back to article Everything's going to be all white: Google Nexus 5 mobe expected Friday

Google’s LG-made, plastic-backed Nexus 5 smartphone, possibly one of the most leaked as-yet-unannounced handsets ever, will be available in white as well as black, as yet another leak has revealed. The Nexus 5 - of either hue - will contain a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip running at up to 2.3GHz and equipped with 2GB of …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Phone sightings

    Quote

    Apple has yet to provide any guidance on 5C sales, of course, but The Register’s own, loosely scientific measure - “how often do you spot a given device on the London Underground” - has shown a marked increased in 5C sightings over the past week or so.

    The underground is about the last place I'd bring out my phone. Far too many inquisitive eyes and sticky fingers for my liking.

    As a formal 'El Reg Unit of Measurement' IMHO it leaves a lot to be desired. There are better ones like

    'Walking along Oxford St at Lunchtime' At least you can get a signal there so the fandroids can't snark back, 'you are holding it wrong' now can they? (they probably will but don't they realise it is long past it's sell by date as a joke?)

    And no, I don't own even a modestly desirable portable speaking device. Mine is strictly out of the steampunk era I'm afraid.

    1. FartingHippo

      "The underground is about the last place I'd bring out my phone"

      Really? You're in a minority. I'd estimate I see 70% of people fiddling with either a phone or a tablet on my morning commute (not at the same time - but over the course of the trip). Higher than that amongst the smug gits with a seat.

    2. returnmyjedi

      As most phones are being robbed by miscreants on bicycles, I'd venture that Oxford Street is a far less wise place to whip out your iphone than the Tube.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Ahh but now that Apple have upped the security on the iPhone it's less desirable to steal. You need to enter your Apple ID to erase the device for a start.

        1. Shagbag

          5C is safe

          thieves will go after mobes with a ready re-sale value. Given that 50% of the population is female, that means the iPhone will always be their target of choice. 5S is more feminine than 5C so thieves want that one.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: 5C is safe

            OK, I gotta ask, what makes the 5S more 'feminine' than the 5C?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Kit Kat update

      Kit Kat update that Android users can only dream of.........

      Unless of course THEY BUY A NEW PHONE.

      1. Big-nosed Pengie

        Re: Kit Kat update

        "Kit Kat update that Android users can only dream of.........

        Unless of course THEY BUY A NEW PHONE."

        Or have a Nexus 4.

        1. Charles 9

          Re: Kit Kat update

          Or just root their phone and wait on a custom ROM. That being said, this may be a bit as the custom designers are only now cutting their teeth on Jelly Bean 4.3, which has been found to have more than a few changes that require working around.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Kit Kat update

        The Kit Kat update is actually coming out shortly after and is tipped be be so efficient that it will run on many older devices that aren't able to run Jelly Bean 4.2. So in fact yes, most android users will benefit from Kit Kat eventually.

        As an iPhone 4s owner at present, I would gladly pay £300 for a new Nexus 5 (with it's brand new OS), content in the knowledge that I will be saving over £300 compared to those that went for the similar spec'd iPhone 5s.

        (However I'll also have OIS, NFC, Wireless Charging,be totally unrestricted, unlocked to any network etc etc etc).

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I'm sure

      I'm sure they will cheat and optimise the phone for bench marking.

    5. StevieD

      Re: Phone sightings

      Using a phone on the tube is fine, just keep a good hold on it whilst the doors are open.

  2. DAN*tastik

    From a Nexus 4 owner

    Nothing was more important than dropping that ultra slippery glass back nonsense. Well done for that!

    1. Steven Raith

      Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

      I've not had a problem with my one in that regard - I just learned (quickly) to pick it up by the rubberised edges.

      Although I will say that while I haven't had any real problems with the glass, I do prefer a non-glass back if it's available...just in case...

      1. Norman Hartnell

        Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

        Mine would happily slide off the for-all-intents-and-purposes-horizontal wooden-topped bedside table until I bought a case for it. Very slippery indeed.

        1. Kay Burley ate my hamster

          Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

          I never found it to be slippery, my previous phone (Nexus S) was far more devious when attempting to escape my hand.

          I did worry about the glass back and got a case for it pretty soon though.

          1. frank ly

            Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

            Get a nice colour matched flip case (on e-bay). That's the first thing I do with every smartphone I've had.

            I'll be keeping my Nexus 4 for at least another year since it does all I need/want it to do and more. At about Christmas time or just after, second hand Nexus 4 prices in e-bay should be tempting to many.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

      Nothing was more important than dropping that ultra slippery glass back nonsense. Well done for that!

      Maybe you were holding it wrong? :p

  3. PaulR79

    "a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip running at up to 2.3GHz and equipped with 2GB of Ram to play around with, as well as a 4.95-inch, 1920 x 1080 display to draw pictures on."

