Google Nexus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Nexus 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Price | $6,779 | $30 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 2,300 mAh | 2,600 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 4.95 in | 5 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 13 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 130 g | 130 g |
| Released | Oct 2013 | Apr 2013 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S4 is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S4 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.95 inches (marketed as 5-inch) | 5.0 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Pixel Density | 445 ppi | — |
| PPI | — | 441 ppi |
Platform
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) | Exynos 5 Octa 5410 (International) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (USA/LTE) / Snapdragon 800 (LTE-A variant) |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400 | Octa-core (4x1.6 GHz Cortex-A15 & 4x1.2 GHz Cortex-A7) or Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 |
| GPU | Adreno 330, 450 MHz | PowerVR SGX 544MP3 or Adreno 320 / Adreno 330 |
| OS | Original: Android 4.4 KitKat; Upgradable to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, upgradable to 5.0.1 Lollipop |
Memory
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| RAM | 2GB LPDDR3 | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB or 32GB | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
| Card slot | No | — |
| Card Slot | — | microSDXC, up to 64GB (officially), 128GB (unofficially) |
Main Camera
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Modules | 8 MP | — |
| Features | f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.2" sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size, Autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), LED flash | Autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | — |
| Megapixels | — | 13 MP |
| Aperture | — | f/2.2 |
| Pixel Size | — | 1.14 µm |
Selfie Camera
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Modules | 1.3 MP | — |
| Features | f/2.4 aperture, 1/6" sensor size, 1.9µm pixel size | 1080p@30fps video recording |
| Megapixels | — | 2 MP |
| Aperture | — | f/2.4 |
Battery
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Po | Removable Li-Ion |
| Capacity | 2300 mAh | 2600 mAh |
| Charging | 5W wired | — |
| Talk time | Up to 17 hours | — |
| Standby time | Up to 300 hours | — |
| Internet use | Up to 8.5 hours on Wi-Fi, up to 7 hours on LTE | — |
Body
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6 mm (5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 in) | 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 130 g (4.59 oz) | 130 g |
| Build | Polycarbonate back, ceramic buttons | Polycarbonate chassis, removable plastic back |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | — |
Comms
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 (with A2DP) | 4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 (SlimPort) | microUSB 2.0 (MHL 2.0 TV-out), USB On-The-Go |
| Infrared Port | — | Yes |
Launch
| Google Nexus 5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
|---|
| Announced | October 31, 2013 | March 14, 2013 |
| Status | Discontinued (production ended December 2014) | — |
| OS at launch | Android 4.4 KitKat | — |
| Latest OS update | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | — |
| Released | — | April 27, 2013 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Nexus 5 or Samsung Galaxy S4?
Samsung Galaxy S4 — 2,300 mAh for the Google Nexus 5 versus 2,600 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Which is newer, Google Nexus 5 or Samsung Galaxy S4?
Google Nexus 5 — Oct 2013 for the Google Nexus 5 versus Apr 2013 for the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Is the Google Nexus 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S4 rated higher?
We rate the Google Nexus 5 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 7/10.
Best phone lists →
