Recent leaks have suggested that Google’s 2015 Nexus 5 handset will be a lot more affordable than last year’s pricey Nexus 6. While actual pricing details have not been offered by sources familiar with Google’s plans, there have been indications the phone will have sub-flagship specs, which generally means it’ll be friendlier to your wallet just as the original Nexus 5 was back in 2013.
However, a brand-new smartphone announcement made earlier today has given me a pretty good idea of what the new Nexus 5’s pricing structure will be. Why, you ask? Because this new phone has the exact same specs that are rumored for the next Nexus 5.
DON’T MISS: How one $37 gadget can save you thousands of dollars
Called the Robin and made by Nextbit, a startup with extensive Android experience, the device is a unique Android offering. Rather than bulking up on storage or offering a microSD slot, the Robin bets big on the cloud and offers the user 100GB of cloud storage for all sorts of files.
Below, you’ll find the full specs list for the Robin, as posted on Kickstarter. In brackets, I have added a link to the latest Nexus 5 rumor mentioning that particular hardware detail.
- Processor: Snapdragon 808 (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Memory: 3GB RAM / 32 GB onboard / 100 GB online (Nexus 5 rumor – except the cloud part)
- Screen: 5.2” IPS LCD 1080p (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Rear Camera: 13MP with phase detection autofocus, dual tone flash (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Front camera: 5MP (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Battery: 2680 mAh (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Dual front facing stereo speakers (Nexus 5 rumor)
- Fingerprint sensor (Nexus 5 rumor)
The following specs detailing connectivity (Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth) and charging capabilities will also likely match the Nexus 5’s wireless capabilities:
- NFC
- Quick charging
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
- WiFi A/B/G/N/AC
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- WCDMA 850/900/1800/1900/2100
- LTE Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28
For all intents and purposes, this Nextbit Robin is a new Nexus 5 doppelganger. It’s even supposed to be bloatware-free and come with a free bootloader and should also feature a USB Type-C port, just like the new Nexus 5 is expected to.
Meanwhile, rumors say the Nexus 5 will come in 16GB and 32GB versions, but won’t include all the cloud storage Nextbit is promising.
Here comes the interesting part: pricing. The Robin costs either $299 or $349 on Kickstarter (depending how fast you act), with the final retail price set to be $399.
Considering that Nextbit makes the device in China, together with Foxconn, and that the Robin is so similar to the new Nexus 5 described in rumors, it’s only logical to assume that Google’s 2015 Nexus 5 price will also vary somewhere between $349 (16GB) and $399 (GB). Then again, Google might even make the phone’s pricing even more attractive than that considering how competitive the Android market is right now.
