What does a Nexus 5 phone look like? OS and software

Nexus smartphones are popular among buyers. These gadgets are being developed by Google together with other manufacturers. There are devices on sale from such well-known brands as HTC, Lenovo, Samsung, and LG is also included. The latest brand introduced the Nexus 5 smartphone. After reviewing its characteristics, users were delighted. The powerful processor has earned only rave reviews. Thanks to it, the smartphone can fully compete with the flagships of famous manufacturers. The indisputable advantage of the Nexus 5 is the price. Unlike top models, this gadget at the start of sales cost about 18,000 rubles. It is definitely worthy of representatives of the middle segment. However, this does not mean that the device is completely free of shortcomings. What weaknesses have users found? How did the manufacturer distinguish this model from the general product range? This and more will be discussed in this review.

Nexus 5: packaging and delivery

The phone is packaged in a blue box typical for this line. There is a Google logo on the front panel, but the name of the manufacturing company is printed on the ends. There was also a photo of a smartphone. The packaging shows partial images. A strong emphasis was placed on main screen phone. It successfully combines three colors: blue, red and yellow. The design of the box clearly shows minimalism. The designers made this choice quite consciously, showing that the smartphone does not need advertising.

What will the buyer find in the box itself? Unfortunately, the low cost of this model was reflected in the set of components. He's quite modest. In addition to the device, a power adapter and USB cable. Since the SIM card tray is equipped with a special lock, a key clip is provided for it. There are no more accessories. A case for the Nexus 5 is considered necessary by many users. It will help maintain its original appearance for a long time and prevent the formation of scratches and other damage. You can purchase it at any point of sale. The range of models is large, so each user will quickly select the best option.

Design

By modern standards, this gadget is of medium size. The case height is 137.84 mm and the width is almost 70 mm. It’s comfortable to hold the phone in your hands; you don’t feel any discomfort during long conversations. The device can hardly be called thin, since the body thickness is 8.59 mm. In terms of weight (130 g), it can also be classified as medium. IN model range There are three copies:

• with a red body - ideal for bright, extraordinary personalities;
• black version - will emphasize the solidity and high status of the owner;
• with a white body - chosen by representatives of the fair sex.

Thanks to the color design, each buyer will be able to choose exactly his Nexus 5.

The characteristics of the materials used do not have a high level of reliability. The main elements are made of matte plastic. The back cover is not removable. Its surface is not very easily soiled. Basically, fingerprints are collected on the screen. Users have no comments regarding the assembly. There are no squeaks when squeezing, no gaps or backlashes were found. But there is also a drawback. This is a plastic case that can be easily damaged, for example, by keys. In order to avoid such moments, it is recommended to purchase a case for the Nexus 5.

The screen occupies most of the front surface. Built in at the bottom Touchpad with control keys. On top, of course, there is a speaker. It is surrounded by a light sensor and a camera lens. On one side there is an oblong volume key. On the opposite side there is a slot for installing cards mobile operators and a power button. The USB connector is located at the bottom end, and at the top there is a port for connecting audio devices.

The back panel of the LG Nexus 5 is designed like most modern smartphones. There is a camera lens here that protrudes slightly beyond the line of the body. This alarms buyers, as there are suspicions that the protective glass of the module can be severely scratched. There is a flash located under the camera. The logo of the manufacturing company and the name of the line are applied to the surface. Since the back cover is not removable, the user does not have access to the battery. Also, don’t look for a slot for external storage- it is not supported by the device.

Display

The screen of the Nexus 5 can be attributed to the advantages of the smartphone. Its diagonal size is 4.95 inches. For a modern phone, such a display is considered optimal. The matrix used in its manufacture is of excellent quality. We are talking about IPS technology. It guarantees the user wide viewing angles, a good color gamut and a sufficient level of contrast. There is enough brightness reserve even when working in direct sunlight. The picture is displayed on the screen in Full HD quality, which corresponds to a resolution of 1920 × 1080 px. The saturation and clarity of the image is evidenced by the pixel density indicator, which is equal to 445 ppi. The device supports up to ten simultaneous touches.

Some users have noticed one drawback - the dullness of certain colors. When using a smartphone, this is very noticeable, but when compared with another gadget, such as the Galaxy S4, the saturation level of the latter is much higher.

To protect the screen, the manufacturer used Gorilla Glass 3 coating. It is highly durable. Its properties help prevent the formation of chips, scratches and even cracks that appear from impacts.

Cameras

Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine a smartphone without a camera. Taking a memorable photo, communicating via video conference using a gadget - all this has already become commonplace. The developers have provided for this possibility by installing both front and main optics on the Nexus 5.

The camera located on the rear panel is equipped with an 8 megapixel sensor. Professional photography, of course, is impossible with such a matrix, but capturing a memorable moment is quite possible. The developers used HDR+ technology. With its help, the user takes several photos, after which he can select the best quality one. The presence of a flash and optical stabilization allows you to get detailed pictures. There is also autofocus.

The front camera is based on a 1.3 megapixel sensor. You won’t be able to use it for selfies, but for video communication this resolution is quite enough.

Platform

LG Nexus 5 comes out of the box with a “clean” operating system from Google. The developers did not install any shells. The device is based on Android 4.4.4. When you first connect to the Internet, the system prompts you to install updates, which will change the platform version to 5.1.

The benefits of working with Google are undeniable. The user has access to a wide range of applications. All new software products are offered primarily to the owners of such gadgets.

In general, there are no comments about the platform. Everything works flawlessly, quickly responding to the owner's requests. The interface is pleasing to the eye. Most users noted that the changes in the operating system were only for the better.

Nexus 5: performance characteristics

Performance is the main advantage of this smartphone. The device is based on a powerful Qualcomm brand chipset. It is based on four computing modules. Under high load, each is capable of overclocking to 2300 MHz. At the time of the phone's release, the Snapdragon 800 processor model was considered the best. It is paired with an Adreno 330 video card. Maximum clock frequency- 450 MHz. She is responsible for displaying graphic images on Nexus 5.

