Google Pixel telephones are favorites right here at Android Authority, providing nice cameras, loads of AI methods, and a few unique software program options. These weren’t the primary Google gadgets, although, as the corporate enlisted the assistance of companions to supply Nexus-branded telephones within the late 2000s to mid-2010s.
We’ve already ranked Pixel telephones, however which Nexus telephones had been the very best and which of them had been the pits?
We’ve ranked these telephones based mostly on plenty of components, together with vital and industrial reception, options/specs, pricing, the significance of every launch, and our personal emotions. Evidently, that is purely for enjoyable. However do hold forth along with your opinions within the feedback under!
Which was the very best Nexus telephone?
122 votes
Nexus 6
The primary and solely Motorola-produced Nexus is on the backside of our checklist, and this rating is extra because of its huge departure from earlier Nexus telephones.
Maybe the largest concern with the Nexus 6 was its steep $649 price ticket at launch, a full $300 greater than its predecessor. Motorola’s Nexus was additionally very chunky and awkward to carry, whereas we criticized the telephone’s battery life in our evaluate on the time. The telephone additionally lacked a fingerprint scanner a full 12 months after the iPhone 5s debuted its touch-based scanner. This omission was reportedly a late choice and the scanner was alleged to be situated on the again the place the dimpled Motorola emblem was located.
It wasn’t all dangerous, although. The Nexus 6 delivered quicker HDR+ images for improved image high quality. It additionally supplied a QHD+ display, that blazing (however nonetheless 32-bit) Snapdragon 805 chip, quick wired charging know-how, and wi-fi charging. So that you undoubtedly acquired numerous premium extras, nevertheless it was a polarizing change from the reasonably priced Nexus telephones of yore.
The great
- Excessive-quality, pixel-dense display
- Wi-fi charging assist
- Brisk efficiency
- Improved digicam expertise
The dangerous
- Very costly for a Nexus
- No fingerprint scanner
- Too giant and awkward for most individuals
- Disappointing battery life
Nexus One
The primary Nexus machine launched again in 2010 as Google teamed up with HTC. The outcome was a telephone that undoubtedly appeared of its time, primarily because of the presence of a trackball for system navigation. The Nexus One additionally stood out within the US again then because it was bought off-contract by way of Google’s storefront, coming in at a substantial $529.
Unusually sufficient, show provide points meant just some gadgets had OLED screens, whereas the remaining used LCD panels. May you think about that occuring in the present day with the Pixel 9 or Galaxy S24? Anyway, the Nexus One was a really succesful telephone on paper because of its 1GHz Snapdragon S1 chip and 512MB of RAM. The telephone had a few key weaknesses, although, equivalent to a 1,400mAh battery that delivered disappointing battery life. One other main draw back was the measly 512MB of expandable storage when telephones like the unique Galaxy S supplied 8GB of expandable storage that very same 12 months.
The Nexus One was a stable first effort nonetheless and gave us a style of fresh, unfettered Android at a time when producers had been beginning to closely pores and skin the platform. It was additionally the inspiration for the well-received HTC Need, though the aforementioned {hardware} weaknesses remained.
The great
- Inventory Android expertise
- Quick updates
- Speedy efficiency
- Expandable storage
The dangerous
- Disappointing endurance
- Solely 512MB of inner storage
- Costly
- Didn’t launch with multi-touch assist
Nexus S
The sophomore Nexus smartphone noticed Google change from HTC to Samsung, and the outcome was a major enchancment. One of many greatest upgrades was the transfer to 16GB of storage, dwarfing the earlier telephone’s 512MB allotment. We additionally acquired a bigger and barely curved OLED display, a extra aesthetically pleasing design, and a decent stage of efficiency. This was additionally the primary telephone with NFC, enabling contactless funds, simpler accent pairing, and extra.
