The Google Nexus 4 (or LG Nexus 4) is the latest smartphone to bear the Nexus brand, let’s see how it compares to the previous Nexus phone – the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Let Nexus VS Nexus battle commence.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS Google Nexus 4: Design
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a predominately plastic construction with a curved back, it feels nice in the hand, even though the plastic does give it a cheaper feel. In contrast the LG Nexus 4 has a glass back, more akin to the Apple iPhone 4.
On the front the Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65-inch display, while the LG Nexus 4 has a bigger 4.7-inch display, they both have 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras, an ear piece, and a plastic band around the edges, however the LG’s is Chome. All the controls are in the same place, although Samsung has opted for a centrally mounted camera in contrast to LG’s offset camera and flash. Both phones look and feel quite nice, but the LG has a really nice feel – particularly from the curved Gorilla Glass on the front.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS Google Nexus 4: Screen
There is a significant colour difference between the two phones. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus uses a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels and 316 ppi, while the LG uses a 4.7-inch HD IPS+ LCD panel with a 768×1280 resolution and 318 ppi.
You’d expect the LG’s LCD panel to be brighter, but in this case the older Galaxy Nexus has a brighter backlight and more powerful colour reproduction, but the clarity on both devices is pretty equal. In usability both displays are easier to read, contrasts levels are better on the older Galaxy Nexus, but both struggle in bright sunlight. Whites are better on the LCD panel of the LG, but overall the smaller AMOLED panel on the Galaxy Nexus is slightly better.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS Google Nexus 4: User Interface
Both handsets offer the latest version of Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, so there’s very little difference between the two devices. The UI utilises Project Butter, so is slick and smooth – even though the Samsung has a dual core and the LG a quad core, the performance in general use is very close.
There are a couple of differences though – with a bigger panel and resolution the LG has an extra column of icons on the homescreen and the LG has some extra regulatory information. Otherwise both have the same easy access quick settings, all the same controls and new camera UI.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS Google Nexus 4: Performance
The biggest difference between the two Nexus devices is performance. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 1.2GHz TI-OMAP 4 dual-core processor with 1GB RAM, while the LG Nexus 4 has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB RAM, so the newer phone has twice the memory and power, so although general UI performance is generally similar, it has a significant effect on the performance.
Boot up time on the LG Nexus are around 15-20 seconds faster and high-end 3D games like N.O.V.A 3 load more quickly. Lighting effects look better on the LG Nexus and it’s much smoother, with extra graphical elements – such as the fire and particle effects – which you don’t get on the Samsung (see below).
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS Google Nexus 4: Verdict
Both devices are fantastic, but the newer hardware on the LG Nexus 4 wins out. It has an 8-megapixel camera, 30fps vs 28fps 1080p video performance and better processor, although the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a better screen. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is available in 16GB for £290 and the LG Google Nexus 4 comes in two capacities, 8GB for £239 and 16GB for £279 or £390 elsewhere – so if you can get it from Google it’s a bargain and significantly better.
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