Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Google Nexus 5: Can 2013′s Nexus compete with 2014′s flagship Android smartphone?

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When Samsung’s Galaxy S5 goes on sale in a little less than two months from now, it is going to face some stiff competition from the likes of the Sony Xperia Z2, iPhone 5Sand the Google Nexus 5. The last smartphone has given companies a few nightmares by offering top-end specs at the price of a mid-range smartphone. Though Samsung is yet to announce the Galaxy S5’s pricing, let’s see if the Nexus 5 can compete with the new flagship?

Design – The Nexus 5, for many, is very simple. The Galaxy S5 too doesn’t win many accolades considering it looks pretty much like its predecessor, though it brings a new perforated back cover. We would call this one a tie.

Display – At 4.95-inch, Google Nexus 5′s Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) panel is marginally smaller than Samsung Galaxy S5′s 5.1-inch display of the same resolution. This reduction in screen estate gives the Nexus 5 a marginally better pixel density of 445ppi. This one as well is too close to call, though on paper, the Nexus 5 wins owing to the pixel density.

Hardware – The Nexus 5 gets a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor running at 2.3GHz with 2GB of RAM. That’s not a big downer for the LG made handset as the SoC on Galaxy S5 is a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 unit, with 2GB of RAM.  While both the processors are powerful enough, the Galaxy S5 nudges past the Nexus 5 in this case.

Camera – The Nexus 5 gets an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and full HD video recording. That’s measly in comparison to what Samsung offers in the form of the 16-megapixel camera and 4K video recording. The Galaxy S5 also boasts a very quick autofocus system and a Lytro camera-like refocussing app. The Galaxy S5 wins hands down on the camera.

Battery – At 2,300mAh, the Nexus 5′s battery is smaller than the Galaxy S5′s 2,800mAh.

Android OS – Both the smartphones run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. While the Nexus 5 comes with stock Android, the Galaxy S5 comes with TouchWiz UI on top. The Nexus 5 will appeal to those who want the latest Android update first, while the Galaxy 5 provides some interesting software features.

Considering the specifications, the Google Nexus 5 still has enough in it to tempt hardcore Android users, who want regular Android updates and stock UI. The hardware is still top-of-the-line and the smartphone offers great value for money. Having said that, the Samsung Galaxy S5 pwns the Nexus 5 when it comes to camera and additional features. It is also dust and water resistant, which adds more value to the overall offering.