Google Nexus 5: 10 years before Pixel 8 Pro, it was actually GREAT! 👑

[@robertozapatasilva8444]

Nexus 5 - Hammerhead ❤ Android 4.4 Kitkat ❤ What a time for the Android Scene: Kitkat release, Cyanogenmod, SuperSU, etc. It was so fun to have an Android device back in the day.

[@BahaaBarakat]

That was the golden age of Android

[@rupeshtashildar]

Xposed installer ❤️

[@nope6471]

And android 6.0, which was amazing imo

[@tonymarenno9568]

Nexus 5 is still my favorite phone. The only thing I can fault it with is rather small battery, but it had it all: FHD+ screen, perfect size for one handed use and OIS in the camera. Truly a great device! 🙂

[@Oystein87]

I had the LG G2 that the Nexus 5 was based on. That was a better phone in most ways. And insane good battery.

[@tonymarenno9568]

@@Oystein87 I was never able to get used to LG's Android skin 🙁. Plus, Nexus 5 was just such an amazing value for the money 🙂

[@Oystein87]

@@tonymarenno9568 Why? Basicly same to use but with more features. They actually copied some good features from Samsung that later Google copied. Google actually copied alot of Samsung features a bit later. Yeah, G2 was about the same price and had basicly the same hardware so both was a good value.

[@harysviewty]

@@Oystein87 truly remarkable phone

[@krutarth_suthar]

Alex, you covered this phone's Legacy perfectly. I still have today (gonna install A13). HDR+ was ahead of its time. The photos clicked almost a decade ago still have the crisp HDR+ magic. The performance was unmatched when ART enabled, it basically flew at the rocket speed in 4.4.4. My favourite phone ever and ever will be. ❤

[@oliverdelarosaamador]

I had that phone and I loved it. It is difficult to describe the feeling we got when these devices came out

[@piereligiodisante]

This was the first phone I had that never lagged. It didn't when new, it didn't when it stopped getting official updates. Basically a real milestone in the Android history. I was very proud of having bought it as it got launched, and never regretted it

[@qpol]

it runs android 10 (custom ROMs) decently smooth but anything past that and it becomes PAIN

[@rookietheone]

I may have flashed hundreds of custom roms in that phone when I had it. It was a beast

[@SuperDodgeboy93]

I had the black 32gb. Was such a great phone! I felt proud to own it. It was like being part of a special club.

[@RideOnTimePH]

I resurrected my nexus 5 after buying a new battery and flashing with lineageos 19.1 I tried using LOS 20 but it i am not satisfied with the performance. It runs better on android 12 while still having the modern material you UI.

[@RideOnTimePH]

Update: testing the experimental version of lineageos 21 on my nexus 5

[@thepower523]

It was my dream phone at the time

[@ultraprimez]

My big bro still have it but all busted up. I still have my Nexus 6 the blue whale and it's still working in 2023 in my moms hand. I just replaced the USB socket in 2023 and now it's charging as gem again. Google phones where good and it will be the best in future to come. Well i don't own a Pixel but i am a hardcore fan of stock Android user experience. In India Lava mobile is the only company that makes stock Android smartphones with tons of customisation and excellent user experience in 2023.

[@m4rvinmartian]

Are you sure about that? There's not a phone service here that will let me run a Nexus 6.

[@priyanshusharma1812]

Sponsored comment

[@IndianTrainSimulator]

Motorola wants to know your location

[@Vivek-nh1vh]

I agree. The battery life was average, but the camera on HDR+ was good imo. I liked its camera better than Galaxy S5 anyways which was out around the same time. And the phone performance was quite good overall. Liked the design and build quality too. It was basically like new without any cosmetic damages as I had it in a Rearth Ringke Fusion Case for the Google Nexus 5 with a transparent background. Had it for 5 years and then gave it up for an exchange offer to get whatever discount I could get. No problems in those 5 years except a battery replacement after 3 years.

[@lavatr8322]

Design wise that's actually the best design tbh.... Ntm the OnePlus One (I still have it) Those were the years of true innovation... From 2014 everything went downhill

[@DARKSHREK000]

My rooted Nexus 5 still performs faster in some cases than my iPhone 14 Pro. The power of rooted phones really was too OP.

[@kidfrost95]

This was my first smartphone that I was able to buy after starting my first job. So many cool little memories of it. I still have it around and turns on no problem.

[@Karaoke-Bear]

I still have the black sticky mess but I have a case so it doesn't look as bad. It is also running the lineageos shown here and it is surprisingly good. The only thing I don't like is the speakers and the battery although I ordered a replacement battery which will arrive soon.

[@NihilistWarGod]

Nexus 4 was my favorite Nexus. Next to the 6, Galaxy Nexus and the 5

[@hardpiet]

I have the black one and with a new battery it works still fine!

