I really don't see how any of this could be a problem with the phone across the board. There would be so many reports about this it would be all over the place.

I also only use Google Voice (because why would you use the provider's voicemail these days anyway?), so I haven't had any problems like these, but I still don't think every GN has this issue.

Battery life is an issue with every phone with a 4G radio. We haven't made enough advancements in the realm of battery technology to get around that yet, though advancements are being made in the power efficiency of mobile tech. In the meantime, like Dan I've outfitted myself with chargers at home and in my car, and I don't have any problems if I use them.