Gadgetory

Google's latest Nexus maybe the fifth generation pure Android device but it's only the second time the company has offered the Android experience on Hardware built explicitly to be affordable it was predated in this effort by last year's Nexus 4 and we've brought the two together to answer the only logical question what do you actually get when you upgrade from the Nexus 4 to the Nexus 5 and is it worth the extra three-fitty to do it let's find out I'm Michael Fisher this is PocketNow and this is Google Nexus 5 versus Google Nexus 4 sometimes it's tough to know where to start with these comparisons but fortunately our Nexus 4 does it for us the cracked back panel on our review unit is a testament not just to our clumsiness but to this device's fragility an all-glass smartphone is a beautiful thing to look at but it's not gonna hold up as well to abuse no matter how rigid the glass is the Nexus 5 takes advantage of that learning experience from the for its face is still glass with Gorilla Glass 3 this time but the back and sides are now cast from a material Google's VP of Android design Matias Duarte calls hardcore plastic it's glossy on the sides and soft touch on the back and the change in materials means the Nexus 5 is about 10 grams less massive than its predecessor all that combines to produce a device that's definitely more modern looking but which doesn't feature the heft or the subtle glitz of the Nexus 4 still we have to say that we like the new phones somewhat faster look especially next to the more compact Nexus 4 speaking of fast the spec sheet comparison has more good news for would-be upgraders the Nexus 5 packs a Snapdragon 800 processor a 2.3 gigahertz SOC that flattens the Nexus 4 is older s4 pro even more important for some is the Nexus 5's inclusion of LTE support an omission that instantly rendered last year's device a second-class citizen for many living in 4G cities the 5 also brings a 32 gig storage option useful for those who've loaded up with media especially video content the Nexus 5 screen is only a third of an inch larger than its forerunners but it looks much bigger thanks to the new transparent home keys and notification area in Android 4.4 side visibility isn't quite as good and the panel is a bit warmer on the newer phone but those small sacrifices are worth it when you consider the resolution bump here elsewhere the hardware load is comparable but the Nexus 5 also brings something called a Hall effect sensor basically a magnetic proximity switch used by accessories like Smart Covers so we'll look forward to seeing what comes out of that the Nexus 4 will get the latest version of Android 4.4 KitKat soon but it won't receive the same launcher as the Nexus 5 according to Google at least not right away that means that the new quick jump into Google Voice Search and quick swipe left into Google now are exclusive to the Nexus 5 for now otherwise most of the KitKat software features should make the jump to the Nexus 4 soon see our other comparisons and our forthcoming full Nexus 5 review for details and follow PocketNow on social media and here on YouTube so you don't miss it after a few comparison videos this week showing how inconsistent the Nexus 5's camera experience can be what a relief to use it next to the Nexus 4 both are 8 megapixel shooters but every single photo we take comes out world's better on the Nexus 5 shots are less noisy more crisp more colorful you really get a sense with the Nexus 5 that LG and Google were consciously trying to overcome the Nexus lines reputation for poor optical performance the image stabilization and the newer phone is Hardware based and it helps a bit with low-light photos and even the front-facing camera is worlds ahead of the unit on the older device and video performance is predictably better as well know how the stabilization is I'm kind of walking around should be smoothing that out and the colors should once again Michael Fisher with pocket now full review features and comparisons of the LG Nexus 5 coming very very shortly in other areas improvements are more subtle or the devices stay on even footing callers couldn't agree on which phone made us sound better on our end voice calls were more enjoyable on the Nexus 5 because of some low digital noise in the earpiece and our Nexus 4 speakerphone performance on each is pretty horrendous unfortunately the Nexus 5 is bottom mounted speaker is slightly more convenient than the AFT firing port on the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 5's unit is a little bass here but they're both so lackluster it's hard to call it an improvement you'll want to take calls on your ear and use headphones for your media playback fortunately audio sounds quite good through the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack on both units sometimes a smartphone upgrade is so iterative so minor that the wiser choice for your wits and your wallet is just to pass it up to stay happy with what you've got and wait for the next upgrade that's not the case here folks the Nexus 5 improves on the Nexus 4 in every important sense and it still retains the bargain-basement pricing that blew our faces off back in 2012 if you're a nexus 4 owner with money to spend and you're on the fence about taking the plunge just stop waffling do it if you're like us the Nexus 5 will make you happy in all the ways the Nexus 4 couldn't and that's pretty much all you can ask for in a smart phone upgrade isn't it hey hey hey hey hey wait a second you're saying what about battery life what about performance metrics what about all the detail that usually goes into a review well this is not a review this was a comparison video our third this week go and check out the other two here on YouTube our full review of the Nexus 5 is coming and it'll be available at pocketnow.com and of course here on our youtube channel page just as soon as we can make it so please sit tight stay tuned for that if you liked this video though toss us a like once again follow us on social media so you don't miss future stuff drop a comment down below let us know what your thoughts are on the Nexus 5 let us know if you want a specific question answered we'll do our best to get to it but most importantly thank you for watching this video we really do appreciate it and we will talk to you very soon this is PocketNow let's find out Nexus 5 vs. Nexus 4 out of sequence intros are the new hot thing