Google Nexus 5 vs LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4: specs comparison

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Google Nexus 5 vs LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4: specs comparison
In case you've somehow missed the news, Google just refreshed its Nexus lineup with a new, 5-inch model – its slimmest and fastest to date. The Google Nexus 5, as the smartphone is called, is here to succeed the Nexus 4, bringing upgraded hardware specifications, all the while sticking to "pure" Android 4.4 KitKat, free of carrier bloatware and UI modifications. It can be yours for as little as $350 off contract, which is a pretty good deal no matter how you look at it.

But the Google Nexus 5 is far from the only note-worthy smartphone in Androidland. On one hand, it's looking pretty good in the specs department, sporting a 1080 by 1920 pixel display, a Snapdragon 800 SoC, and an 8MP camera with optical image stabilization. But on the other hand, many of its Android alternatives – alternatives like the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 – are at least as capable, if not better, in many key areas. And to give you a clearer representation of how the Nexus 5 stacks up against these, we've listed their hardware specs side by side.

Now, we've said it before and we'll say it again: hardware specifications aren't the only thing that makes a smartphone great. They do, however, allow us to estimate how a smartphone might perform in real life, giving us an idea as to what we should expect from it. With that out of the way, let's see how the Google Nexus 5 compares against the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 from a hardware standpoint.

Google Nexus 5 LG G2 Samsung Galaxy S4

Design

Dimensions
5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 inches
137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 mm
5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 inches
138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm
5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm
Weight
4.59 oz (130.0 g) 5.04 oz (143.0 g) 4.59 oz (130.0 g)
Materials
Back: Plastic
Features
Notification light Notification light
Keys
Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key Back: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Black, Red, White Black, White Black, Blue, Red, White

Display

Size
5.0-inch 5.2-inch 5.0-inch
Resolution
1920x1080px, 445 PPI 1920x1080px, 423 PPI 1920x1080px, 441 PPI
Technology
IPS LCD IPS LCD Super AMOLED
Screen-to-body
70.89 % 76.28 % 71.91 %
Colors
16 777 216 16 777 216 16 777 216
Peak brightness
450 cd/m2 (nit)
Features
Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 8974
Processor
Quad-core
2260 MHz
Krait 400
Quad-core
2260 MHz
Krait 400
Quad-core
1900 MHz
Krait 300
GPU
Adreno 330 Adreno 330 Adreno 320
RAM
2GB (LPDDR3) 2GB (LPDDR3) 2GB (LPDDR3)
Internal storage
32GB 32GB, available to use: 24 GB 64GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 64 GB
OS
Android (6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4.2, 4.4) Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.2, 4.2.2) Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.2, 4.3, 4.2.2)

Battery

Capacity
2300 mAh 3000 mAh 2600 mAh
Type
Li - Polymer Li - Polymer Li - Ion
Charging
Qi wireless charging

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Single camera
Main camera
8 MP (OIS, Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal length: 30.4 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.2"
13 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal length: 29 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.06"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm
13 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal length: 31 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.06"
Pixel size: 1.14 μm
Flash
LED LED LED
Video recording
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
OIS, Video light
1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)
OIS
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
EIS
Front
1.3 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD) 2.1 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 2 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.0 4.0 4.0
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
MIMO, Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
USB
microUSB, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0
HDMI
Yes Yes
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Step detector, Step counter Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Gesture, Humidity, Barometer
Other
NFC, ANT+, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, ANT+, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Mobile Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
DLNA,Wireless screen share,SlimPort,TV-out DLNA,Wireless screen share,MirrorLink,SlimPort DLNA,Wireless screen share,MHL
Radio
FM, Stereo, RDS
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation, Video recording Noise cancellation, Video recording

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 18(800 Lower)
3G
Bands 6(800), 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100)
Data Speed
LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type
Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM
VoLTE
Yes Yes

Phone Features

Notifications
Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
Other features
Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Nov 04, 2013
FCC ID value: ZNFD821
FCC ID value: ZNFD802 Date approved: Mar 14, 2013
FCC ID value: A3LGTI9505
Measured SAR
Head: 0.92 W/kg
Body: 1.01 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.46 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.23 W/kg
Head: 0.50 W/kg
Body: 0.65 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.17 W/kg
Wireless Router: 0.67 W/kg

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 399

Availability

Officially announced
Oct 31, 2013 Aug 07, 2013 Mar 14, 2013
See the full Google Nexus 5 vs LG G2 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison tool


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