The upgrade

How long does a phone last you? Normally a handset will see me through at least 18 months and at that point I sell it on and shuffle up to something newer. This time things are different though. I’ve only had my HTC One since April and we’ve not got on well at all.

The faults I pick with it are minor, but they really grated on me. The bezel made it hard to hold in my small hands so I ended up two handed texting just so I didn’t drop it. I prefer the power button to be on the side, it just feels more natural to me and easier to access. Oh, and I made the mistake of picking up the black version, which was powder coated. This means that even the tiniest scratches stand out with the silver metal showing through underneath. Matt did point that out to me before I bought it but I still wanted the black one. Cue the ‘I told you so’.

With the announcement of the Nexus 5 last week, I knew it made sense to get one. My 8 month old HTC One still had a trade in price of £240 and the new phone from Google was only £299. No brainer. I pounced and had a new phone in my basket within 5 minutes of the launch. Goodbye HTC One, I won’t miss you.

So far I love my Nexus 5. It’s easier to hold, I can text with one hand and the notification LED is so pretty and much bigger than the light on my previous two phones. It reminds me of the glowing light on the Palm Pre that I loved so much. I’ve been playing about with Light Flow to customise it for different apps. I chose a mix of turquoises and blues depending on what the notification is for. I love being able to glance at my phone and easily know whether I need to pick it up or if it’s something I can leave. I have no idea how iPhone users survive without one!

There are still a few things I’d like to tweak but that is the beauty of Android. Matt will change anything on it that I don’t like and tailor it to my needs. It kind of helps to have a mobile geek as a boyfriend.