda premium

I'm waiting for the HTC M7
but I have been eye-ing off the Nexus 4,

Thanks for so many suggestions.. really appreciate..
so the final list (so far) I can see is Xperia Z, SGIII/IV, NoteII..

From my past experiences, Sony's phones are terrible!
Sent from my not so Incredible S

Hi,
Can you list down a few aspects you did not like? Will give me some perspective..
TaLEntZ96 said:
From my past experiences, Sony's phones are terrible!
Sent from my not so Incredible S
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Nexus 4 all the way if you can manage to get it for 300$ anyhow !! Nothing really beats this phone in any aspect at this price tag !! If I have unlimited data plan + Dropbox acc then it's ok for the lack of storage. So basically no cons at all
And about the all glass design get some cover and you will be ok.
Nexus 4 = amazing display + amazing camera + amazing hardware + updates + amazing design + premium feel (not cheap plastic s**t ) and a lot of ram ... and many more
What can you hope for more in a smartphone??
Sent from my Incredible S using xda app-developers app

TaLEntZ96 said:
From my past experiences, Sony's phones are terrible!
Sent from my not so Incredible S
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would love to hear this as well since the xperia series rised i havent heared people complaign besides of the mini series (cheap small ones)
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium

The way the phones are built for example - I don't like the look of the phones or the way the buttons are set out.
The software and overlay I also don't like.
There's more than just this ^ however when I test the flagship models of Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG, I just don't get the same feel from the Sony and LG as the HTC and Samsung.
But like I said, I just haven't had good experiences with sonys. Saying this though, i haven't used the new Sony phones so they may have stepped up!
Sent from my not so Incredible S

thanks a lot.. my friend has recently purchased a SONY phone which included Bravia engine and it was smooth like anything..
even the screen look and feel was amazing..
TaLEntZ96 said:
The way the phones are built for example - I don't like the look of the phones or the way the buttons are set out.
The software and overlay I also don't like.
There's more than just this ^ however when I test the flagship models of Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG, I just don't get the same feel from the Sony and LG as the HTC and Samsung.
But like I said, I just haven't had good experiences with sonys. Saying this though, i haven't used the new Sony phones so they may have stepped up!
Sent from my not so Incredible S
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Worth the Upgrade from an ION?

Can somebody in a similar situation help me with an upgrade decision?
I just recently sold my Samsung Galaxy Note 1 because I think that line has peaked. All the cool innovations seem to be coming from elsewhere. Whether it be waterproofing, camera improvements, or just greater size.
So I picked up an ION from ATT while the upgrade price was $1 US. It does just about everything well. My plan was to wait out the next round of releases like at MWC and see if anything really stands out.
The Z looks great, but is it REALLY that much of an upgrade over the ION/TL or even the Acro S? Is anybody with a current gen Xperia going to jump on the Z and the higher price?

It sure is a big upgrade over the Ion no doubt. But I'd suggest you wait for the next Sony flagship. It will be a beast according to rumors.
Sent from my Sony Xperia S using Tapatalk

stiffi2011 said:
Can somebody in a similar situation help me with an upgrade decision?
I just recently sold my Samsung Galaxy Note 1 because I think that line has peaked. All the cool innovations seem to be coming from elsewhere. Whether it be waterproofing, camera improvements, or just greater size.
So I picked up an ION from ATT while the upgrade price was $1 US. It does just about everything well. My plan was to wait out the next round of releases like at MWC and see if anything really stands out.
The Z looks great, but is it REALLY that much of an upgrade over the ION/TL or even the Acro S? Is anybody with a current gen Xperia going to jump on the Z and the higher price?
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personally I would not upgrade if I had a S/T/Ion etc, the only reason I'm upgrading is because my phone (arc s) is dog slow.

