Hello everybody:
So, as I usually do, I bought a second hand Nexus 5 as a second phone (I have the bad habit of changing phones/adding phones to my collection, even though I shouldn't... ) and I wanted to give a “small” review of it. My other phone (my daily driver) is an original Moto X, so I won't compare it to high end devices.
I bought it for about 250 USD. It is a white model with 16 GB, running 5.0.1 Lollipop. It is worth mentioning that if you want a brand new nexus 5 in my country (Mexico), it would cost over 500 USD, so it wasn't an option in the first place.
External Hardware: The device looks sleek, although not that interesting to be honest. I really like the screen size (my sweet spot would be 5.2”), and overall it's quite comfortable to pick up and use. I usually don’t use a phone one handed, but seems totally doable (at least without a bulky case). I have to add that the device definitely doesn't feel premium, and don't get me wrong, the design is sleek and “classy”, but the plastic doesn’t feel high-end. That being said, the device isn't supposed to feel premium, it’s a “budget” device with high-end internals (when it launched), and it totally fulfills that expectation.
As for the screen (and have in mind that I don’t own any late high-end device): it is gorgeous. The difference in pixel density is really evident (312ppi on the Moto x vs 445ppi on the Nexus 5), and is a joy to read/browse the internet with that higher resolution. I prefer the OLED technology on the x’s screen, but it's still a pleasure to look at the N5’s. There’s minimal, but noticeable, light bleed on the Nexus.
The camera seems to take really nice pictures on HDR+ if everything is still, and since I don’t really use it that much, it is not a deal breaker for me. *I expected a worse camera than the Moto x one (that works well enough for me), but I think it is a bit better, mostly in color, clarity and low light (the OIS seems to help a bit). The shutter is slow, but as I said before, it works for no-motion pictures.
Software/Performance: While I haven’t had any problems with the performance of the Moto X, the Nexus 5 feels a lot smoother as expected, with no noticeable lag at all, and extremely fast (after changing animations to x.5 in developer settings). It ran every single game I threw at it with ease (maybe the most demanding were Horn and Joe Delver’s Lone Wolf). Also, the cast screen option on the nexus 5 works great, and while it does have a bit of input lag, it could certainly work to play strategy games and others that won’t need much precision / fast input. I used a Chromecast for this
I have to admit that one of the reasons I was tempted to buy it was because I wanted to have a taste of Lollipop (lame pun intended) and there’s only one thing to add about it: It is gorgeous. I hear a lot of complaining about its esthetics but I really enjoy the transitions and the color design overall (I do find the battery saver orange bars to be intrusive and distracting though). The fast settings work nicely once you get used to the 2 fingers scrolling and the notification actions really simplify a lot of the experience.
As for the battery life, I can’t say I’m impressed with it. The first time I was fiddling with it I was surprised by how fast the battery was decreasing… then I noticed I got about 3 Hours SoT with low brightness (the average I get with my Moto x on low brightness and with the Moto 360 connected), which is plenty for my normal use. I was expecting lower SoT after reading a lot of reviews, so I guess I was overreacting when I noticed I was at 40% after a few hours of use (with lots of Chromecast streaming, screen casting, downloading apps, testing game performance and admiring lollipop’s transitions). It seems to handle idle consumption nicely, as long as it’s in airplane mode or with strong signal (more on that below). So I’ll say the battery life is adequate for light/moderate use.
Finally signal. As expected, the Moto x blows away Nexus 5 in this category. I haven’t seen 4G with max signal bars on the nexus 5, and while I haven’t had issues with calls, it does seem to drain the battery faster, since the device is constantly awake trying to find stronger, more stable signal.
Final Verdict: I’m still impressed this device is no longer on high-end standards (chipset-wise, at least), and that it was released in late 2013. It’s definitely the best android handset I’ve used, and while I love my Moto X, it may become my daily driver in a couple of months. I plan on keeping both devices until late 2015, and I think I’ll be completely fine with that decision.
PS: I have used the device for about 5 days, so my review might not be accurate or detailed enough on some aspects. Also, English is not my first language, so if something isn’t clear enough, please let me know.
Thanks for taking your time to read it, and if you didn’t, shame on you
V.