[@kipuchino]

I would love an updated Nexus 5. Best Google phone design so far imo.

[@NorbertHanny]

Made by LG! I miss LG from the smartphone scene SOOO MUCH!

[@tonymarenno9568]

I remember that phone was $250 when it came out 🙂

[@Peterstarzynskitech]

You know back in the day I really loved Android kit Kat. And I know the Nexus 5 back then ran Android kit Kat out of the box. The Nexus 5 was very small and compact and had pretty good handling.

[@MrFrenzy718]

I still have the black and the white one . Occasionally I throw a SIM card in it and use it for a day or so.

[@PrathmeshTari]

Used this for 7 years . Still the best phone from Google .

[@SamuelHollandsh]

Ahh, the famous Hammerhead; I had a custom build literally (a red frame with black rear cover & blk buttons), since this was one of the few beautiful devices I got to personally replace the screen on, which was easier to get the frame, and swap the guts. Who could forget the battery eating flagship performance w/ more mods then you could ever dream of these days including stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack😅😂😰! Thanks for sharing.👍👍

[@MrPurle]

Very much appreciate the trip down memory lane! :) I had one in stormtrooper/panda white which I replaced with the red when it became available (around Valentines day from memory) - I still have it albeit it significantly worse for wear. Fantastic all-round device for the time, something that they arguably never really replicated. I've had each Nexus and Pixel since the Nexus One, and am a bit of a "fanboi"... I think the Nexus 6p was underrated (enjoyed that a lot), and the pink-ish Pixel 3 (not XL) also has a place in my heart - good size, build, camera, performance etc , but pants battery.

[@DebasishDas-bi4bo]

I still have my white Nexus 5 and use it as my secondary device. Still works like a charm - best device ever for me :D

[@rohitghali]

The removal of airgap was because of the fusion or display and the digitizer. It made the display thinner bringing it closer to the glass.

[@heykennyl]

This is maybe one of the best phones i ever used

[@luffywest]

It's incredible how far Google has come with both Hardware and Software. I started following them closely after they released thet Google Camera App whivh gave insane looking images with average Camera sensors. Night Sight was, and is, something else.

[@pokedude104]

I still have mine. This was my daily driver through all of highschool. I loaded lineage on it back when the support ended. In a sea of iphones you looked pretty cool with your infinitely customizable OS at the lunch table. Its started to do the gross decomposy thing that soft rubber always does but its not horrible yet, and the battery is noticably weaker now too... I threw a case on it and I keep it around as a backup to this day.

[@Betsybetsybetsy-wf9xv]

Looking at the app drawer at 9:07 , I still think those colorful, multi-shaped icons are so much more pleasing to the eye and practical (recognizable) than the dreadful monotone forced circle icons of today. It has created abominations like the firefox icon, which has an almost but not quite circle logo, that is shrunk down to fit into the circle icon, with white borders around it. In fact, I think the material design in general still looks great. Which is impressive, considering how fast design language in tech ages.

[@username-mb2qh]

Strongly agree. I think Android 4-7 were the nicest looking versions of the OS. Google’s own icon style was also at its best before they started doing these oversimplified newer icons with Material You (with Google Translate icon somehow surviving I guess lol).

[@nathanmerritt1581]

Red video mate! should definitely do more of these.

[@MarquisMathis]

Gonna miss running multiple os on that device

[@phritza]

I'm happy that you pointed out HDR+. I feel the same way that a lot of reviewers back then didn't use it.

[@NeroVingian40]

Android 5 really brings this phone to its potential, it’s an understated, plain design coupled with a really beautiful, modern design. You get a phone that you can barely noticed, making the software stand out even more.

[@mikejose]

I left my DSLR at home and took all of my photos during my trip to China in 2013 on my Nexus 5. Man those were some amazing photos. I took it to Vegas and LA then it mysteriously crashed on me when I got back and I lost everything. Fond memories with this phone though.

[@hellboybihac]

It was a decent phone for sure but it had a major hardware problem. I had three N5s and all three of them had their BT and WiFi modules die after a while for some reason. It wasn't overheating and it wasn't damaged in any way.

[@andreylucass]

Better cameras than my iphone

[@Oystein87]

It was not because of using IPS.. They moved the digitizer from a seperate layer to the same layer as the the display and that removed the "air gap" between the glass and display. There was actually no air gap but it looked like that because of the glass layer. LG G2 that this was based on had the same thing.

[@aleksailic8432]

Thanks for the video! Got me to take mine from the shelf and give it a spin. Will be driving it daily for a month and see how it goes. It is actually working really great with android 13 so far.

