The Nexus five is that the 1st pure Google smartphone I actually have ever been interested enough in to truly purchase. I actually have used review units of each Nexus model within the past for a minimum of a brief amount of your time, however up to now I had ne'er discomposed to buy one for myself.
Frankly, Nexus devices ne'er extremely did something on behalf of me. Stock golem is sweet and Nexus devices have perpetually been well created, however they need ne'er been within the same league as flagship smartphones from the likes of HTC, Samsung et al.. A Galaxy Nexus over a Galaxy S III? No means. A Nexus four over AN Optimus G, a Galaxy S4 or AN HTC One? Not an opportunity.
I conjointly just like the software system enhancements offered by Google’s numerous partners. The HTC TV app on the One including the phone’s infrared chargeman is outstanding, as an example. Another example is Samsung’s S Pen and connected software system suite. corporations devote tremendous resources to enhancing golem. typically they swing and miss, however typically it extremely pays off.
The Nexus five is completely different.
Google’s Nexus device program has extremely evolved over time. The company’s early specialise in specs shifted to a spotlight on price with the likes of the first-generation Nexus seven pill and also the Nexus four smartphone, however neither device extremely had abundant to supply at the time compared to the competition. They ran stock golem, they appealed to golem enthusiasts and that they were amazingly reasonable.
That affordability came at a price, though. within the case of the Nexus four, users had to measure with a telephone set that had lackluster specs compared to the competition. They conjointly had to measure while not 4G LTE, that is out of the question for smartphone users in several regions.
The Nexus five, however, is that the total package. With Google’s new Nexus, you get a phone that's even as sleek because the competition and even as powerful because the competition for a fraction of the price. At shockingly reasonable worth points of $349 (16GB) and $399 (32GB) with no contract of any kind, there's no higher price on the market right away. For a frame of reference, the HTC One prices $599.99 with no contract, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 starts at $639.99 and Apple’s iPhone 5s starts at $649.
So I bought one. Here ar my thoughts once payment your time with the phone:
The hardware: Google’s LG-built Nexus 5 is fairly
middle-of-the-road when it comes to build quality. It’s nowhere near as
refined and luxurious as the HTC One or Apple’s iPhone 5s but it also
doesn’t feel cheap and plasticky like a Samsung smartphone. Think about
that for a moment: The $349 Nexus 5 feels far better in the hand than
Samsung’s $640 flagship smartphone.LG’s design is outstanding. The Nexus 5 features a strong shape reminiscent of earlier Nexus phones, but it’s a bit more aggressive. This phone looks like it means business. The plastic on the sides and back of the device are a soft-touch rubbery material and they feel great. The material also gives the phone good grip compared to glossy plastic smartphones or even aluminum smartphones like the iPhone 5s. LG used ceramic for the power and volume buttons so they don’t feel like cheap plastic either.
The weight of the Nexus 5 is on the lighter side. In fact, it feels a bit hollow to me for a phone this size. The Nexus 5 is slightly bigger than HTC’s One but it weighs 13 grams less. This is terrific if you enjoy lighter smartphones, but I prefer a phone that has a bit of heft to it.
The software: Android 4.4 KitKat makes its debut on the Nexus 5 and from where most end-users sit, it is not a significant upgrade.
There is plenty of new code in the latest version of Google’s operating system. In terms of user-facing features, though, KitKat and Jelly Bean are likely indistinguishable to many people.
Google highlights several additions to Android 4.4 KitKat. Among them are the ability to simply speak the words “OK Google” to launch a voice search, a new immersive mode that hides menus and buttons when the user is reading a book or playing a game, faster multitasking, a unified messaging app and more. Some graphics have been redesigned as well, and the platform as a whole is generally less resource intensive.
Google Now is showcased a bit more on the Nexus 5 than on other smartphones thanks to a new “Google Experience launcher” that occupies the left-most home page slot. Google Now is still one of the best things about Android, and I really like that Google made it more prominent in its latest Nexus phone.
