Why Google Nexus 5 is the most hyped phone of 2015

We've had the Samsung Galaxy having its moment under the sun and like clockwork, Apple too will have its moment. But the truth is that these are phones and gadgets that can't be afforded by everyone. They are seen as what an auto enthusiast would describe as a Bentley or Rolls Royce.

Common people may not have heard of a Xiaomi, Lenovo or OnePlus and may not trust it.

But it is different with a Google Nexus device. Google, in India at least, is a adored brand. Sundar Pichai's appointment as the Google CEO reinforced Indians' love for Google.

Google's Nexus devices, in the past, have been made by brands like LG and Motorola. But with the Nexus branding, the manufacturer takes a backseat. It is more about Google and what it is doing with the new version of Android and what it deems to be a baseline for an optimum Android experience.

On Monday, we not only saw leaked photos of the (2015) Nexus 5, Google also officially announced that Android M will be Android 6.0 Marshmallow. So, its launch could be imminent as Google only announces the name of the OS when it is ready with a device.

What makes us think it will be a superhit? Remember, in 2014 we were all left yearning for a Nexus 5, instead Google launched the more premium and niche Nexus 6, which was largely beyond the budget of most folks.

From what we know of the Nexus 5, that's unlikely to be the case. It will have a plastic body like the 2013 model, that will have a 5.2-inch full-HD screen, a benchmark for a premium phone.

Moreover, the leaked images have indicated that it will have an enhanced camera on the back with features like a dual-LED flash, a laser autofocus system and even optical image stabilisation. The images also suggest that it will have a fingerprint scanner.

The phone is either expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexacore CPU or the unreleased Snapdragon 620 CPU coupled with copious amounts of RAM. Now, both these CPUs aren't flagship CPUs, which leads us to believe that it will not have a premium pricing.

The most important thing is that it will be run on Android Marshmallow, which is going to be better than the Lollipop.

One hopes Google fixes two irritants in the device - the battery life and the camera. If Google fixes both problems that plagued the older model, it will be worthwhile - more so than even the rumoured Huawei Nexus 6, because it is expected to have an unwieldy 5.7-inch screen, which is clearly not mainstream, even if you leave alone the pricing, which is expected to be above Rs 40,000 considering the rumoured metal body. The Nexus 5 will in all likelihood be priced south of Rs 40,000.

Google is as trusted in India as a brand as car-maker Maruti. When it launches something in the mass market, it will work, provided that the product is good, but when it tries to introduce something premium it will fail.