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 units, although, as the corporate enlisted the assistance of companions to provide Nexus-branded telephones within the late 2000s to mid-2010s.
We’ve already ranked Pixel telephones, however which Nexus telephones had been the most effective and which of them had been the pits?
We’ve ranked these telephones based mostly on quite a lot 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 together with your opinions within the feedback beneath!
Which was the most effective Nexus cellphone?
162 votes
Nexus 6
The primary and solely Motorola-produced Nexus is on the backside of our listing, and this rating is extra attributable to its huge departure from earlier Nexus telephones.
Maybe the most important difficulty 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 cellphone’s battery life in our assessment on the time. The cellphone 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 imagined to be positioned on the again the place the dimpled Motorola emblem was located.
It wasn’t all dangerous, although. The Nexus 6 delivered sooner HDR+ images for improved image high quality. It additionally provided a QHD+ display screen, that blazing (however nonetheless 32-bit) Snapdragon 805 chip, quick wired charging expertise, and wi-fi charging. So that you positively obtained plenty of premium extras, however it was a polarizing change from the inexpensive Nexus telephones of yore.
The nice
- Excessive-quality, pixel-dense display screen
- Wi-fi charging help
- Brisk efficiency
- Improved digicam expertise
The dangerous
- Very costly for a Nexus
- No fingerprint scanner
- Too massive and awkward for most individuals
- Disappointing battery life
Nexus One
The primary Nexus gadget launched again in 2010 as Google teamed up with HTC. The consequence was a cellphone that positively appeared of its time, primarily as a result of presence of a trackball for system navigation. The Nexus One additionally stood out within the US again then because it was offered off-contract through Google’s storefront, coming in at a substantial $529.
Unusually sufficient, show provide points meant just some units had OLED screens, whereas the remaining used LCD panels. May you think about that taking place in the present day with the Pixel 9 or Galaxy S24? Anyway, the Nexus One was a really succesful cellphone on paper attributable to its 1GHz Snapdragon S1 chip and 512MB of RAM. The cellphone had a few key weaknesses, although, reminiscent of 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 provided 8GB of expandable storage that very same 12 months.
The Nexus One was a strong 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 Want, though the aforementioned {hardware} weaknesses remained.
The nice
- 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 help
Nexus S
The sophomore Nexus smartphone noticed Google change from HTC to Samsung, and the consequence was a big enchancment. One of many greatest upgrades was the transfer to 16GB of storage, dwarfing the earlier cellphone’s 512MB allotment. We additionally obtained a bigger and barely curved OLED display screen, a extra aesthetically pleasing design, and a good stage of efficiency. This was additionally the primary cellphone with NFC, enabling contactless funds, simpler accent pairing, and extra.
For higher or worse, the cellphone 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 cellphone 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 cellphone, however right here we’re. This gadget 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 help months later with the tablet-exclusive Honeycomb replace. Lastly, a couple of areas obtained the Nexus S with an LCD display screen as an alternative of an OLED panel.
The nice
- First cellphone with NFC
- Loads of inner storage
- Extra trendy design
- Smooth OLED show
The dangerous
- No HD recording
- No reminiscence card help
- Extra highly effective telephones launched simply weeks later
- Some markets had LCD display screen 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 cellphone on the time and I actually appreciated the marginally curved 720p OLED display screen (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 most important 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 changing into commonplace. I believed the cellphone nonetheless took handsome photographs whereas zero-shutter lag help was a terrific addition, however it wasn’t among the many finest digicam telephones on the time. The dearth of a reminiscence card slot was a good more durable tablet to swallow, even when 16GB or 32GB of storage was on faucet. Reviewers additionally lamented the absence of FM radio help, 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 help. This vastly difficult issues when it got here to community help, information speeds, battery life, and updates. I’m glad the high Android telephones in the present day don’t endure from this drawback to the identical extent.
The nice
- Stunning OLED display screen
- Android 4.0 was a game-changer
- No {hardware} navigation buttons
- A great deal of storage for 2012
The dangerous
- No reminiscence card slot
- Digicam {hardware} may very well be higher
- Verizon variant was gradual 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 blissful 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 inexpensive proposition at $379. The Nexus 5X introduced an higher mid-range Snapdragon 808 SoC, a extra pocket-friendly 5.2-inch LCD display screen, a quick rear fingerprint scanner, and a much-improved digicam expertise.
Sadly, this cheaper price ticket got here at a price. The cellphone shipped with simply 2GB of RAM and 16GB of base storage in comparison with the Nexus 6P’s 3GB/32GB base configuration. Opinions 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 nice
- 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 difficulty affected some house owners
- Slower digicam efficiency than Nexus 6P
- Basic efficiency was a step beneath 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 gadget, specifically, was the most effective Android telephones of all time upon its launch. There was a premium steel design, a pointy OLED display screen, a big battery, and a fingerprint scanner for the primary time within the collection. The cellphone additionally made an enduring influence attributable to its images credentials, taking nice snaps due to a mix of Google’s improved HDR+ picture 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 difficulty. Google acknowledged on the time that this was a {hardware} difficulty, and it’s thought that the Snapdragon 810 chip was responsible. This resulted in a profitable class motion settlement being filed towards Google and HUAWEI. Toss in iffy help for varied charging requirements, no wi-fi charging help, 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 nice
- Excessive-quality display screen
- Good battery life
- Fingerprint scanner for first time on Nexus line
- Nice digicam high quality
- Metallic design
The dangerous
- No Qualcomm Fast Cost help
- Bootloop difficulty 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 ft in 2012 with the LG-made Nexus 4. Nearly all the issues we affiliate with the Nexus line might be discovered right here, reminiscent of flagship energy, inventory Android, quick-fire entry to updates, and an affordable value. Actually, 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 inexpensive $299 price ticket, its design that featured a so-called Crystal Reflection again cowl, and its quick efficiency. The gadget additionally had wi-fi charging, which was changing into a sizzling ticket merchandise on the time. It’s no marvel the cellphone made it onto our runner-up spot.
Sadly, one of many greatest weaknesses of the Nexus 4 was its lack of LTE help. This got here at a time when carriers and rival producers had been shortly adopting the high-speed 4G commonplace. LG and Google’s telephones additionally provided lackluster digicam high quality and a barebones digicam app. This was additionally the primary Nexus cellphone with out a detachable battery, whereas the dearth of a reminiscence card slot was additionally regrettable. Lastly, some folks reported that the Nexus 4’s rear cowl broke with out the gadget being dropped.
The nice
- Loads of horsepower
- Low-cost value
- Cool design
- Wi-fi charging help
The dangerous
- No LTE
- Middling digicam high quality
- No detachable battery
- Fragile rear cowl
Nexus 5
Was the Nexus 5 peak Nexus? It’s exhausting to argue in any other case, as Google and LG delivered a flagship-tier smartphone for less than $349 again in 2013. This was virtually 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 cellphone additionally provided 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 as a result of introduction of HDR+ through an replace, however it was nonetheless disappointing. Then once more, this was par for the course for Nexus telephones within the early 2010s. The cellphone additionally delivered common battery life and lacked a microSD card slot. However regardless of these points, the Nexus 5 nonetheless ranks as the most effective Nexus in our e book.
The nice
- Low-cost value
- Unbelievable efficiency
- Wi-fi charging help
- Clear tackle Android
- HDR+ processing for higher pictures
The dangerous
- Digicam high quality nonetheless wasn’t nice
- Common battery life
- No storage enlargement
