Nexus 5 Goes on Sale in Google Play Store Priced at $349

The much-anticipated Nexus 5 smartphone from Google has appeared briefly in the company's official online store priced at $349.

The have been so many rumours and leaks surrounding the Nexus 5 in recent weeks that when the actual announcement does happen it is sure to be an anti-climax.

The latest leak isn't from some unknown source speaking to an obscure Android blog or a blurry photo showing off a corner of the Nexus 5, this one comes direct from Google.

Late on Thursday some mix up at Google HQ meant that the Nexus 5 replaced the current Nexus 4 model on the company's Play Store, appearing alongside the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets. Along with the listing (which you can see in the image below courtesy of Pocket-lint) and the press photo above, Google has confirmed pretty much everything we knew about the handset already.

The listing was quickly removed and there are no reports anyone was able to order one of the new handsets.

The phone will have a 5in screen encased in a matte black plastic case, have the iconic Nexus logo writ large along the back of the phone and of course will run the latest and greatest version of the company's own operating system, Android 4.4 or KitKat as it will be known thanks to a tie up with Nestle.

Hangouts

In terms of Android 4.4, there is still little known about what new features the update will bring. One thing the Google leak has confirmed is that Google will replace the normal messaging app with its Hangouts app, something which has been widely speculated since Google announced earlier this week that it would be forcing users to choose one specific SMS app for use on the system.

There have also been a number of design changes, which previous leaks suggest Google is taking some ideas from Apple's new iOS 7.

The physical look of the phone, which like the Nexus 4 will be produced in partnership with LG, resembles the Nexus 7 tablet, a fact backed up by the person who posted a seven-minute hands-on video with the new device earlier this week.

Pricing

There have been a number of rumours circulating about the price of the Nexus 5, ranging between $299 and $399 for the 16GB version, and it seems as if the real price lies smack in the middle, with the Google listing pricing the phone at $349 (£216)

Converting currencies directly isn't normally very helpful for assessing how much it will cost in the UK, as there are taxes involved which aren't taken into account here.

A better way to judge the price is against the launch price of the Nexus 4, which in October last year went on sale for $299 for the 8GB model and $349 for the 16GB model, which translated to cost of £239 and £279 in the UK.

Therefore we should expect the base 16GB model of the Nexus 5 to go on sale in the UK for £279, which is still more than reasonable for a phone with the specifications it is set to feature.

Release date

In relation to release date, we are still no closer to know when the Nexus 5 will go on sale.

We have already had speculation that the release date would be the 14, 15 and 18 October, but with all those date now passed, the latest speculation suggests the phone will be launched on 28 October.

This date has been picked because a series of tweets from the official KitKat Twitter account contained clues which point to the 28 October - at least according to some people.