By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 1 November 2013 19:25 IST
Google and LG finally unveiled the much-awaited new Nexus smartphone,
the Nexus 5 with
significant changes - they have made the smartphone more powerful, apart
from lighter and thinner. The Nexus 5 is also meant to be the platform
lead device for Android 4.4 KitKat, showcasing the potential of the new
OS. Here is how the Nexus 5 squares up against the Nexus 4, its
predecessor, and platform lead device for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Display Google
and LG have decided offer a bigger display with the Nexus 5. It
features a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixel) IPS+ LCD display which
boasts a pixel density of 445ppi, and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass
3. On the other hand, the Nexus 4 sports a 4.7-inch HD (768x1280 pixels)
IPS+ LCD display with a pixel density of 320ppi, and Corning Gorilla
Glass 2. We've yet to get our hands on the Nexus 5, and for now, can't
take a call on which display is better for now (in terms of viewing
angles, colour accuracry, brightness and contrast), with both featuring
the same display technology.
Camera The Nexus 5 sports an
8-megapixel rear camera with OIS, a new addition to Nexus smartphone
line-up. It also houses a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. On the
camera front, the Nexus 4 was criticised for its relative average camera
performance. However, Google has now acknowledged the issue and has
introduced the optical image stabilisation (OIS) feature in the Nexus
5's camera, which should ensure sharper images and video. The rest of
the imaging optics appears to be the same as the Nexus 4, with the same
8-megapixel sized rear camera, and 1.3-megapixel front camera. In
addition, the camera app was also updated with Android 4.4 KitKat (which
will make its way to the Nexus 4), with Photo Sphere for Panorama 360
degree shots; HDR+ mode for burst shots which automatically chooses the
best shot.
Hardware The Nexus 5 is powered by
top-of-the-line 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which is
coupled with the Adreno 330 GPU. Its predecessor, the Nexus 4, is
powered by 1.5GHz quad-core Krait Snapdragon processor with Adreno 320
GPU.
It seems for the Nexus 5, Google and LG decided to stick with
the flagship tradition and chose the Qualcomm's latest processor,
available on nearly all the recently launched flagship smartphones like
the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, LG G2 and Sony Xperia Z1.
There is an
upgrade in the battery department as well; the Nexus 5 comes with
2300mAh battery which the manufacturer claims can deliver up to 17 hours
of talktime (3G) and a standby time of up to 300 hours (3G). Nexus 4
came with a 2100mAh battery, which was rated to deliver up to 15 hours
of talktime (3G), and 390 hours of standby time (3G).
Notably, the
Nexus 5 does not feature expandable storage with a microSD card slot,
once again knocking the smartphone off a potential purchase list for
some users - the lack of microSD card support was perhaps the biggest
omission the Nexus 4 was criticized for.
Design The Nexus 5
at 8.59mm is definitely slimmer than the Nexus 4, which is 9.1mm thick.
It is also lighter at 130 grams, compared to the Nexus 4's 139 grams.
The overall design has been also re-worked and instead of the glass back
seen on Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 comes with a Nexus 7 (2013) tablet
style-panel, featuring a matte finish and prominent Nexus branding.
Connectivity options Connectivity
options on the Nexus 5 have also seen an upgrade with the
much-requested addition of LTE network support. The Nexus 4 had been
criticised heavily for not including support. The Nexus 5 brings
dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac as well. Not many other changes have been made
on the Nexus 5 on the connectivity front.
The Nexus 5 also
features Android Beam, an NFC enabled feature which lets users share
digital details with just a tap of smartphone. Other connectivity
features included are wireless charging support, and Bluetooth 4.0,
which are also available on the Nexus 4. T
Software Google's
new Nexus smartphone is the first device to run Android 4.4 KitKat
out-of-the-box and is definitely an improved version of the Jelly Bean.
The Nexus 4 will be receiving the update soon as well, and will have all
the same features - so, only the preloaded aspect is different. The new
features include a smart dialler, and Google-powered Caller ID. KitKat
also brings the ability to wake the smartphone by just saying 'OK
Google', a feature which was earlier seen on Moto X.
Google also claims
that the Android 4.4 KitKat can now optimise memory and improve
touchscreen response for better multitasking. Android 4.4 also bring
some new features such as Hangouts app now can show messages and MMS;
new immersive mode, offers full screen while reading, watching or
playing, on swiping the edges offers navigation bar and status bar;
native printing from Android, offers users an option to print documents,
images and web pages from a device.
Price Nexus 5 is priced at $349 for the 16GB variant while the 32GB
model costs at $399. In India, the Nexus 5 has been priced at Rs. 28,999
for the 16GB model while the 32GB variant is listed for Rs. 32,999.
On
the other hand, the Nexus 4 16GB was launched at $349 in October 2012,
and received a $100 price cut in August 2013. For the Indian pricing,
the Nexus 4 16GB was launched at Rs. 25,999 in May.
Overall Those
considering upgrading from the Nexus 4 to the Nexus 5 will get a better-specced device that will deliver much faster performance, new Android
4.4 KitKat software out-of-the-box, improved camera, upgraded battery
and LTE support (though not for India).
Once again, like the Nexus 4,
the Nexus 5 is a great deal for those looking for a value for money
performance Android smartphone - just the Snapdragon 800 chipset at this
price is a steal.
The Nexus 5 has now been listed on the Indian
Google Play store with a pricing of Rs. 28,999, while the Nexus 4 has been removed from the
store completely, though we expect online retailers to continue listing
it for a while, without a price drop.
Intex iRist Review3 November 2015
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