Google’s Nexus phones have been usurped by the company’s brand new Pixel Phones – the Pixel and Pixel XL. These phones share a lot of similarities with Google’s Nexus phones – zero bloatware, updates as they happen – but are vastly superior handsets with market-leading specs and performance.
You will have to pay a premium for this, however, as Google is positioning these Pixel phones as the iPhones of the Android space. I reviewed the Pixel XL a few weeks back and it quite literally blew my mind. Performance and imaging are off the charts and have to really be experienced to be believed. Nothing else I have tested in 2015/16 comes even remotely close, so if you’re an Android advocate and you want the best, make sure you check these handsets out!
Last year, 2015, seemed to be something of a year of righting wrongs as far as major phone makers were concerned. Samsung attempted to win back disgruntled fans following the rather lacking Galaxy S5 with the much more compelling Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, OnePlus was determined to impress with the OnePlus 2 by offering all the connectivity capabilities missing from the OnePlus One, even Apple made attempts to fix its maps service inside iOS 9 after its historic GPS bodge job.
And Google? Well for Google, as usual, it was all about the Nexus line-up. While broadly speaking the Nexus 6 from 2014 had been well-received critically for its high-spec, high-performance capabilities, and spectacular display, the fact that it was 2014's ONLY Nexus offering - a large phablet with high-end tech and a high-end price tag - had left many Nexus fans kicking their heels over the lack of a more affordable, less flashy, more optimised affair in the Nexus tradition. In other words, a revamped Nexus 5!
(edit: some of the details were wrong in the most recent update; this has now been amended).
Ahead of the launch of this year’s Nexus phones, said to be made by HTC, Google has set about making its current batch of Nexus handsets that little bit more desirable with a price cut. The Google Nexus 5X is now available for $299 inside Google Play. Or, you can fork out for the 32GB version for $349. Either way you’re getting an absolute bargain.
In the UK you can pick up a Nexus 5X for £264 via Amazon, which is very good value.
Want it EVEN cheaper? Simple: sign-up for Google Fi and a Nexus 5x can be yours for just $199. The Nexus 5x isn’t the best Nexus, though — that accolade goes to the AWESOME Nexus 6P. But, if you’re after a very cheap and very good phone then $249 for the 32GB model of the Nexus 5x is an excellent place to look.
So, 2015 saw Google take the dual-pronged approach with TWO new handsets, the Nexus 6P reviving the Nexus 6 for another year, and the Google Nexus 5X catering to the old guard of Nexus fans hankering for a new Nexus 5! In this review, we're going to take a look at this latter device and see if Google and LG have done the old Nexus 5 proud.
Nexus 5X Review: Design & Display
Back when the original Nexus 5 launched, the idea of an all-plastic smartphone wasn't unusual - in fact, in the Android arena, it was practically the norm. What a difference a couple of years makes. Metal-clad Google phones are now more common, with the likes of Samsung, LG, HTC and Sony all incorporating the premium material into their phone designs. Consumers seem to view metal-cased phones as a more premium proposition, and even last year's Motorola-made Nexus 6 mixed metal and plastic to pleasing effect.
And largely speaking this year’s phone market has been pretty dull, save for a few strong releases from Samsung and Motorola. Everything else -- including the iPhone 6s -- never really set our pulses racing. The HTC One M9 was a damp squib. Ditto ALL of Sony’s releases. And 2015 is an incremental year for iPhone updates. All in pretty dull stuff compared to the innovation we saw in 2013/14. Nevertheless, you can usually rely on Google to shake things up a little. And this year’s handsets were no exception.
While the Nexus 6P - made by Huawei and the sister phone to the 5X - boasts a lush metal frame, LG's 2015 Nexus is an all-plastic affair. The front of the phone is black and largely featureless save for the front-facing camera, two grilles (one for the earpiece, one for the speaker) and an LED notification light (hidden in the bottom grille and curiously turned-off by default), while the back, non-removeable panel comes in either "Carbon" (black), "Quartz" (white) or "Ice" (light green). On the rear you'll find the camera, LED flash, fingerprint scanner and that oh-so-familiar Nexus logo. The power and volume buttons are on the right-hand side of the device, while on the bottom there's a USB Type C port and the 3.5mm headphone socket. The left-hand side houses the Nano SIM tray.
The fact that the Nexus 5X is fashioned from plastic isn't an issue in itself, it's just that more Android users than ever before have become accustomed to metal phones, and this makes LG's handset feel a little cheap in comparison. Of course, plastic does have its benefits - the Nexus 5X can take a bump or two and it's very lightweight for its size. In terms of pure design it's understated but appealing; while it won't turn heads like the flagship handsets of rival firms, you'd have to be incredibly mean-spirited to call it ugly - functional is a more accurate description.
