First look at the Google Nexus 5

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Nexus 5 is the latest, gretest Pure Google device and the vessel that brings the updated Android 4.4 KitKat OS to mobile devices. I had a chance to check out the device at Google's Toronto headquarters earlier today and compare it briefly to its predecessor the Nexus 4. The Nexus 5 went on sale yesterday starting at $349 for the 16GB (unlocked version) but was sold out in less than an hour. They're back on sale now, but hurry since they leave the warehouse in 3-4 weeks.

While this is the first Nexus device to feature a 5-inch screen, the Nexus 5 feels smaller and lighter than the Nexus 4. It even feels slimmer and sleeker than the LG G2, a device that shares many of the Nexus 5's components.

It is interesting to note that Google and LG have dispensed with the glass treatment and now adapted a matte rubber material similar to the Nexus 7. It is functional and offers good grip.

The Nexus 5 stands out with thinner bezels that give the screen more prominence, this is taken a step further with KitKat's Immersive Mode which rids videos and images on screen from distracting navigation and buttons until the're needed.

Nexus 5 is a very nice smartphone, it looks and feels like a flagship device and I like that it is a bit stark, muted and free of embellishments. KitKat is similarly cleaner overall and has apparently been coded to be more efficient and use up fewer resources.

There's a lot to dig into with the Nexus 5 as well as with KitKat, so stay tuned for a full review in the coming days as we spend more time with the latest Google phone.