The characteristics of the device are definitely above average. Even the most difficult games are accessible to the user. They play easily and work quickly without lag. If necessary, owners can simultaneously use several applications without fear of software failures. The response speed is high. The performance reserve is quite enough to complete all tasks without exception.

Memory

The main performance indicator of modern mobile gadgets is the amount of RAM. In this model it is 2 GB. They are quite enough for the Nexus 5 to work quickly.

The characteristics of the device also include the capacity of the integrated storage. The manufacturer presented the buyer with two modifications: the first - 16 GB, the second - 32 GB. Unfortunately, it is impossible to expand the memory, since the phone does not support external storage.

Before purchasing, you will need to realistically assess the requirements and tasks that the smartphone must cope with. And based on them, select the optimal amount of memory. Both the first and second modifications will allow the average user not to experience restrictions.

Autonomy

In the Nexus 5, the developers installed a non-removable battery. The choice fell on a lithium-ion element. Its capacity is 2300 mAh. On average, the device will work for about 1-2 days on one charge. But the duration will depend on the load. For example, when gaming or connecting to LTE networks, you can expect approximately 12 hours. Your smartphone will also drain quickly if you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. In this case, the gadget will work for about 20 hours. When the load is reduced (no more than 20 minutes of calls per day), the battery will run out in 40-45 hours.

The manufacturer recommends charging the Nexus 5 only with an original accessory. In order to score 100%, you will need to spend 2-3 hours. The biggest drain on battery life is the screen. If you need to extend the operating time of your smartphone, it is recommended to reduce the brightness level to a minimum.

Users may experience the problem that the battery drains quickly during standby mode. To solve this, you need to put all applications that are running in background. This method will help extend the phone's operation by approximately 30-40 minutes.

Let's talk about the shortcomings

When first looking at a smartphone, many users are so amazed by the performance characteristics that they simply do not notice the weak points. But they still exist in Nexus 5:

• The price of $349 corresponds to the middle segment, however, users believe that the battery capacity of 2300 milliamps per hour is too small for a gadget of such equipment. Most likely, this decision was made to reduce costs.
• The lack of a memory card slot caused dissatisfaction among buyers. Although the manufacturer presented two modifications, currently the requirements for such gadgets have become much higher. Most owners want to be able to use their smartphone to the maximum, and 16 or 32 GB is not always enough for this.
• Weaknesses include the design. The predecessors of the Nexus 5 were designed in accordance with the requirements of the premium class. For example, glass back panel or bright chrome elements. And for the “fifth” model, the prototype was a tablet produced in 2013 - Nexus 7. Unfortunately, the designers did not use any zest or original inserts.
• The set of equipment is also not striking in variety. You don't have to rely on headphones or other accessories. All this will have to be purchased separately, incurring additional costs. Accessories are sold in a wide range, but branded ones will not be cheap.
• And the last thing that can be attributed to the shortcomings is the control panel. It is not located under the screen on the case, but is directly built into it. When using it, it feels like the display is somewhat cut down. And this, in turn, significantly reduces the work space.

Owners' opinion

Thanks to its excellent characteristics, the Nexus 5 receives mostly positive reviews. High performance, excellent screen, and a large amount of software deserve respect. The owners also had no comments regarding the assembly. Although the case is made of plastic, the surface of the back cover is non-staining. On the white and red smartphones there are no fingerprints at all, but on the black one you can see a slight accumulation of them, which, by the way, is easy to wipe off.

During operation, glitches and braking do not appear. You can run any applications and games, even resource-intensive ones. There are some memory limitations, but the options provided are enough to download your favorite music tracks, e-books or movies. Thanks to the excellent screen resolution, the viewing image will be displayed in high quality, which contributes to comfortable use. Owners who already had Android phones will complete the initial setup of the Nexus 5 in just a few minutes. When you turn it on, you only need to change the date and time, and otherwise the device is ready for use.

There are very few negative reviews about the device. Basically they discuss the platform. Without updating to the fifth version, you may encounter the fact that not all applications are optimized for Android 4.4.4. Some users had problems with the volume key. The comments also touched upon USB port- the connected cable may spontaneously fall out of the socket. The weight of the device is a purely individual drawback. There are several isolated reviews that say that the device is too light. During use, there is a fear that the gadget will accidentally slip out of your hand. This is most acutely felt on the street.

Conclusion

The review of the smartphone from two famous companies Google and LG has come to an end. Definitely, this device is a shining example of the middle segment. The manufacturer presented a device with excellent characteristics. A powerful processor ensures fast operation. Although the design is made in the style of minimalism, the gadget looks quite attractive and solid in appearance. Using glass to protect the display minimizes the formation of cracks when dropped. There are no problems with graphics. The phone literally just flies. The sensor is excellent, responds quickly and clearly to touch. Thanks to the multi-touch function, which allows you to recognize ten simultaneous touches, you can enjoy modern games. Even though there are some shortcomings, the ratio of cost, functionality and quality is chosen perfectly. It is for this reason that most users can say with complete confidence that the Nexus 5 has rightfully earned the title of flagship.

I decided to continue the valiant work of writing reviews, because I haven’t stopped changing smartphones, but I continue to write something for work. And in today’s review, the main character is the LG Nexus 5. Yes, it has been out for a long time, but Google smartphones have remained popular for a very long time. Devices in the Nexus line are usually the first to receive OS updates, and they are always balanced in terms of price/quality ratio. At least, this was the case until the Nexus 6, which, in the conditions of the Russian crisis, can only be admired.

I bought the device on an advertisement site, so it cannot boast of being flawless appearance, although there are no scratches anywhere, and the abrasions on the black body are invisible.