[@sufiyankhan244]

Get in order Let Nexus 6 next! Then to nexus 5x and then nexus 6p

[@joebones1]

Still got my red nexus 5 chilling in my desk!

[@SomfilmsFHD]

i pre-ordered that phone in October 2013 it was very beautiful phone. my problem was the bad battery performance

[@Techn1cated]

Oddly enough I missed the Nexus 5 - I bought a 4 just before the 5 came out when it went on fire sale, and the Nexus 6 not long after. Nexus 6P was my last Nexus... RIP Nexus ❤

[@Mr.P001]

This was joint No.2 in my experience of Nexus ownership, with top going to the beautiful Nexus 4. Alas the only Nexus I still have is the Nexus S which was never a favourite of mine.

[@m4rvinmartian]

*Verizon FORCED me to get rid of my Nexus at the beginning of this year, claiming it couldn't do 4G. I showed them it obviously could. They said: "Ooopsie, too late, we already banned your serial on the network".* WTF??? So now I had to move to a Pixel Pro. I hate it. Can't root it.

[@ignaciopaulito2186]

Back then, Nexus 5 was usable as it was running on Android 4.4 KitKat! Really usable! Couldn't believe that the 2013 device still functions even with the sideloading of Android 13!

[@WilliamEnsminger]

This is still my favorite phone to date. If the Pixel 8 Pro was as small as the 8, or if the iPhone 15 had promotion… maybe they would be, but the Pixel 8 pro is too big & the 8 is lacking features. The IPhone 15 Pro is too heavy & the 15 is only 60htz! In 2024! 🤣 come on now… 120 should be a starting point by now

[@1Three8Fiver]

I'd be careful about suggesting using a LineageOS Android 13 build is "up-to-date" in fact hardly any if any at all LineageOS builds can be considered so. They don't provide a proper accurate security patch level regardless of the label in settings which is just a string that can be edited without the underlying updates even on Android 14. More Proof-of-Concept.

[@Webzterr]

This is my first foray into Google phones. When smartphones became a thing, I was into Samsung Galaxy until the 5th underwhelmed me. Then I swapped it withy brother for this...the rest is history...Pixel XL to Pro year after year🎉

[@zangetsuee]

I only wanted two devices in my childhood and it was HTC HD2 & the Nexus 5 I Remember recommending my friend who was switching from iPhone 4s to Android to buy the Nexus 5 but he didn't listen and bought the Galaxy Note 3 😂

[@I_love_the_earth_7486]

The handset on my Nexus 5 is white, so I never hold the phone upside down. Now I always mix up mine and my family's phones, even though they are from Sony, Google and LG, they all look the same. I miss the days when phones all looked different. Among the 7 mobile phones I have used, the appearance of Nexus5 is my favorite.

[@starflyr57]

had the lg g2 back then .. loved that phone.. those slim side bezels, volume rocker on the back, bigger battery and better camera. but that lg software... put custom roms on it.. did get the Nexus 6. it's been pixels since

[@Galaxy.Windows]

it has the same specs as the Note 3 but with a much lower price. its skin doesnt look that bad but stock android (TW) allways wins

[@stephenwakeman3074]

❤ Liverpool. I had a Nexus 5 with the dayglow red finish and loved the phone. For me this was the pinnacle Nexus phone.

[@jakkawanwongsuwan1497]

Believe it or not I had Red, Black and White!!! By far my all time favourite phone. It was so cool showed it off to my mates when everyone gave a wow and somehow nobody knew it was ever existed.

[@Robloxhank]

you should make a 10th anniversary video for the Samsung Galaxy S4 10th year video

[@jerry-sb1238]

Oneplus is not any more flagship killer with the pricing. There are many other competitors Xiaomi, Oppo which provides better phones in all aspects.

[@nathanaelaldred8885]

Thought I recognised the buildings near the beginning, then cut to the camera scene and I immediately recognised the docks 🤣 No way this was filmed here!

[@Whisler]

i want to see covreage on the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 4 in the future. aslo on the Nexus 6P in 2025

[@JasonWells-z3n]

I was using a nexus 5x up until a year and a half ago when the screen finally gave up. I still dont like my pixel 6 pro as much. The nods were fun!

[@aalfonso4706]

My favorite device I think ever, before the Nexus 5 my favorite was the Nexus S and Nexus 4 was soooooo good too

[@stormense]

My Nexus 5 suffered from swelling battery and ejected the screen.

[@jfr43]

I bought this phone to my mom back in 2014 she loved and she used it until 2020 now Pixel 4xl

[@JayTsPhoto]

I remember being excited about getting the android 2.3 launcher on my Original Motorola Droid and being envious of the people who had an original Nexus.