For higher or worse, the telephone shared loads of DNA with the unique Samsung Galaxy S which launched roughly six months earlier than. Not like the Galaxy S, although, the Nexus S lacked a reminiscence card slot. The Nexus telephone additionally lacked the Galaxy S’s 720p video recording capabilities, solely providing SD recording high quality. You’d assume Google would solely enhance on a six-month-old telephone, however right here we’re. This machine additionally had a single-core Hummingbird processor when the primary dual-core smartphones had been mere weeks away. Though, in all equity, Android solely gained multi-core CPU assist months later with the tablet-exclusive Honeycomb replace. Lastly, a number of areas acquired the Nexus S with an LCD display as an alternative of an OLED panel.
The great
- First telephone with NFC
- Loads of inner storage
- Extra trendy design
- Smooth OLED show
The dangerous
- No HD recording
- No reminiscence card assist
- Extra highly effective telephones launched simply weeks later
- Some markets had LCD display as an alternative of OLED
Galaxy Nexus
One of many few Nexus telephones formally accessible in my native South Africa was the Galaxy Nexus, owing to Samsung’s presence available in the market. I used to be lucky sufficient to make use of the telephone on the time and I actually favored the marginally curved 720p OLED display (that includes a really refined vertical curve) and the absence of {hardware} navigation keys. The Galaxy Nexus shipped with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and I bear in mind being actually impressed by the mix of Android 4.0’s darker colours and the OLED panel’s deep blacks.
Maybe the largest draw back to the Galaxy Nexus was the digicam expertise, that includes a low-resolution 5MP snapper at a time when 8MP sensors had been turning into commonplace. I assumed the telephone nonetheless took handsome pictures whereas zero-shutter lag assist was an excellent addition, nevertheless it wasn’t among the many greatest digicam telephones on the time. The shortage of a reminiscence card slot was a fair tougher capsule to swallow, even when 16GB or 32GB of storage was on faucet. Reviewers additionally lamented the absence of FM radio assist, which was a fixture on smartphones on the time.
The Galaxy Nexus arrived in two distinct flavors: a global GSM/HSPA+ model and a Verizon mannequin with LTE assist. This vastly sophisticated issues when it got here to community assist, information speeds, battery life, and updates. I’m glad the high Android telephones in the present day don’t endure from this downside to the identical extent.
The great
- Stunning OLED display
- Android 4.0 was a game-changer
- No {hardware} navigation buttons
- A great deal of storage for 2012
The dangerous
- No reminiscence card slot
- Digital camera {hardware} may very well be higher
- Verizon variant was sluggish to get updates and had worse battery life
Nexus 5X
The Motorola Nexus 6 was lambasted for its excessive price ticket again in 2014, so we had been very comfortable when the Nexus 5X was launched alongside the Nexus 6P the next 12 months. The Nexus 5X picked up the place 2013’s Nexus 5 left off, providing a extra reasonably priced proposition at $379. The Nexus 5X introduced an higher mid-range Snapdragon 808 SoC, a extra pocket-friendly 5.2-inch LCD display, a quick rear fingerprint scanner, and a much-improved digicam expertise.
Sadly, this cheaper price ticket got here at a value. The telephone shipped with simply 2GB of RAM and 16GB of base storage in comparison with the Nexus 6P’s 3GB/32GB base configuration. Evaluations on the time additionally lamented the slower HDR efficiency, the dearth of a burst mode and OIS, and the dearth of wi-fi charging. Then there was the truth that some fashions suffered from bootloops — dammit, LG.
