Maps. Emails. Web browsers. Laptops. Each a digital-essential, and all given a new life with a sprinkle of magic Google dust. Has the search giant repeated its trick with the Nexus 5?
Good: Premium specs for fraction of the cost
Bad: Jack of all trades, master of none
Price:£299
Google "best affordable smartphone" and the Nexus 5 deserves to top the search. LG (who actually build the thing, just to confuse you) have managed to build a staggeringly proficient handset, squeezing wireless charging, a super slick processor and 4G into £299-worth of phone.
The Nexus 5 does a fine job of showing off the new Android OS, KitKat. Much like Nestle's choccy snack, the OS is a simple affair: icons are big and bright, with every conceivable element pleasingly customisable. Google's Voice Actions feature peaks out from the top of the homepage, a Siri-a-like that actual seems to work (though we still don't like talking to things that don't have eyeballs and ears).
The design of the Nexus 5 is similarly minimalist. The 5-inch screen is crisp and colourful, and LG's use of plastics makes the device remarkably light. While the build quality is reassuringly solid, the use of featherweight materials does result in the Nexus 5 feeling less 'premium' than more expensive phones.
If you want to keep hold of a few hundred pounds but want all the bells and whistles of the latest smartphone, you'd do well to point your wallet in the direction of Google's Nexus 5.
