2015 Nexus 5 cases reveal major design changes

Case makers are already getting ready for the new Nexus 5. Photo: NowhereElse

Case makers are already getting ready for the new Nexus 5. Photo: NowhereElse

As a massive fan of the original Nexus 5, I’ve been hoping 2015’s rumored refresh would look almost exactly the same. But according to these cases, we’re going to see major design changes.

The first thing you’ll notice about these cases is the three large holes on their back. One of them, which protrudes slightly, will almost certainly be for the Nexus 5’s camera — but it’s unclear what the other two will accommodate.

One of them could be for a fingerprint scanner; Android M will introduce native support for fingerprint scanners for the first time, and Google will want its new Nexus handsets to showcase that. The third hole could be for a second camera sensor, or for LG’s trademark laser autofocus.

The new Nexus 5's camera protrudes every so slightly just like the LG G4's. Photo: NowhereElse

The new Nexus 5’s camera protrudes every so slightly just like the LG G4’s. Photo: NowhereElse

Other notable changes include a re-positioned headphone jack — it’s now on the bottom of the device rather than the top — and re-positioned buttons; the volume keys now reside just above the sleep/wake button on the right side on the device.

The image below suggests the new Nexus 5 will have sharper, squarer sides like its predecessor, but aside from that, the device is shaping up to be very different. Of course, case leaks are never a guarantee of anything, so we should bear that in mind for now.

Those sharp sides look familiar. Photo: NowhereElse

Those sharp sides look familiar. Photo: NowhereElse

Google is expected to announce the refreshed Nexus 5 alongside a second Nexus smartphone from Huawei this fall. Both devices should ship with Android M pre-installed, but Hauwei’s handset is rumored to be much larger, packing a 5.7-inch Quad HD display.