Apple's iPhone 5s, just released in September, already has some stiff competition in the form of Google's Nexus 5. The no frills smartphone lacks some of the new features of the iPhone 5s, like the fingerprint scan; but the Nexus 5 comes with a no contract price, which may appeal to those on a tighter budget. So, in a side by side comparison, which smartphone is truly the better choice? Making that determination may not be so easy.
One of the key factors with a touchscreen phone is that phone's durability. Nothing is worse than trying to operate that touchscreen while navigating though everything from a hairline fracture to the Grand Canyon of screen crevices, which, aside from being annoying, can interfere with the operation of the phone itself. The iPhone 5s has a screen made of gorilla glass, which, while scratching a tad easier than the Nexus 5, does not crack and shatter nearly as easy as the Nexus 5 screen does. In some studies, all it took for the Nexus 5 screen to fracture was a 2 foot drop to a carpeted floor.
On the flip side of that, though, is comfort. The iPhone still maintains its hard, metallic casing with the sharp edges, and the phone is considerably smaller than any of the android phones. The Nexus 5, in contrast, is larger, easier to hold, and with its rounded edges, much more comfortable to grip than the iPhone 5s. This little bit of difference between the phones may make all the difference for someone who suffers from diseases like arthritis, which may stiffen the competition between the iPhone 5s and the Nexus 5.
Another point of contention between the two is the display. Apple stuck to its tried and true method for retina display, loading its latest and greatest iPhone with the same 1136 x 640, 326 PPI display. This still provides good screen clarity, but left room for improvement. The Nexus 5, with its 5-inch Full HD in-plane switching (IPS) 1920×1080, 445 PPI display, took advantage of that. The display is clearer and the icons are crisper. However, the iPhone 5s camera did tend to outperform that of the Nexus 5. This can be a deciding factor for anyone who uses his or her phone to take a lot of pictures.
Security is another feature where the iPhone 5s radically outshines the Nexus 5; while both phones feature the software programs of their parent companies, Apple included a security service not found on the Nexus 5. For business executives or those who use their smartphones to edit documents, check banking or any other type of security sensitive activity, this could prove to be a deal-breaker for Nexus 5. The service is called "find my iPhone" and it allows for a remote wiping of data if the phone is lost or stolen. This, plus the fingerprint scanner, makes the iPhone one of the safest on the market.
In terms of performance, however, there seems to be little difference between the two, and the same goes for battery life, which lasted about 7 hours with nonstop use.
This means that, once again, choosing between the iPhone 5s and the Nexus 5 comes down to preference and price. In terms of technology, iPhone 5s has the advantage, especially in terms of data storage; but this advantage can be costly for the average consumer, especially when a non-contract iPhone can top $ 600 or more. This is where the iPhone 5s faces its stiffest competition from the Nexus 5, which carries an unlocked, no contract price of $ 349. That makes this phone a perfect choice for the budget conscious or the teenager whose primary goal is to hit 30,000 texts in a 30 day period. However, technology is constantly moving faster and faster and the accessories, data speeds and processors that are top of the line for these phones now may give way to something bigger, better and faster in the not to distant future; the technological door is wide open.
By Heather Pilkinton
Sources
V3
India TV
The News Tribune
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