The great
- Return to low cost price ticket after costly Nexus 6
- Very quick rear fingerprint scanner
- Small design in comparison with Nexus 6
- Good digicam expertise and picture high quality
The dangerous
- Bootloop concern affected some house owners
- Slower digicam efficiency than Nexus 6P
- Common efficiency was a step under Nexus 6P
- No wi-fi charging
- Simply 2GB of RAM
Nexus 6P
The HUAWEI Nexus 6P joined the LG Nexus 5X because the final Nexus telephones ever launched again in 2015. The HUAWEI machine, specifically, was among the best Android telephones of all time upon its launch. There was a premium steel design, a pointy OLED display, a big battery, and a fingerprint scanner for the primary time within the sequence. The telephone additionally made a long-lasting influence because of its images credentials, taking nice snaps due to a mixture of Google’s improved HDR+ photograph smarts and a 12.3MP digicam. This combo would go on to be a fixture on many subsequent Pixel telephones.
Sadly, the Nexus 6P had an Achilles Heel, and that was a bootloop concern. Google acknowledged on the time that this was a {hardware} concern, and it’s thought that the Snapdragon 810 chip was guilty. This resulted in a profitable class motion settlement being filed towards Google and HUAWEI. Toss in iffy assist for varied charging requirements, no wi-fi charging assist, a barebones digicam app, and a scarcity of optical picture stabilization (OIS), and it’s clear why the primary and solely HUAWEI Nexus isn’t the highest choose in our e book.
The great
- Excessive-quality display
- Good battery life
- Fingerprint scanner for first time on Nexus line
- Nice digicam high quality
- Metallic design
The dangerous
- No Qualcomm Fast Cost assist
- Bootloop concern which resulted in a settlement
- No OIS for the digicam
- No wi-fi charging
Nexus 4
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Google and the Nexus line actually discovered their toes in 2012 with the LG-made Nexus 4. Virtually the entire issues we affiliate with the Nexus line may be discovered right here, equivalent to flagship energy, inventory Android, quick-fire entry to updates, and an inexpensive value. In truth, I’d argue that the Nexus 4 was a “flagship killer” a full 12 months earlier than the OnePlus One.
We praised the 2012 Nexus for its reasonably priced $299 price ticket, its design that featured a so-called Crystal Reflection again cowl, and its quick efficiency. The machine additionally had wi-fi charging, which was turning into a scorching ticket merchandise on the time. It’s no marvel the telephone made it onto our runner-up spot.
Sadly, one of many greatest weaknesses of the Nexus 4 was its lack of LTE assist. This got here at a time when carriers and rival producers had been shortly adopting the high-speed 4G customary. LG and Google’s telephones additionally supplied lackluster digicam high quality and a barebones digicam app. This was additionally the primary Nexus telephone and not using a detachable battery, whereas the dearth of a reminiscence card slot was additionally regrettable. Lastly, some individuals reported that the Nexus 4’s rear cowl broke with out the machine being dropped.
The great
- Loads of horsepower
- Low cost value
- Cool design
- Wi-fi charging assist
The dangerous
- No LTE
- Middling digicam high quality
- No detachable battery
- Fragile rear cowl
Nexus 5
Was the Nexus 5 peak Nexus? It’s arduous to argue in any other case, as Google and LG delivered a flagship-tier smartphone for less than $349 again in 2013. This was nearly a 12 months earlier than the OnePlus One launched and popularized the “flagship killer” moniker. The Nexus 5 picked up the place the Nexus 4 left off, providing a screaming-fast Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of storage, and an FHD+ IPS show. This telephone additionally supplied LTE and a sturdy again cowl, which had been each lacking from the Nexus 4.
The Nexus 5 wasn’t with out its faults. For one, the digicam expertise was improved over the Nexus 4 because of the introduction of HDR+ by way of an replace, nevertheless it was nonetheless disappointing. Then once more, this was par for the course for Nexus telephones within the early 2010s. The telephone additionally delivered common battery life and lacked a microSD card slot. However regardless of these points, the Nexus 5 nonetheless ranks as the very best Nexus in our e book.
The great
- Low cost value
- Implausible efficiency
- Wi-fi charging assist
- Clear tackle Android
- HDR+ processing for higher photographs
The dangerous
- Digital camera high quality nonetheless wasn’t nice
- Common battery life
- No storage enlargement
