With the outing of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, tech pundits can't help but to spar it with Android rivals, preferably those belonging in the exploding phablet class. Almost automatically, the Nexus 5 comes to mind.

Per the latest reports, the Nexus 4 successor is joining the large-screen club by stretching its screen size from last year's 4.7-inch to 5-inch or 5.2-inch if speculations are proven right that the Google phone's base model would be the LG G2.

It would be a battle royale for two upscale devices that operate on the same Android platform though the Note 3 is wrapped in Samsung's TouchWiz skin while the Nexus 5 gets the benefit of flashing the pure and raw power of vanilla Android.

So let us look on three areas where we believe this great phablet showdown will boil down.

Screen and camera shootout

The numbers seem to suggest that the Note 3 and Nexus 4 are on even keeling on this respect. Shooters for the two devices are both equipped with 13MP lens plus a host of wonderful camera capturing menus that are designed to please both casual and professional users.

However, the Samsung device has a clear advantage because every specs presented last week are confirmed, meaning consumers will get what they will pay for as published. For the Nexus 5, everything remains speculative and most its attributes are based on leaks or what the LG G2 is.

Going into the display panel dogfight, not only that the 5.7-inch screen of the Note 3 is bigger but it also employs the proven Full HD Super AMOLED technology, delivering a 1080p screen rendering with screen density of 386ppi.

It would have been an interesting match had the Nexus 5 is on the True HD-IPS + LCD capacitive touchscreen with the same 1080p resolution and higher density at 424ppi. But this, officially, is the LG G2, for now.

The specs and capabilities from inside

Again, when pegged with the G2 components, the following are found under the Nexus 5 belly: a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 2700mAh battery and the latest connectivity chips that ensure of fast wireless broadband connection while avoiding quick battery drain. These, however, describe an LG G2 variant that bears the model number D820.

On the other hand, it is certain that the Note 3 is flashing the following: 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 3GB of RAM, 3200mAh battery and almost everything that is found on the Nexus 5. Plus the bonus of having an on-board 32/64 GB memory, which when needed can be extended up to 128GB of total memory because Note 3 buyers can slide in a 64GB of microSD card. This option is not available to Nexus users.

One more thing, like the Nexus 4 before it, the Nexus 5 back cover is non-removable, preventing owners from using an extra-battery that should last users more than a day of fun-filled and productive device use.

Jelly Bean 4.3 vs. KitKat or Android 4.4

The Note 3 is powered by the latest Android straight out of the box, becoming one of the first 2013 flagships to enjoy the new sweet serving cooked up by Google. While the platform's initial arrival was fraught with glitches as seen in the Nexus 7 2013 build and the upgraded Nexus 4, it is expected that Samsung engineers will fix the issues in time for the October release date of the third-gen phablet.

As for the Nexus 5, Google has indicated that it will debut the handset with the KitKat candy bar inside. Foremost of the supposed upgrades to be reflected by KitKat is the promise of solving Android's fragmentation.

It remains a question mark which between Jelly Bean 4.3 and KitKat is the better Android. Yet it should be noted that by the time the Galaxy Note 3 is released next month, most of its issued have been resolved. Conversely, Nexus 5 buyers can only cross their fingers, hoping that the chocolate-inspired OS inside the gadget will not be acting up beyond control.