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6 Reasons I’m Waiting for the Nexus 5 (2015)

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Rumor has it, that Google has a new Nexus smartphone or two planned for 2015. Rumors suggest that Google will actually be releasing two smartphones to replace both the original Nexus 5 from 2013 and last years Nexus 6. And while there are plenty of excellent smartphones available now, here are multiple reasons why I’ll be passing on most of them and waiting for the Nexus 5 (or Nexus 6) to arrive.

My first smartphone was the T-Mobile HTC G1, I eventually bought the Nexus One, and I’ve owned every Nexus smartphone ever released aside from the Nexus 4. I’ve been using the Nexus 6 since late October but it was replaced by the Galaxy S6 earlier this year, and is now my backup smartphone but I carry both around.

Read: LG Nexus 5 Release Date Rumored

Right now there are tons of excellent smartphones available like the Galaxy S6 or LG G4, and even the upcoming Galaxy Note 5 sounds promising. However, it’s Google’s two new smartphone’s we’ve been hearing rumors about since back in March that have me excited. Below will be a few details regarding all the Nexus 5 rumors, and why it’s the smartphone I’m waiting for here in 2015.

Nexus6-21-620x412Perhaps a better title would be reasons why I’m waiting for the 2015 Nexus smartphones, and that’s because rumor has it two smartphones are coming, two great devices that will take on all of the competition. I want them both, and will probably buy both.

At first we heard it would be LG, which made an excellent Nexus 5 that was close to being perfect but had a few small flaws. I replaced my Nexus 5 with a Google Play Edition Galaxy S4. Then we started hearing that a bigger Huawei Nexus 6 was coming this year instead, but would be 5.7-inches and slightly smaller than the massive whale of a phone that was the Nexus 6.

Lately though, all the rumors have started to align and it looks like Google will in fact take the same approach as Samsung and Apple, the two most successful smartphone manufacturers. Which is offer one lower-priced handset that isn’t so big, then a phablet for those who’d like something bigger. Here’s the rumored details about both 2015 Nexus smartphones.

The first two reasons are the two phones mentioned below. Well, at least according to rumors.

2015 Nexus 5 Specs (Rumored)

  • 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080p P-OLED HD Display
  • 8-core Snapdragon 620 Processor with 3-4GB of RAM
  • 32 and 64GB of internal storage
  • 13 megapixel F1.8 camera with OIS and Laser Autofocus (like the LG G4)
  • 4 MP front camera
  • 3,180 mAh battery with wireless charging
  • Rear power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner
  • Dual Front-facing speakers
  • USB Type-C Connector with Quick Charging Technology
  • Aluminum Frame with Matte Black Plastic back (like the original Nexus 5)
  • more

2015 Nexus 6 Specs (Rumored)

  • 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD Display
  • 8-core Snapdragon 820 processor with 3 or 4GB of RAM (Maybe an 810)
  • 32 & 64GB of internal storage
  • Android M (5.2 or Android 6.0)
  • 21 Megapixel rear and unknown front camera setup
  • 3,500 mAh
  • Aluminum Unibody Design
  • Fingerprint Scanner
  • USB Type-C Port
  • more

As you can see, these smartphones both sound simply amazing. Rumor has it the LG Nexus 5 will be a mix between the LG G4 and the original Nexus 5, and come in under $400. Sounds nice, right? We’re also hearing it could arrive with Android M in September with a release date in early October, and the Huawei Nexus 6 might be released at a slightly later date.

Features & Software

Some of the new features almost all Android smartphones will have in 2016 will be fingerprint scanners, and USB Type-C connectors. Fingerprints are more secure, will work with Android Pay, and have tons of opportunity now that it’s build right into stock Android. Samsung’s current system is home-made, but with Android M fingerprint support is built right into Android.

USB Type-C brings reversible universal cords for charging and syncing, and blazing fast USB 3.0 speeds as well. This means charging will be easier, Quick Charge makes it faster, and data transfer will be quicker as well. Basically USB Type-C is the future, and Google will lead the pack with this. The Galaxy Note 5 decided not to use one, and the new OnePlus 2 has a fake USB Type-C connector that is still USB 2.0 speeds, with no added benefits aside from being reversible and can plug in either direction.

fingerprint

With the new Nexus devices we’ll be treated to Android 5.2 M, which was announced back in May and set to be released before the end of Q3. This means before the end of September. The next version of Android will be here sooner than many think. Why buy current devices that will be outdated for months, when new Nexus phones are coming soon. That said, not everyone likes stock Android, but I do.

