Google’s Nexus 5 just recently burst onto the scene, and already it’s having a noticeable impact. From its bottom-dollar price to its terrific specs, the device is aligned to become the first Nexus to break into the mainstream. That said, there’s already a surplus of amazing handsets on the market—Galaxy S4, HTC One, Note III, LG G2—including Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 5s, which has quickly become the company’s best-selling device—as if that’s a surprise. If you have no platform allegiance, choosing between the two can be tough, especially since each offers so much. Even we’re torn.
The two devices are actually more alike than you think, at least in terms of approach, despite running two completely different mobile operating systems; each is specifically designed to showcase a level of synthesis between beautiful hardware and software. Apple’s pedigree in the mobile space is known far and wide, and its devices are particularly popular here in the U.S. Nexus devices? Not so much—yet. While the Nexus 5 doesn’t quite have the iPhone’s reputation, it’s reached a point—through Google’s tremendous resources and evolution of Android—where many people are starting to taking notice. It’s the reason why the Nexus 5 sold out so quickly last month.
But for all their existential similarities, the two devices couldn’t be any more different. Many people consider Android to be the superior and more powerful OS, though it’s never been quite as optimized as iOS, which still has the better ecosystem. On the hardware side, the iPhone 5s comes equipped with a far superior camera, Touch ID sensor and a gorgeous aluminum design, while the Nexus 5 is much more understated, with a soft-touch rear shell, blazing fast specs and 5-inch Full HD display.
Bottom line is, you’re getting a good device no matter which experience you choose. But since you likely won’t be using two smartphones, there can only be one. In our iPhone 5s review, we called Apple’s latest flagship the best iPhone yet, and particularly liked the Touch ID technology, which makes unlocking your device and purchasing apps super simple and painless. As for the Nexus 5, our own Roy Choi called the device the perfect marriage of specs and Android, which is now up to 4.4 KitKat. Either way, you can’t lose.
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