[@DrCarter33]

I have my nexus 6p, problem is it suffers suddenly death at 50-60% battery

[@Garrettdx1988]

I would say its still one of the best phones ever made. They tried releasing the 5x as a spiritual successor, but it just didnt cut it

[@JesseDavis]

To this day, it is my favorite android phone - I used mine, for years, until it finally gave up the ghost after a very long lifespan

[@CapTVchilenaShootingStarMax]

8:38 I feel like we never got animations as smooth as in the mockups…

[@iSHYAMz]

i have used many phones but N5 is my all-time favorite.

[@themightyavenger1023]

Honestly I just keep mine on Android KitKat for nostalgia lol, the Nexus line during the 4.x era was awesome and Android in general during that 2012-2014 period was a lot of fun Also I like the bright red color, at least it had some energy unlike all these weird pastel dull colors on phones now like the Pixel or the iPhone 15 lol

[@yoavzehavi8793]

nexus 5 with kitkat was the quickest smartphone i have ever used in my life and i had a lot.

[@sherlock_bd]

It was my dream phone once upon a time,when Google smartphone wasn't as popular as it is now in my country

[@zarroaster3009]

I had a nexus 5. One of my favorite phones ever. I've only ever had one non pixel since.

[@BahaaBarakat]

Coming from the OG Galaxy Note which was so bloated and ran like shit (TouchWiz🤮), I almost switched from Android, but I decided to give the Nexus 5 a chance after trying CyanogenMod on my Note and liking the Vanilla experience. This is when I fell in Love with Android! Been on the Nexus & Pixel team ever since (with an Android One stopgap).

[@jmitchell513]

My absolute favorite phone. I remember crack flashing AICP ROM, PACMAN, Dirty Unicorns.. my girlfriend would think I was dead and show up at my apartment and I was just in recovery mode 😂 These were the best times! I still fire this phone up from time to time to charge it and goof around!

[@Smykonis]

I have black Nexus 5. I love it. Great smartphone.

[@DZac]

I want to see you revisit some old Galaxy Tablets, mine was the Tab A6 (SM-T280)

[@xYellowFlashx]

True root machine!

[@jeffhernandez6880]

2013 Nexus actually looks better for pics ..

[@gabriel.hongkong]

I had both the Nexus 4&5. Had a Samsung after that. Then Pixel 1,3,and now 7. Probably will stick with the pure android experience forever

[@joelconolly5574]

It's great but the Nexus 6P is probably where the money at.

[@shehandesilva7530]

The Nexus 5 was my first pure android phone, haven't looked back since (just upgraded to a Pixel 7 with the holiday sales). Love how light and simple that phone is, still works well enough to this day - it is now serving its retirement years as my 5 year old daughter's camera :)

[@AdoringFan....]

This phone still use as my third phone daily drive and my iphone 5s same year this phone is useless.

[@Yjn75]

HTC One M7, which released in the same year, is leagues better.

[@EddieCochrane]

Ah great phone, one of my favourites. I pre-ordered it, and had given my office address for delivery. The release day rolled around and the office Post Room phoned to say I had a package. I went to pick it up and they said, mind if we ask what it is, as we've had 16 identical packages turn up on the same day. I think the company phones at the time were Motorola's, so every one had been pre-ordered by staff with their own money.

[@playerzking]

I still hoped for a return of Nexus 4's back glass design

[@GenjiPrime]

Now that you mention it, I'm using the pixel 7 pro right now and Nexus 4 was my first Google phone and it was my favourite until it decided to take a swim in the toilet bowl, i feel like I've come full circle with the pixel 7 pro.

[@CedricBarber0687]

I had a lean rom (5.0) running on that phone getting about 5 hours sot with it

[@master-swami]

Man loved my red LG Nexus 5, followed by the huge Moto Nexus 6, and the Huawei Nexus 7P.

[@w3bbi3]

I had the red one for a week and left it on top of my car and never saw it again, son of a bitch

[@steveruckman5401]

Liked the phone until it bootlooped and had to disable one of the cores or somesuch.

[@imarchit]

It's been nostalgia month for me, with this video and Waveform's Android Custom ROMs episode.

[@ROBERIZER]

I miss the Nexus line

[@richardwhitehead6966]

For the price, best phone i have had. Only phone i have ever ordered on day 1.

[@Oystein87]

I had the LG G2 that the Nexus 5 was based on. In many ways it was a better phone. And the G2 also had great battery life. Both good phones

[@Samar.A]

one of the best looking phone of all time with that curved tp & bottom making it sooo comfortable to use in landscape mode. nowadays every phone has a flat top & bottom.

[@RichardRatner.1972]

Thanks Alex for covering Nexus the way you do. Kind regards, Richard U.K

[@eyoootuber]

I like the 'NEXUS' branding better.

[@clear9104]

thanks for showing hdr+ comparisons and different android versions, super interesting tyvm