Some manufacturers of mobile devices manage to produce smartphones, which in terms of cost belong to the middle class of gadgets, while in terms of their characteristics and quality of work, they can fully qualify for the flagship segment. One of these is the object of today's article - the Nexus 5 smartphone. We will tell you more about it.
Nexus line
First of all, it should be noted that the device belongs to the Nexus line from Google. This is a series of devices of various formats (in addition to a smartphone, it also features 2 tablets - 7 and 9), which in terms of performance compete with some flagships. The development and release of these gadgets is handled by some well-known manufacturer (for example, phones - LG, tablets - Asus and HTC), while the software is provided by Google. In addition, the operation of the devices is characterized by high performance and reaction speed. This is achieved through the measures taken to optimize the operation of the gadget.
Smartphone LG Nexus 5
The device, which we will talk about in this article, also differs in speed, high performance and a lot of advantages over its competitors. This is achieved both due to the high level of technical equipment of the model, and through the development of high-quality software (which was already noted above). And the result, as they say, is obvious - the model has been successfully sold for almost 3 years, from the very moment of its launch in 2012. And what is surprising - even now its price is at the level of 200-250 dollars. The phone’s parameters still allow us to talk about it as a competitive smartphone for successfully solving numerous everyday tasks of the user.
About what this device is, as well as how the Nexus 5 (D821) smartphone was able to conquer such a competitive market, read our article. In the review, we present both “dry” information from the technical description of the model, as well as reviews of those who were lucky enough to hold the device in their hands, or even use it for a long period of time.
Appearance
According to the tradition of writing such reviews today, we will start with the exterior of the device - with what we first see when we pick up our Nexus smartphone. First of all, it should be noted the material from which the body is made - this is black plastic with a matte texture. Due to this, it is pleasant and convenient to hold the phone in your hands - during use, the device does not fall out of hand. The case of the model is made integral, the battery cover is not removable, and the SIM card is tucked into a special hole. This led to the fact that no backlashes or creaks in the process of working with the phone is not observed.
In form, the device is similar to the Nexus 7 tablet - the signature features of this line are visible. The front panel is ribbed, while the rear has a smooth shape. Even at the back, the phone’s belonging to the well-known series from Google gives out the characteristic Nexus inscription on the device’s cover. In the upper part, you can observe the protruding peephole of the camera and the flash under it.
In general, it should be noted that the appearance of the model is not somehow original. From afar, it resembles a classic “brick”, a form in which numerous Chinese clones of flagship devices are made.
Display
As for the front surface of the phone - its screen, its size is 4.95 inches. Due to this, we can say that the Nexus smartphone belongs to the class of “mid-sized” smartphones - this value is optimal for working with the device.
The quality of the picture will please most users - the screen is quite bright (which allows you to work with the phone in the sun), and also has a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. Together with FullHD technology, this makes the image on the phone with a density of 441 ppi quite rich and clear. The only drawback of the display, which was mentioned in all reviews of the model, is a little faded color. Compared to the Galaxy S4, the Google Nexus smartphone cannot convey the full saturation of colors on its screen. However, this is not so noticeable in the daily operation of the device.
It is also necessary to emphasize the security of the screen, which is achieved through the use of high-strength glass Gorilla Glass 3, which is able to withstand impacts, scratches and chips during operation.
CPU
If you believe the official technical information about the model, then the Nexus 5 works on the basis of 4 cores of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, whose frequency reaches 2.26 GHz. The RAM of the device reaches 2 GB. With such indicators, it is not surprising that the smartphone easily plays even the most bulky games with Google Play without delay. Working with the phone menu also does not cause any inconvenience - everything works perfectly fast.
As for the simultaneous launch of several applications in the background - even then the smartphone LG Nexus 5 16GB (Black) shows an excellent result in terms of response speed. Anyway, if the device is sold even now, this is additional evidence that it has a margin of performance and speed.
Memory
The amount of data that can be recorded on the phone should be written separately. So, unlike many Android devices, the Nexus 5 does not have a slot for an additional memory card. This means that all the memory that is on the device is limited to the factory, standard volume. According to the specifications, there are only two modifications - Nexus 16 and 32 GB. It is impossible to increase memory, but, by the way, this should be enough for the average user, even taking into account the downloading of movies or TV shows directly to the device.
