Google Nexus 5 Review
Every and each and every year, Google picks a silicon vendor, a factors companion, and releases a new edition of Android jogging on top of them. The end result can be a Nexus cellphone, and for 5 iterations given that system of action has repeated, producing a smartphone that’s the purest expression of Google’s eyesight for its cellular Technique. Currently we’re investigating the Nexus 5.
Nexus 5, as its title allows make apparent, is considered the most up-to-date technology of Google’s line of Nexus smartphones, and Additionally is topped by a 5-inch Display screen. While the Nexus process at the beginning started off off just for smartphones, we’ve noticed Google provided that lengthen This technique to incorporate a 7-inch and ten-inch pill variety ingredient, in addition to a line of increase-ons. Currently, we’ve witnessed Nexus go from currently being element fanatic curiosity and progress gadget, to your manufacturer identify tailored for people on the lookout for the newest and ideal the Android System offers in a killer advertising price.
Final era we seen the Nexus four, a tool which was in essence an LG Optimus G for T-Mobile in various garments and priced at a intense value, However nevertheless included the newest and very best silicon from Qualcomm with APQ8064 (S4 Pro). For Nexus five, Google has Once more gone with elements companion LG and silicon vendor Qualcomm, this time employing a mobile phone that’s to some extent analogous towards the LG G2 (although not exactly the same System) and making use of the most recent and largest MSM8974 (Snapdragon 800) silicon.
Permit’s begin with the elements, due to the fact that’s the traditional transfer for an evaluation. The Nexus 4 bore tons of superficial similarities within the Optimus G, together with a glass again with laser etched style and structure down down below its area, specifically the identical Display, banding, and factors. The Nexus 5 Nonetheless doesn’t bear any similarities into the G2, with its buttons on the again, slender bezel, rounded bottom, and shiny plastic. Fairly, the Nexus five’s construction borrows Substantially of its industrial type and style language out of your Nexus seven (2013), with the slightly rounded very best and base, landscape “nexus” brand name throughout the rear, and huge radius curves all inside the side. The Nexus five and seven share Virtually an identical shape and profile, In addition to in the situation of your respective black Nexus five, exact same rubberized comfortable Get in touch with substance over the back and sides. In case you scaled down the Nexus seven design you’d get another thing which comes about to generally be awfully near the Nexus 5.
The result is in fact a two-product or service loved ones that appears like it had been established by specifically precisely the same organization, and it’s significantly The 1st time Google has aligned its industrial framework in this kind of sweeping vogue, In circumstances like this even all through two many hardware companions. I assume you could possibly make the argument that aside from the Nexus 10, Google has taken out any industrial design and style and elegance fragmentation And at last crafted some components design and design and style language that it owns for by itself.
Google sampled us 1st a black Nexus five, and afterwards a white Nexus five at my ask for so I could check out the materials distinctions I observed some dialogue about. It’s legit there are lots of variants between The 2 devices. First of all, the white gadget includes a bottom which eschews the relaxed contact merchandise, as an alternative providing the polymer-backed device a rougher, textured expertise. The absence of soppy Call proceeds to the sting, which comes about to get shiny black plastic as opposed to the rubberized material, and comes along with protective plastic mounted over it by default. On the doorway the only real genuine apparent difference between white and black is normally a white coloured earpiece, the rest with the bezel within the Display screen continues to generally be black.
I’m reminded over the crack up in regards to the white and black Notice three Using the Nexus 5, which also only consists of rubberized components inside the black style and design. I locate myself preferring the feeling with the white style instead, However it’s undoubtedly basically a Tale of personal flavor. Devoid of question the absence of soft contact with regard to the white content material is to circumvent staining from hand oils or other dyes as getting the device ages. I don’t see which the absence of sentimental Get in touch with to the white model triggers it being any tougher to hold or grip on to, the adverse-angled bezel really does help the Nexus 5 wholesome in the hand securely.
Even though the Nexus 5 is an in depth cousin, it doesn’t undertake the button arrangement from a G2, as a substitute finding the quantity and standby buttons in a typical spot. Amount rocker ultimately winds up throughout the remaining, Electrical power on the best aspect.
Likewise earpiece is on key and microUSB is at the bottom of one's system. What’s special with regards towards the Nexus 5 buttons is the material of All Individuals buttons – they’re ceramic, not polycarbonate. The end result is they’re sharp and immediately locatable with the comb of the finger, it’s a refined aspect that does sense unique. The one grievance I have is that they do seem to rattle relatively in their cutouts. I am able to affirm which the white style and design looks to possess a large amount fewer rattle, but I’m not fully assured precisely the amount of that's surely intrinsic to the colour variation and absence of sentimental contact.