Design

So, about the design. We have a standard form factor, a plastic smartphone, without the use of metal. A metal device would look more impressive, but a plastic one weighs less. The Nexus line adheres to a certain minimalist style, and it can be seen here too. The device has a minimum of unnecessary parts, rounded corners and soft-touch coating on the side edges and back panel. I immediately give these manufacturers a big thumbs up, because the coating is pleasant to the touch and suitable for beavers and fits perfectly in the hand; the smartphone does not tend to touch the asphalt. The front panel is well-made, the thickness of the side frames is about 2 cm, the excess space is minimal. Again, I will say that I respect the display buttons more, and besides, there is just enough space for them at the bottom of the screen. But this is subjective. Above the display Front-camera 1.2 megapixels, speaker and light and proximity sensors. There is free space under the display. On the left side edge, at the top, there is a two-position ceramic (all buttons on the smartphone are made of ceramic) volume button, on the right side there is a power button and a connector for MicroSim. At the top end there is a noise reduction microphone and a slot for a 3.5mm headset. At the bottom there are imitation stereo speakers and Micro-USB. Why imitation - yes, because there is only one speaker and it is located on the left. Also located at the bottom is the main microphone.

Display

What is installed in the Nexus 5 smartphone can be called a reference display. 4.95 inches, IPS matrix (excellent viewing angles), resolution 1080 by 1920 pixels, FHD. Pixels per inch 445. There is no air gap, the picture is perfect. Although it’s hard for me to find fault even with the HD resolution (1280 by 720) when it comes to a 5-inch smartphone. But progress does not stand still; all the reviewers unanimously began to notice pixelation, and therefore now in FullHD, or even QuadHD format. The only negative of the IPS matrix is ​​the black color, similar to gray. Indeed, only Super-Amoled can provide truly deep blacks, but in general, the dark gray color is not annoying and is noticeable only by those people who see the pixels on a 5-inch HD display.

The oleophobic coating on the display is excellent, fingerprints are erased easily and no marks remain. There is enough brightness reserve even on a sunny day, auto brightness adjustment also works great.

Memory

LG Nexus offers the user 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB of memory for data storage. In Russia, a model with 16 gigs is officially sold, about 12 are available to the user. In my opinion, this is a bad practice - not installing a slot for memory cards in a smartphone and it’s time for smartphone manufacturers to come to their senses. But personally, 12 gigabytes is enough for me and I have 2 more left.

2 gigabytes of RAM is enough for a smartphone; in a quiet position, 1.2 gigabytes are free.

I also noticed a very good speed of copying files from the computer to the internal drive of the phone. Transferring 6 gigabytes of information took about 5 minutes, I liked it, so I decided to highlight it as a plus.

CPU

The Snapdragon 800 processor paired with the Adreno 330 video accelerator is a proven, recently top-end solution from Qualcomm. Until now, we can say with confidence that it is difficult to find an Android game that will slow down on this platform, so you can safely take the Nexus if you need performance and you are not chasing extra points in benchmarks.

And yes, the system optimization is excellent. The smartphone has bare Android 5.0.2 installed, which is currently its latest version. Everything works quickly, smoothly, several tasks are kept in memory without problems. The case heats up to a maximum of 40 degrees, and even then, in very heavy games, and in benchmarks, of course.

In Antutu, the smartphone gives about 36,000 points, depending on the firmware.

Camera

More than once I will call this smartphone a standard and for good reason. The camera, although 8 megapixels, takes adequate pictures, they are good both in color rendition and detail. Autofocus always works as it should, and you can also focus on a subject by tapping the screen. The details of the images are sharp; in the evening, to sharpen the details, we turn on the HDR+ mode and enjoy. There is absolutely nothing to complain about, except that the camera module could be 13 megapixels.

The standard camera interface includes blur, panorama and 360 panorama (photosphere). Maximum quality video recording – FullHD, 30 frames per second.

The camera module has optical stabilization, which compensates for hand shake when shooting video. This is a really working and convenient feature; videos turn out smoother, even with a hangover and in conditions of strong shaking.

The flash successfully replaces a flashlight when the lights in the toilet suddenly go out and you still have unfinished business.

Battery

I've read a lot of reviews saying the battery is good. I didn’t really like his time battery life. In my mode (music 2 hours, games 30 minutes, 4G internet 1.5 hours), the smartphone works for about a day and a half, on the second day in the evening 15 percent remains. Battery 2300 mAh.

Sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, communication

I'll start with the sound. The external speaker is quiet, and in winter it’s hard to hear it from a jacket pocket. We set the ringtone louder and the problem is solved. In headphones, the smartphone sounds good, clear, emits bass, but also not loud. If you google, there is a solution to get root rights and set the desired volume by editing a file from the System folder. The decision justifies itself. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth also did not cause any complaints, everything works fine. GPS picks up satellites in 5-10 seconds, adequately displays the location on the map and does not lose connection when moving. NFC successfully reads transport cards, connects various accessories (from watches to headsets) and even, according to rumors, can already make payments from linked Tinkoff and Euroset virtual cards using PayPass technology. Now I can’t test this technology, because I’m broke, poor and the bank will laugh at me, I can’t find the time to get a card. I will definitely report on the results for the next review.

Communication works well, 2 microphones make themselves felt. You can hear your interlocutor even in the subway, there’s nothing to complain about. If anyone doesn’t know, the smartphone has support for HD Voice; you can hear the other person as if he were next to you and already looking in your refrigerator for something to eat.

A special word about LTE. If we are talking about Moscow and St. Petersburg, then LTE is wonderful. Data transfer speeds up to 60 Mbit/s and other amenities. If we are talking about other cities, then 3G is completely enough. Everywhere I was, the 3G speed did not drop below 10 Mbit/s, in my humble opinion, this is enough when it comes to a smartphone. If not, I’m waiting for your answers in the comments, let’s discuss.

Software

The joint brainchild of Google and LG boasts the latest, most current version. And, of course, he will receive all the updates in the forefront, that’s why we love him. New Android acquired a material design, added shadows, contours and other joys. Android has become more interactive; any action you take receives a visual response in the system. Application icons have changed for the better; the application menu and settings look a little different. It is now possible to choose whether all notifications will be visible in the notification panel, and a multi-user mode has finally been introduced.

