In many countries, October 31 marks not only the last day of October but also Halloween. This night of tricks and treats is eagerly looked forward to by many children. This year, Google decided to do something special for adults too: Take the wrapper off of their new version of Android – KitKit and the new Nexus 5. Now that Google has a new phone and operating system out, businesses have another option to choose from. The only question is whether it’s worth it’s worth opting for Google’s Halloween goodies?
Below is a brief overview of the new Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 and what they mean for businesses.
Nexus 5 – Possibly 2013’s worst kept secret
News of this latest phone was rumored and even leaked months before Google announced it. Everyone who is a tech follower knew all about it already. So, when Google finally announced its introduction no one was really that surprised.
It is now expected that Google will announce a new Nexus phone each year. This is the device that Google deems to be the new benchmark for all future Android devices. With a stock version of Android, this is also the closest you will get to a ‘pure Google’ experience, not to mention the fact that these devices are usually quite powerful.
The Nexus 5, built by LG, is the benchmark device for late 2013/2014 and will be the among the first devices to get new versions of Android when these come out later next year.
If you are looking at this device for business purposes, here are six specifications that you might want to focus on and consider:
- Size and display – This device has a 4.95 inch screen (from top-left to bottom-right corners) and is a little over five inches long. The display itself is 1920×1080 pixels, and many reviewers are calling it the best display on a smartphone to date. Like most other high-end smartphones, you likely won’t struggle reading font on this device even when zoomed in.
- Processor – The Nexus 5 has a processor that is more powerful than many of today’s lower to mid-range laptops. Clocking in at 2.26GHz, it can handle everything you do on a smartphone without any issues.
- Storage and memory – There are two versions of the Nexus 5. One with 16GB and the other with 32GB of storage. Both versions should be more than enough storage space for all business users. The device also has 2GB of RAM which ensures that you will be more than able to run multiple programs at the same time.
- Connectivity – As with most new phones, you will be able to connect to 4G/LTE data networks (if they are available in your area). If you don’t have 4G/LTE, this phone can also connect to 3G and Wi-Fi networks. This means you will be able to easily stay in contact with the office, usually with high-speed connections.
- Battery – LG has put a bigger battery in the Nexus 5, thus many users are seeing the phone lasting a full day, or more, on one charge. This is great news for business users away from the office or a charger for long periods of time.
- Price and availability – The Nexus 5 is available in the US, Australia and the UK now from the Google Play store, and is also available from many carriers and electronic stores around the world. Possibly the biggest draw for this phone is the price – the 16GB costs USD $349 while the 32GB costs $399 on the Google Play store and comes unlocked.
This makes the device affordable for many users, including small businesses – especially if purchased on contract.
Break us off a piece of that KitKat
The Nexus 5 is the first device to be launched with the newest version of Android – Android 4.4 KitKat. As with the last few versions of Android, the 4.4 version is an incremental update instead of a completely new operating system. There are a number of new updates introduced in 4.4 worthy of note that business users will benefit from.
- SMS rolled into Hangouts – Google has decided to roll their SMS app into their chat app Hangouts. In fact, on any phones with Hangout installed, and updated to the latest version, you should be able to view and send SMS messages. With the Nexus 5, Hangouts is the SMS app.
- Increased Google Now presence – Google Now, Google’s voice-powered assistant has been beefed up, and can now be accessed by swiping left from the home screen. You can also activate Google Search, programs and give basic commands like calling or messaging people from the home screen by simply saying, “Ok, Google”. If you don’t want to speak, you can enter your search from the now omnipresent Search bar at the top of the screen.
- New version of QuickOffice – QuickOffice comes installed on nearly all Android devices and is the app used to open documents and PDFs that are downloaded to your phone. The new version allows users to open, edit and create Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents. It is also integrated with Google Drive, allowing you to store files on Drive, or even other cloud services.
- Support for more devices – Google has noted that Android 4.4 was designed to work on a wider number of devices, especially those with lower hardware specifications. This should help push 4.4 to more devices.
As is usual for Android, newer Google Nexus devices will get the update soon, probably by the end of November. Older devices, like the Google Nexus from 2011, will not be getting the update, and devices made by other companies will have to wait to see what the manufacturer does. If you have a relatively new device, chances are good you will receive an update, it just may take a while.
Is the Nexus 5 good for businesses?
If you are in the market for a new smartphone that can do anything and everything, then the Nexus 5 is likely the best phone currently available, especially considering the price is much lower than similar unlocked phones.
Of course, if you are still on contract with an existing phone and are looking to upgrade you should contact your mobile provider to see if the phone is available and that you can upgrade to it.
Before you do rush out and purchase the Nexus 5 however, you should make sure that your existing systems will integrate well with it. Why not contact us, as we can help ensure that any new phone will work with the systems you already have in place, or may be able to provide a solution for you.
