Spec showdown: Nexus 5 vs. Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5s vs. Nexus 4
How does the new Nexus 5 stack up against its closest rivals from Samsung and Apple?
Nic Healey Senior Editor / Australia
Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.
2 min read
All the leaks, speculation and rumours are finally over: the Nexus 5 is here.
The LG-made handset offers the first taste of Android KitKat, the 4.4 version of Google's operating system. It's also a "vanilla" experience — just the pure OS with none of the manufacturer-created user interface add-ons.
If you're buying from the Google Play store, the pricing is AU$399 for 16GB and AU$449 for 32GB, although the handsets won't be shipping for another three to four weeks.
We've done a spec rundown comparing the Nexus 5 to the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s, as well as its predecessor, the Nexus 4.
| Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Apple iPhone 5s | Nexus 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 137.84x69.17x8.59mm; 130g | 136.6x69.8x7.9mm; 130g | 123.8x58.6x7.6mm; 112g | 133.9x68.7x9.1mm; 139g |
| Display | 5-inch Full HD IPS; 1920x1080 pixels; 445ppi | 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED; 1920x1080 pixels; 441ppi | 4-inch Retina display; 1136x640 pixels; 326ppi | 4.7-inch Full HD IPS; 1280x768 pixels; 318ppi |
| OS | Android 4.4 | Android 4.2* | iOS 7 | Android 4.2* |
| 4G/LTE | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) | 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz) | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.0 | v4.0 | v4.0 |
| IR blaster | No | Yes | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Rear camera and recording | 8 megapixel | 13 megapixel; 1080p Full HD video | 8 megapixel with 1.5 pixels; 1080p Full HD video | 8 megapixel; 1080p Full HD video |
| Front-facing camera | 1.3 megapixel | 2 megapixel; 1080p Full HD video | 1.2 megapixel camera; 720p HD video | 1.3 megapixel |
| Processor | 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 | 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 | Proprietary A7 (64 bit) with M7 motion processor | 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 |
| Capacity | 16GB and 32GB | 16GB, 32GB and 64GB | 16GB, 32GB and 64GB | 8GB and 16GB |
| Expandable memory | No | Yes, up to 64GB | No | No |
| Battery life | 2300mAh embedded; usage time up to 17 hours; standby time up to 12 days | 2600mAh removable; usage time up to 17 hours; standby time up to 12 days | Embedded; usage time online up to 10 hours on 4G LTE; standby time up to 10 days | 2100mAh embedded; usage time up to 15 hours; standby time up to 16 days |
Mobile Guides
Phones
Foldable Phones
Headphones
Mobile Accessories
Smartwatches
Wireless Plans