google nexus 5 review: Google Nexus 5 with LTE available now, unlocked starts at $349; Coming soon to Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T for $149 (hands-on)

It is finally here.

After months of leaks and rumours, Google officially announced its latest flagship phone, the Nexus 5, during a press event today in San Francisco. The device will run the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, and like its predecessor, it will be manufactured by LG.

However, there are several significant changes to the handset, such as a larger 4.95-inch screen, a faster Snapdragon 800 processor, and notably LTE support. It will be available unlocked on the Google Play Store starting today for $349 (16GB) and $399 (32GB).

design
Once again, minimalism is key. Decorated with a simple vertically lined Nexus logo and an even more subtle LG logo, the Nexus 5 sports a more subdued and restrained aesthetic that’s still sleek. Instead of the glossy, tile-patterned back that we saw on the Nexus 4, the black version of the 5 has a soft-touch matte backing, which, during our brief time with it, we found makes it easier to hold.

Personally, we like this new simple look for durability. As attractive as the Nexus 4 was, many reported that its glass back broke very easily; In fact, two of our own review units were also dismantled.

The handset measures 5.43 inches long, 2.72 inches wide and 0.34 inches thick, but weighs 4.59 ounces more than the previous generation. Sporting the biggest screen ever made with respect to the previous Nexus, it features a 4.95-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display. In keeping with its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, the Nexus 5’s touch screen has a 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution and 445ppi. In contrast, the previous Nexus only had a 1,280×768-pixel resolution with 320 ppi.

While it looks similar to LG’s current flagship, the LG G2, the Nexus 5 doesn’t have its key control buttons on the back. Its sleep/power button and volume rocker are both made of ceramic. As expected, it will come in two color variants: black and white. (The white model has a black bezel and black edge.) Google will also sell the bumpers for $34.99 in a variety of colors, including orange and gray.

The Nexus 5 felt great in the hand during our briefing. The slight curve in the back makes it easy to lift off the table, and it feels really light and sturdy.

major component
Powering the device is a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the same blazingly fast CPU seen in the G2. With this processor, the Nexus 5 is a mighty beast of a phone when you consider that both the Galaxy GS4 and HTC One are monsters of speed, and run on a Snapdragon 600 processor.

The handset packs an 8-megapixel camera and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. Google says that it has also made several important improvements to the handset’s camera. To compensate for unwanted hand movement, the Nexus 5 now features a tiny precision gyroscope in its lens for optical image stabilization. However, when we briefly tested it, it wasn’t perfect; Despite being in a well-lit room, there was still some blur in the photos we took.

The camera also features HDR+, which fuses multiple exposures as well as burst shots together to create a perfect image. As is common with HDR, the photos definitely took some time to process when we used the feature.

Google took the wraps off its Nexus 5. Josh Miller/CNET

Google also mentioned that Gallery has a wireless printing framework built into the app, so developers can easily add printing support, making it a lot easier to turn your digital images into tangible photos.

The handset is powered by a 2,300mAh battery and has 2GB of RAM. Additional features include wireless charging and NFC.

During our hands-on, the handset’s internal motion felt fast and very responsive, and swiping left on Google Now (which you can do with KitKat) was fast.

network compatibility
Google has made two versions of the handset, one specifically for North America/Asia, and the other for other regions such as Europe. For US consumers, Verizon customers will unfortunately be left out — this unlocked phone won’t support the carrier’s band. It will be compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.

However, the biggest update about the Nexus 5 is the fact that it will support LTE. For many US customers, the fact that the Nexus 4 was only compatible with HSPA+ was a major downfall (and a bit odd since the Galaxy Nexus later had LTE). Since the Nexus 5 is natively LTE-capable, however, it’s on par with today’s competition in terms of data speed capabilities, and that’s a big (albeit, a bit overdue) plus for the Nexus family.

What’s new with Android 4.4 KitKat
Pointing out that the biggest challenge with KitKat was limiting its size, Google explained that the new mobile OS has just a 512MB memory profile. This is 16 percent less memory than Jelly Bean, and frees up a significant amount of internal storage space.

Some of the new features include a more intuitive dialer. Instead of searching for a business through a browser, users can start typing the business’s name into the dialer (even if it’s not in the contact book), and Google will use its back-end servers, which are accessed by Google Maps. Powered up, numbers up to draw.

Improvements have also been made to Google Voice Search and Google Now. Several new cards have been added to Now; The software feature consists of news cards, including a card that keeps you updated on your favorite TV shows. It can also tailor search results to bring up summaries of your favorite topics.

For more information on KitKat, check out CNET’s first take here.

The handset now features image stabilization and HDR + processing. Josh Miller / CNET

Outlook
Once again, the Nexus 5 brings out some of the best smartphone technology. Not only does it now have LTE (the absence of which was seen as a major oversight from the previous model), it also has a powerful Snapdragon 800 processor, a 1080p screen, and the latest OS software.

But the biggest attraction of all is that it’s so incredibly affordable. Starting at $349, this is a great value. To compare, an unlocked Galaxy GS4 (16GB) goes for $649, and an unlocked HTC One (32GB) is $599. At less than $400, the Nexus 5 will definitely be a hit not just with Android purists, but for anyone looking for a great handset.

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