My first cell phone was a Sony Ericson, featuring radical and futuristic features like FM Radio, 2G data, a built-in MP3 Player, and Solitaire. That was 2007, the same year Apple shook the world with it's own radical and futuristic device, the iPhone. Since then, I've owned several others, working my way up from prepaid dumb phones to actual smartphones. The phone I would always dream about owning was a Nexus device. From the Nexus S, to the most recent addition, the Nexus 6, the idea of a device from Google itself with top of the line hardware running vanilla Android without bloatware seemed like something I'd never get the chance to experience for myself. But, after saving up enough money to buy myself out of the last year of my 3 year wireless contract, I made the switch and never looked back.
What is it?
The Nexus 5 from LG is the fifth smartphone released in under the Nexus brand, succeeding the Nexus 4, also from LG. Designed and developped by Google, the Nexus 5 was released in North America on October 31st, 2013 and was the first device to ship with Android 4.4 KitKat.
More recently, The Nexus 5 was one of the first devices to recieve an upgrade to Android 5.0, and is expected to be compatible with the upcoming Android OS, codenamed "M", to be released in Q3 of 2015.
At just $310 USD unlocked, and off contract, it strikes a great balance between performance and affordability.
Design
Available in both Black and White versions (I personally own the Black version), the back of the Nexus 5 features a fairly typical layout. The eye is immediately drawn to the large 3-megapixel camera in the top left corner with an LED light below it, allowing for flash photography or for use as a flashlight. A horizontal Nexus logo can also be seen on the back along with a small LG logo and device information at the bottom centre.
Along the sides, we find a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, volume rocker on the left side, dual speakers and micro-USB port on the bottom, as well as a power button and SIM card slot on the right side.
At the front, we have a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, speaker, and indicator LED.
The pastic back is made with soft-touch material, making it comfortable to hold yet also has enough grip that you won't easily drop it. All of the buttons have a very satisfying click with tactile feedback.
Along the sides, we find a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, volume rocker on the left side, dual speakers and micro-USB port on the bottom, as well as a power button and SIM card slot on the right side.
At the front, we have a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, speaker, and indicator LED.
The pastic back is made with soft-touch material, making it comfortable to hold yet also has enough grip that you won't easily drop it. All of the buttons have a very satisfying click with tactile feedback.
Using It
The Nexus 5 was the first flagship tiered smartphone I had ever used. The only experience with smartphones I had up until that point was my old HTC Raider 4G, a mid-range device than originally ran Android 2.3 Gingerbread. If I'm comparing the two, the Nexus 5 is lightyears ahead. Not only is the performance fantastic, with smooth animations and apps that launch fairly quickly, but the bloatware and stupid skins that HTC seemed to love so much were nowhere in sight.
One of the most useful features, that in the beginning I didn't think I'd use very much, was wireless charging. I had no idea that saving that extra 2-3 seconds connecting a microUSB cable would make such an impact. Becasue it did take some effort (even if it was minimal) to have to plug in my device, I would usually just try to conserve my battery and wait until later. But, just being able to put the phone down on a little disc and have it magically charge is awesome. In terms of the battery, I find that under normal use, I can get through the day without having to charge it. Lolipop's Battery Saver feature is always there to save me if I need my charge to last longer, especially when traveling.
One of the major gripes many critics had with the Nexus 5 was the camera. Although I'm not an avid photographer, I do like being able to pull out my phone and capture a moment. The one place it seems to fall short, for me, is in heavy sunlight. Indoors, especially at museums, the photos it takes and clear and crisp. The flash, although I don't use it much, is great in low-light, and my favourite feature has to be the panoramic and 360 degree shots I can take with Google's Camera app. Overall, it definietly isn't the best smartphone camera, but it certainly gets the job done.
I'll quickly touch on sound. Although the speakers on the Nexus 5 are bottom-facing and not front-facing, I still enjoy the volume and quality of the speakers, especially considering how small they are. When it comes to making telephone calls (which doesn't happen very often) the speaker and microphone get the job done and offer great sound quality.
The display is one of the places where the Nexus 5 shines, the large 5" display is awesome for watching anything from YouTube videos to movies on Netflix, allowing for full HD playback. I'm sure 1440p and 4K are coming along soon, but for now, I'm perfectly content with standard high definition, especially on a display so small in comparison to my PC (22").