On
stefanve said:
personally I would not upgrade if I had a S/T/Ion etc, the only reason I'm upgrading is because my phone (arc s) is dog slow.
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That's kind of how I'm swaying. The real draw for me is the new camera sensor but I fear it may not be better than the current exymor. The results from the Oppo find 5 with the same sensor are less than impressive.

stiffi2011 said:
On
That's kind of how I'm swaying. The real draw for me is the new camera sensor but I fear it may not be better than the current exymor. The results from the Oppo find 5 with the same sensor are less than impressive.
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According to this review it's not impressive
http://www.techgoondu.com/2013/02/10/goondu-review-sony-xperia-z/
Maybe HTC can backup up its marketing speak with some sweet hardware., curious about the m7 camera tech

stefanve said:
According to this review it's not impressive
http://www.techgoondu.com/2013/02/10/goondu-review-sony-xperia-z/
Maybe HTC can backup up its marketing speak with some sweet hardware., curious about the m7 camera tech
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Me too. Probably would have bought the Z if came out last week. Now i am waiting for the M7 announcement . Also interested on in whatver Nokia is cooking up with the next pureview phone. Timing is everything.

Definitely better than the ION and i would say it is worth it

I have the ion, and plan on upgrading to the Z. I skipped out on the TL, so I'm in line for a new phone from Sony. I think the design and the 1080p screen makes it worth getting.
Sent from my Panasonic ELUGA

I have an SGS2 and am looking for a new phone with a good good camera. So far this is worth looking at but from what I heard the camera is not that good I will have to wait for SGS4 lets hope camera is good on that or always HTC M7. Htc have good cameras.
Custom Stock Rom 4.0 Eternity
Stock but better

Annoying opinion question!

I am about to commit myself to yet another contract and coming from the arc, Which I've been more than happy with I think I'm going to go for the Z.
Now I've read countless threads about pros/cons but all in all, should I look towards the HTC one or even s4... Not a big fan of either but I want my contracts worth out of the phone!
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

boyob32 said:
I am about to commit myself to yet another contract and coming from the arc, Which I've been more than happy with I think I'm going to go for the Z.
Now I've read countless threads about pros/cons but all in all, should I look towards the HTC one or even s4... Not a big fan of either but I want my contracts worth out of the phone!
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app
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They are all 3 great phones, they all have pro's and cons it doesn't matter which of the 3 you choose they are all good phones that are worth your money.
Since you're in a Sony section and since you come from the arc, I'd say go for the Xperia Z, you really won't regret it.

Z
boyob32 said:
I am about to commit myself to yet another contract and coming from the arc, Which I've been more than happy with I think I'm going to go for the Z.
Now I've read countless threads about pros/cons but all in all, should I look towards the HTC one or even s4... Not a big fan of either but I want my contracts worth out of the phone!
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app
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technically i suggest for htc or Sony
and cause htc One got delay report it means htc couldn't do so well
SO for nowadays Xperia Z can be ur Zing
:good:

If you use your phone for light tasks and not allot, XZ with stamina mode will make you through days.
HTC one camera will be very useful if your pics r taken in lowlight condition.
As for Sammy, I think they do as Apple do in every good and bad way.
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app

I like my Xperia Z a lot, but the specs of the HTC One sure are very sexy.
Galaxy S is not my type of phone, it is okay but I prefer the Xperia Z above that one for sure.
Kind regards, Stefan.

Thanks all. Pretty much helped confirm what I already thought.
Although specs of others are looking stronger in areas, I like the quality build and theming of Sony, plus coming from the arc, I know that it will be readily modifiable.

I have come from HTC, and so glad I did. Much more functionality within the Sony phone.
USB Host, Throw, screen mirror connect and display to my tv, laptop... out of the box. Syncing/backing up any parts of your phone/micro SD to PC, none of which exists on any of my HTC devices.
Walkman app with custom eq, blows away any of HTC beats phones for sound quality.
Theming is not Sony's strong suit on this phone, much more customisable with HTC, especially like the grey bars...
IMO, HTC build quality is probably the best out there and always has been. And the release to public OS is more stable and has less issues, eg WIFI, initial setup quirks. But I also think that Sony may have rushed this out to market before the other big guns released there flagship phones for 2013, hence some of what I mentioned about the OS.
Buy the Sony, I am sure you won't regret it. I am happy with almost all aspects of the Xperia Z.

