The Nexus 5 LG now comes to online stores. It’s the best of all mobile phones Nexus series. Depending on what you value, probably the best Android market.
The Nexus series was invented by Google to help standardize the Android system. The idea is each year to order a unit to a major manufacturer. It comes with the Android operating system purinho without any of those applications or layers or invented by the manufacturers or the carriers versions. When Google releases any system update, it arrives directly by internet to the device in a matter of days or hours. The Nexus serve as a standard for those who develop applications for Android. How are subsidized by Google, also come to market at a very low price compared to the quality of the product.
>> Other tests this week
The first in the series was the Nexus One, 2010, ordered the HTC. Then came the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus (Samsung) Nexus and Nexus 4 and 5 (LG). I’ve tested them all. Beyond the Nexus 5, which currently use, I also have a Nexus S and a Galaxy Nexus, which offer a good comparison.
The Nexus 5 is a leap over previous models in the series. But let’s parties.
CAMERA The breakthrough of the Nexus 5 is the camera. The former had no right quality appliance. Have a Nexus 5 can take good pictures even at night with street lighting. It is rare to require the flash. With daylight, the images have color saturation and sharpness. For months they no longer use a Panasonic Lumix camera for photos of the day-to-day nor to record some travel. The cell phone has replaced the portable camera with some advantages.
Google gives some benefits to anyone who takes pictures with the Android phone. After the click, the cell rises the images to the cloud of social network Google+. They are there only available for your viewing, privately. And to share with someone just one click. Additionally, Google applies automatic editing of images. If you take a sequence of three photos of the same scene, Google puts it together and mount an animated image in gif format. If a group of people, selects the best smile of each character and assemble a picture where everyone shows up well in the photo. The system also tries to identify objects that may disrupt the sequence of pictures (as a cyclist crossing in front of the image) and suggests deleting the intruder. At the end of the year, Google assembles a lively video presentation with a selection of your best photos and get ready for you. Or make jokes. At Christmas, you flip a picture and starts snowing inside. You can record the scene as a gif and share with friends.
The camera program has some useful features. One lets you take a picture of an object in the foreground and blur the background. You can adjust how much the background is out of focus. Another feature is the Photo Sphere. You will take pictures of what is around you, like a complete 360 as the floor and ceiling. Then the camera assembles the images and you can see how you are inside a sphere. Or like you are using a virtual reality goggles, like Oculus Rift.
The camera also makes the Nexus 5 videos in full HD, which is no longer big news across the top of the line appliances. Integration with YouTube is the easiest way possible, of course.
SOFTWARE 5 The Nexus comes with the latest version of Android 4.4.2, nicknamed Kit Kat. The new system came with some news. For starters, the icons are larger. Good for those with tired eyes.
The home screen of the device has changed little. Among the new features, a button in the lower right corner lets you open the camera without even unlocking the phone. It’s the fastest way to get the phone out of his pocket and start shooting. Made life easier. The music player also improved. In the previous version, the phone locks the home screen in the middle of playing music (either using the player himself or others as Deezer), it displays a menu to play, pause or fast forward. Now the menu became more beautiful. The album cover takes up the entire screen of the device.
Google took the liberty of joining your SMS account with Hang Outs, dialogues within Gmail. You can send two types of messages using a single application. And the dialogue appears in a single box. In the beginning is weird. But in less than a day you used to.
Now Google was once only accessible to swipe down on the screen up. Now, it appears when you run the splash screen to the right. Now Google uses location information, navigation data and content to Gmail (Google email) to guess what you need to know. He warns appointments on your calendar, suggests what time you should leave and which route to use, from traffic information. It also tells about restaurants and leisure options nearby if you are in a new place. He learns their daily commutes and provides alternative routes. Also announces updates from blogs you follow. Account where you parked the car. If you received confirmation of a plane trip by mail, Google Now give information on flight status.
The Google system has a nice solution to favorite phone contacts. They get a list of great photos of people. It is very easy to find the person you want to dial. The only weak point of the thing is an insistence on non-Google contacts integrate with Facebook. You can open a contact and find the button to send a message via Whatsapp. But the system does not search the picture of the person on Facebook or Whatsapp profile and automatically displays on your list.
Like the Nexus is connected to Google, he immediately receives system updates, coming once or twice a year. There’s more. The staff there from the Googleplex, Google’s headquarters, is restless. Therefore, almost every week you switch the phone and discovers that he has gained some new function. It may be a new button on the camera. Or a new way of organizing emails. Yesterday, I discovered that the photo editor Google+, which functions as one of the albums of the cell, created the role of assembling stories from their trips or weekends. He identifies himself (using GPS) you traveled and organizes photos like an animated album, with little map of displacements and space to put subtitles. Some of these innovations also come to other Android devices and even other systems, such as Apple’s iOS. But the Nexus they arrive faster and in a more integrated fashion to the system. Increments so arise all the time. It’s as if the phone continued to evolve in your hand as you use.
HARDWARE The camera images and other programs jump on good definition on the Nexus 5 Amoled screen. It has a resolution of 445 pixels per inch (ppi). It is much more than any human eye can discern. The iPhone 5S in comparison has 326 ppi. Amoled colors are warm and vibrant.
The design of the device is clean. Few details affecting the outline of the cell. The side volume buttons and on-off are ceramic. Make the most nice touch. The back has a rubberized coating, which reduces the risk of the unit slip of the hand and fall to the ground.
As always in the Nexus line, the device has no option to expand the memory using a mini SD card. Moreover, the version with 16 GB of memory realizes save pounds of applications, quite a lot of video and photo.
One detail. Some finishing materials used by handset manufacturers give allergy in some people, like me. It’s what doctors call contact dermatitis. In the early hours, creates redness and burning sensation in the fingers. After the thing evolves into a burn. Have asked several manufacturers which would be the cause of this element. Apparently, it’s something like nickel. He is on the chrome buttons of Motorola, on the edges of screens from Samsung and LG and back cover Apple iPhone. 5 The Nexus also has this allergic finish. To avoid spent using a plastic hood.
In short, even compared to other Androids with impressive specs screen, processor and memory, the Nexus offers a distinctive experience. It evolves faster and more intensely changes while you use Google offers and updates. And, with the subsidy offered by Google, is probably top of the line device with lowest price you can get.
Strengths Fast processor, screen with all colors and resolution you need. An Android system without interference from third parties. A beautiful design.
Weaknesses Has no possibility of expanding memory with mini SD card. The integration of contacts with networks like Facebook or Instagram is worse than in other systems (such as the iPhone and Windows) or other versions of Android.
Suggested price: U.S. $ 1799
