Nexus 5 news: Google to kill off Nexus 5 device

Google and LG's Nexus 5, predecessor of the upcoming Nexus 6[Photo credit: LG Electronics]

Consumers wanting to buy last year's Nexus 5 will be saddened by the news that Google will no longer offer the handset. According to AndroidPit, the tech giant no longer has plans to replenish the stocks of its 2013 flagship smartphone. 

It was previously reported that the red and white color variants of the Nexus 5 were out-of-stock, leaving consumers with the black variant as their only choice. There are still units of the device available in the Google Play Store, but once all of the remaining units are sold out, the company will reportedly stop selling the model. Thus, consumers who want to own the Nexus 5 must act quickly to get their hands on the last units of the smartphone. 

There are speculations that discontinuing the Nexus 5 is Google's way of persuading buyers to purchase the new Nexus 6 smartphone instead, similar to Apple's move of axing iPhone 5 to give way to the iPhone 5S. Some consumers are said to be staying away from the newer device because of the steep price, and many have opted for the older but more affordable model despite its slightly inferior specs and features. 

The Nexus 5 has a 4.95-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC paired with 2 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera, and 2300 mAh battery capacity. The handset is available in 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage variants, which cost $349 and $399, respectively. The smartphone can be equipped with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS update.

Other venues to get the device are websites like Craigslist, Amazon, and eBay where pre-owned units are available.

However, Google reportedly believes that although the Nexus 6 sports a higher price tag, the company can attract more buyers as the device is available in various U.S. carriers in flexible terms. Moreover, buyers will need to shell out less and the remaining balance will be added to the monthly subscription fees.