Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 differences? (phone shopping)

[Terrorizer]

I have a Nexus 7 2013 tablet that I really like. I have a nokia lumia 521 windows phone that I don't like so much. I should have shopped around for phones more, but now that my phones lock button is giving me problems after only 9 months of light usage I have an excuse to upgrade.

Since I like my tablet so much the Nexus 5 seems like an obvious choice. My question is, besides the fact that the Nexus 5 has a smaller screen and is a phone, are there any major differences between the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7? Do they basically have the same features, menus, settings, user interface, commands, etc? I'd hate to buy the phone expecting it to be just like my tablet and be unpleasantly surprised.

While I'm at it, do you guys have any suggestions for similar phones at about the same price as the nexus 5? Or even cheaper, haha. Cheap is always good, but I realize now that you get what you pay for. My $140 windows phone doesn't seem like such a good deal now.

Thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

The Nexus 5 is very similar in terms of performance to the 2013 Nexus 7. Both use the Google Now Launcher, which is very smooth. The main difference is battery life, which is not surprising considering the physical size difference of the batteries--I'm sure you've read about how mediocre the N5's battery can be. But it's totally fine for me, since I'm not a heavy user.

If you're looking for an unlocked flagship phone, the Nexus 5 is by far the best choice. The Moto G is a good choice if you want something significantly cheaper (half the price), but still with very good performance--although you might want to wait until the Moto G 4GLTE version comes out soon. You could also look into the OnePlus One, but I haven't read very many first-hand reviews for it--the specs sound really good and the price is attractive, but I'd recommend waiting until a lot of people have weighed in on real world performance.

 

[LeoRex]

are there any major differences between the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7? Do they basically have the same features, menus, settings, user interface, commands, etc? I'd hate to buy the phone expecting it to be just like my tablet and be unpleasantly surprised.

Both run uncluttered versions of Android KitKat.... same menus, features, look, etc.... There are some differences inherent to the different type of device (some apps aren't supported on the 7, stuff like that). The 7 will last longer on a charge, obviously, but the 5 can, you know, make phone calls and stuff.

If you are comfortable with a Nexus 7, you won't have any issues working your way around a Nexus 5.... My wife has a Nexus 7 (2012) and adores the thing. When it came time to get her a new phone, I opted for a Nexus 5 as it would be the closest I could get to her beloved 7.

 

[trivor]

I have a Nexus 7 2013 tablet that I really like. I have a nokia lumia 521 windows phone that I don't like so much. I should have shopped around for phones more, but now that my phones lock button is giving me problems after only 9 months of light usage I have an excuse to upgrade.

Since I like my tablet so much the Nexus 5 seems like an obvious choice. My question is, besides the fact that the Nexus 5 has a smaller screen and is a phone, are there any major differences between the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7? Do they basically have the same features, menus, settings, user interface, commands, etc? I'd hate to buy the phone expecting it to be just like my tablet and be unpleasantly surprised.

While I'm at it, do you guys have any suggestions for similar phones at about the same price as the nexus 5? Or even cheaper, haha. Cheap is always good, but I realize now that you get what you pay for. My $140 windows phone doesn't seem like such a good deal now.

Thanks.

That's because you were supposed to wait for a sale to get the 521 @ the $40-$60 price range. I have a small bluetooth/3.5 mm compact speaker and the 521 makes a great music player with a 32 GB micro SD card (around $15). I bought it out of curiosity about WP and at that price it's been an excellent pick up. Being pretty deep to the Google/Android Ecosystem going forward I think I would rather pick up a Moto E or Moto G if I actually needed a phone.

 

[Wildo6882]

Yeah, I'll reiterate what has been said already, as the Nexus 5 is basically the phone version of the Nexus 7. Pretty identical on many fronts. You won't have any issue using both devices if you're already used to the Nexus 7.

If you're looking for a good phone at an even cheaper price, you could possibly find a used Moto X for less than what the Nexus 5 is going for, and that would also be very similar to the Nexus 7. They also frequently run sales on them, and you could possibly get a new one for under $300. Also, look at the Moto G. There is a Google Play Edition of that phone, so it would be exactly like your Nexus 7, as well. It's $180 or $200 on Google Play. You could also get the Moto version as that's nearly stock, as well. And they have an LTE Moto G coming out tomorrow for $220.

 

[Kurty Shmurty]

You could get a nexus 4 pretty damn cheap. Still an awesome phone.