Google has
officially
unveiled the
latest
incarnation of
its flagship
Nexus
smartphone.
Made by LG,
the handset is
smaller,
slimmer and
lighter than
the Nexus 4
but its 4.96in
(126mm) touchscreen is bigger.
The Nexus 5 has been developed to
show off the capabilities of the new
version of the Android operating
system.
Called Kitkat, the software has been
designed to work well on both high-
end smartphones and cheaper
feature phones.
The alliance with Google has
helped bolster LG's fortunes even
though, according to statistics from
Gartner, it is still a long way
behind rivals Samsung and Apple.
In the April-to-June quarter, the
consultancy indicated 3.8% of all
smartphones sold were LG handsets
putting the South Korean firm in
third place.
By contrast, Apple accounted for
18.8% of all sales and Samsung
29.7%.
Memory cut
The specifications for the new
phone were widely leaked before it
was announced on the official
Google blog.
The gadget shares some of the
hardware from LG's G2 handset and
can record and play back HD video
at the full 1080p resolution. Its
camera also has a rapid burst
system that captures several
photographs at the same time so
owners can pick the best shot.
The handset is due to go on sale on
1 November in the US, UK, Canada,
Australia, France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, Japan and Korea.
"Nexus devices serve an important
function for Google," said Ben
Wood, head of research at analyst
firm CCS Insight.
"The company collaborates closely
with the chosen phone maker as it
rolls out a new version of the
Android operating system and this
results in a 'vanilla' version of the
software that acts as a reference
platform for developers and tech
enthusiasts."
Google said a base 16GB version of
the device would cost $349 in the
US (£299 in the UK), unlocked and
without a contract. The 32GB
version should cost $399 (£339 in
the UK).
With Android Kitkat, Google said it
had made the software use less
memory so it could be used on
handsets with much lower
specifications than top end
smartphones.
In addition, Google has begun
moving some services off Android's
core software and onto its app
store. Many see this as a way for it
to maintain more control over the
security of the software and its
associated applications.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24762945

a beg, i no fit outrun my pocket