Here's what critics have to say about the Google Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 device is officially available on the Google Play store in India, and there is massive buzz around the device. The 16GB version of the device is priced at Rs 28,999 and the 32 GB version is priced at Rs 32,999. In terms of pricing, the smartphone is definitely the cheapest device in the market. But what are the critics saying about the device? Is it worth buying? By all accounts, the answer is a resounding yes. In terms of both specifications and performance, the Nexus 5 is being roundly praised as the best Android device that is currently out in the market.

The Nexus 5 has a 4.95-inch screen with 1920×1080 display which is at 445 pixels per inch. The front camera is 1.3 megapixel, while the rear camera is 8 megapixels with Optical Image Stablisation. It has a 2,300 mAH battery with Google promising talk time up to 17 hours and Internet time up to 8.5 hours on Wi-Fi, up to 7 hours on LTE. The smartphone supports wireless charging. As far as processing, goes it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core chipset clocked at 2.3GHz and Adreno 330 clocked at 450MHz for Graphic. It has 2GB RAM. The device also supports the newer Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, comes with NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 (Low energy version). The device has a Micro USB port, and list of sensors includes Accelerometer, GPS, Compass, Proximity/Ambient Light, Gyroscope. It supports 2g, 3G and 4G LTE. As far as the camera is concerned, Google has introduced some new settings such as HDR+ mode, 360 degree shot. HDR+ will take a burst of pictures in one shot and combine them to give you the best possible picture under the light settings. The Optical Image stabilisation also ensures that even if your hands are shaking a bit, the image won’t be blurry. Photosphere will let you take a full 360 degree picture. It is also the first device to run Android 4.4 or Kitkat. And here are some critic’s verdicts: Calling it the ‘best phone $350 can buy, Engadget says , “A phone like the Nexus 5 would get our blessing even at a higher price, but the fact that you can buy it for as low as $350 makes it that much sweeter. We can’t point our finger at any one feature that was clearly the victim of cost-cutting, with battery life being the only possible exception. And even that’s somewhat of an improvement over last year’s Nexus 4. We love the high-res display, overall performance and the enhancements brought to us by Android KitKat. Most of the problems we saw in the Nexus 4 have been addressed here. All told, we can think of very few things we find fault with”. CNet is no less effusive in its praise, calling the Nexus 5 the ‘best unlocked device on the market’. The review says, “Finally, we have an Android handset that deserves the Nexus name. The Nexus 5 is fast, gorgeous, and stocked with features (including LTE) and it is the device for showing the true power of the Google universe and the Android operating system.” Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal , says that the device works well, but stops short of calling the device a ‘blockbuster’. He praises the thinner design of the phone, the ‘Ok Google’ auto search feature and the camera. On the downside, the pictures of the camera were ‘good but not great’, says Mossberg. Tech site GSMarena says , “At this stage none can match the Nexus 5 in terms of bang for your buck as long as the Play Store devices section is available in your country. The timely updates are indisputably a point in the Nexus 5’s favor too. Of course, there’s a flipside to this: the non-expandable memory is a weakness that the cloud just can’t quite fix - at least not at the same price as a memory card.” The Verge says that the Google Nexus 5 is a device that ‘almost’ comes close to being an all round device that can compete with Apple and Samsung, but is not there yet. In its review, it says that Google needs to do more than simply build a way for you to hold the latest version of Android in your hands, but compete for the hearts and minds of the people". This review also criticises the camera. As far as India is concerned, Google really seems to have hit the sweet spot with its pricing. The availability of the phone has generated massive buzz in tech circles around the country, and the device was listed as being ‘out of stock’ on the Play store hours after it was listed as being available. So should you buy the phone? Well if your budget is 30k and you want a good phone, but are not too fussy about the camera, the answer seems to be an easy yes.