No more rattling buttons, poor speaker volume or substandard microphone capture?
The Google Nexus 5 has only been on sale for a month, but Google (or more accurately LG) have apparently now made some minor changes to its design in light of complaints from disgruntled users about the smartphones build quality.
A significant number of owners of early versions of Google's smartphone complained about poor speaker volume and microphone pickup, as well as rattling buttons, sharp edges and the protruding SIM trays.
A user over on the XDA Developer forums who RMA'd his Nexus 5 has posted pictures comparing the original model with the latest version to come off the production line. And it seems that LG may have fixed the problems reported by users.
As you can clearly see from the picture above the new Nexus 5 (the one on top) has larger speaker and microphone holes improving the volume and microphone quality. The rattling button issue has also been resolved and the SIM-tray no longer sticks-out from the side of the smartphone (see below).
Apparently, the sharper edges surrounding the device's display have also been resolved and there is no longer a gap (or trench) at the bottom of the Nexus 5's screen.
Some users are reporting that the displays on latest revisions of Google's smartphone have a 'yellowish' tint, but this is apparently caused by glue that hasn't dried yet and will go away over time. You've got a years warranty anyway if the issue fails to resolve itself over time.
The way to tell which version of Google's Nexus 5 you have is to check your serial number. Models with serial numbers beginning 310k are the original models, while the 311k models are the second revision and the 312k models appear to the very latest versions.
An even more accurate way to get find out which version you have is to start up the bootloader and check your hardware revision number, but this is only recommended for advanced users. What your looking for is either REV_10 (October), REV_11 (November) or REV_12 (December).
There isn't a general rule, but as a trend it seems that 310k users are more likely to suffer from the problems reported by users. While, the 311k version seems to come with tighter buttons and the 312k model appears to resolve a lot of the problems reported with the original model.
If you are suffering from poor speaker volume, poor microphone performance or rattling buttons then you should contact Google about getting your Nexus 5 replaced. But we wouldn't recommend users returning their device just because they have an early version, especially if its already working perfectly.
Google, or LG, are yet to officially comment on whether they've changed the design of the Nexus 5. But if does prove to be the case how do you feel about Google changing it so quickly after the smartphones launch?
Are you annoyed at having bought an early Nexus 5, or is it perfectly normal for manufacturing to improve over time? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