Competition

Everyone has different wants, needs, or preferences, but I’ve always stuck to Nexus devices or something from Samsung. However, two key things I loved about the Galaxy series, or the Note, are now gone. Those being a micro-SD card and a removable battery. The battery isn’t too much of a concern with quick charging, but storage certainly is.

With Samsung going the way of most Android OEMs, Apple, and Google, and ditching the micro-SD slot, there’s no more reason for me to stay and wait for the Galaxy Note 5 or put up with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface.

Note-5 3.04.50 PM

Samsung no longer has reasons (except for great build quality) for me to stick around and use their smartphones over a Nexus. Instead, I’ll be getting a Nexus 5 or Nexus 6 in 2015 that won’t have a micro-SD slot, just like Samsung’s phones don’t, but I’ll get the software experience I want.

Yes there’s the LG G4, which is a great smartphone, but they too, have an overlay on stock Android that isn’t my preference. Then again, everyone likes different things.

Good Camera

From the rumors we are hearing, Google is taking the camera on these Nexus phones serious. The latest leak for the Nexus 5 suggests a paired down LG G4 camera, which is arguably the best camera in any smartphone. We could see a 13 megapixel camera with laser auto-focus, optical image stabilization, and an f/1.8 aperture which means is extremely fast, capable, and works great in low light.

The Huawei Nexus 6 is also rumored to have a pretty stellar camera as well. The Nexus 5 in 2013 had a pretty awful camera, which is one of a few reasons I went back to Samsung. This may not be the case in 2015.

Battery Life

With the Nexus 6 Google proved they’re finally taking battery life serious on Nexus smartphones. Rather than build decent devices and toss a tiny 2,300 mAh battery inside to keep the price down, the Nexus 6 has a massive battery.

Nexus-5-2

This year it looks like both Nexus smartphones will support Quick Charging technology that allows them to get to 50% in nearly 30 minutes on the wall. They’ll have bigger batteries finally, and when they are low, they’ll recharge faster.

The specs above outlined a huge 3,500 mAh battery in the Nexus 6, and a good sized 3,180 mAh battery in the 5.2-inch Nexus 5. As a comparison, the Galaxy S6 released in April has a higher resolution display, more power hungry 8-core chip, yet a tiny 2,550 mAh battery. Comparing the two it’s easy to see the Nexus 5 (if those rumors are accurate) will have great battery life in 2015.

Final Thoughts

Yes the Galaxy Note 5 sounds like a great phone, Motorola’s new 5.7-inch Moto X Pure Edition is sweet and highly customizable for $399, the LG G4 is excellent. There are a lot of good phones available right now, or coming soon.

At the end of the day though, Android is about to get some major changes and impressive new features. Android Pay, Google Now on Tap, fingerprint scanners for secure payments and sign in, USB Type-C, and much much more. All of this will likely be pushed into the mainstream for 2016 through Google’s devices that are coming in the next few months. Then of course the new Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 will be first to Android M, software updates, and Android 6.0 Nutella. Even if the rumors above aren’t accurate, we know Google has some impressive new features with Android M, fingerprint scanners, and more. They might not be exactly as described above, but they’ll certainly be good enough.

Nexus devices are a platform for developers to work on, and a way for Google to showcase their vision of Android for other manufacturers, but they’re also consumer products. Something Google proved by the Nexus 6 being offered on all carriers in the United States. These devices are shaping up to be Google’s best yet at fair prices, and I’ll be getting at least one, if not both.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Jet

