Google's Nexus smart phones and tablets have always been coveted, as they generally come with high-end specifications and the latest version of Android, get the latest updates first and are always incredibly well priced. With the Google Nexus 4 starting to look a bit outdated compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and Sony Xperia Z, it is no wonder that Google's looking for a successor.
Design
First look at a Nexus 5 when Google revealed the latest Android statue in front of its headquarters, to coincide with the Android 4.4 Kit Kat announcement. A Google employee was spotted holding a Nexus smart phone that clearly was not the nexus 4. Apparently the rear cover has a similar feel to the new Nexus 7 tablet, feels smaller than LG's own G2 smart phone but has a merely Ok display that does not impress as much as Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 phablet.
Specifications
As with all of Google's own-brand products, the Nexus 5 will be manufactured by a partner. Apparently, the manufacturer has not been chosen yet, although leaked Nexus 5 specifications show that LG is once again in contention.
According to the leaked information, the Nexus 5 will have a 5.2in OLED display with a Full HD 1,920x1, 080 resolutions. It will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor running at 2.3GHz, and 3GB of PDDR3 memory. Phones will be available in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Essentially, it will be based closely on LG's own G2 smart phone, but we doubt the rear-facing volume buttons will make their way to Google's handset.
More recent information challenges the Nexus 5 display rumors, stating the phone will have a 4.5in, 720p IPS screen. A lower-spec Qualcomm 600 quad-core processor running at 1.5GHz is supposedly also on the cards.
Performance
This seems unlikely based on leaked benchmark results, which put the Nexus 5 among the very best Android smart phones when it comes to performance. The GFX Bench scores seemingly confirm the high-end specifications, although these are naturally subject to change until Google makes the handset official. It has also been suggested that the Nexus 5 will get a smart GPS-assisted camera module. According to a Google patent filing, the Nexus 5 could tie the camera's settings to the GPS location to help you shoot better pictures.
Accelerometer
The patent describes a system where the camera is aware of its location, along with weather information taken from the internet. Combined with other sensors including an accelerometer, light sensor and temperature sensor, the camera could fine-tune settings automatically to produce the best results.
What is not clear from the patent application is whether the feature, which is largely a software rather than hardware implementation, would be exclusive to Google's own-brand Nexus product lines or a standard function of Android 4.4 that would be made available to other Android device manufacturers.
Android 4.4 Kit Kat
Most Google devices launch with a brand-new version of the operating system, and now that the company has signed a deal with Nestle to call Android version 4.4 Kit Kat, it seems highly likely the Nexus 5 will be the debut device for the updated OS. Android 4.4 Kit Kat is still very much under wraps at Google, but that has not stopped several purported screenshots from appearing online. 9to5Google has several images which apparently show redesigned stock apps including Messages and the phone dialer, as well as a new, flatter user interface that looks more than a little like Apple's iOS 7.
Price
We’d expect the nexus 5 to cost significantly more than the Nexus 4. We will know for sure when Google makes the phone official, but we imagine you will be paying at least £350 to bag a handset at launch.