Nexus 5 ‘accidentally’ appears on Google Play for $349

Whoops! Someone over at Google sure has butterfingers. (Or more likely, Google is sneaky like a fox.)

Just like that “accidental” glimpse at the Nexus 5 in an Android promo photo, Google “mistakenly” flipped the switch to make its next Nexus model briefly viewable on its Google Play store last night, Engadget reports. And I’m sure all the buzz from hungry gadget blogs and Android fans just couldn’t be helped.

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So what’s new? The Nexus 5 looks slightly larger than last year’s Nexus 4, but it forgoes the glitsy rear back cover for a matte finish. It doesn’t appear to be particularly thin (the Nexus 4 was also kind of chunky), and there aren’t any big cosmetic improvements from what I can tell (not surprising from an LG-built smartphone).

Most of the Nexus 5’s improvements will be internal: A leaked service manual revealed it sports an updated quad-core Snapdragon processor, a 5-inch screen, and an improved camera. (And yes, I’m sure that manual look was a complete fluke as well).

The Google Play listing priced the Nexus 5 at $349 for the 16 gigabyte model, slightly higher than what the Nexus 4 launched with last year. While it looks fairly unremarkable, the Nexus 5 continues Google’s new territory for the Nexus line: Offering powerful, unlocked hardware at a surprisingly affordable price.