LG Nexus 5: Prepare to be unimpressed

LG Nexus 5: Prepare to be unimpressed

by AKSHAY PRAKASH

Just a few days ago when Google revealed the new junk food after which the upcoming version of Android would be named, the company released a video unveiling the new Android lawn ornament. In that video (embedded below), it seemed that a new Nexus 5 made a brief, possibly staged appearance (and Google pulled the video down shortly after). The FCC recently approved a new smartphone by LG — makers of the Nexus 4 — and details are beginning to leak regarding the upcoming handset.

The phone that the FCC approved is referred to as the D820. Now, that doesn’t ring of “Nexus” at all, and we shouldn’t go around assuming every single LG phone without an official name is the Nexus 5. However, there are some clues that align the D820 with the mystery Nexus seen briefly in the KitKat video. The FCC details the inside of the D820′s back cover, which looks strikingly similar to the outside back cover of the mystery Nexus, and the other specs listed on the phone are quite modern. An Engadget commenter noted that the D820′s firmware name contains the phrase as “KyeLimePieFACTORYeng.” Despite the typo, the phone is running the newest version of Android before its name change to KitKat. The firmware also points toward the phone using the much-lauded Snapdragon 800 SoC.

Documents also state that the phone has a 5-inch display (technically 4.96 inches), which is in line with the Nexus naming convention of using the number to describe the display size, rather than some kind of chronological release order like the iPhone. The device also sports wireless charging, 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi Direct, VoIP, and a 2.4GHz mobile hotspot capability. The D820 is also being tested on a fair amount of wireless standards, including seven different LTE bands. The phone’s battery is also listed as a 2300 mAh lithium-ion.

To further support the theory that the D820 is the Nexus 5, the Nexus 4 recently sold out on Google Play, and it will not be restocked. Considering Android 4.4 has been officially named, Google will need a phone with which to pair it, so a new phone has to be on the horizon.

While a Snapdragon 800 and LTE are by no means derided features, ones equivalent in power to these are standard at this point on any modern flagship smartphone. While a phone with these specs will perform just fine, it doesn’t stand out. We haven’t seen the official details of the upcoming iPhone 5S just yet, but if Apple deploys anything impressive, at least LG will have enough time to spruce up whatever the Nexus 5 ends up being.