Google is widely expected to release the successor to the LG-made Nexus 4, dubbed Megalodon or Nexus 5, soon. The rumor mills have been busy churning out speculations by the dozen, to whet the appetite of eager fans.
Here we take a look at what the Nexus 5 is anticipated to pack under the hood, as well as the release and price of the impending smartphone:
Processor
The Nexus 5 is expected to house a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, clocked at 1.5GHz. However, some reports also point to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz.
Display
The Nexus 5 could either carry a 4.5-inch 720p or a 5.2-inch OLED screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The chances of the Google smartphone sporting the latter screen size are higher, given the emerging smartphone trend of 5-inch-plus 1080p handsets.
Camera
The Nexus 5 may feature a 9- or 16-megapixel primary snapper and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Rumors also hint that the camera may well be a high-end one and have Nikon branding.
Memory
The Nexus 5 will likely come in 16/32/64GB on-board memory options. Consumers would be hoping that Google will include an additional memory option (via a microSD card) in the Nexus 4's successor.
The smartphone will likely carry 3GB of RAM.
Operating System
The smartphone will likely come pre-loaded with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie and could well be the first device to boast the new OS (just like the Nexus 4 had Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean).
Battery
Reports have pointed to a 2800mAh or 3300mAh battery for the Nexus 5.
Release
Speculations are rife that Google will announce the Nexus 5 at its I/O event in May. However, some reports suggest that the smartphone could launch in October, as Google may well be looking at a yearly cycle for the handset.
Price
Considering that the unlocked version of the Nexus 4 is quite reasonable ($199 and $249 for the 8GB and 16GB versions, respectively), it is likely that Google will keep this factor in mind when pricing the Nexus 5. The smartphone would be competitively priced; however, if the rumors of the Nikon-branded camera hold true, then the Nexus 5 may cost a pretty penny.
