Google Nexus 5 review

We're very close to dying our satiated assess of the Google Nexus 5 - we're pretty impressed by this low fee, so will the hardware match up? Check made known our updated hands on to think it over approximately ahead of schedule view.

The extra Nexus 5 manages to offer a enormous step up in power while maintaining a brilliantly low fee tag.

The Google Nexus 5 is a phone that's the manufactured goods of constant evolution, companies one-upping all other as they try to verify they can get on to the preeminent Nexus.

The Nexus One was HTC's single shot by the title, with Samsung making two more at that time LG getting the okay pro the generally contemporary edition, the Nexus 4.

While with the intention of was a decent phone pro a stellar fee, the Nexus 5 is a enormous step forwards pro a digit of reasons - not smallest amount the sub-£300 fee tag (for the 16GB version - it's £339 pro the 32GB iteration).

There's the Snapdragon 800 poker chip by the sensitivity of things, running the trade show incredibly smoothly. The Google Nexus 5 is based loosely on the LG G2, with the same PC and akin IPS LCD screen, albeit with the extra Google phone appearance in by a less important 4.95-inch.

This earnings with the intention of record and internet browsing looks stellar, with colours sharp and vivid lacking looking ended saturated, as we've seen on the Super AMOLED screens of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 3.

Inside stipulations of design, the Google Nexus 5 manages to realize the anomalous combination of both feeling premium and solid in the furnish, while furthermore living up to its cheaper fee tag.

The build quality is solid, with thumbs down comes off parts (bar the safe and sound in SIM tray) making the Nexus 5 feel well-packaged in the furnish. The camera sensor is verging on the iconic thankfulness to the generous protruding ring, which seems a little excessive as while there's a ration of camera tech in here, it's not sufficient of a raise to really quantity more in.

Other likely is with the intention of the ring is here to keep the schooner of the camera lens from getting scratched as laid down on the desk, which makes significance and doesn't really detract from the overall feel of the phone.

What does rankle is the material though – it's a kind of rubberised plastic, and makes the phone feel neither glossy and sophisticated or premium in ways other polycarbonate-clad diplomacy deal with.

It's not terrible, but especially if you pick up the white version of the Nexus 5, you'll evenly notice with the intention of it's made made known of plastic, albeit a positively robust material.

The camera on the Nexus 5 is something of a diverse bag. It's an 8MP snapper, which might not appeal to approximately as here are a digit of 13MP+ handsets made known on the promote.

But there's more to the phone than solely a digit: It's furthermore got optical image stabilisation (OIS) which will involuntarily help remove blur from photos and uninvited judder all through videos as well.

The onboard user interface is pretty helpful as well, with a clever 'floating arc' logic with the intention of allows you to move through the menus from anywhere on the spectacle. Elements like HDR+ are a kind addition too, as the Nexus 5 can quickly enhance your photos to make the optimum balance of brightness and darker scenes to produce a really splendid impression.

However, the overall quality of the pics you take is single middling. Like so many cameraphones the Nexus 5 will bring about really well in optimum conditions, such as a sharp time with evident colours, but move too far from with the intention of scenario and things start to make a little noisier.

It's still a ration better than a digit of other cameraphones on the promote, and it's surprisingly skilled by maintaining point in digital zoom, so you can make kind and close to objects even with the picture is taken.

The Nexus 5 furthermore has a really fast close alacrity, making it splendid to try and grab a snap from a tender vista, but it still doesn't quantity the awe-inspiring power and mode choices of something like the Nokia Lumia 1020 or LG G2, pro occasion.

The overall design of the Google Nexus 5 is impressive, while not appearance anywhere close to the construction of the metal-clad HTC One or akin. It sits in the furnish well, has a distinguished quality screen and everything facility well as you aspire it to.

One of the foremost reasons users will aspire a Nexus device is the skill to make their hands on the newest version of Android, bringing with it the extra ideas with the intention of Google is plugging on its OS previous to somebody moreover.

Android 4.4 (or KitKat, thankfulness to a tie-in with Nestle) is a relatively generous step forwards pro Android users, as it adds in elements with the intention of really increase the navigation experience. For occasion, as conception a tome or watching a show, the navigation and notification bars will completely disappear to consent to you make the generally made known of with the intention of resplendently generous screen.

