The Nexus 5 has always been a great all-around device. Released in late 2013, Google's then-flagship handset balanced great specs and a great price. To this day, as a testament to the Nexus 5's well-made design and more-than-adequate performance, the device can still compete against today's mid-range phones.
When every phone being bought and sold seems replaceable every year, we haven't really encountered many like the Nexus 5 that can still hold its own even two years after its release. Albeit, the Nexus 5 is now joined by Google's latest offerings – the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P – but it's so good that Google has held onto the original's name and simply upgraded it in 2015.
Back then, the Nexus 5 was sold online straight from Google at $349 for the 16 GB version and $399 for the 32 GB version in the US. Today, the same unit costs less than half that – perfect as an affordable, super high-quality surprise stocking stuffer for the holidays.
Just last month, Expansys sold their stocks of Nexus 5 for only $175. Now, the company has slashed their prices for the same phone even lower. For a 16GB, refurbished Nexus 5 in either black, white or red, Expansys is selling theirs for a rock-bottom price of only $129.99. The 32GB version in either of the three colors costs just $20 more for a total of $149.99. Now that's a steal.
At this point, two years into the life of the device, the Nexus 5 certainly can't compete with today's high-end phones. In 2013, the device's specifications, including the 1,920 x 1,080 5-inch display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 8-megapixel camera, and 2,300mAh battery, were first-class. If the phone had any weaknesses, it would've been its camera as it was a bit slow. Otherwise, the device was an all-around great smartphone.
As comparison, for example, today's Nexus 5X (which still doesn't carry the honor of being Google's flagship device for this year since that belongs to the Nexus 6P), has a slightly larger, higher quality 5.2-inch display, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, a 12.3-megapixel camera with larger pixels and a bigger battery.
But in terms of price? The Nexus 5 is still the all-around champ.
Photo: John Karakatsanis | Flickr