System architecture (or rather virtual machine) changed from Dalvik to ART, which promises us smoother operation and an increase in battery life (plus 90 minutes in standby mode).

There are a lot of changes, it’s easier to google it, many have written about it.

Features

The main feature of Nexus devices was (until Nexus 6) balance in everything. It can be seen here too. Before the crisis, the price for a top-end set of characteristics was minimal (14k rubles for a gray device), now you can get it for 18k, which is also not bad when compared with the less productive Samsung A5, for example.

Impression

The experience of owning a smartphone is pleasant. Starting again from the price and ending with excellent quality. We have a nice display with maximum PPI, good camera, always up-to-date software and a full range of wireless communications. The battery was a little drained, but it a common problem.

pros

• Display
• Performance
• Latest Android Version
• Camera

Minuses

• Low battery life
• Quiet speaker

I definitely recommend this smartphone for purchase. Also, in a severe crisis, I recommend everyone to pay attention to Chinese companies such as OnePlus One, Xiaomi and Meizu. They have already raised the quality to such a level that they can easily compete with flagships, but they have not yet increased the prices.

The updated version of the Android M operating system has received a huge number of truly important innovations. Among the latter, it is worth mentioning a fundamentally new system for requesting permissions, the use of the Chrome browser within applications, Android Pay, thanks to which you can easily pay for a drink at the machine, updated Google Now and support for fingerprint scanners. However, the updated sleep mode deserves the most attention among them, which, by the way, is confirmed by the voting results. How did its implementation affect the autonomy of the Nexus 5? Let's find out.

First of all, it is necessary to talk about some details of this innovation. In general, it consists of two components. The first of these is the so-called Doze mode, with which the smartphone will be able to plunge into a state of deeper sleep. No matter how strange it may sound, the fact remains: a smartphone consumes much less energy, which naturally affects its battery life.

The second similar feature of Android M is the App Standby mode. As English language experts have probably already guessed, the focus of the latter is on applications.

In standby mode, running but not used programs will not connect to the Internet and waste precious megabytes. Roughly speaking, they can be considered running only conditionally, since they will practically not use the resources of the smartphone.

Be that as it may, this is all theory. Will all of the above be useful in real life?

And how. According to representatives of the resource phonearena, it was decided to test this feature in action on the famous Nexus 5. In the first case, a smartphone running .1 was tested in standby mode, and in the second case, Android M Developer Preview.

It's hard not to be surprised by the result. During 8 hours of waiting, a device with an older firmware version used up 4 percent of its charge, while its opponent only used 1.5. 48 hours after the start of the experiment, these figures increased to 24 and 9 percent, respectively.

In general, the Nexus 5 with Android Lollipop will be able to withstand about 200 hours of standby, while with Android M - 533 hours. Looks like Google has done a good job of solving the problem of poor battery life, doesn't it?

Detailed testing of the new flagship smartphone from the Google Nexus line

The software giant and creator of the most widespread Android mobile platform today, the American company Google, continues to release the next update once a year for its line of branded Nexus smartphones (the Google Nexus series now also includes several tablets, but now we are talking specifically about smartphones) . This year, the company again entrusted the production of its branded smartphone with the Google logo to the Korean giant, LG, which last year already marked the development of “Google Phone” number 4.

Pictured: Google Nexus 5 (left) and Google Nexus 4 (right)

The main message and main distinctive feature of all Nexus series devices is the desire to demonstrate to the market the capabilities of the newest and most recent version of the Android OS using a live example, that is, on a fully functioning production device that you can simply go and buy in a store. By the way, about buying: the price of Nexus series products is usually lower than the prices of similar products from other manufacturers, for which the devices have managed to gain a lot of fans around the world. The Nexus 5 is no exception: now in America, the version of the Nexus 5 with 16 GB of flash memory costs $349, and a little more, $399, for the version with 32 GB. Considering the top-end hardware and advanced capabilities of the new product, comparison with other flagship smartphones on the market is clearly in its favor.

Nexus series devices always enter the market not just with the latest version of the OS, but also with completely original, “bare” software, that is, in such a smartphone (or tablet) you will not find the notorious third-party graphical shells or mass pre-installed applications- only Android OS with standard applications, and only the latest version. In this case, the Nexus 5 is running on a completely new Android versions 4.4, which, after a series of versions of Jelly Bean, received a separate new name, traditionally corresponding to one of the sweets - now it is KitKat.

To create a “purebred” Google Phone, a world-famous manufacturer is usually chosen: such giants as HTC and Samsung were involved in the production of the first Nexus series smartphones. Now LG has firmly established itself in this role, releasing smartphones with the Google Nexus logo to the world market for the second year in a row. And since the Korean company is also successfully engaged in production mobile devices under its own brand, it's only logical to compare its own products with those it makes for Google. Last year, these were two almost identical smartphones in terms of internal design: Google Nexus 4 and LG Optimus G, but not too similar in appearance. Now it’s logical to compare flagship smartphone LG G2, recently introduced on the Russian market, and Nexus 5.

Pictured: Google Nexus 5 (left) and LG G2 (right)

As last time, the smartphones are completely different in appearance, but their internals are almost the same, including the use of the most advanced SoC to date in both models Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, so they are accordingly characterized by the highest performance. Let’s combine all the listed models into a single table for easy comparison and begin the story.

