Google Nexus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4: Release Date, Price, Specs, Features, and Availability Comparison Review

Now that the Google Nexus 5 is available from the Google Play Store, it will run into competition on Google's own Android turf - including some of the best smartphones on the market right now. One of those reigning champions is obviously the Samsung Galaxy S4, which was released earlier this year and is still a standard-bearer for Android smartphones. Let's take a look at the old(er) Samsung flagship and see how it stacks against Google's own, brand new, Nexus 5.

Display

One of the things lagging behind the industry curve for Google's previous Nexus flagship, the Nexus 4, was its display. It had a 4.7-inch screen with 768 x 1280p resolution, which soon was out-matched by the Galaxy S4 and others released just a few months later. But now, Google is competitive again, putting a 4.95-inch True HD IPS Plus display with 1080 x 1920p resolution on the Nexus 5.

This matches the Samsung Galaxy S4's resolution on its 5-inch screen, and beats it (ever so slightly) in pixel density: Google's Nexus 5 gets 445 pixels per inch compared to the Galaxy S4's 441ppi. Both have a couple of the best displays out there right now.

Power (Processor and Battery)

The Google Nexus 5 - which is manufactured by LG Electronics - appropriately has the same chipset as the LG G2. The fastest Qualcomm chip out there right now, the quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, is in the Nexus 5, clocked to 2.26GHz with 2GB of RAM.

That gives most Galaxy S4s a run for their money, as they feature the previous generation's quad-core Snapdragon 600 in some cases and Samsung-made Exynos 5410 chipset in others. A few Galaxy S4 models feature the up-to-date 800 chipset, but currently only in South Korea and a couple places in Europe. Still, the "older" S4's chipset will not leave you hanging any time soon, and the difference between the two might be imperceptible in most use cases. 

As far as the battery goes, the Nexus 5 incorporates a powerful 2300 mAh battery that gets 17h of 3G talk time and plenty of standby. The Galaxy S4 has a slightly more powerful 2600 mAh battery, but milks about the same amount of use out of it as the Nexus 5. Keep in mind, the S4's battery is removable and replaceable - making it somewhat of a relic from smartphones' past, but a nice one at that.

Camera

The Google Nexus 5 brings an improved camera to the tablet, but its still only an 8-megapixel shooter, which is about one generation behind most flagships. The Galaxy S4 is one of those flagships with a 13-megapixel camera, so zoom-in shots will look better on Samsung's device.

However, Google has incorporated a mini-gyroscope into its lens for optical image stabilization, which is something that Samsung still hasn't even featured on its latest Galaxy Note 3. Optical image stabilization is touted as the best way to alleviate the annoying smartphone "picture blur" that comes from users' hands not being made of granite, though Google's OIS still has to pass actual use-case tests to be certified as an advantage.

Storage

The Google Nexus 5 comes in only 2 storage options: 16GB and 32GB. There is no microSD card slot, so as far as physical media storage, those two options are all you get. Meanwhile the Galaxy S4 comes in 16, 32, and 64GB options with 64GB more storage possible through its microSD card slot.

However, keep in mind that Google provides Picasa, Google Drive, and Google+ photo backup integration (along with a lot more Google service integration that will be discussed in the operating system section), so physical storage is not the only option with the Nexus 5.

Operating System

For impatient Samsung owners, the Galaxy S4's Nov. 13 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update date seems forever away. Right now it runs Android 4.2.2 with Samsung's TouchWiz and other Samsung software.

That makes for nice lockscreen options, great photo software, and other Samsung extras that one may or may not take advantage of, but it sure takes a long time to get Android updates - as Samsung first has to layer its own user interface on the OS before releasing it through an agonizingly slow update rollout.

However, with the Google Nexus 5, you know you're getting everything Google has to offer - as far as the latest software and services - as soon as Google deems it ready.

In practical terms, that means that the Nexus 5 is coming out at the same time as the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, bringing greater Google service integration: The Hangout app does all messaging and SMS carrier-based texting in one app; The Dialer automatically cross-references Google Maps' phone listing for caller ID and instant business phone-number searches; You can print documents to internet-connected printers with Google Print. And the list goes on, and will continue to expand as Google does.

Release Date and Price

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been on the market for a while, and, while in most cases, it still costs about $200 with a two-year agreement, some places, like Sprint, are beginning to offer the smartphone at cheaper and cheaper prices. The Galaxy S4 is available for virtually every service and carrier.

Verizon Wireless, however, will not support the Google Nexus 5. This is a huge disadvantage for Google and smartphone buyers, both (and you'd think it would be deemed a bad move for Verizon). However, the Nexus 5 will work on almost every other carrier in the world, as it supports multiple GSM, CDMA, and LTE networks.

And the price for an unlocked phone - which you can hop around, using on any non-Verizon service, contract-free - is very competitive. The unlocked Google Nexus 5 16GB is just about $350 on the Google Play Store (available now) and the 32GB variant is just under $400.

For anyone with the spare cash now (but wants to be free to use whatever service she wants in the future), this flagship smartphone might be a good investment. If you're satisfied with your (non-Verizon) carrier and plan on sticking around for a few years, the Galaxy S4 is still competitive, and becoming super-cheap.