Introduction
If you’re in the market for a digital SLR camera, there are two names that dominate the industry: Nikon and Canon. As far as smartphone cameras may have evolved, they’re still not quite up to snuff with their bigger brothers. This could be slowly changing, because there is a rumor that the upcoming Google Nexus 5 flagship Android smartphone will boast some camera technology coming by way of Nikon.
They’re saying that the on-board camera will have a “triple sensor array” and its ability to take awesome pictures will be a big “selling point” for the device. This is in line with what Vic Gundotra of Google said last month, indicating that the company is “committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras.” I’m not sure if I would go so far as to say “insanely,” but smartphone camera tech is definitely evolving and getting a heck of a lot better, easily competing with some decent point and shoots on the market.
Let’s not forget that Google and Nikon are no strangers to one another. The Nikon Coolpix S800c is an Android-based camera and while it ran an older version of Android and it had its quirks, it represented a unique crossover point for the two companies. It brought smartphone tech into a camera and the Nexus 5 could go in exactly the opposite direction. The “three sensor” tech could put each of the sensor layers on top of one another, each with a smaller megapixel count, thus creating better color rendering and low light performance. This is potentially similar to HTC’s UltraPixel technology.
The rest of the rumored specs for the Nexus 5 fall in line with what we’ve heard. It’ll reportedly get a 5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 8/16GB storage, and a massive 3140mAh battery.
We bring you right up to date with the latest rumours surrounding the Nexus 5
Google and its manufacturing partners are reportedly hard at work developing the Nexus 5, a device which will look to build on the successes of the impressive Nexus 4 and deliver a solid, game-changing vanilla Android experience.With Google’s tried and tested pricing structure a runaway success, it’s fair to say that the next Nexus device will sell – but what exactly has Google got up its sleeve for this fifth-gen Nexus?
Will it be a cutting-edge re-design intended to rival the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One? Or will it simply be the updated version of the Nexus 4?
If we were to don our Deerstalker for a moment and assess the fact that Google has apparently code-named the new device ‘Megalodon’ (which, for those not familiar with Cenozoic fauna, was a 67ft shark capable of chewing up virtually anything in the sea) it would be fair to expect this newsmartphone to be ‘killer’.
As is always the case: nothing is yet officially known about the Nexus 5. Although that hasn't stopped an entire myriad of information leaking online about the device, what it will be like, and the spec it's likely to pack. We've been sifting through all of them for the past couple of weeks. Below are the fruits of our labour - everything currently known about the Nexus 5. AKA The Megalodon.
Nexus 5 - Hardware
Google has never been one to shy away from offering the best hardware on the market. Its HTC-produced Nexus One was among the first smartphones to offer a 1GHz processor, and it has consistently provided leading screen technology on its devices too, ensuring they stay current for longer and the Nexus 5 looks to continue that trend.
According to sources the Nexus 5 will feature Qualcomm’s speed-demon Snapdragon 800 CPU, a quad-core processor which will be clocked to 2.3GHz giving the device all the power it could possibly need…and more.
The device will also make use of the company’s Adreno 330 GPU which boasts almost 50% more performance that its predecessor the Adreno 320.
How much RAM the device will host has been subject to debate amongst tipsters, with some quoting 3GB as the magic number, while others claim that 2GB will remain.
On-board storage options will be more expansive with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB options planned. It is also believed that Google will continue with its tradition of not including microSD-support. Although the addition of 32GB and 64GB variants is definitely welcome.
The Nexus 5’s features look to be suitably impressive too.
The device is rumoured to feature a 16-megapixel Omni-Vision primary camera tweaked by photographic wunderkinds Nikon. Said camera is expected to record 4K video at 30 FPS, or 1080P video at 60FPS, and the front-facing camera will be bumped up to a 2.1-megapixel offering too.
Another key improvement is said to be the battery, which will go from a fairly middling 2100mAH to a monster 3300mAh and, of course, the whole caboodle will be driven by the next iteration of Google’s Android OS: Key Lime Pie.
Nexus 5 - Design
Leaked images suggest that the device is being built once again by Korea’s LG. The overall look of the Nexus 5 – if leaked images are taken at face value – isn't all that dissimilar from the Nexus 4 aside from its ever-so-slightly larger 5-inch OLED display.
With its glass front and rear, the Nexus 4 is prone to smashing if dropped on hard surfaces from not very great heights. For this reason we'd like something a tad more durable – perhaps Google could raid Motorola's stash of Kevlar?
Nexus 5 - Release Date
Currently the rumours doing the rounds all suggest one golden date – October 2013. Google has launched its last two Nexus devices in October, and the previous models weren’t far off, launching in November and December.
Nexus 5 - Price
The one area which gave rise to the Nexus 4’s huge demand was Google’s pricing – you can pick up the Nexus 4 for £239 for the 8GB model and £279 for the 16GB, price-points which are genuinely rock-bottom.
We hope the runaway demand for the Nexus 4 has galvanised Google’s intention to offer upcoming devices at similar price-points.
After all, who wouldn’t want a Snapdragon 800 powered smartphone rocking the latest and greatest Android OS for under £250?
No comments:
Post a Comment