Key Features of Google Nexus 5 (D821)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.27 GHz, 4 Krait 400 cores
• GPU Adreno 330, 450 MHz
• operating room Android system 4.4 KitKat
• Touchscreen IPS, 4.95″, 1920×1080, 445 ppi
• RAM(RAM) 2 GB, inner memory 16/32 GB
• GSM communication 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Communication WCDMA 800/850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• Data transmission 2G, 3G, LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), point Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS, A-GPS
• SlimPort
• Wireless charger
• Gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, pressure sensor, electronic compass
• 8 MP camera, autofocus, optical stabilization
• Camera 1.3 MP (front), video recording 720p
• Lithium-ion battery 2300 mAh
• Dimensions 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 mm
• Weight 130 g

Contents of delivery

The Nexus 5 goes on sale, frankly, in not the most beautiful packaging. The usual rough matte thick cheap-looking cardboard of a large rectangular box is covered on top with an additional paper casing of frivolous children's colors - the packaging in this case does not indicate any premium or even seriousness of the purchased product, and in general does not really correspond to its contents.

Inside the box there are a couple of compartments hiding a sparse set: Charger(1.2 A) yes USB-Micro-USB connecting cable. There were no headphones included in the kit, nor were there any other accessories - everything was very laconic.

It is worth mentioning separately the included key, which should be used to remove the container with the SIM card: it is a metal master key with an extremely thin rod - a spout, which serves to press the corresponding secret button when ejecting the container. But here’s the problem: the developers, by some unknown whim, made a hole with a button, and, accordingly, the key itself is so thin that nothing but this branded key will fit into the hole. Unless you have to take a real sewing needle, because neither an ordinary paper clip, nor even sharp office “tacks” for cork boards are able to penetrate such a gap. Why they did this is unclear, but if you lose the branded key, then finding a replacement for it will not be as easy as using an ordinary paper clip in similar mechanisms of other similar devices ( Apple iPhone, For example). The exact same problem was observed with the Nexus 4.

Appearance and ease of use

Compared to the previous model in the series, Nexus 5 has become, according to the preferences of the modern market, a little larger in size, but overall retained its recognizable shape. Body outline latest smartphones The Nexus series differs from most others in that it is the top and bottom edges that are rounded, while most smartphones have straight edges, albeit with rounded corners.

The directions of the bevel of the side edges have changed: the front panel of the Nexus 4 was wider than the back, and the body of the Nexus 5, on the contrary, seemed to expand backwards, that is, all four edges of the smartphone lying on the “back” are beveled upward in a pyramid, which makes it difficult to pick up the smartphone with your fingers It has become inconvenient to get off the table because my fingers now simply slide up along the bevels of the side edges.

However, the situation is slightly corrected by the materials from which the body of the new product is made. The soft-touch coating ensures good grip between fingers and the surface: the entire body is made entirely of matte, rough-to-touch plastic with the effect of a rubberized surface, so in this case you don’t have to worry about fingerprints or slipping out of your hands.

The case is non-separable: it is a monoblock solution with a tightly closed back cover without access to battery. In principle, the cover can be removed if desired (judging by the experimental research of colleagues from iFixit, the cover is held on by several plastic latches with a minimal amount of glue), but such an intervention is unlikely to be warranty case, and this doesn’t make much sense.

All slots and connectors, and there are not many of them here (there is only one slot, for a SIM card), are located on the side faces of the device. The container for installing the Micro-SIM card is located on the right, and, as already described above, is opened by pressing the special included key into the secret hole with the button. The developers, like last time, did not provide for the possibility of expanding memory using microSD cards, so there is no corresponding slot here.

Otherwise, the arrangement of elements on the case is familiar: the Micro-USB connector is on the bottom, the audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm is on the top, next to the second additional microphone, which serves for noise reduction.

The buttons here are made of ceramic, so, in theory, they should be more durable than plastic ones, but in general this is not too noticeable to the eye, and does not affect the overall perception in any way. The buttons are not large, but protrude well from the body, with straight, sharp edges, are easy to touch, have a pliable action and a good, distinct response. The power and lock key on the Nexus 5 is located not on the top, but on the side, so in general there are no complaints at all about the controls.

The landscape of the rear surface consists of elements familiar to the previous model of the series: a camera window with a single-section LED flash and a couple of logos related to LG and the Nexus line itself. Both logos, by the way, do not look as luxurious as those of the Nexus 4: there silver inscriptions were visible under the glass, but here they are just letters pressed into plastic, as if a schoolboy had worked with a burning device. At this point it is worth noting that although the rubberized coating of the Nexus 5 is more practical, it is still glass rear end The Nexus 4, with its shiny backing and silver logos, looked much more expensive and stylish. The same applies to comparing the Nexus 5 with the LG G2 model.

There is no speaker grille on the back surface; it is located at the bottom end and consists of two blocks of small round holes on the sides of the connector - everything is exactly the same as on the Apple iPhone.

The Micro-USB connector here supports the SlimPort interface (outputting images to big screen, analogue of MHL), but, unfortunately, does not support OTG (USB Host) mode, so, as in the previous Nexus 4 model, neither a mouse with a keyboard nor a flash drive can be connected to it. This is a significant difference between the new product and LG’s own brainchild - the G2 model, which has everything listed in stock, and this cannot be an accident. By the way, power is supplied to the flash drive connected via the OTG adapter (this is indicated by the light indicator on the test flash drive), so here, as in the Nexus 4, the ability to connect external devices is apparently simply blocked at the software level. Nexus 4 users managed to remove this limitation, so there will probably be a corresponding solution this time too.

The front panel of all devices in the Nexus line always remains jet black; the glass that completely covers the entire façade is significantly darkened, so that when the screen is turned off, the front panel looks completely monochromatic and impenetrably black. The window for sound output from the earpiece, cut into the upper part of the Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass, has a circular shape, unusual for smartphones, rather than a traditional oblong slit. Otherwise, everything is familiar: next to the speaker grille you can see the eyes of the sensors and the front camera, at the bottom there is a wide ledge for gripping with your fingers, but, of course, there are no hardware buttons on it - they have long since moved to the screen in Android 4.x in the form of software icons. By the way, one of the innovations in Android 4.4 is the ability to hide the panel with these buttons to free up useful screen space.

And finally, a little about the color differences of the variants of the device being reviewed today that are going on sale. In nature, this time there are two modifications: black and white. There are no particular differences between the models, and in general the difference is noticeable only when viewed from behind - the front panel and even the sides of the white Nexus 5 still remain black.