    ----------------

    "There’s nothing particularly impressive about that spec"

    I've got to ask, what do you call impressive if that isn't impressive to you? I know it's about normal for a top range handset but it's still impressive and that isn't even taking into account the fact it'll cost around half the price of a Galaxy S4, HTC One etc.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      It's also doubly-impressive because I was at the cinema yesterday and I saw an advert for the Snapdragon range of processors. Obviously, having seen the little dragon flying through the air I now must have a phone with one in!

      Other than Intel, I don't ever recall seeing a chip advert before. Except from McCain... I can't imagine many mobile users are going to notice it, given you'd have to read the spec sheets to know if you've got Qualcomm inside.

      I have to agree with you though, those specs don't look half bad at all, particularly from something that's going to be around £250.

      1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        You're not necessarily the advertising target.

        I know I'm certainly not the target of ads for armoured fighting vehicles, naval fire control systems and fighter jets at the local airport (or in the local newspaper), but the decision makers who live in the same city as me definitely are.

      2. Real Ale is Best
        Happy

        I saw that ad. It had my wife and I in stitches laughing. :-)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No SD slot? still, at least 32gb is an option this time.

    1. Steven Raith

      Looking for an SD slot on a Nexus device is like looking for a fission reactor in a Ford Transit engine bay.

      it just ain't gonna happen. Ever.

      HTH.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        strange

        Is is my imagination or didn't the original Nexus have an sd slot ?

  5. Jules75

    It can't come soon enough..

    I can't wait to ditch my iPhone 4 with iOS 7 for the latest droid handset. iOS 7 and iTunes 11 were the final nail in the coffin for my Apple experience.

    1. returnmyjedi

      Really? You must be using it wrong.

      1. Lunatik

        @returnmyjedi

        You've obviously never used iOS 7 on an iPhone 4 before then.

        I can only imagine Apple's idea was:

        "Let's give iPhone 4 users a faithful emulation of the performance of an original HTC Wildfire. That'll get them to upgrade"

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Or alternatively it was a case of "iOS 7 is great and we've done a great job using all the benefits of the new ARM64 instruction set to do this ... ummm, can someone quickly recompile it for ARM32 for all the people with old phones"

  6. billium

    RE:From a Nexus 4 owner

    I also don't have a problem with the glass back, but would not miss it.

    It would be nice to have a phone that can receive telephone radio signals though.

    (Admittedly I'm on 3).

    1. Big_Ted

      Re: RE:From a Nexus 4 owner

      Never had a problem on 3 with mine and I drove from Bath to Clacton and used it to stream music the whole way without a single drop.

      Have never had a problem with phone calls either even in doors except in Tesco's and that happens with my Vodafon phone as well.

      As to the glass back I will be glad when it goes as I have had to have the phone in a case because it slides of my desk etc otherwise even when they look level.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why isn't Google using Motorola for this? Weird...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I thought (and was excited at the prospect of) the Moto X being the next Nexus phone just because google owned them.

      When they announced it was US only, and a crazy price for mid-range specs I realised that despite Google now owning them, they're basically the same old Motorola. :'(

      Still, can't complain, Nexus 4 is solid and usable enough without the kevlar case and active notifications.

      1. Ramiro

        Sold in Brazil also

        Moto X is sold in Brazil as well, at it is being heavily (for an android phone) advertised.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No sale

    I don't care how fast or shiney or stylish or even how cheap a phone is, so long as it doesn't have basic functionality, which for me includes an sd slot and removable battery, then I won't be buying.

    1. Big_Ted
      Facepalm

      Re: No sale

      Yeh but they are not functions. TBH I have never missed the removable battery, I just put it on a wireless charger at work and in a dock at home. As for SD slot again never missed it, its what data connection is for, oh you want your media on holiday ? buy a £50 chinese tablet off ebay with the slot and there you are, it won't matter as much if it is stolen.

      So what you going to do ? buy a poorer spec phone or spend nearly twice as much for same spec ie S4 ?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No sale

        Firstly, in my country there is a severe lack of public wifi spots and 3g coverage is spotty at best. So why would I want to rely on cloud access to my own files when I could just keep them on a cheap, reliable and easily swappable sd card. I'm still failing to understand how exactly the cloud is in any way better ? And why on earth would I want to be carrying around a tablet or any other device when my primary one should be easily able to do this ?

        Secondly, NSA/GCHQ/etc/etc.

        Thirdly, who says anything about S4, Huawei Ascend is 169 pounds on Amazon and has sd and removable battery and half decent specs too. I'm sure there's a dozen others similar too and the situation is only likely to improve.

