The LG Nexus 5 did not materialise on Google's Oct 29 event but Android fans remain hopeful that the KitKat 4.4 device release date is happening before this week ends, possibly on Nov 1.

The wait has been too long and once the vanilla Android smartphone is finally out, it helps that those planning a purchase should have a clear idea on what they are buying into.

Listed below are the things to expect and remember by the time the Nexus 5 is let out of the box:

It is a beast of a smartphone

Per BGR, there is no denying that Google is uncaging a beastly handset in the Nexus 5 and the best about it is, buyers are not required to overpay in order to enjoy the mix of high-end specs and killer features, the latter courtesy of Android KitKat 4.4.

On D-Day, the device will likely flash the following:

  • A 4.95-inch display screen with 1080p resolution and 445ppi
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen coating
  • A camera combo of 8MP on rear with OIS and 1.3MP on front
  • A 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 chip with 2GB or RAM
  • NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity options
  • 16GB or 32GB of internal storage

It is relatively cheap

According to reports, the Nexus 5 is touching down in two packages - the 16GB and 32GB variants - with a starting of no more than $350, which when compared to handsets in the same class, the iPhone 5S, Galaxy S4 and HTC One quickly come to mind, makes it a downright cheap but powerful Android toy.

Best buy is the 32GB model

Buyers must take note that like in the previous Nexus models, the Nexus 5 is without a memory expansion slot so the prospect of extending the phone's storage capacity is out of the question. While Google would want us to believe that Google Drive is enough to provide the extra space that users require on their gadget, the physical memory inside remains the best option, however limited.

So for the Nexus 5, getting the 32GB variant will at least ensure that users will have the double-capacity compared to the basic configuration. Also, it was earlier rumoured that the higher model will come with a more powerful battery pack so adding another $50 (32GB will allegedly retail at $400) to the starting price isn't a bad deal at all.

Reserve your order as soon as possible

It's very likely that the Nov 1 release date for the Nexus 5 is the day that the handset will go live on Google Play Store, with the physical store availability to follow a little later. While there were signs that the stock outs seen during the Nexus 4 rollout in late 2012 will not recur this year, it is far better to be sure. So order as soon as the KitKat device appears on the Play Store.

There were reports the gadget will be delivered after only 3 days of waiting time but should the demand reaches the same level when the Nexus 4 was outed, 7 days is the more realistic delivery period, which is by the way is applicable only for U.S.-based buyers. For the rest of the world, a few weeks will be the norm.