Google has officially unveiled the latest incarnation of its flagship Nexus smartphone.
Made by LG, the handset is smaller, slimmer and lighter than the Nexus 4 but its 4.96in (126mm) touchscreen is bigger.
The Nexus 5 has been developed to show off the capabilities of the new version of the Android operating system.
Called Kitkat, the software has been designed to work well on both high-end smartphones and cheaper feature phones.
The alliance with Google has helped bolster LG's fortunes even though, according to statistics from Gartner, it is still a long way behind rivals Samsung and Apple.
In the April-to-June quarter, the consultancy indicated 3.8% of all smartphones sold were LG handsets putting the South Korean firm in third place.
By contrast, Apple accounted for 18.8% of all sales and Samsung 29.7%.
Memory cut
The gadget shares some of the hardware from LG's G2 handset and can record and play back HD video at the full 1080p resolution. Its camera also has a rapid burst system that captures several photographs at the same time so owners can pick the best shot.
The handset is due to go on sale on 1 November in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Korea.
"Nexus devices serve an important function for Google," said Ben Wood, head of research at analyst firm CCS Insight.
"The company collaborates closely with the chosen phone maker as it rolls out a new version of the Android operating system and this results in a 'vanilla' version of the software that acts as a reference platform for developers and tech enthusiasts."
Google said a base 16GB version of the device would cost $349 in the US (£299 in the UK), unlocked and without a contract. The 32GB version should cost $399 (£339 in the UK).
With Android Kitkat, Google said it had made the software use less memory so it could be used on handsets with much lower specifications than top end smartphones.
In addition, Google has begun moving some services off Android's core software and onto its app store. Many see this as a way for it to maintain more control over the security of the software and its associated applications.
Apple shows off thinner iPad Air and retina iPad Mini
Launch: Philip W. Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, unveiled the newly named iPad Air Tuesday. It features a new design that's reminiscent of the iPad mini released last year
The BBC's Richard Taylor has a look at Apple's latest tablet Continue reading the main story
Nokia reveals phablets and tablets Apple suspends HMV app from AppStore
Google launches low-cost TV dongle Apple has unveiled a top-of-the-range tablet called the iPad Air that is 20% thinner than the previous version.
New version: Apple's new iPad Air, right, is the fifth 9.7-inch model to be sold by the Californian-firm. It is 43 per cent thinner than the p revious model and has a 5MP camera. The new iPad Mini, left, has a 7.9-inch Retina display and 10 hours battery life
The 9.7in (24.6cm) computer is 7.5mm (0.3in) thick and weighs about 1lb (469g), which it claims is the lightest full-sized tablet on the market.
It is powered by the same A7 chip found in the company's iPhone 5S.
The launch comes at a time when some analysts have suggested that Google's Android is about to overtake Apple's iOS as the bestselling tablet platform.
Apple also announced a new version of its iPad Mini.
Its 7.9in (20cm) screen has been upgraded to feature 2048 by 1536 pixels - the same as the larger model. It is being branded as "retina" to highlight the increased resolution.
Amazon and Google have already announced small tablets - the Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7 - with similar high definition displays.
Thinner: An Apple employee holds up the new iPad Air in San Francisco. Apple unveiled a new, lighter tablet called the iPad Air along with a slew of new Macs
"We've got the retina upgrade to the smaller iPad that many thought should have been there in the first place," Tony Cripps, principal analyst at tech consultants Ovum, reflected after the announcement in San Francisco.
The iPad Mini's new screen has 326 pixels per inch, similar to the 323ppi resolution of the Nexus 7
"Market share slip is inevitable because so many rival devices are coming out, which is not necessarily a bad thing as the overall sector is growing.
"Apple does now have a cheaper model thanks to it offering the original iPad Mini at a lower price - but the firm doesn't really want to go to the low-end because that's not where the greatest profit is extracted."
Apple also announced that the latest version of its Mac operating system, Mavericks, would be offered at no cost to owners of computers already running any version of OS X released since 2009. It is the first time the company has not charged for a major Mac OS upgrade.
By contrast the full version of Windows 8.1 is sold for about £100, although it is free to existing Windows 8 users.
Linux-based Ubuntu has always been offered without charge. Chromebook computers also get free upgrades for Google's PC operating system.
Showing the specs: Mr Schiller stands in front of a graphic that shows the breakdown of the iPad Air. The screen is a 9.7-inch Retina Display with 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution
New laptops, productivity and leisure apps were also unveiled. However, Apple did not show off a new TV set-top box as some had speculated.
Tablet competition
The California-based firm's most recent financial release said that its iPad range accounted for $25.8bn (£17.6bn) worth of sales in the nine months leading up to July.
That represented 19% of its revenue for the period.
However, Apple acknowledged that the amount of money it was making from the product line was growing three times slower than the growth in unit sales since many customers were opting for its cheaper iPad Mini and iPad 2 models rather than its top-of-the -range "retina display" versions.
Tim Cook, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the firm had sold more than 170 million iPads
It also faces the fact it is losing market share to rivals.
Bigging it up: Ahead of the iPad Air's unveiling, reporters were told 'You're going to see some amazing products this morning'
Apple's iOS operating system accounted for 53.9% of all tablets shipped in 2012, according to Gartner.
The tech research firm forecasts that Android will become the market leader with a 49.6% share, versus Apple's 48.6% this year, adding that it expects that gap to widen further in 2014.
However, consultants at IHS iSuppli said those figures needed to be put in context thanks to Apple's success at making money by taking a cut of app sales.
"It is in terms of revenue per active device where Apple's lead is strongest," said the firm's mobile media analyst Jack Kent.
"An iOS device generates around three to four times as much app revenue through Apple's App Store as an Android device through Google Play.
"Apple has so far offered a more compelling range of tablet-specific content, but Google is clearly looking to address this."
MailOnline's Victoria Woollaston looks at the iPad Mini during the Apple media launch in London
He added that many Android tablets, including Amazon's Kindle and most products sold in China, did not have Google's store pre-installed.
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook noted there were now 475,000 apps designed for iPads available through its online marketplace.
Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said the new Mac OS X Mavericks system would extend laptops' battery life.
Another market watcher suggested that Apple's priority remained securing a "premium" margin on the shop price of its hardware, and that add-on software sales were of secondary interest.
"Some players, like Amazon, can afford to slash prices because they have a different business model based on content and commerce," said Thomas Husson, from the tech industry analysts Forrester.
"While Apple has shared $13bn to developers since 2008, it has made less than $6bn out of apps.
"It's a huge stat, but low in comparison with Apple's quarterly results.
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