Monday, December 23, 2013

Gift Guide: Our Favorite Android Phone

Chris and I spent a good chunk of our last Droidcast discussing some Android-centric holiday picks, but we felt that one of those choices could use a bit more fleshing out. That said, we took a moment to stop bickering and share some thoughts on Google and LG’s Nexus 5, a device that wound up being our favorite Android phone of the holiday season.

Darrell: Google’s new Nexus 5 phone, made by LG, is a little more understated in design than the Nexus 4 that preceded it. But it has design harmony with the Nexus 7 tablet, and its outer shell is more function than flash, with a matte rubberized case back that won’t slip and slide all over the place like the Nexus 4 was prone to do.
Chris: Unlike the Nexus 4 — which was ostentatious in its own little ways — Google and LG apparently strove to dial back the design of its smartphone hardware to the point where there’s honestly not that much to talk about. It’s solid and monolithic. It looks like a pint-sized Nexus 7 from behind. If you’ve got a black N5 there’s a chance your volume rocker will wobble in some mildly annoying ways. The speaker (yes, singular) is, sadly, pretty pitiful and the software didn’t help matters earlier on there. Google has started pushing tweaked versions of the phone through the pipeline that have enlarged grille holes for the mic and speaker though, so last-minute Christmas shoppers should benefit from some mild (if necessary) design tweaks. And the subtler design of the Nexus 5 has another added benefit – showcasing that gorgeous full HD 4.95-inch display.

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