LG G2 vs. Nexus 5: Android handsets flood today’s mobile market and the LG G2 arrived with much fan fare and high hopes when it was first launched in August 2013. The Nexus 5 was also a well-received smartphone and continues to garner rave reviews from its consumers.

In this comparison, we take a look at the LG G2 and Nexus 5 and what makes these two handsets different from one another. It’s assumed that Google’s Nexus flagships is always better, but you decide after reading this review.

DESIGN
With a dimension of 70.9 x 138.5 x 8.9 mm and a weight of 143 grams, the LG G2 is a bit larger, thicker, and heavier than the Nexus 5 (69.2 x 137.8 x 8.6 mm, 130 grams). In this case, it will depend on your preference which handset has the better body. The G2 has a more solid feel. Meanwhile, the Nexus 5 is definitely more portable.

In terms of design, the G2 has a softer body and round edges with a glossy black finish, while the Nexus 5 is hard and angular with a soft-touch coating.

DISPLAY

The LG G2’s display measures 5.2 inches, while the Nexus 5 has 5 inches. Both are IPS LCS panels with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. However, because of its smaller screen size, the Nexus 5 has a slightly better pixel density of 445 ppi, than the G2 with only 423 ppi. Still, that is only a small difference that hardly anyone would notice.

Although both smartphones are scratch resistant, the Nexus 5 ships with Gorilla Glass 3 instead of Gorilla Glass 2 as used on the G2. Like in the pixel difference, this is also barely noticeable.

PERFORMANCE. This is the part where the two smartphones are at equal footing. Both are powered by a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor coupled with a 2 GB RAM. The two also have the same internal storage of 16 or 32 GB. So which has a better processor?

Geekaphone says that the G2 has the upper hand because of the better linpack, quadrant and sunspider components of its processor on its bench test. However, Android Central disagrees, saying that the Nexus 5 has a slight edge with an inclusion of a barometer.

CAMERA. In this part, the G2 is the winner, hands down. With a 13 MP primary and 2.1 MP secondary camera, the G2 is the better shooter than the Nexus 5 (8 MP primary, 1.31 secondary).

In the end, the two smartphones are still tough competition. Your choice would have to be primarily based on your priority. If you’re after a better camera and larger display, then the G2 is for you. But if you’re a little tight on the budget and you don’t mind the slightly lower specs, then the Nexus 5 will do just fine.