Screen

The Nexus 5 smartphone is equipped with an IPS sensor matrix manufactured by LG with a physical size of 62x110 mm and a diagonal of 126 mm (4.95 inches). The side frames here are not as thin as those on the LG G2 - the difference is literally millimeters, but this is very noticeable to the eye: in the case of the G2, it felt like there was nothing supporting the screen on the sides at all, but here there is no such feeling. Although compared to some other models on the market, the side bezels on the Nexus 5 are still very thin. The physical screen resolution in pixels here is 1920x1080 (Full HD), the dots per inch density reaches a very high value of 445 ppi. The LG G2 has a slightly lower density because, with the same resolution, the screen area of ​​this model is slightly larger (5.2-inch diagonal, 424 ppi).

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten simultaneous touches. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. In bright sunlight the screen remains readable. The top of the screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which is scratch-resistant.

Detailed examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective anti-glare filter, which is no worse than the Google Nexus 7 2013 in reducing the brightness of the reflection. For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (from left to right: Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and a smartphone with an IPS screen, a review of which will be published a little later):

Due to the difference in the color tone of the reflection and the color of the frames, it is difficult to visually assess the amount of reduction in the brightness of the reflection - however, statistics from graphic editor shows that the screen on the Nexus 5 is the darkest, slightly lighter on the Nexus 7 and even lighter on the second smartphone (average brightness values ​​are 90, 92 and 99, respectively). The ghosting of reflected objects on the Nexus 5's screen is very weak, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, no worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 480 cd/m², the minimum was 11 cd/m². The maximum brightness is quite high, which, given the high efficiency of the anti-glare filter, will ensure excellent readability even on a sunny day outdoors. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located at the top right on the front panel). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases, but the latter has its own peculiarities. When changing from conditions with bright lighting to almost complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 175-180 cd/m² (this is too much), however, when putting the smartphone into sleep mode and turning it back on, the brightness is set to a dark-appropriate 30 cd/m². We don’t know what it is: a feature of the implementation or a defect in a particular instance. In an artificially lit office environment (approximately 400 lux), the screen brightness is set to approximately 200 cd/m² (acceptable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) increases up to 440 cd/m² (almost maximum). As a result, this function, with the exception of the oddity with the transition to darkness, works more or less adequately. Only at the lowest brightness there is some modulation of the backlight, but its relative (and even more so absolute) amplitude is small, so the flickering of the screen cannot be visually seen throughout the entire brightness range and the presence of such modulation cannot in any way affect the comfort of working with this smartphone.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 5 and another smartphone with an IPS screen (it is smaller and without on-screen buttons), with the brightness of both screens set to approximately 200 cd/m². The white field is perpendicular to the screens:

And a test picture under the same conditions:

It can be seen, especially in skin tones and gray backgrounds, that color rendition is different, and the picture on the Nexus 5 is brighter.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not “float” on both screens, but the whiteness of the Nexus 5 has noticeably increased.

And a white field at an angle:

The brightness at an angle for both screens decreased noticeably (by about five times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Nexus 5 the drop in brightness is slightly less. At the same time, the color tone of both screens changed slightly.

When deviated diagonally, the black field is greatly brightened, but remains almost neutral gray. A photo with another smartphone for comparison shows this (the brightness of the white areas is the same on both screens!):

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, but not ideal, since in a couple of places along the edge of the screen there are slightly overexposed areas (the second smartphone has aggressive dynamic brightness adjustment, which significantly reduces the brightness of the backlight on a black field, so its screen is very dark here) :

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is not the highest - about 750:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 19 ms (11 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 30 ms. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.02, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power-law dependence:

Apparently, this smartphone also has some kind of dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (in light images the brightness increases, in dark images it decreases), so the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) is most likely , does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray almost over the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates, and not single-color fields in the entire screen.

Color gamut is sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is quite a bit higher than the standard 6500 K and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and delta E change little from hue to hue, which has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The screen has a high maximum brightness and an effective anti-glare filter, so you can use the smartphone without much difficulty even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately, with the exception, in our case, of conditions with a transition to darkness. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, no flicker or air gap in the layers of the screen, sRGB coverage and a fairly good color balance. Unfortunately, due to the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane, the Nexus 5 screen does not reach the top level.

Sound

In terms of sound, we didn't like the Nexus 5 smartphone at all. The sound remains clean and even only at a fairly low volume level, and above that, outright rattling begins. Apparently, that’s why the developers simply limited the maximum volume level - otherwise how else to explain that the smartphone is not capable of truly providing high level volume comparable to that of any other devices in the same class? The same applies, unfortunately, to the sound in headphones - the sound in them remains clear, but also very quiet. However, wheezing and distortion are easy to hear if you use any third-party player or even just start watching a movie in a regular MX player at maximum volume. The only gratifying moment in all this is the good saturation of the sound with pleasant low frequencies, however, this plus is instantly offset by irritation from the inability to achieve a comfortable volume level. In any case, Nexus 5 was not a very successful solution in terms of sound, and true music lovers are unlikely to like it. Let us remind you, by the way, that the device does not even come with standard headphones.

We also did not find an FM radio or voice recorder included in the standard configuration of the smartphone.

Camera

Nexus 5 is equipped, as is now common, with two digital camera modules. The front camera here has a 1.3 megapixel sensor and takes photos with a maximum resolution of 1280x960, and video only in 720p resolution. While shooting video, you can continue to take photos; a test shot is shown below.

The main, rear camera is different from that used in the previous Nexus model; now it is an 8-megapixel module with optical image stabilization. By default, the camera shoots in the highest possible resolution of 8 megapixels, and the resulting images are 3264x2448 in size. Examples of photographs and our comments on their quality are presented below.

