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Nexus 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5S vs. Nexus 4

Now that the Nexus 5 has finally arrived, we see how it compares with today's top smartphones and its predecessor.

Sarah Mitroff Managing Editor
Sarah Mitroff is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our health, fitness and wellness section. Throughout her career, she's written about mobile tech, consumer tech, business and startups for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat.
Expertise Tech, Health, Lifestyle
Sarah Mitroff
3 min read
Watch this: Google Nexus 5 souped up with Android KitKat, LTE, and low price.

At a press conference Thursday, Google introduced its latest flagship smartphone, the Nexus 5. It's running Android 4.4 KitKat, the newest version of the OS, which was released alongside the new device.

With its pure vanilla operating system, untouched by carriers or LG (the phone's manufacturer), it's sure to please devoted Android fans. The phone is also packing a few impressive specs that help it compete against today's top smartphones, including a high-resolution screen and powerful processor.

A look at the Google Nexus 5 (pictures)

See all photos

We compare the Nexus 5 with the Samsung Galaxy S4, the iPhone 5S, and the phone's predecessor, the Nexus 4. It's worth noting that the Nexus 4 is no longer for sale from Google, but you can purchase it from T-Mobile. Let us know which phone is your top pick in the comments.

Nexus 5 Samsung Galaxy S4 Apple iPhone 5S Nexus 4
Dimensions 5.4x2.7x0.34 inches; 4.6 oz. 5.4x2.7x0.31 inches; 4.6 oz. 4.87x2.31x0.30 inches; 4 oz. 5.2x2.7x0.36 inches; 4.9 oz.
Display 5-inch full HD IPS; 1,920x1,080 pixels; 445ppi 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED; 1,920x1,080 pixels; 441ppi 4-inch Retina Display; 1,136x640 pixels; 326ppi 4.7-inch full HD IPS; 1,280x768 pixels; 318ppi
Operating system Android 4.4 Android 4.2* iOS 7 Android 4.2*
4G LTE Yes Yes Yes No
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
NFC Yes Yes No Yes
Bluetooth v4.0 v4.0 v4.0 v4.0
IR blaster No Yes No No
Wireless charging Yes No No Yes
Rear camera and recording 8-megapixel 13-megapixel; 1080p full HD video 8-megapixel with 1.5 pixels; 1080p full HD video 8-megapixel; 1080p full HD video
Front-facing camera 1.3-megapixel 2-megapixel; 1080p full HD video 1.2-megapixel camera; 720p HD video 1.3-megapixel
Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 (US version) Proprietary A7 (64-bit) with M7 motion processor 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4
Capacity 16GB and 32GB 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB 8GB and 16GB
Expandable memory No Expandable up to 64GB No No
Battery life 2,300mAh embedded; Usage time up to 17 hours; standby time up to 12 days 2,600mAh removable: Usage time up to 17 hours; standby time up to 12 days Embedded: Usage time online up to 10 hours on 4G LTE; standby time up to 10 days 2,100mAh embedded: Usage time up to 15 hours; standby time up to 16 days
Carriers T-Mobile, Sprint, and unlocked AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, C Spire, Cricket, U.S. Cellular AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and unlocked T-Mobile
Available colors Black and white Black, white, red, purple (Sprint only), and brown (Verizon only) Space gray, white, and gold Black and white

*Upgradable to Android 4.3.