As remarkably different as the Nexus 6P is, the Nexus 5X is almost the opposite. Coming from a familiar name, the third LG Nexus smartphone also bears some familiar features, though wrapped in a body that is both familiar and strange. Given how much the smartphone has been leaked, there are very little surprises waiting for us with the Nexus 5X but perhaps that is the point. The Nexus 5X isn’t meant to break new ground but instead offer something familiar to those who want to step just a bit up.
The Nexus 5X is larger than its predecessor but not overly so. 5.2 inches versus the old 5 inches. In both cases, they have the same Full HD resolution. The CPU, on the other hand, is a significant upgrade to a 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. Sadly, RAM is still stuck at 2 GB only. Like before, storage is fixed with no expansion options, offered at 16 and 32 configurations. While the 2,700 mAh battery might seem only slightly improved, this one comes with Fast Charging to make up for it.
Design-wise, the Nexus 5X is still plastic all around, nearly identical to the Nexus 5. In fact, only two or three things hint that it’s a different device. On the front, you have front-facing speakers, something absent in the older model. On the back, you are immediately greeted by the bump, not extrusion, in the middle that is home to the camera. More on that camera in a bit. And there’s also the ring below it that surrounds the fingerprint scanner. Google dubs it “Nexus Imprint”, which works with Android Pay and for unlocking the device.
Perhaps one of the most substantial improvements here is the camera. It’s a 12.3 megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperature, 1.55 µm pixels, IR laser assisted AF, and CRI-90 dual flash. It’s the same camera found on the higher end Nexus 6P, in short. Google says that this camera, together with its software, has been specifically configured for low-light photography. We shall see how well it fares there when we do our in-depth test. The front-camera, though not the highest, is still a respectable 5 megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.4 µm pixels.
• Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• CPU: 64-bit 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: 16/32 GB
• Display: 5.2 inches, 1920×1280 FHD AMOLED
• Main Camera: 12.3 MP, 1.55 µm pixels, f/2.0 aperture, IR laser-assisted autofocus, 4K (30 fps) video capture, Broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash
• Secondary Camera: 5 MP, 1.4 µm pixels, f/2.0 aperture
• Network: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz, UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8, CDMA: BC0/1/10, LTE (FDD): B1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/20/25/26/29, LTE (TDD): B41, LTE CA DL: B2-B2, B2-B4, B2-B5, B2-B12, B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-B29, B4-B4, B4-B5, B4-B7, B4-B12, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29, B41-B41.
• Connectivity: LTE cat. 6, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS / GLONASS
• Battery: 2,700 mAh, Fast Charging
• Dimensions: 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm
• Weight: 136 g
All in all, the Nexus 5X isn’t a huge jump compared to the Nexus 5 and might not even be comparable to the Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P. It does, however, offer not only a familiar sight but also a more handy size and perhaps a more affordable price tag. Factor in the fact that it works with Project Fi and you might see a reason why Google still opted to have this incremental refresh. The Nexus 5X will be available in Carbon (black), Ice (white), and Quartz (light blue) colors and goes for $379 for 16 GB of storage and $429 for 32 GB. Pre-orders start today.
Hey Juan, does the back of the nexus 5x feel identical to the back of the nexus 5 (2013)? Does it have the soft touch, matte feel? Also do all the colors of the 5x feel the same or are they different materials like the white and black nexus 5 (2013) were? Please let me know as this is one of the things holding me back. Thank you
The editor forgot to mention that there’s no OIS on this Nexus and on 6P.
This 5X it’s not a flagship after all