    08/11/2015 at 3:23 pm

    NEXUS DEVICES.. Learn from my experience and DON’T BUY A NEXUS DEVICE. Here is why….
    I bought a Nexus 5 a little more than 1 year ago. I updated my device with the latest update to Android 5.5.1 about 3 months ago. Now my phone crashes/shuts down every 5 minutes and it won’t successfully reboot until it is plugged it into a power source. And then it would go through an “app optimization” phase that would take 15 mins to complete before the phone would reboot. This makes the phone basically unusable and certainly not a mobile device. So one year after I spent $440 on my Nexus phone it is useless to me today. (By the way this is WIDESPREAD problem…More than 1,100 post todate on the Nexus 5 product forum regarding this issue ALONE….not to mention the thousands of other post regarding other issues users are having with the Nexus 5(.
    It was clearly a software problem as this problem started the day that I and many others upgraded to 5.1.1. Also this same problem has been reported on other Nexus devices (e.g., Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Nexus 9) and even on the Moto X product line.
    So I contacted Google Support. The sad part is that Google Support has ABSOLUTELY no interest in diagnosing the problem or providing any support for this issue. Even though I could consistently reproduce the problem within 5 minutes of use. They just told me to call LG Support. When I asked them how LG Support would be able to fix a software issue…given that this was a vanilla version of Android running on my phone…they would just repeat the same statement (You will need to contact LG support) as if they were a robot. Not getting anywhere with Google support. I contacted LG support. I explained the problem to them. To which LG support said that sounds like a software issue and pointed me back to Google Support. I told them that Google Support had just told me to call LG Support….to which LG support said we are just the hardware manufacturer and we have no capability to fix a software issue”…remember this is “vanilla” Android.
    What I learned is that neither Google Support nor the hardware manufacturer will take ownership of a problem when you have one with a NEXUS device. And believe me if you look through the Google Product Forums for Nexus devices you will see that problems with the Nexus devices is very common. So while you think you might be getting a good deal by buying a Nexus device…believe me you are not. Again I spent $440 slightly more than 1 year ago and today i’m left with a phone that will only work if it is plugged into a power source. Not exactly what I bargained for when I purchased the phone. And believe me Nexus devices are no bargain. As a consumer I’m left holding the bag.
    I hold Google responsible for this situation. After multiple escalations with their Support team, it’s clear that they couldn’t care less….even though the problem is clearly a sofware issue. I offered to help them troublshoot the problem…send them my phone so they could diagnose the problme. They couldn’t be bothered. All I got was the same “robotic” responses. I’ve gotten more compasionate responses from an automated phone system.
    Anyway…. I wanted to take the time to warn all potential Nexus customers what you will be getting into if you purchase a Nexus device. #FingerPointingNightmare, #LeftHoldingTheBag, #NoSupport. I’m shocked that the news media hasn’t picked up on this issue (given how widespread the problem is with Nexus users). I’ve tweeted every major technical publication and so far little responses. Maybe their too busy..but to me this is important news. Google as really f’d up Android with the Lollipop release….like humpty dumpty can they put it back together. Given their indifference to Sev 1 problems…I seriously doubt it. They seem content to put their head back in the sand and ignore their long term customer base.
    If I save one person from experiencing the hell I’ve experienced with my Nexus phone, it will have been worth the time and effort I’ve put into trying to get resolution to the problem and the effort I’ve put in trying to bring this issue to light.
    Here is hoping that the media will pick up on this issue.
    Cheers

    • Danny

      08/12/2015 at 9:18 pm

      It’s hard for support to diagnose a problem over the phone. Why didn’t you send the phone over to an authorized service centre for repair? It doesn’t sound like a software problem, it is probably either a faulty/damaged board or battery. I’m leaning more on battery since it boots when on a power source. (I am a LG technician)

    • Mark

      08/16/2015 at 8:54 am

      Jet, I am sympathetic to the consumers who have had issues, problems, bricked devices and just plain FEAR of Google’s Android Lollipop 5.0, 5.01, 5.11 updates. First let me say that I have been using Samsung & Motorola devices for the last 10 years. 2 years ago I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S5 & have truly loved it. When the Lolliflop update came out, I was very cautious (being a tech savvy person) to read up on Lolliflop and check out all the blogs, posts and comments to get an accurate view of the good, bad or indifference to it.
      After being scared to the point of “what the hell am I going to do” by what I read regarding the 5.0.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy S5, I decided not to update and give Google and the carriers more time to work out the bugs and maybe even wait until the next update rolled out. I guess I don’t need to say this, but I’m still running KitKat 4.4.4 and will continue to do so until I upgrade to a new phone. A GUI update is a very tricky thing to create. When you have manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola and HTC layering their software over the top of Android, it can create bugs and bricks out of perfectly designed software. Vanilla Android? Now there’s where nothing short of a hardware issue should have gone wrong. Although it’s possible the issues were software related, I would put my money on the hardware. Because every manufacturer except LG has ditched the removable battery and SD card slot, I will have to settle and make concessions in 2016 when purchasing a new device. The single most important thing I won’t do is purchase on impulse. I will surely have all the information required to make an informed decision before purchasing. As always, BUYER BEWARE ! ! !

  2. Eric

    08/13/2015 at 11:09 am

    Had the same problem with my Nexus 5. Called Google, they said “We will send you a new one, when you get it send us your old one”. Done deal. Problem solved. Never had an issue since. I have owned every nexus since the Galaxy nexus and I keep coming back for all the reasons stated above. 2 sides to every coin.

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    08/28/2015 at 11:20 pm

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