Google Nexus 5 may be more expensive than expected


Google's next flagship Android phone, the Google Nexus 5, may be a little more expensive than many had predicted.


According to the latest internet rumour, the LG-manufactured smartphone will start retailing from $399 for the 16GB model, which works out to about £250 if we were to make an exact conversion.


That's the assertion made by Android Geeks, at least, which cites "a source close to the Mountain View-based giant."


For those who are struggling to keep track, $399 would be a good $100 more expensive than previous predictions. It would also be that much more expensive than the Google Nexus 4's debut price, although it's worth remembering that this was for the now-discontinued 8GB unit.


The report goes on to suggest that the 32GB Nexus 5 will retail for $449, which is around £281.


Previous rumours have suggested that the Google Nexus 5 will be considerably more advanced than the outgoing Nexus 4. It'll have a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a superior quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and an 8 or 16-megapixel camera with OIS.


But that's not the only reason for the higher pricing. According to the report, Google will also relaunch the Nexus 4 with LTE capabilities to occupy the entry level of the range. This model will start from $399 for the 16GB model.


This wouldn't actually be much of a modification on Google's and LG's part, as the original Nexus 4 shipped with LTE capabilities integrated as part of the Snapdragon S4 Pro chip. It just wasn't activated.


It's even possible that the Android 4.4 KitKat update could enable 4G support for existing Nexus 4 owners, but that's a different matter.


We're expecting to see the Google Nexus 5 announced some time this month.


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