The display: It’s sensible, however not nice.LG makes some wonderful smartphone displays. In fact, the 5.2-inch “True HD” IPS+ panel on LG’s G2 is perhaps among the simplest I even have seen. whereas the Nexus 5′s 1080p HD show takes an equivalent range of pixels and mashes them nearer along, the tip result's not in line with alternative high-end handsets.
The new Nexus phone’s great ape Glass 3-covered four.95-inch full HD show options a picture element density of 445 ppi and it gets terribly bright, however the colour copy isn’t very spectacular and also the distinction isn’t excellent compared to phones just like the Galaxy S4, iPhone 5s or LG G2. The result's somewhat washed out, and it undoubtedly doesn’t pop just like the same handsets. It’s still spectacular, however it’s not on par with market leaders.
The size: Google’s Nexus five is imposingly compact for a phone with a 5-inch show, thanks in no tiny half to the handset’s extraordinarily slim borders on either aspect of the show. The phone’s overall footprint is barely larger than the HTC One and it’s somewhat agent similarly.
It’s moderately snug to carry, tho' most of the people can possible have bother victimisation the phone with one hand. If that’s a priority for you, the Nexus five won’t be optimum, however phones area unit therefore large of late that it'd not matter for many users.
The camera: The Nexus 5′s camera is certainly a variety.
On one hand, the phone’s 8-megapixel camera takes excellent quality footage in solid lighting conditions. Outside throughout the day, you may love the photos this phone captures. At crepuscle or at the hours of darkness, forget it. Low-light image quality is awful and also the flash doesn’t facilitate abundant. Expect coarse-grained, fuzzy photos unless you’re in an exceedingly well-lit space.
Compounding matters is that the undeniable fact that the Nexus 5′s camera package is terrible. Seriously, it’s awful. It’s slow and clumsy, the menus area unit unnecessarily troublesome to access and navigate, choices area unit few and much between, and that i found that it usually has bother protection focus. A package update can’t return in time.
The call quality: Voice calls area unit a rarity for several folks of late however believe it or not, some folks still use smartphones to create calls.
Call quality on the Nexus five is mediocre at the best. I usually detected light-weight static as audio was transmitted by the ear speaker and also the party on the opposite finish rumored an equivalent. Sound is additionally usually somewhat tinny.
The phone actually usable for voice career, however it’s not optimum. The loud speaker on very cheap isn’t excellent either.
The battery life: several mechanical man fans were saddened once the Nexus 5′s specs leaked and also the phone was discovered to possess a a pair of,300 mAh battery. They were right to be upset.
Battery life is certainly one in all the Nexus 5′s weakest attributes. I even have solely spent a number of days with the phone to date however its battery has not affected Maine. It struggled to hold Maine through a full day of moderate usage that enclosed some email, some music streaming, many Twitter checking and Feedly reading, a number of phone calls, some Netflix streaming and alternative miscellaneous use.
I’ll update this review if something changes when a lot of use, however I doubt it'll. arrange to obtain a number of additional chargers and a automotive charger if you get a Nexus five.
The value: merely place, the Nexus five is associate degree unprecedented worth.
Bottom line — the Nexus five is that the solely smartphone mechanical man fans ought to care concerning this season.Typical shoppers round the world searching for a solid smartphone have dozens of fantastic choices from Samsung, HTC, Apple, LG, Sony, Nokia, BlackBerry, Motorola, Xiaomi, ZTE and alternative corporations. however smartphone enthusiasts within the mechanical man camp have only 1 option: the Nexus five. This is it. It simply doesn’t get any higher.
That’s to not say the Nexus five can solely charm to hardcore mechanical man fans. Google’s new hero phone may be a fantastic possibility for anyone searching for anyone searching for a strong smartphone at a reasonable value while not a contract. It’s fast, it’s sleek and it affords the simplest Google has got to supply with none of the filler.
The Nexus five isn’t excellent. Battery life is poor compared to comparable phones and also the camera is well among the weakest I’ve seen on a high-end phone in recent months. At $349 though? a number of additional chargers and dangerous low-light photos area unit a good value to get hold of the outstanding expertise Google’s latest smartphone affords.