Mobile Technology

Nexus 5 vs. Galaxy S4: Under the microscope

Nexus 5 vs. Galaxy S4: Under the microscope
Both phones come with a sturdy plastic back
Both phones come with a sturdy plastic back
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Samsung's Galaxy S4 (left) and Google's Nexus 5 chill out
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Samsung's Galaxy S4 (left) and Google's Nexus 5 chill out
Behold two of the 2013's coolest phones
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Behold two of the 2013's coolest phones
Both phones come with a sturdy plastic back
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Both phones come with a sturdy plastic back
Both phones are essentially the same thickness and weight
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Both phones are essentially the same thickness and weight
The shape of the phones is nearly identical
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The shape of the phones is nearly identical
The Nexus 5 is a better deal in the United States, not so much elsewhere
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The Nexus 5 is a better deal in the United States, not so much elsewhere
The newer Nexus 5 also gets a newer Snapdragon CPU
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The newer Nexus 5 also gets a newer Snapdragon CPU
The Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 were two of the most anticipated phones of 2013
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The Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 were two of the most anticipated phones of 2013
The Galaxy S4 appears a little easier to read in direct sunlight
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The Galaxy S4 appears a little easier to read in direct sunlight
The camera app in the Nexus 5
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The camera app in the Nexus 5
The Nexus 5 delivers solid graphics performance
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The Nexus 5 delivers solid graphics performance
The Nexus 5 ships with Android KitKat
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The Nexus 5 ships with Android KitKat
A photosphere created from more than a dozen Nexus 5 shots.
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A photosphere created from more than a dozen Nexus 5 shots.
The Nexus 5 ships with lean,mean Android KitKat
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The Nexus 5 ships with lean,mean Android KitKat
Google Now is planted deep in Android KitKat
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Google Now is planted deep in Android KitKat
The Nexus 5 was first introduced on Halloween day
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The Nexus 5 was first introduced on Halloween day
A shot from the Galaxy S4's rear camera
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A shot from the Galaxy S4's rear camera
The Galaxy S4 is packed with custom software features
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The Galaxy S4 is packed with custom software features
The Galaxy S4 display is top notch, even six months before the Nexus 5 release
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The Galaxy S4 display is top notch, even six months before the Nexus 5 release
The Galaxy S4 was introduced back in the spring
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The Galaxy S4 was introduced back in the spring
The Galaxy S4 display is nearly identical in quality to the Nexus 5
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The Galaxy S4 display is nearly identical in quality to the Nexus 5
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In the world of Android flagship phones, there's plenty of competition and even more opinions about which phone(s) are best, but it's undeniable that two of the phones that generated the most hype and attention in 2013 were Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Google's Nexus 5 (another was from Motorola – also read my hands-on comparison of the Moto X and the Nexus 5). The GS4 hit the market in Q2, while the Nexus 5 arrived just about a month ago. There's been a Galaxy S4 in my house since the summer and I borrowed a Nexus 5 from Google for almost a full month, so at this point I've a strong enough handle on the strengths and weaknesses of each to help those of you still trying to decide between one or the other.

Look and feel

Both the Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 run towards the big end of the smartphone spectrum. It's not uncommon to shock iPhone fans with the size of the Galaxy S4, and the Nexus 5 is essentially the same size, with just a slightly more pronounced curve to its top and bottom. Google's LG-made phone is .7 millimeters thicker and both phones are also identical in weight, at 130 grams each.

In fact, the only real points of difference between the two phones in this area is in surface aesthetics, where the Galaxy S4's glossy finish and metallic sides give the phone a snappier look than the plain Jane Nexus 5. I give a point to the Nexus 5 for the material its backing is made from, which is matte, non-slick and feels just a bit nicer in the hand than the cheaper plastic feel of the GS 4 (although both are actually made from plastic).

Advantage: Galaxy S4

The Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 were two of the most anticipated phones of 2013
The Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 were two of the most anticipated phones of 2013

Spec shoot-out

In most respects when it comes to specs, these two phones have nearly identical, top-of-the-line guts with great 1920 x 1080 displays at over 440 pixels per inch, 2 GB of RAM, LTE and NFC, among other similarities.

The Nexus 5 benefits from being released nearly a half-year after the Galaxy S4 simply by virtue of the fact that the more advanced Snapdragon 800 CPU was available. The Galaxy S4 has the earlier Snapdragon 600. Both processors have four cores, but the Nexus 5's 800 is clocked at 2.3 GHz, to 1.9 GHz on the GS4's 600.

The Galaxy S4 has a slightly bigger battery than the Nexus 5, but both seem to get similar use out of a charge.

However, there is a small but noticeable edge in performance for the Nexus 5 that I believe can be attributed to the combination of the more advanced Snapdragon 800, Android 4.4 KitKat and the lack of bloatware on the Nexus 5 which is found in abundance on the Galaxy S4.

Advantage: Nexus 5

The Galaxy S4 is packed with custom software features
The Galaxy S4 is packed with custom software features

Software

The Galaxy S4 comes jammed with all kinds of software-based features and other tweaks from Samsung, from eye-tracking to all sorts of crazy gestures and other additions to the camera and S Health apps, just for starters.

A number of those TouchWiz features are undeniably neat, while others rarely seem to work as advertised, but after a few months, the reality is that almost none of them are still being used at all in my household.

The pure, stripped-down version of Android KitKat that the Nexus 5 ships with is almost the exact opposite of Samsung's TouchWiz, especially on the Galaxy S4. It's minimalist, which also makes it quicker and responsive. The one feature that Google does force on Nexus 5 users, Google Now, integrates much better with the overall experience than Samsung's comparable S Voice (find more details in my full Android KitKat review).

