Google Nexus 5 Android Smartphone Review

Google’s Nexus 5 marks a substantial advance within the frequently maligned imaging capabilities from the Nexus smartphone line. The camera’s optical image stabilization combines using its decent 8-megapixel sensor to deliver images that, whilst not class-leading, are certainly competitive.However, within our review we found that the Nexus 5’s camera performance was undermined by speed issues: your camera app was slow to begin up, exhibited frustrating shutter lag and felt pokey when focusing. Right after the phone started shipping Google said hello would address these issues, and contains delivered on its promise using the Android 4.4.1 update that’s been rolling to Nexus devices since Friday. (Another update, Android 4.2.2, has already been on the move as well, though it comes with no same sort of significant effects.

Aesthetics

The Google Nexus 5 is slightly bigger, but thinner and 9 grams lighter compared to Nexus 4. At 130 grams, the correct answer is light for a phone of the size. For that, LG has strictly gone with plastic. It's construction is solid though. Because of the matte finish, the phone seamless comfort to hold and is also resistant to fingerprints and smudges.

Specs

The Nexus 5 is run by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.3 GHz. Gaming continues to be taken care of by an Adreno 330 GPU, helped by 2 GB of RAM. Similar to its predecessor, the Nexus 5 comes with an 8 megapixel camera sensor. However, there are several improvements for better low-light photography.

Display

The Nexus 5 sports a 5-inch (4.95" more specifically) full-HD screen. It features a protective layer of Corning's Gorilla Glass 3. The IPS panel is impressively sharp and produces vibrant colours. The contrast and viewing angles are great too. However, the screen isn't bright enough in comparison with competitors. So while the display looks fantastic during night, its legibility drops drastically in sunlight. Furthermore, the screen is extremely reflective.

Kitkat

On the software front, you receive the spanking new Android 4.4. In the latest iteration, Android has got some improvements underneath the hood such as printer support and low-memory footprint. For normal users, there are some UI refinements too. To begin with, the black bars round the onscreen navigation keys and notification area happen to be replaced by a neat transparency effect. The icons look slightly larger than what you get on most Android Smartphones.

Performance

The Nexus 5's quality of sound is very good. The music player offers lots of equalisers and audio settings to experience around with. In terms of video playback, the telephone doesn't support many codecs. Additionally, it lacks subtitles support. However, it isn't an issue since you can easily obtain a good third-party player such as MXPlayer. With a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and Adreno 330 GPU inside, the Nexus 5 will a great job when it comes to gaming. From casual, to 3D first-person-shooters, the telephone runs all Android games with an ease.

Camera

Unlike most high-end phones, the Nexus 5 camera interface is basic. Since there is no dedicated shutter button, the phone offers touch-to-focus option. Long press anywhere around the viewfinder to find out more settings including megapixel count, flash toggle, and exposure.