Since your current phone is the Xperia Arc, which is the same generation as my previous phone (the LG Optimus 2X), you might get the same experience that I had. Personally, I am blown away by this phone.

You're on XDA so I am assuming you are fond of the idea of good development support from the manufacturers. This means no to the S4. The S2, 3 note and note 2 are prime examples that samsung exynos devices are more or less the worst thing for development. If you are happy on stock roms then it might be allright.. but then again their stock roms are pretty awful, buggy and laggy. Not to mention the super brick bug.
I wouldn't dream of saying don't get the htc one as I think it should be great. It simply wasn't what I was after (namely water resistance and larger screen).

Development is important to me, I have gone through more roms, kernels and phone brickings that i ever thought I would, and yet the phone is still in one piece!
I am a big fan of Sony phones, despite various issues but then I suppose all phones have flaws...
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

It depends, from the sound of it, it looks like you're getting the Z on contract which means you can't unlock the bootloader. Whether or not that is an issue is up to you.
That being said I absolutely love the stock software on my phone as it is. I'm a flashaholic and I haven't even unlocked the bootloader yet! I only rooted it to remove the charging notification.
Sony have really stepped up their game with the Z in terms of both hardware and software. It just works, simple. There are a few bugs but they aren't major and hopefully they'll be fixed shortly.

[Q] Need help about choosing phone...

Dear all,
I am about to renewing my contract with provider and I can choose between Sony Z1, Samsung S4 and LG G2 for same price...
I found cons for G2 - missing MicroSD card slot, and for S4 - missing FM Radio witch I am using often. I like that Z1 have waterproof housing since I am spending a lot of time in boat on the sea (fishing) so I can finally stop taking care if my hands are wet or similiar when I have to use phone in such conditions ...
Can someone tell some other pros and cons regarding custom ROM support on XDA for those 3 phones expecially for Z1. Right now my choice will be Z1 but I must decide within next few days (uh, I hate this quick decissions considering that in next two years I can not do nothing to change it)...
Thank you in advance!
Cheers

The info you need is literally In these pages, our opinions are simply that and most will be biased, as for the new phone you want, if it were me, I'd wait till March, there will be some new phones coming out and nothing kicks you more in the teeth than getting a shiny new phone and noticing someone else has an even shinier one.
The HTC m8, the z2 the galaxy s5 are all around the corner.
Other than them I'd still pick the z1 over the other two, the s4 is two generations old come march so there's no way I'd get that.
The g2 has its strong points though, and its weaknesses, but then so does the z1. Either way and having said all that, with phones of this calibre you can't really make a wrong decision they're all pretty good, even the s4.
But if it were me I'd wait, if you can't then its between the z1 and the note 3.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I've used the note 2 kinda glitchy, amazing battery life then I went to the galaxy s4 which the bloatware and the million things you need to turn off just to get decent battery wasn't worth it, then I had the LG g2 amazing phone kinda of finicky screen didn't always register touches, amazing battery life but LG is notorious for not updating their phones, then I had the nexus 5 great phone ****ty battery life if your heavy user like me and finally I got my z1 love the phone viewing angles are crap but not the end of the world cause everything else works flawlessly. Pictures are great specially if you don't mind using manual which will give you better pictures if you play around with it a bit, using it underwater is great used that a lot in Mexico recently and thank god for every minute not worrying about my phone or camera being near the pool with my 3 year old.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

None of those devices are perfect, but they're still awesome(except the S4)
You could choose between the Z1 or the LG g2 both are awesome
I personally prefer the Z1 cause its only flaw are the Viewing angles which are pretty crappy, the G2 is fantastic but Lg tends to forget about the devices they release so they end up with almost no updates at all, not even bug fixes
and MOST important of it all, AVOID the S4 like the plague
Sent from my C6906 using Tapatalk

read this before you choose xperia z1 : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2540950&page=40

tudy88 said:
read this before you choose xperia z1 : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2540950&page=40
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I think I will wait with contract until next month, Z2 is coming...