Sprint and T-Mobile US plan to sell Google’s Nexus 5, a first for Google which has never before sold a phone directly through a carrier. Google’s new flagship Android 4.4-equipped smartphone is also compatible with AT&T Mobility’s network, but Verizon Wireless is not getting the phone, or at least the current version of the phone. The exclusion of the nation’s largest carrier may be related to Verizon Wireless’ close relationship with Motorola, which is owned by Google. Verizon Wireless promotes Motorola’s phones heavily, and Google may not want the Nexus 5 to invade Motorola’s turf.
The Nexus 5, manufactured by LG, will be sold unlocked for $349 (16GB) or $399 (32GB). The phone is compatible with all three networks – AT&T Mobility, Sprint and T-Mobile US – so buyers can switch carriers without changing phones. Of course customers who are willing to commit to a contract can expect better upfront pricing – Sprint says it will sell the 16GB Nexus 5 for $150 with a two-year contract.
For Google, the Nexus 5 is a launch vehicle for the latest version of its Android operating system – Android 4.4 or KitKat. And the operating system is a driver of eyeballs to the advertisements that are Google’s primary source of revenue. Google is not counting on hardware to pay the bills, so the Nexus 5 sells for much less than smartphones with similar high-end specs. It is powered by a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, the same chip that powers Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 (priced at $724 for the 32GB version) and the LG G2 (priced at $574 for the 32GB version). Other key Nexus 5 features include wireless charging, Miracast for media sharing, and a 2300mAH battery that Google says will support 17 hours of LTE talk time.
The Nexus 5 screen size is just under 5 inches. It weighs in at 4.59 ounces, exactly the same as the Galaxy S4. It is 0.34 inches thick, thicker than the iPhone 5s but slimmer than the HTC One and the Moto X. The Nexus 5 is a 2G/3G/4G LTE phone that supports GSM, CDMA and WCDMA as well as LTE bands 1,2,4,5,17,19,25,26, and 41 in North America. Outside North America it supports GSM, WCDMA and LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8 and 20.
For now, the Nexus 5 will be the only flagship smartphone running Android 4.4. Key features of the updated operating system include a built-in print manager to discover printers, sensor batching to preserve battery life and a full-screen mode. Android 4.4 also supports screen recording, closed captioning, and a translucent navigation bar that can sit above the home screen.
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