	The sharpness is not bad. The noise reduction works well, but initially the noise is not weak, which is why the boundaries of objects have small irregularities.
	The exposition was well chosen. Sharping is barely noticeable.
	Quite good sharpness even in long shots and uniform across the entire frame.
	The camera copes well in low light. In some places there is strong noise in the shadows, which is well processed.
	Macro photography is very mediocre.
	The camera captures text well, but is slightly damaged by small ripples caused by noise, which can significantly damage small font sizes.

Now the test is on a laboratory bench.

	Lighting ≈1300 lux. The camera does a good job. The picture is quite sharp, although some blurring is still present in places.
	Lighting ≈460 lux. The noise increases slightly, but it practically does not change the situation, except that the washed-out areas worsen somewhat.
	Lighting ≈240 lux. The next deterioration noticeably affects only the same areas. In general, the situation is not deteriorating very much.
	Lighting ≈240 lux, flash. The flash greatly improves the situation, returning the original resolution.
	Lighting<1 люкс. В темноте камера не справляется, однако кое-что различить на снимке все-таки можно.
	Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. Вспышка вновь значительно улучшает ситуацию по разрешению почти до исходной.

According to the laboratory test results, the camera performed well. Sharpness is fairly uniform across the entire frame. Noises are very moderate and well handled. Some blurriness of small details is associated with very soft sharpening, which is almost invisible. It is worth noting the reasonable performance of the flash, which does its job well: the frame is illuminated completely and almost evenly, with only slight darkening in the corners.

The characteristic features of the camera include good noise reduction, moderate and almost imperceptible sharpening and a good flash. As you can see from the graph, in comparison with its competitors, the Nexus 5 camera performed well.

The camera turned out to be quite good, but did not demonstrate anything outstanding. It has virtually no shortcomings inherent in budget smartphones, but it also lacks the nice features that characterize flagship cameras. Moreover, if we take into account macro photography and text shooting, the camera is much closer to a budget camera than to a flagship one. As a result, we can say that the Nexus 5 has a good, but unremarkable camera, which is quite suitable for not very demanding documentary or art photography.

The organization of the shooting control settings menu is not entirely familiar: you can’t find any identifying icons until you put your finger on the screen - then a circular contextual multi-step menu will appear, which you need to go through without lifting your finger from the display, otherwise it will disappear. In principle, if you get used to it, this can turn out to be quite a convenient solution, but in any case, at first it does not look very familiar. As standard for Google phones, it is annoying that there is no small thumbnail with the ability to quickly view the photo you just took. More precisely, the miniature appears imperceptibly for a split second in one of the corners, but immediately disappears. If you didn’t manage to “catch” it, you’ll have to go to the gallery, and if something was looked at there before and some other album remains open, then the number of steps to the goal increases significantly, which cannot but cause irritation. At least, this is how everything is organized by developers by default.

The Nexus 5's video camera shoots at maximum settings in Full HD 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Test videos are posted below. Videos are saved in an MP4 container (video - MPEG-4 AVC [email protected], sound - AAC LC, 96 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz, 1 channel).

• Video No. 1 (73.1 MB, 1920×1080, 29 fps)
• Video No. 2 (41.6 MB, 1920×1080, 29 fps)

You can adjust a lot when shooting: change the ISO, influence the white balance, set the resolution for photo and video shooting, use the advanced HDR+ mode that works very well here, add geotags, and also select one of the usual shooting modes (moving, night, party, panoramic, etc.).

Shooting in the Nexus 5 can be done by pressing both the virtual icon on the display and the hardware volume key, which, when the camera mode is activated, begins to be responsible for the shutter function.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, there is support for fourth generation networks (LTE) broken down by region (there is a separate model for the North American market, and another for the rest of the world, as in our case). The test showed that with a SIM card from the domestic operator Megafon, the smartphone really confidently finds and works with the 4G network, as far as the not yet very developed domestic infrastructure of LTE networks allows. The 5 GHz Wi-Fi band is supported, and support for NFC technology is also present. The Micro-USB connector supports USB 2.0 interface. Note that when connected to a PC, a message is displayed about the possibility of using the USB 3.0 interface, but in fact this is just a controller capability, but the contact lines themselves in the connector are not routed. But the mode for connecting external devices (USB Host, OTG) here, we repeat, does not work, just as it did not work in the previous Nexus 4 model. This is quite strange and unpleasant, especially considering the lack of a slot for memory cards, and also the fact that in LG G2 this mode works, and any connected flash drives, as well as mice and keyboards, are perfectly recognized.

There were no freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The screen is large, so drawing letters and numbers on virtual keyboards is quite comfortable to control. Unfortunately, the additional top row with numbers, which is built into the keyboard of top Samsung smartphones, is not present in the standard keyboard - this is not very convenient, you have to constantly switch the layout from letters to numbers and back. It is curious that the user will not find here the usual service for sending ordinary SMS messages; instead, the Hangouts program is already installed, which combines both the old-fashioned short message service through an operator (SMS) and new-fashioned options for text and voice communication using the Internet -telephony.

OS and software

The Nexus 5 uses the latest version 4.4 of the Google Android software platform, named after the famous KitKat chocolate bars. There are no third-party graphical user interfaces (shells like HTC Sense), as well as pre-installed additional applications here. Everything, down to the basic file manager, will have to be installed yourself from the Google Play online store. It is this moment that has categorically divided Android system supporters for many years into two opposing camps: those who do not like violence against the user’s personality on the part of the hardware manufacturer by cluttering the device’s memory with a mass of unnecessary software, and those who, on the contrary, really like various “finishing” ", changes and additions from the manufacturer, be it their own graphical shells or at least useful additional programs (at one time, the popularity of the proprietary HTC Sense shell was so high that some users bought devices of this brand solely because of it).

As for the innovations of Android 4.4 itself, there are enough of them, and most of them are related to the optimization of the system and its various components. Thus, the operation of the music player, the distribution of resources between applications in multitasking mode, the operation of the browser (Chrome), and the use of RAM by applications were optimized, which theoretically should allow all applications to run more smoothly even on devices with 512 MB of RAM. Much attention was paid to security issues. More details about the changes implemented in new version Android OS, you can read in our news.

