You get what you pay for, and sometimes a bit more when it's a Google Nexus product. The new Nexus 5, based very loosely on the lovely LG G2 and made by LG, is a bargain of a phone though it's not perfect. Some issues like the sluggish camera could be fixed with a firmware update, so we're bullish on the newest Nexus. The Nexus 5 has a 5 inch full HD IPS display, the latest generation Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU with Adreno 330 graphics, 2 gigs of RAM, LTE 4G on a host of bands, a front 1.3MP camera and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash. It's sold directly by Google and it's unlocked for use with any carrier. No contract required! The 16 gig model is $349 and the 32 gig model is $399, and the phone is available in your choice of black or white. Other features include NFC with Google Wallet support, Miracast wireless display, GPS, dual band WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0.

There are two models, one for the US and one for everywhere else. Our US model works on both CDMA and GSM networks and it has LTE that's compatible with all major US carriers and several smaller ones. Though the Nexus 5 has the bands to work on Verizon's network, Verizon only allows approved devices to authenticate on their network, and they aren't allowing the Nexus 5. Maybe that will change, since Verizon claims they're working on certifying the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet with LTE, which their network currently shuns. As of this writing, the Nexus 5 won't work on Verizon. The phone will work fine (including 4G LTE) on AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Some smaller carriers haven 't approved it though, like US Cellular.

The Nexus smartphone has evolved over time: I don't mean the hardware (duh, of course that evolves), but what a Nexus is. The first few models were intended as developer phones, but they also were born because Google was frustrated at the low end specs manufacturers were throwing at the market. In Android's first two years, it was as if no one wanted to take a chance on a flagship that dared to take on the iPhone. Now Android flagships abound, and Google is tackling affordability and carrier independence. That doesn't mean the Nexus 5 is a low end unlocked phone; it actually has a mix of high end and midrange specs combined with quality build that sets it apart from cheap Chinese import unlocked Android phones. As ever, the Nexus sings its siren song to geeks and enthusiasts who want to root, install custom ROMs and avoid manufacturer and carrier customizations and bloatware. There's no heavy-handed TouchWiz here, nor is there an endless parade of AT&T or Verizon crapware. It's a clean OS with nothing added.

Google is really proud of the Nexus 5's design, and I admit I don't hold their designers, be it software or hardware, in high esteem. Things have certainly improved since Matias Duarte defected from a sinking Palm and headed to Google's design team, but Android's look has never been dazzling or and it has only occasionally shown strokes of surprising UI brilliance. It's efficient, customizable and extensible. It gets the job done. The same thing can be said of the Nexus 5: it's not a brilliant looking product, and the black version particularly gets lost among the wide array of anonymous looking black slab Android phones on the market. It's not ugly and it's not stunning. But the Nexus 5 is ergonomically excellent: its curves fit the hand well even though it's not a small phone, and the design maintains the curved upper and lower sections that signal Nexus. The back of the black model is a grippy soft touch plastic that doesn't get icky junky with fingerprints. The white model isn't quite so grippy but it's no slippery bar of glossy soap like the LG G2 and many Samsung Galaxy phones. The buttons are ceramic, a nice touch on a budget priced phone. The controls are in normal places, unlike the LG G2, with the volume rocker on the left and the power button on the right side. The headphone jack is up top and the micro USB port is on the bottom, flanked by what look like stereo speaker grilles (hello iPhone 5 and 5s). There's really just a mono speaker of average quality and moderate volume and a second set of pinholes that we assume allow entrance to the bottom mic.

The phone uses a micro SIM with a drawer on the right side. The ejection hole is smaller than usual (too small for a paperclip), but Google includes a tool in the box. The back is not removable so you can't swap in a spare battery on the road, and there's no microSD card slot because Google detests removable storage-- they claim it leads to potential instability and user confusion, which I think is silly and insulting to users.