After months of speculation, the long-awaited Google Nexus 5 smartphone has officially been released with Android's 4.4 Kitkat mobile operating system USA Today reported Thursday.
"This is a cutting-edge device at an incredible price," Sundar Pichai, who heads Google's Android business told USA Today.
The new device, which stuck to its original release date of Halloween, and not Friday as was rumored earlier in the week, has a camera capable of eliminating blur from minor hand movements, and allows users to snap improved photos at arduous angles where light on people who move fast may be dark.
Consumers can purchase the device in black or white for either 16 gigabytes of memory at $349 or $399 for 32 gigabytes. According to USA Today, this is less expensive than Apple's iPhone 5c smartphone at $549 for 16 gigabytes with no wireless contract.
The device also features Android's 4.4 Kitkat mobile operating system, which will be available on phones from other creators next year. Other particulars include transparent navigation and menu bars, and wallpaper on their screen rather than a normal ordinary black background. There is also an icon, which raised concern about its placement on the phone's screen.
"To make KitKat work on an entry-level smartphone... That makes a big difference," Pichai told USA Today. "On the journey to reach the next billion people we need to make sure they are all on the same operating system."
Demand for the phone was high since consumers could not buy the Nexus's previous model from Google Play in eight gigabytes, and 16 gigabytes because they were sold out and are not expected to be re-stocked Hot Hardware reported.
The Nexus 5 will be released to mobile carriers in Canada Nov. 7 or Nov. 8 technology website hothardware.com reported. Consumers will be able to find the phone on Rogers, Bell, Telus, Koodo, and Virgin.
