The Google Nexus 5 was unveiled last week but the reviews are filtering in. The consensus so far is that it has potential to become Google’s flagship smartphone. Interested in buying it? These are the top five reviews you need to read.
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1. Joshua Topolsky – The Verge
Google search is all over KitKat — and some users may take a moment to adjust to how much that changes the OS. Google Now is a left-swipe away from your main home screen, accessible very much like HTC’s BlinkFeed. That means people who’ve been using that left space for icons and widgets will have to rethink their home screen strategy. Google voice search is also now deeply integrated into KitKat; you need only utter “okay Google” to start searching. This is akin to the Moto X’s implementation of an “always listening” mode, but it’s only listening while you’re in the launcher of the phone, so it’s not nearly as useful (or invasive, some might argue). You can also now search keywords from within the phone dialer, which is a bit like having Google Maps business info integrated perfectly into the app. On that note, the dialer has actually been completely redesigned, but Google needs to wrangle the UI in that particular piece of the puzzle as it’s now relatively confusing to use.
The phone will come equipped with Android 4.4, the latest update to Google’s OS. The most prominent aspect of the software is the integration of Google Search. Despite the design enhancements and other accessories, the search function will make the phone incredibly interactive in terms of performance.
2. Matt Warman – The Telegraph
As a device, the Nexus 5 feels like it should cost a lot more than the £299 recommended price – Carphone Warehouse is even selling it for £295: manufacturers LG have made a concerted bid to give its plastic construction a matt feel that is neither slippery nor cheap. Its 4.95” screen is surrounded by super-slim bezels and a screen that offers the now customary HD. At maximum brightness, it looks as good as any Android rival. There is only an 8MP camera, no removable storage and the construction is great value for money rather than iPhone-peerless. But there is wireless charging if you buy a suitable charger and there is also 4G, unlike the previous Nexus 4. That makes Three’s forthcoming free 4G upgrade offer particularly attractive for those on a budget. Battery life, overall, was adequate but not 16-hours-a-day without worrying, while pictures were, again, very good for an 8MP camera.
Warman’s review provides a quick run-through of the device. He felt that it was a sturdy product with a strong array of features. The price was accurate for what it offers.
3. Larry Magid – Forbes
The 8 MP rear facing camera now has optical image stabilization and an HDR+ setting that takes multiple pictures in burst mode and puts them together for supposedly better results. I wasn’t blown away by the photo quality, but it was good by Android standards. If you scroll down you can view a sample video and get a sense of the quality of the microphone (which sounded pretty good to me).
Magid like the camera housed within the Nexus 5. He conducted a few tests to find out how the quality would be when taking pictures and video. He felt that this element of the phone was strong for Android standards.
4. Gareth Beavis – Techradar
The Nexus 5 is a huge step forward for a number of reasons – not least the sub-$350 (AUS$399 price tag (for the 16GB model – the 32GB option comes in at $399 /AUS $449).
There’s the Snapdragon 800 chip at the heart of things, running the show incredibly smoothly. The Google Nexus 5 is based loosely on the LG G2, with the same processor and similar IPS LCD screen, albeit with the new Google phone coming in at a smaller 4.95-inch.
Beavis focused on the internal specs and price. He thought the Snapdragon chip greatly increased the processing power of the phone and that the price was accurate. Overall, he felt the phone was a huge improvement over the Nexus 4.
5. Andrew Williams – Trusted Reviews
This is a deeply pragmatic phone in many respects, in that Google was clearly out to make a mobile that looks and feels great, without any of the flashy, budget-busting bits of a £600 phone like the iPhone 5S. The Google Nexus 5 is arguably much more conservative, design-wise, than the Nexus 4 it replaces.
The Nexus 5 is made of soft touch matt black plastic. It doesn’t sound as impressive as the aluminium of the HTC One, but the response from the TrustedReviews team was unanimous – it feels great.
Williams focused on the design which many reviews seem to neglect sometimes. The writer considered it a very comfortable phone that looks and feels great. Occasionally, these devices can be bloated and filled with accessories that are useless. However, Google seemed to streamline the new Nexus well. Check out the link below for more.
Check out our Nexus 5 review too.