        1. Lord Snooty

          Re: No sale

          Good points on access to Wifi and lower cost Chinese handsets (which, more than Samsung are what will eat Apple's lunch) but NSA / GCHQ? Really? Well, ok, if its an issue best give up on all forms of electronic and digital communications and revert back to the written form only. In invisible ink. Although, frankly speaking, its probably safer to adopt the 'shoal of fish' approach, use the cloud and simply blend in with the millions of other users rather than make a point, not use it and stand out....

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: No sale

            Good points on access to Wifi and lower cost Chinese handsets (which, more than Samsung are what will eat Apple's lunch) but NSA / GCHQ? Really?

            If he's worried about NSA/GCHQ/etc then recommending a Huwaei phone seems odd given all the controversy about them ... unless, of course, he's one of the group (large numbers of them can be found on the Guardian comment boards) who seem to believe that the only people who spy on anyone else in the world is the NSA with the help of GCHQ

    2. Tony Paulazzo

      Re: No sale

      sd slot and removable battery

      Since using Google Play and having my entire music library up there and it streaming well, my demands for an SD slot on the phone have vanished (I don't watch vids on my phone or play games - that's what my iPad's for (which taught me how to live without an SD card)). As long as there's space for a few favourite albums when online is off, I'm good - and I've never replaced a battery (tho' I'd trade a couple of millimetres extra thickness for a more powerful battery).

  9. User4574
    Coat

    Google seem to like SD cards about as much as FM Radio. I could suppose that they see them in some twisted sense as a competitor to 'Google Play Music'?

    Would be nice if they were available from Google everywhere in the EU not just a single-digit number of countries (I guess 'one single market' is just marketing hype for eurocrats).

    Mine's the one with the S3 in the pocket.

    1. Big_Ted

      Don't think you get the idea of a Nexus Device....

      Its the sort of hardware showcased by Google as the optimal for working with their OS and online facilities such as Docs.

      It is not a competitor to Samsung etc, it is also not trying to gain customers for big profits. Just count yourself lucky they even do this phone at the price in numbers for the general public like us and not just developers on Google Play.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The specs might not be impressive

    But the price is. I'll probably buy one just because. At the very least, it will be a nice backup to my (pushing 18 months old) S3, if not an outright replacement (sans additional contract commitment).

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

    The naked Nexus 4 is so friction free that mine wouldn't slide down smooth slopes, it slid up them...

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who Wrote this article?

    Snapdragon 800 @ 2.3ghz, 2gb ram, 1080p screen FOR £215-300!!!!!...what does the author have to say?

    "There’s nothing particularly impressive about that spec"

    Send him away

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Devil

      Re: Who Wrote this article?

      That's way overpriced and under-specced. Good grief man, it can't even make a cup of tea!

  13. Lord Snooty

    Is there a sweepstake for when this wretched device is actually going to be launched? If so, can I have Nov 5th as I imagine Google would want the launch to go off with a bang! (And, in case you were wondering, I did say that in my best Basil Brush voice complete with the obligatory 'boom boom' at the end)

  14. Morten
    Pirate

    Why LG?

    I would probably enjoy a Nexus phone, with its minimalistic android approach and fast and timely updates and upgrades... but, I just can't bring myself to buy a Goldstar made mobile...

  15. SiempreTuna

    “how often do you spot a given device on the London Underground”

    Not too useful for spotting the 5s of course, given it is virtually indistinguishable from the 5 - to the extent that my missus picked up her old 5 yesterday and didn't realise her mistake until hours later when she tried to make a call and realised the phone had no SIM ..

    1. Steve Evans

      You say that, but I did actually see a 5S on the tube on Sunday... It was gold!

      It looked pretty horrible TBH!

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Out of interest...

    ...would anyone be swayed if the N5 *were* available in other colours?

    I have the N4, but I'm a cheap date when it comes to bold colours and I do like something that stands out from the rest.

    Of course, it might run the risk of becoming Lumia-esque but nonetheless, it might nice to have more choice than 'you can have it any colour you like, so long as it's...'

    That's something Nokia did well, I think - making the Lumia range look a bit more lively and dumping 'beige box' syndrome.

    1. Fletchulence

      Re: Out of interest...

      Nope. They'd have got me with improved battery (my only real gripe with my N4) but for some bizarre reason on the N5 it's actually worse. Shame.

  17. Keep Refrigerated

    $349 (£215)

    At current US electronics exchange rates $349 = £349.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: $349 (£215)

      Of course, $349 is without sales tax, so if you add VAT, you get £215 + (215*0.20) = £258.

      £259 might be a nice price for the basic model, and £279 or £289 for the 32gb version? + £10 delivery?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    in white?

    Take a look at the photos of the white one, from @evleaks

    Compare the positioning of the camera in relation to the button on the side nearest it, then look at the same two elements on the side shot, a side shot taken from the side nearest the camera. so no perspective to worry about.

    The camera is in different positions.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like