Technically, the Galaxy S4 offers much more in the software department than the Nexus 5, including some really nifty camera improvements, but overall this is one of those cases where less truly is more.

Advantage: Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 ships with lean,mean Android KitKat
The Nexus 5 ships with lean,mean Android KitKat

Camera

No contest here at all. The Galaxy S4 simply offers one of the best smartphone cameras on an Android device available today, and it's one of the few places where TouchWiz really adds rather than subtracting from the experience.

The Nexus 5, on the other hand, improves on the Nexus 4's terrible camera with 8 megapixels on the rear and 1.3 on the front, but it's not nearly enough to compete the 13 MP shooter on the back of the GS4 (the front-facing camera is 2 MP).

If a quality camera is a big part of your phone-buying decision, you might want to give heavy weight to this category, as these two phones are pretty far apart on this measure.

A shot from the Galaxy S4's rear camera
A shot from the Galaxy S4's rear camera

A photosphere created from more than a dozen Nexus 5 shots.
A photosphere created from more than a dozen Nexus 5 shots.

Advantage: Galaxy S4

Cost and availability

This is where it gets really complicated. The Nexus 5 has the distinction of being perhaps the best value in the smartphone universe at only US$349 for a contract-free model, whereas the Galaxy S4 can cost twice that much without a contract.

Of course, most people in the United States will score the GS 4 for a fraction of that on a carrier, and the Nexus 5 is also available on contract for next to nothing as well. The problem for the Nexus 5 is that it's not compatible with North America's largest carrier, Verizon, and it also doesn't play well with lots of networks outside the continent.

An international version of the Nexus 5 is an option, but conversely it won't be great for Europeans and others traveling to Canada or the US due to the same network issues. The Nexus 5 also isn't as great a deal outside the US where off-contract phones are more the norm, making it less appealing.

The Galaxy S4 on the other hand, comes in about a million variations for numerous networks worldwide, including variants like the somewhat cheaper Galaxy S4 Mini and the cheaper, bigger and slightly less impressive Galaxy Mega.

This is a category that people often give the most weight to due to each unique situation or limitation, so it's hard to make a broad judgment, but here goes:

Advantage: Nexus 5 in North America, Galaxy S4 elsewhere

The shape of the phones is nearly identical
The shape of the phones is nearly identical

The verdict:

Going strictly by the numbers and the five major categories I've devised for this comparison, it's just about a straight up tie between these two superphones, with your geographic location breaking the stalemate.

In general, the Nexus 5 probably makes the most sense for a North American Android fan, unless you're inextricably linked to Verizon Wireless or you need a really solid cameraphone.

For the rest of you, the Nexus 5 isn't nearly as big a bargain, which is a major part of its appeal, so you may as well spring for a Galaxy S4, unless it's really important for you to be on top of the latest version of Android software. But if that's the case, you probably already have a Nexus 5.

Let me know in the comments how you think these two phones stack up, or tweet me @gizmag and @ericcmack.

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4 comments
4 comments
MrMoose
You make a point to say that the GS4 has a significantly better rear camer than the Nexus5, but then you don't do a comparison picture. You take a regular picture with the GS4, and then recycle the photosphere that the Nexus 5 took during you Nexus 5 vs Moto x review. That's not very helpful, seeing as it's not a true representation of the Nexus 5's camera, and photospheres are only available on the Nexus branded phones without rooting. You also didn't mention the Nexus 5 has optical image stabilization, or the many different fun shooting modes that either phone has.
It seems like the only thing you don't like about the s4 is the bloatware, how about a review over the Nexus 5, and the GS4 google play edition running "vanilla" android with the 4.4 update.
Christian Colquhoun
Two MAJOR features not even mentioned here that the S4 has over the Nexus:
Removable battery MicroSD card expandable memory
I don't own either of these devices but will be upgrading my phone (and my girlfriend's) very soon, and for me, since I like to take a LOT of photos, and my girlfriend takes even more, the ability to have a 64gb card in the phone and have all pictures saved to micro sd is a HUGE advantage over the Nexus. Not to mention all the music and other things I can have with me because of that feature.
...and one can talk about "the cloud" for storage all they want, but the second you are in a spot with no signal, all that talk is meaningless.
Having a replaceable battery when I am taking a whole lot of photos is ALSO a huge advantage...
Why these things were not even mentioned, I have no idea since it's "supposed" to be an actual comparison.
Why aren't the specs of each device posted either?
Louis Erasmus
Thanks for the review! This will definitely help me in making a decision on my next phone which I hope to purchase shortly. The HTC 1 is also a phone worthy of note.
Harold Brand
Eric,
I enjoyed your "Under the Microscope" article on the Nexus 5. It provided valuable content. There is one issue however that is driving me nuts.
You wrote "the problem for the Nexus 5 is that it ... doesn't play well with lots of networks outside the continent. An international version of the Nexus 5 is an option..."
I use a Verizon Note 3 domestically and couldn't be happier. However, I travel abroad regularly and need a 2nd unlocked phone abroad so that I can pop in local Sim cards as appropriate (Italy, China, Israel, etc.) Also when driving a rented car overseas, I get an unlimited monthly data plan, turn on my international phone's hot spot and use my Note 3 as my large screen GPS device so that my international phone is still available as a phone.
Here's my dilemma. I called Google Play a number of times asking whether the Nexus 5 plays well with international carriers. I also asked whether there are 2 different phones available - a domestic and an international. I was told, each time I called, that there is only one type of Nexus 5, that thousands of people are ordering them all around the world and that there are no issues with overseas carriers.
Eric, if you can shed any additional light on this matter, I would be most grateful.
Harold Brand