Posted via the Android Central App
So, as I usually do, I bought a second hand Nexus 5 as a second phone (I have the bad habit of changing phones/adding phones to my collection, even though I shouldn't... ) and I wanted to give a “small” review of it. My other phone (my daily driver) is an original Moto X, so I won't compare it to high end devices.
I bought it for about 250 USD. It is a white model with 16 GB, running 5.0.1 Lollipop. It is worth mentioning that if you want a brand new nexus 5 in my country (Mexico), it would cost over 500 USD, so it wasn't an option in the first place.
External Hardware: The device looks sleek, although not that interesting to be honest. I really like the screen size (my sweet spot would be 5.2”), and overall it's quite comfortable to pick up and use. I usually don’t use a phone one handed, but seems totally doable (at least without a bulky case). I have to add that the device definitely doesn't feel premium, and don't get me wrong, the design is sleek and “classy”, but the plastic doesn’t feel high-end. That being said, the device isn't supposed to feel premium, it’s a “budget” device with high-end internals (when it launched), and it totally fulfills that expectation.
As for the screen (and have in mind that I don’t own any late high-end device): it is gorgeous. The difference in pixel density is really evident (312ppi on the Moto x vs 445ppi on the Nexus 5), and is a joy to read/browse the internet with that higher resolution. I prefer the OLED technology on the x’s screen, but it's still a pleasure to look at the N5’s. There’s minimal, but noticeable, light bleed on the Nexus.
The camera seems to take really nice pictures on HDR+ if everything is still, and since I don’t really use it that much, it is not a deal breaker for me. *I expected a worse camera than the Moto x one (that works well enough for me), but I think it is a bit better, mostly in color, clarity and low light (the OIS seems to help a bit). The shutter is slow, but as I said before, it works for no-motion pictures.
Software/Performance: While I haven’t had any problems with the performance of the Moto X, the Nexus 5 feels a lot smoother as expected, with no noticeable lag at all, and extremely fast (after changing animations to x.5 in developer settings). It ran every single game I threw at it with ease (maybe the most demanding were Horn and Joe Delver’s Lone Wolf). Also, the cast screen option on the nexus 5 works great, and while it does have a bit of input lag, it could certainly work to play strategy games and others that won’t need much precision / fast input. I used a Chromecast for this
I have to admit that one of the reasons I was tempted to buy it was because I wanted to have a taste of Lollipop (lame pun intended) and there’s only one thing to add about it: It is gorgeous. I hear a lot of complaining about its esthetics but I really enjoy the transitions and the color design overall (I do find the battery saver orange bars to be intrusive and distracting though). The fast settings work nicely once you get used to the 2 fingers scrolling and the notification actions really simplify a lot of the experience.
As for the battery life, I can’t say I’m impressed with it. The first time I was fiddling with it I was surprised by how fast the battery was decreasing… then I noticed I got about 3 Hours SoT with low brightness (the average I get with my Moto x on low brightness and with the Moto 360 connected), which is plenty for my normal use. I was expecting lower SoT after reading a lot of reviews, so I guess I was overreacting when I noticed I was at 40% after a few hours of use (with lots of Chromecast streaming, screen casting, downloading apps, testing game performance and admiring lollipop’s transitions). It seems to handle idle consumption nicely, as long as it’s in airplane mode or with strong signal (more on that below). So I’ll say the battery life is adequate for light/moderate use.
Finally signal. As expected, the Moto x blows away Nexus 5 in this category. I haven’t seen 4G with max signal bars on the nexus 5, and while I haven’t had issues with calls, it does seem to drain the battery faster, since the device is constantly awake trying to find stronger, more stable signal.
Final Verdict: I’m still impressed this device is no longer on high-end standards (chipset-wise, at least), and that it was released in late 2013. It’s definitely the best android handset I’ve used, and while I love my Moto X, it may become my daily driver in a couple of months. I plan on keeping both devices until late 2015, and I think I’ll be completely fine with that decision.
PS: I have used the device for about 5 days, so my review might not be accurate or detailed enough on some aspects. Also, English is not my first language, so if something isn’t clear enough, please let me know.
Thanks for taking your time to read it, and if you didn’t, shame on you
V.
Posted via the Android Central App
Last edited:
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