The software, well, in comparison to HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz, Android that comes directly from Google is a god send. Constant and more importantly, helpful software updates are a welcome addition onto a package incuding the great default Google apps, as well as a helpful notification centre and easy access to settings. I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't get any better than vanilla Android.
One of the most useful features, that in the beginning I didn't think I'd use very much, was wireless charging. I had no idea that saving that extra 2-3 seconds connecting a microUSB cable would make such an impact. Becasue it did take some effort (even if it was minimal) to have to plug in my device, I would usually just try to conserve my battery and wait until later. But, just being able to put the phone down on a little disc and have it magically charge is awesome. In terms of the battery, I find that under normal use, I can get through the day without having to charge it. Lolipop's Battery Saver feature is always there to save me if I need my charge to last longer, especially when traveling.
One of the major gripes many critics had with the Nexus 5 was the camera. Although I'm not an avid photographer, I do like being able to pull out my phone and capture a moment. The one place it seems to fall short, for me, is in heavy sunlight. Indoors, especially at museums, the photos it takes and clear and crisp. The flash, although I don't use it much, is great in low-light, and my favourite feature has to be the panoramic and 360 degree shots I can take with Google's Camera app. Overall, it definietly isn't the best smartphone camera, but it certainly gets the job done.
I'll quickly touch on sound. Although the speakers on the Nexus 5 are bottom-facing and not front-facing, I still enjoy the volume and quality of the speakers, especially considering how small they are. When it comes to making telephone calls (which doesn't happen very often) the speaker and microphone get the job done and offer great sound quality.
The display is one of the places where the Nexus 5 shines, the large 5" display is awesome for watching anything from YouTube videos to movies on Netflix, allowing for full HD playback. I'm sure 1440p and 4K are coming along soon, but for now, I'm perfectly content with standard high definition, especially on a display so small in comparison to my PC (22").
The software, well, in comparison to HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz, Android that comes directly from Google is a god send. Constant and more importantly, helpful software updates are a welcome addition onto a package incuding the great default Google apps, as well as a helpful notification centre and easy access to settings. I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't get any better than vanilla Android.
Like
Wow, where do I begin? Using this device for just over a year now has been a blast. The constant software updates directly from Google alone is maybe worth the purchase. For a tech geek like me, there's no greater feeling than being on the first people to receive a new operating system and the ability to try out the public beta for an upcoming releases is another great perk.
Even being almost a year old, it shows no sign of slowing down and hasn't faced any major hardware or software issues.
No Like
Unlike other some of the other flagship devices the Nexus 5 competes with, it lacks expandable storage through a micro-SD card or a removable battery. Although I've never had an issue with storage and I already own a battery backup, these features would have made it an even better deal.
This isn't really an issue with the Nexus 5 itself, but the fact that it's fully compatible with NFC and mobile payments while not supported by any bank or mobile carrier in Canada for that purpose is ridiculous!
Another minor quip I have with the Nexus 5 is the screen. Screen cleanliness is a big issue for me, and it seems like it just loves to attarct fingerprints. This isn't a huge deal, as I carry a microfibre cloth with me, but it could be an issue for someone like me who dislikes using screen protectors.
This isn't really an issue with the Nexus 5 itself, but the fact that it's fully compatible with NFC and mobile payments while not supported by any bank or mobile carrier in Canada for that purpose is ridiculous!
Another minor quip I have with the Nexus 5 is the screen. Screen cleanliness is a big issue for me, and it seems like it just loves to attarct fingerprints. This isn't a huge deal, as I carry a microfibre cloth with me, but it could be an issue for someone like me who dislikes using screen protectors.
Should You Buy It?
At this point, probably not. The device itself is now almost two years old, and while Google continues to push out software updates, there are more recent low-cost devices like the OnePlus One that would make for a better choice. There are rumours that Google could be releasing a new version of the Nexus 5 with upgraded hardware and software support sometime this year, which, if the pricing is similar to its predecessor, could make it an absolute bargain!
Overall Rating: 5/5
Website: http://www.google.ca/nexus/5/
Buy it on Amazon:
- United States ($310): http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-Unlocked-Quad-Core-Android-Smartphone/dp/B00GGQJL2K/
If you're looking for a great case for the Nexus 5, check out my review of the Fosmon STURDY series here: http://glaciertek.blogspot.com/2015/05/fosmon-sturdy-series-case-review.html
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