Bigger does not always mean better. That is what Nexus 5 will prove in this smartphone matchup. But now that its successor, the Nexus 6 has come into the picture, it is always great to explore how the two stack up against each other.
The Nexus 6 is nothing like its predecessor except for the fact that the two are both Android phones. If the two were to be in a boxing match, the audience will think that Nexus 5 is in the wrong weight division. Weighing 184 g, Nexus 6 is much like a beast flattening a frail bug (Nexus 5) as the new phone is 16 percent taller, 20 percent wider and 17 percent thicker, Gizmag reports. When it comes to the phone build, the Nexus 6 is like the Samsung Galaxy 4, plastic back and metal edges. The Nexus 5, on the other hand, is made solely of plastic.
With its big size, the Nexus 6 has a 5.9-inch AMOLED display with screen resolution of 1440 x 2560. The Nexus 5 has an IPS display of 4.95-inch playing videos at 1080 x 1920. For richer and more detailed display, Nexus 6 is more appealing with 493 pixels per inch. Nexus 5 is at 423 ppi, which is not at all bad for a phone that size.
The Nexus 5 is perfect with its 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2 GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. But with Nexus 6, everything is leveled up. Apps may load quicker — that's an obvious notion for a device powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor clocking at 2.7 GHz, 3 GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 GPU.
The cameras have, of course, been upgraded, too. Nexus 5 has an 8-megapixel camera, but it is pounded by the Nexus 6's 13-megapixel rear shooter. The latter's selfie snapper is an improvement, too. From Nexus 5's 1.3-megapixel, Google increased it to 2-megapixel for the Nexus 6. However, issues on imaging capabilities are still feared to plague the Nexus device. Hoping that Google is aware of the concern, TechRadar and all those eyeing on the new Nexus device also hope to see the last of the problem in the Nexus 5.
Nexus 5 is in a wobbly position when battery life is the subject. The device sports a 2300 mAh battery, which is defeated by Nexus 6's 3220 mAh. Google promised a whole day use of the newer device with the battery fully-charged. And if it runs low, it will only take users 15 minutes to charge for a full 6-hour use.
Better video is now paired with even better audio, thanks to Nexus 6's dual front-facing speakers. They are obvious upgrades to Nexus 5's mono speaker. Both devices run on Android OS, but Nexus 6 boasts the Android 5.0 Lollipop while the Nexus 5 is still on KitKat (although it's not going to stay that way for long).
No card slot is available for the phones but they come with substantial storage capacity choices: 32 and 64 GB for the Nexus 6 and 16 GB and 32 GB for its sibling. Buyers who like their gadget big can choose from Cloud White and Midnight Blue color options for the Nexus 6. Nexus 5 buyers have Black, White and Red to choose from.
As for the price tag, the upcoming Nexus 6 is at $650, almost twice the $350 shell out for the Nexus 5. The Nexus 5 hit the market last October 2013, and users can get their hands on the Nexus 6 starting Nov. 14.
As the new device's release is still a month away, buyers can still make up their minds on which of the two Nexus phones would suit their unique tastes and lifestyles.
