Nexus 4 vs. iPhone 5: Full Comparison for Christmas Gift Reference

Google is now posing a great threat to Apple. Except for unveiling its first direct iPad competitor Nexus 10, it has also announced a completely new high-profile smartphone Nexus 4 to go straight for Apple's throat. Obviously, the Nexus 4 and iPhone 5 are both best-in-class devices. They represent the top of the line for their respective operating systems as well as hardware. So, how does Google Nexus 4 and Apple iPhone 5 stack up against one another? Since the Christmas holiday is fast approaching and people are all busy with preparing presents for loved ones, anyone who  currently gets stuck in these two smartphones, below in-depth comparison will help you along. Right now let us take a look at.

Dimensions

In every dimension, the Nexus 4 is larger than the iPhone 5. Now more and more mobile makers follow the big screen trend and kick off so many bigger phones like Galaxy Note 2, HTC Droid DNA, but Apple is an exception. Personally, more people will be satisfied with the size of the iPhone 5, not the Nexus 4. At 58.7mm across, the iPhone 5 is much thinner across — and thus easier to grip with a single hand for both one-handed use and making calls — than the 68.7mm Nexus 4. I’m testing the Galaxy Note 2 right now, and after holding the Nexus 4 earlier today, I can say without a doubt that the iPhone’s smaller size does feel better, though not by much.

Weight

Weight of the Nexus 4 corresponds to its size and it is significantly heavier than the feather-light iPhone 5. If you have small hands or you really want a lightweight device then the iPhone 5 wins out, but the Nexus 4 has a stylish design and it feels more solid.

Display

Generally, display is the first thing you will notice about any phone. The Nexus 4 comes with a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, which is 318ppi. The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch backlit LED IPS display with a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels, which is 326ppi. The Nexus 4 offers full HD resolution, but the iPhone 5 offers an imperceptibly greater pixel density. The Nexus 4 is supposed to have more natural color reproduction, but it can look a little washed out next to some displays. Visibility in sunlight and viewing angles are good, but the iPhone 5 display is brighter and features richer colors. Both have Gorilla Glass 2 protection. 

Processor

These two mobiles are premier devices in existence and their overall performance are far beyond our imagination. The Nexus 4 outfits a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, while iPhone 5 sports a dual-core Apple A6 chip. Needless to say, it is rather difficult to pinpoint which one is better. 

RAM 

The Nexus 4 packs 2 GB of RAM, double the 1 GB found in the iPhone 5. Only considering the RAM, seemingly iPhone 5 lags behinds the Nexus 4. But bear in mind that RAM figures tell you nothing, mobile overall performance is the only one you have to consider first off.

Storage 

Neither phone has a microSD card slot. Nexus 4 comes with either 8GB or 16GB of storage, while iPhone 5 boosts 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage. Considering that Nexus 4 sells with no contract, you may find more freedom on Nexus 4.

Wireless 

This section is all about what is missing. The Nexus 4 The Nexus 4 does not support LTE and the iPhone 5 does not support NFC.

Battery

The Nexus 4 has a much longer battery at 2100mAh compared to the 1440mAh battery in the iPhone 5. It does also have a bigger display, but with no LTE to drain it you’d still expect better battery life from the Nexus 4. On paper it should offer 15 hours of talk time to the iPhone 5’s 8 hours and 390 hours of standby to the iPhone 5’s 225 hours. In practice things are always different and battery life will depend on exactly how you use your phone.

Cameras 

On paper there have an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera on both devices and the list of options and features is virtually identical. Both support 1080p video recording as well. The front-facing camera on the Nexus 4 is rated slightly higher at 1.3-megapixels compared to 1.2-megapixels, but as camera experts will tell you there’s a lot more to camera performance than the megapixel count. To tell you the truth, it’s almost difficult to gather which of the two is better, as they deliver sharp looking details and natural color reproductions with shots taken outdoors under plentiful lighting.

So, is Nexus 4 the killer weapon of Google to rival with iPhone 5? Absolutely not! Although its quite appealing price as well as off-contract make it more mouthwatering, the iPhone 5 still has its unique charm. No matter which phone you prefer, this holiday season is shaping up to be a great time to shop for a new gadget. Specs can be illuminating, but they're only part of the equation. Getting your hands on the devices in a store is  the best way to know which works best for you!

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