On top of with the intention of, Google has irrevocably engineered Android to get on to satiated aid of the spectacle in defend mode by let wallpapers proffer through the notifications slab by the top and the logic buttons by the underside of the screen.

This doesn't sound like much, but comparing this version of Android with the before iterations makes KitKat feel a ration more complete and visually striking.

Other answer tweaks include being able to think it over your generally valuable public by the top of your contacts catalog, and the Nexus 5 will look around pro community affair facts as you make a call from someone unknown – you can even reverse this trick to in effect produce you the Yellow Pages aptly in your phone dialler.

Media is furthermore a answer consideration pro Google, agreed with the intention of this phone is subsidised mostly to allow users to advance straightforward access to its Google Play Store, export lots of content to bolster the search giant's assets.

The composition and record apps on the Nexus 5 aren't the generally powerful or straightforward to glide through to make to your content, as they're so severely combined with videos and composition gleaned or spill from the Google Play Store.

However with the intention of, in a way, is the beauty of Google's 'naked' Android offering – you can point out to aid the basic on-board apps, but here are so many better options on the Store to increase the experience with almost one functionality you may possibly ask if you're prepared pro a little trial and miscalculation.

The skilled news is the hardware can keep up – the Snapdragon 800 poker chip is furthermore very accomplished sonically, importance if you've invested in a decent fit of earbuds you'll be satisfied with apparent and wholesome sound. Even YouTube videos sound rich and bass-filled, as well as observably being straightforward to spill through the 4G connection on board.

One of the biggest elements of Google's Android range is the skill to control the handset using the Google Now app – it's integrated right through the phone through an upward smack from the underside of the screen and gives second access to the search interface.

However, there's a further nifty trick with the Nexus 5, lone that's been on loan from the Motorola suite (which Google furthermore owns): The skill to simply say 'OK Google' as in the Now app or even solely on the homescreen and be inflicted with the phone take note to your voice.

It's not as clever as the Moto X handset, which debuted this figure, since you sort out be inflicted with to be inflicted with the Nexus 5 unlocked to aid the initiation voice mandate, and by with the intention of calculate you'll be tempted to solely aid the far more effectual fingers you've got to control the handset.

But it's a cool trick and more accurate than you'd imagine pro a voice recognition engine – it's a ration better than Siri, pro model, in with the intention of respect, and gives you the second skill to hurl a quick message or start the composition player.

Google Now is a very rich app with the intention of furthermore sits on the missing furnish feature of all your family screens, permanently unfilled to smack to as you commence the phone. From at this time you can make info on the easiest way to make family, think it over how your favourite team is responsibility or even make a notification as your smooth is vacant to leave – the latter achieved through Gmail inbox scanning.

Google is humanizing its Now app with each iteration of Android, and we're irrevocably by the top as it can be considered the real sensitivity of the Android experience; as the voice dispensation improves, you'll straightforwardly make to the top everywhere hands emancipated aid will be a natural way to aid the phone.

Inside synopsis, KitKat is a skilled upgrade, making the Android OS more integrated than always previous to, but if you're waiting to make it on your HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4, you don't need to agonize too much agreed these handsets already be inflicted with a decent skin to bury such elements.

The surplus of the Nexus 5 is pretty basic; Google wants the have a supply of Android buyers to solely make on with downloading their own apps and making the phone their own. With with the intention of in mind, the Nexus 5 is a really skilled option, as the better screen is exact as a bemused picture to paint in the lead as you think it over fit.

Early verdict

The Nexus range has taken a real step forwards at this time. The Nexus 4 was a splendid option pro persons with the intention of don't aspire to waste a ration, but the handset really began to creak with too long.

The Nexus 5, while a little shortly in the time compared to the other top-end handsets, seems to be a ration more bullet-proof in stipulations of being able to involve on chugging pro a link of years.

And what's better is with the intention of this will cost very little to approve of frankly from Google, importance many will be able to snap this up and energy on a rolling SIM-only deal to produce frankness to upgrade as they aspire.