Also in regards to the again will be the Nexus 5’s outsized digicam cutout, which takes place being a bit elevated from the ground about this. It’s great to say which the Nexus five does Have acquired a digital camera bump, a thing that’s not heading absent ahead of prolonged in all but one of the most famous units. After i to begin with saw the outsized ring, I assumed it was only a structure motif, together with other men and women Later on speculated it had been for almost any line of magnetically-attachable integrate on lenses. Up to now none of people have materialized, and upon more thought acquiring magnets near to the VCM (voice coil motor) electromagnetic aim and OIS mechanism could complicate things. In any circumstance, At the moment the oversized ring across the digicam aperture can be a singular construction situation rather then anything which serves a functionality.
The only actual damaging in regards for the digicam cutout is the fact that dust appears for being to have the opportunity to get into the crack encompassing it as well as the duvet glass. It’s some issue unlucky regarding the Nexus five’s style and design and elegance generally – you might explore cracks that display Grime promptly, including the base features a seam around the edge anywhere dust seems to intrude. It certainly doesn’t alter the Nexus 5’s functionality, but straight absent commences off looking filthy about the black product or service, and Ingredient of why specified The 2 component by aspect I like the white only one.
I do Imagine pragmatic describes the Nexus 5 design and style rather properly, simply because Truthfully the seem doesn’t try and be flashy just for the sake of differentiation or make any crazy parts choices on the surface. Yow will discover delicate layout characteristics which definitely are appreciated, having said that, including the destructive angle to your sting that makes the unit very simple to grip, Individuals ceramic buttons, together with the continuity of structure language with the Nexus seven not shockingly. Aspects undoubtedly are a substantial differentiator involving models at this time, and once again the Nexus 5 is relatively pragmatic with its selection of polymer, but does have gained kudos for not heading With all the slick, shiny-surfaced materials continue to most well-liked by Korean handset makers.
The Nexus five feels properly produced and precision crafted, but I can’t shake the feeling that Nexus 4 felt a great deal more just like a standout structure of its possess. The Nexus five seems quite a bit a great deal additional, efficiently, common, without having rounded-glass edges, chrome ring, or sample down underneath the glass about the back again (which I even so preserve contained some sort of encoded message). The reality is normally that Google crafted an entire great deal of options with Nexus to improve for Expense, and which the Nexus five’s layout is certainly quite differentiated supplied the cost.
The Nexus 5 offers an entire ton about its predecessor – much larger 1080p Visual display unit, Newer silicon, 802.11ac, better electronic camera with OIS, as well as LTE connectivity, all when getting minimally costlier than its predecessor. It’s Pretty much pointless to state which the Nexus 5 is Plainly the top Nexus mobile phone continue to.
Physical Comparison
LG G2 Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GSM/UMTS) LG Nexus 4 LG Nexus 5
Height 138.5 mm 135.5 mm 133.9 mm 137.84 mm
Width 70.9 mm 67.94 mm 68.7 mm 69.17 mm
Depth 9.14 mm 8.94 mm 9.1 mm 8.59 mm
Weight 143 g 135 g 139 g 130 g
CPU 2.26 GHz MSM8974
(Quad Core Krait 400) 1.2 GHz OMAP 4460 (Dual Core Cortex A9) 1.5 GHz APQ8064 (Quad Core Krait) 2.26 GHz MSM8974
(Quad Core Krait 400)
GPU Adreno 330 PowerVR SGX 540 @ 304 MHz Adreno 320 Adreno 330
RAM 2 GB LPDDR3 1 GB LPDDR2 2 GB LPDDR2 2 GB LPDDR3
NAND 16/32 GB NAND 16/32 GB NAND 8/16 GB NAND 16/32 GB NAND
Camera 13 MP with OIS and Flash (Rear Facing) 2.1 MP Full HD (Front Facing) 5 MP with AF/LED Flash, 1080p30 video recording, 1.3 MP front facing 8 MP with AF/LED Flash, 1.3 MP front facing 8 MP with OIS, AF, LED flash, 1.3 MP front facing
Screen 5.2-inch 1920x1080 Full HD IPS LCD 4.65" 1280x720 SAMOLED HD 4.7" 1280x768 HD IPS+ LCD 4.95" 1920x1080 HD IPS LCD
Battery Internal 11.4 Whr Removable 6.48 Whr Internal 8.0 Whr Internal 8.74 Whr
Google also sent over one of the Nexus 5 bumper cases, which really isn’t so much bumper as it is, well, all around case. The Nexus 4 had bumpers that wrapped around the edge, but left the glass back exposed, much like the iPhone 4/4S era bumpers.
Nexus 5’s bumper case covers up everything but the oversized camera aperture on the back. The red one I got doesn’t seem to be silicone but some other thermoplastic.
At $35 it’s a bit on the pricey side, but it does fit the device nicely and get the job done with some cool neon colors that spice up the Nexus 5.