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Nexus 5 could be the new Android phone to beat

Leaked benchmarks point to a meaty new reference device that holds its own against the iPhone 5S and all its Android brethren.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
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Eric Mack
2 min read
The new Nexus is shaping up to be an Android phone worth waiting for. Josh Miller/CNET

It still isn't quite official just yet, but a growing Great Lake of leaks points to a powerful new Nexus 5 that will hold its own against the iPhone 5S and other top Android phones.

A few leaked benchmark tests have the Nexus 5 scoring at the head of the class in graphics performance. The Nexus 5 is expected to pack an Adreno 330 GPU, and according to GFXBench's data (as parsed by Phone Arena), it should perform on par with the GPU in the new iPhone 5S. It also outperforms the Sony Xperia Z1 and, perhaps most interestingly, the LG G2, which the Nexus 5 is rumored to be based on.

The test data is, of course, incomplete and unconfirmed, but it appears to at least show that the Nexus 5 will be capable of holding its own when it comes to gaming and that LG and Google don't seem to be skimping on specs for their next Android reference device.

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In addition to the Adreno 330, we expect plenty more fast-twitch silicon in the Nexus 5 -- namely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and plenty of LTE support, all behind a 4.96-inch screen showing off Android 4.4 KitKat.

Perhaps the most interesting mystery yet to be revealed is whether or not the Nexus 5 will be a bargain like its predecessor, the Nexus 4, which was available unlocked and off-contract for only $299.

We only need wait mere days or weeks to learn the answer -- the Nexus 5 unveil is expected sometime in October.