Google's Nexus 5

It's been a week now since I got my very own Nexus 5 (32GB Black). We all know how Google won the award for 'The most leaked phone of the year', that was one reason why the demand for the phone skyrocketed. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, saying the phone is fabulous, without actually using it for a while.

I wanted to do justice to this piece of art so I used it for a week to figure the ins & outs. I then decided that the phone really deserves a blog post, seeing how fantastic it actually is. I un-boxed it with a couple of friends who were as excited as I was to see Google's latest gadget in action.

This is my personal experience on the phone and everyone who owns this phone might have a different experience and although I'm not a pro phone reviewer, it felt right explaining to those who might be considering this one as an option. Let's get started with the pros.

1. Battery Life: I know how painful it is to see those 2 sticks of battery left when you're just through half your day. There's good news, the Nexus 5 delivers a reasonably long battery life considering the size of the screen and the power packed Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 running a quad-core at 2.3GHz.
   On heavy usage (Switching between Wi-Fi, 3G making hour long calls on Viber & Hangout, Navigation, half a dozen photos and the occasional You-tube video) can give you up to 12 hours.
   
   

   

   
   

   Which I think is just great for a phone of this spec. On the other hand, regular usage (an hour of driving Navigation, half a dozen photos, chatting through Hangout & Whatsapp) can give you up to 26 hours! I don't have any complaints as far as battery is concerned. 
   Another plus that I can add is that even on low battery (5%) the camera app still opens, allowing you to click photos even if you have less juice left in your battery. (I had to root and flash my old phone with Cyanogenmod for this feature on my old phone)
2. Interface & display: Using pure android KitKat (4.4) couldn't get better. There wasn't a single time the phone hung/lagged. I think buttery smooth would be the perfect words. Any app that I tried so far, loaded without any delay. I use a Nexus 7 (1st gen) for the demanding apps that my old phone couldn't handle and there used to be moments when it took time to load. But absolutely no complaints here. Every app works like a charm, every time, all the time.
   
                                    
   
   The vibrant display of the Nexus 5 makes it easy to use in sunlight and I never had to squint to read what was on the screen. This in addition to that, the resolution (1080x1920) and the pixel density of 445 ppi (iPhone 5s having 326 ppi) places it among the best displays on the planet in terms of consumer cell phones.
   Having integrated SMS into Hangout was a fantastic move by Google, it makes it so much easier to get in touch with friends who use SMS more than online chat apps without having to open a separate messaging app.
   I was a tad bit skeptical about the voice recognition. Having designed one in college, I assumed that no app can be able to adapt so easily without pre-training. But I just spoke to the phone and voila, worked like a charm again. I was and still am super impressed. I'm not used to using voice recognition, but who knows, I might just. 
3. Camera: While going for a phone, I generally don't look at the specs of the camera because if I want to go for a photoshoot, I take a DSLR, so it really didn't bother me too much. Many people however are concerned about this. It was an added bonus feature for me, so I decided to try it out. My word, the camera was impressive. I generally have steady hands while taking a picture, but the OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) eliminates most (not all) of the blur that occurs with the shake of your hand. 
   The Low light performance is another plus. I tried multiple shots in different light conditions and it did impress every time. I am certain there's post processing in the background after the photo is clicked, which makes the snap super clear once it's is clicked. Spherical photos are impressive as well. I don't know how often I will use it but it is good.
   
   
   
   
   I can say that the front facing camera exhibits pristine quality, even when it comes to photos, which isn't the case for general front facing cameras. It easily blows away my Dell XPS's webcam quality & the Nexus 7's front facing camera. More than the 1.2 MP I believe it's the quality of the lens that makes the difference. 
4. Aesthetics & feel: It couldn't feel better. The phone is super light, and comparing the weight with my old S5830 (Galaxy Ace), I can't notice the difference. I can't believe how a phone packed with so many features could be this light. Even while using demanding apps it doesn't heat up significantly and is consistent in it's performance.
   I've used a friend's iPhone 5S and I can confidently say it's not a phone I would like to own. Surprisingly, it heats up quite a bit while using demanding apps and is not my type of phone, never was. Apple fan boys would prefer iPhones I presume, with the aluminium body & it's 'premium feel'. Never mind, that's again down to personal taste.
   
   
   Here's something I hope I never do, drop my phone. But in case you like to know what happens, watch the video. 

                               

Moving on to the cons, I can't pin point any major ones, but for starters the fact that the phone can't be opened will be a problem when it comes to replacing the battery. This comes in handy when you're travelling, or probably eventually when it's life runs out. If the battery had come with a 3000mAh, it would be fantastic, but seeing that KitKat makes the phone super efficient, this can't be counted as a flaw.

So there, I'd suggest if you are considering a high end smart phone over the next few months, this is the perfect one for you. Or it might just make the perfect Christmas present for family or a friend.