Nexus 5 replacement

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farcus

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# 213902 18-Apr-2017 12:39

My trusted and much loved Nexus 5 has reached the end of its life.
I'm on a tight budget and after looking around at replacements in my price range I've decided to replace it with a refurbished Nexus 5.
I currently have the D821 (international model) . . . but I have noticed that the D820 supports LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 17(700), 19(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 41(2500)
Would this not be better suited to NZ than the 821 which I purchased when living in Japan?

martyyn

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# 1766686 18-Apr-2017 12:48

I only ever wanted the D821 for 4G coverage on Skinny/Spark. I had a D820 because it had 32GB but I don't remember it doing much 4G at all.

Great phone the N5. I have an N5X now but the N5 would still be my phone of choice I think.

farcus

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# 1766691 18-Apr-2017 12:58

martyyn:

I only ever wanted the D821 for 4G coverage on Skinny/Spark. I had a D820 because it had 32GB but I don't remember it doing much 4G at all.

Great phone the N5. I have an N5X now but the N5 would still be my phone of choice I think.

yeah - I think I jumped the gun with

17(700)

I think NZ is actually 28(700)

So I best stick with the D821

tieke

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# 1766706 18-Apr-2017 13:35

I understand wanting to keep the N5 - I keep mine as a backup phone, although I've replaced the battery and the screen (twice) to keep it going.

It is a bit long in the tooth now though, so may be worth looking at other options - I've recently been using the Global version of a RedMi Note 3 Pro, which I picked up for around NZ$260 primarily because it was the only cheap Chinese phone I found which had 700MHz B28 support. I'm impressed with it - definitely a step up on the N5 performance-wise, with good battery life and storage.

farcus

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# 1766709 18-Apr-2017 13:47

tieke:

I understand wanting to keep the N5 - I keep mine as a backup phone, although I've replaced the battery and the screen (twice) to keep it going.

It is a bit long in the tooth now though, so may be worth looking at other options - I've recently been using the Global version of a RedMi Note 3 Pro, which I picked up for around NZ$260 primarily because it was the only cheap Chinese phone I found which had 700MHz B28 support. I'm impressed with it - definitely a step up on the N5 performance-wise, with good battery life and storage.

what's their version of android like? I was looking at a Huawei P9 which seemed like a nice piece of hardware but I just couldn't step away from pure android that you get on the Nexus / Pixel devices.

tieke

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# 1766751 18-Apr-2017 14:46

Took a bit of faffing around to set it up initially, but now I've got it looking and feeling basically the same as my N5. It's the global version so it came with Google Play preinstalled and working, and it was simple to install and adjust Nova Launcher to my preference (MIUI8 seems polished and frequently updated, but I didn't like the lack of an app drawer etc in the standard launcher).

It's only running android 6, but so is my N5. The most annoying thing is adjusting to the back button being on the wrong side (to the right of the home button rather than the left). It also doesn't have the OK Google always-on hotword, but I had already disabled that on my Nexus devices a while ago when it got too annoying interfering with my Google Homes.

spearsniper

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# 1766792 18-Apr-2017 15:06

farcus:

what's their version of android like? I was looking at a Huawei P9 which seemed like a nice piece of hardware but I just couldn't step away from pure android that you get on the Nexus / Pixel devices.

I went down the Huawei P9 path last week after my Nexus5 got the stuck power button issue they are renowned for.
I was looking for a Nexus 5x or a pixel as a replacement, but could not find any N5x, and could not afford a pixel.

I also had no end of trouble getting my hands on a Hauwei P9 through a spark store, and ended up getting a P9 plus for the P9 price through JB Hifi.

Battery life when just using it for calls, and emails was the whole easter break. When using it 2.5 hours a day on my commute to listen to music and play games, as well as phone calls and emails, it lasts 2 days. And the ability to fast charge is awesome!

The UI took a bit to get used to, but is infinitely faster than the N5.

It won't ever get a OS update I suspect, but then neither will the N5.

ANglEAUT

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# 1767033 18-Apr-2017 23:37

spearsniper: ... It won't ever get a OS update I suspect, but then neither will the N5.

Correct, the N5 received it's last security update in Oct-2016.

@anyone: If you want to buy a decent condition 2nd hand N5, I'm willing to part with mine.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

sbiddle

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# 1767053 19-Apr-2017 07:22

Is there any reason why you'll just go for a Nexus 5 again? I'm sure you could pick up something like a Z3 cheaply these days which is a far better device.

farcus

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# 1767294 19-Apr-2017 13:00

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've actually purchased a new N5 from Aliexpress.
I probably should have upgraded to something better - and probably will in the not distant future. It's just right now I'm on a bit of a tight budget, love the N5 and love the Nexus android experience. I'm not a power user - essentially what I mostly use the phone for is managing my T1 diabetes and a bit of messaging so I don't really need the latest or greatest.

mdf

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# 1767578 19-Apr-2017 21:17

tieke:

I understand wanting to keep the N5 - I keep mine as a backup phone, although I've replaced the battery and the screen (twice) to keep it going.

@tieke - what was the process and approx cost for replacing the battery, if you don't mind me asking? Do it yourself or send it in? I'm well overdue for an upgrade (hanging out for the release of my current object of affection), but my trusty old N5 could make a good Pokemon Go device if I could get the battery to last for at least an hour.

tieke

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# 1767594 19-Apr-2017 21:56

It's pretty easy (a lot simpler than replacing the screen, because that basically requires total disassembly and I always have trouble with the earpiece). Should take less than ten minutes and is pretty cheap - the batteries appear to be around NZD$17 from ebay at the moment with a few disassembly tools included.

A good guide can be found here and using one of the guitar-pick style pry tools is pretty much mandatory for getting the case open, so it's good that they include one if you don't have one already. The worst bit about removing the battery for the first time is how firmly it's stuck down - definitely a bit of firm effort needed to pry it off that double-sided tape.

tieke

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# 1767597 19-Apr-2017 22:01

mdf:

... my trusty old N5 could make a good Pokemon Go device if I could get the battery to last for at least an hour.

My son has been using it for Pokemon Go and it works well, although as the GPS doesn't seem to pick up an initial lock as quickly as my Nexus 6 he prefers to borrow mine while we're in the car :)