Camera
Regarding how the camera works on the phone, we could not find complaints in the reviews. Of course, he can’t shoot the phone at a professional level, so those who buy a Nexus smartphone do not expect this from him. However, for creating amateur pictures, the camera on the phone is perfect. The reviews repeatedly praise the special HDR technology, the meaning of which is to create several photos, from which one “selects” the one where the color balance is better observed.
If you believe the reviews describing the smartphone LG Nexus 5 (16GB), then it can be argued that this device allows you to take better pictures than the iPhone 5. To hear this for those who regularly use the “Nexus” is probably very nice.
In addition to the main one, the phone also has a front-facing camera for “selfie” pictures. Of course, it does not provide a flash; and the quality of the shooting is much lower. The matrix resolution here reaches 1.2 megapixels - but even this is enough to create quite decent photos.
Battery
An important aspect in any review of the phone is the battery. It directly affects how long the device will work on a single charge. The “survivability” of a battery is determined by the simplest parameter called “capacity”. The new Nexus 5 smartphone is able to last up to 2 days of active use without recharging due to the battery capacity of 2300 mAh. For comparison: the battery with a capacity of 1500-1600 mAh is installed on the same iPhone, but it works no less due to a more optimized consumption. On Android devices, things are worse with this.
operating system
By the way, since we are talking about the OS, it should be noted that the Nexus 5 comes with a “clean” shell from Google. This means that the manufacturer does not modify the platform in any way, giving the user the opportunity to deal with the original system that works as quickly and smoothly as possible. As for the version, this is Android 4.4.4, which after launch can be updated to version 5.1 (relevant at the time of this writing). In general, the operating system is pretty fast - today it works an order of magnitude faster and looks better than older versions.
Reviews
Given that the phone has good enough parameters (meaning performance, equipment, a screen and a “tenacious” battery), you can guess that customer reviews will be appropriate. And so it is - the phone really earned a lot of laudatory recommendations from those who happened to work with him. Users note the high quality of the assembly, the absence of “glitches”, complete satisfaction with the work of the device.
Negative feedback buyers report, for example, that not all applications are optimized for Android 4.4.4; as well as the fact that on some models there is a backlash of the sound adjustment button. We also managed to find a couple of reviews in which people complained about the low weight of the device, due to which there is a fear of dropping it (especially somewhere on the street). Another “drawback” that we managed to read about in the recommendations from customers is the port connector for charging. Users who described this as the negative side of the phone claim that it is too fragile and does not look as attractive as it could. Again, perhaps this is a subjective assessment of each - what should (ideally) be one or another module of the gadget.
In general, we can confidently say that the vast majority of owners are satisfied with the way their Nexus smartphones behave. Price in the domestic market is perhaps the only thing that can upset potential buyers. However, the device is clearly worth the money.
Competitors
In general, the model can be called the flagship, although in terms of price positioning it is rather in the middle class. Nexus rivals are the Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z1 and, of course, the LG G2. The latter phone is very similar to the hero of today's review, as it was developed by the same manufacturing company, it is offered at a similar price and has similar technical parameters. The first two devices are a little more expensive - by 3-5 thousand rubles. Despite this, in some matters they are inferior to the Nexus 5.
Conclusion
The device that we talked about in this article can clearly be of interest to those who are looking for an inexpensive but powerful smartphone. Without unnecessary pathos, with a completely simple design, the product from LG and Google can work wonders, featuring high-quality images, optimized battery consumption, a powerful battery and processor. The quality of the finish, the glass of the display also “hold the mark” of the status of the flagship model.
One cannot but mention the implementation of the software, which, obviously, Google was engaged in. Graphics on the Nexus 5 just “flies”, and the phone quickly responds to every touch of the user. This is exactly what many Android devices lack.
The fact that the Nexus smartphone is an ideal ratio of price and quality is also shown by sales, which have been going on for the third year already.
Therefore, if the model suits you according to its characteristics, and you are interested in acquiring such a device, you should not think about it for a long time! Take Nexus 5 - and you will definitely not regret it!