One of the most notable innovations is the ability to quickly access voice commands in Google Now. As in the Motorola Moto X we recently examined, the voice communication with which, based on the program, always begins with the greeting “OK Google Now”, the new version of Android also implements advanced voice control, and work with it also begins with a similar “OK Google " What's new with Android 4.4 KitKat is that it can be activated with a spoken phrase - whereas previously, to activate voice search, you had to touch the corresponding icon on the screen. But unlike the Motorola Moto X, there is no separate always-awake processor for voice control, so a locked Nexus 5 cannot be woken up with the phrase “OK Google” - nothing will simply happen. In order for the smartphone to react to spoken words, you still need to first pick it up, unlock it in the usual way, and only after that the corresponding window of the voice recognition program will open in response to the phrase “OK Google”. In principle, at this point you can put an end to the whole idea - after all, the point of voice control is contactless, as, in fact, this is what Motorola has implemented. And in Nexus 5, due to the need to pick up the device and manipulate it to wake up the device, the lion's share of the intended comfort is lost. There is one more annoying negative detail: the program perfectly recognizes phrases spoken in Russian (for example, “Weather in Moscow”), but it is impossible to activate the voice search itself with the phrase “OK Google”. To do this, you need to make English the main language, but then the program completely stops understanding Russian. In general, Google still has some work to do here, but for now voice search works smoothly and is activated only in English.

The processor cores are supported in graphics processing by the powerful Adreno 330 graphics core. The device has 2 GB of RAM, which is quite enough. But as for the volume of built-in user storage, you cannot expand it using a cheap microSD card, which means you will have to choose for yourself in the store once and for all a limited volume of 16 or 32 GB of built-in flash array, paying extra for an additional “portion” memory. However, compared to the previous model in the line, this is progress: the Nexus 4 generally had only a nominal 8 GB of memory. Of the 16 GB of flash memory on our version of Nexus 5, 12.1 GB were free.

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the Nexus 5 platform, we'll run a standard set of tests.

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. As one would expect, the version of AnTuTu X aimed at combating the “cheating” of manufacturers showed exactly the same result as the main AnTuTu (the difference of 2% should not be taken seriously; the spread of results from launch to launch is noticeably greater). So Google is not trying to deceive anyone about the performance of branded smartphones.

When testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test, the subject “flew” beyond the maximum possible result, receiving the “Maxed out!” mark. not only in standard mode, but also in Extreme mode. For the most powerful smartphones, it is now possible to run 3DMark in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps). Thus, it was not in vain that we began collecting statistics on new tested devices in the Unlimited mode, this time it was more useful than ever.

Results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

¹ MX Video Player only played sound after switching to software decoding or Hardware+; The standard player does not have this setting

This smartphone supports image and sound output to an external device using SlimPort (or Mobility DisplayPort) adapters connected to the Micro-USB connector. For testing we used an LG IPS237L monitor. When using this monitor and this adapter, output was carried out at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. When the image on the smartphone screen is landscape-oriented, the image is displayed on the monitor screen in landscape orientation, while the image on the monitor fits within the boundaries of the screen and exactly matches the image on the smartphone screen. In portrait orientation, the display of the image on the monitor screen is also carried out in portrait orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed within the boundaries of the screen in height, and wide black fields are displayed on the right and left. Sound is output via HDMI (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume cannot be adjusted using the buttons on the smartphone body - it is only turned off. A smartphone connected via SlimPort is charged, while the SlimPort adapter must be connected to a power source via its Micro-USB connector.

Next, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In tests, unless otherwise noted, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware+ mode. The results of this (block entitled as "Screen") and the following tests are tabulated:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes“green” ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is high, since frames (or groups of frames) are output with a more or less uniform alternation of intervals and there are practically no frame skips. The smartphone can even display files with a resolution of 4K up to 30p inclusive. However, uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames and even (very rarely) to the skipping of individual frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly across the width of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235, that is, all gradations of shades are displayed in the shadows and highlights.

With a monitor connected via SlimPort, when playing video, the video file image is displayed only in landscape orientation, while the monitor displays an exact copy of the smartphone screen:

When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, maintaining true proportions, and the resolution corresponds to Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor is equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, all shade gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights. The results of monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the block "SlimPort". The output quality is worse than the output on the smartphone screen itself without a SlimPort connection. In the case of video with 50 and 60 fps, only every second frame is played back in steady mode, and in the case of 60 fps, video is displayed approximately ¼ slower, that is, the smartphone can no longer cope with it. However, if we limit ourselves to 24 fps typical for movies and TV series, then we have no special complaints about the quality of output to an external monitor. How the picture will be displayed in games is still a question.

In general, the connection to external monitors, TVs and projectors, carried out using the SlimPort adapter, can be used for gaming (not very dynamic - that's for sure), watching movies, displaying web pages and other activities that benefit from multiplying the screen size.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Nexus 5 is 2300 mAh. Despite the decent amount of built-in battery, the test subject did not show outstanding results in terms of battery life - everything was at an average level.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted until the battery was completely discharged for more than 22 hours, which is an excellent indicator. However, it gets worse. When continuously watching videos from YouTube in high quality (HQ) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted only a little over 5 hours, and in 3D gaming mode - 3 hours 45 minutes.

Bottom line

Notable problems with the Google Nexus 5 include poor audio quality, poor voice control implementation, and an unintuitive photo-taking interface. Among the positive aspects, it is worth noting a good screen, the latest version of the Android operating system with a number of improvements, high speed and relatively low cost. Therefore, if you are comfortable with smartphones without pre-installed additional applications and are willing to put up with some of the described shortcomings, then Google’s new product deserves attention.

• nice appearance
• practical housing
• large screen diagonal
• relatively low price

• not the best sound quality
• inconvenient camera control
• no memory expansion
• short battery life