The USB Type C port is going to be quite a talking point - you'll be seeing more phones with
this connector in the future as the industry is adopting it as standard, putting the Micro USB port put to pasture. The benefits are worth the painful upgrade process; not only does the connector work both ways round (like Apple's Lightning connector), but it also delivers faster data transfer and quicker charging. The bad news is that you'll need to invest in additional cables in the short-term, as none of your existing leads will work. Also, unless your laptop already has a USB Type C port on it, you won't be able to link up your phone unless you buy an adapter, which in turn means you won't benefit from the increased transfer speed. Give it a few years and USB Type C will be as ubiquitous as Micro USB is now, but for the time being, you'll have to remember to carry the charger and cable around with you when you're travelling - you can't rely on using someone else's cable any more.
this connector in the future as the industry is adopting it as standard, putting the Micro USB port put to pasture. The benefits are worth the painful upgrade process; not only does the connector work both ways round (like Apple's Lightning connector), but it also delivers faster data transfer and quicker charging. The bad news is that you'll need to invest in additional cables in the short-term, as none of your existing leads will work. Also, unless your laptop already has a USB Type C port on it, you won't be able to link up your phone unless you buy an adapter, which in turn means you won't benefit from the increased transfer speed. Give it a few years and USB Type C will be as ubiquitous as Micro USB is now, but for the time being, you'll have to remember to carry the charger and cable around with you when you're travelling - you can't rely on using someone else's cable any more.
The IPS LCD screen is slightly larger than the one on the original Nexus 5, measuring 5.2 inches from corner to corner over the 4.95 inch panel on the earlier model. In terms of quality, it's very similar to the previous model - it even boasts the same resolution of 1080 x 1920, which is, in our opinion, the most pixels you really need on a device of this size. Anything above that is practically unnoticeable and simply gives the processor more work to do. Clarity and sharpness are excellent, but colours do look a little washed out compared to the punchiness of the AMOLED screens seen on other Android smartphones. It's covered by Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 with a special Oleophobic coating to reduce the impact of fingermarks.
The Nexus 5X uses the same "Ambient Display" feature which made its debut on the Nexus 6, which, when enabled, allows notifications to flash up on the screen in black and white even when the device is idle. It's a neat touch but the fact that the phone doesn't have an AMOLED screen means that the entire display lights up (black pixels on AMOLEDs are effectively turned off and do not emit any light). As a result, it's a little more distracting than it was on the Nexus 6 (especially when you're in a dark room), and you might want to turn it off if you're keen to preserve your battery.
Nexus 5X Review: Hardware Specifications
Next year will see the introduction of the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset and the processing power standard will once again increase. However, Google and LG clearly aren't playing that game with the mid-range Nexus 5X - it comes equipped with the less potent but still dependable Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, a revision of the 810 chipset which fell foul of much-publicised overheating issues a short time ago.
Google Nexus 5X specifications | |
| Processor | Hexacore (dual 1.8GHz and quad 1.4GHz), Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 |
| RAM | 2GB LPDDR4 |
| Screen size | 5.2in |
| Screen resolution | 1,080 x 1,920, 424ppi (Gorilla Glass 4) |
| Screen type | IPS |
| Front camera | 5MP |
| Rear camera | 12.3MP (f/2, laser autofocus) |
| Flash | Dual LED |
| GPS | Yes |
| Compass | Yes |
| Storage | 16/32GB |
| Memory card slot (supplied) | No |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| NFC | Yes |
| Wireless data | 4G |
| Size (WDH) | 73 x 7.9 x 147mm |
| Weight | 136g |
| Operating system | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Battery size | 2,700mAh |
It contains a 64-bit hexa-core processor with each core clocked at 1.8 MHz, while an Adreno 418 handles the graphics processing. There's 2GB of RAM on-board, which will come as something of a disappointment to those of you who keenly follow technical developments in the Android arena. Most leading handsets in 2015 came with 3GB, and some even packed 4GB - a ludicrous amount for a phone to ship with. Still, more RAM means smoother performance and we noticed more times than we'd like that the Nexus 5X seemed to hang or
struggle with certain tasks. That's hardly a shock when you consider that it has the same amount of RAM that the original Nexus 5 had two years ago; an additional 1GB would have surely resulted in better performance overall. That's not to say that the 5X is sluggish - in fact, when navigating around the UI it feels smoother than the more powerful Galaxy S6 - but there's clearly a bottleneck when lots of processes are occurring at once.
struggle with certain tasks. That's hardly a shock when you consider that it has the same amount of RAM that the original Nexus 5 had two years ago; an additional 1GB would have surely resulted in better performance overall. That's not to say that the 5X is sluggish - in fact, when navigating around the UI it feels smoother than the more powerful Galaxy S6 - but there's clearly a bottleneck when lots of processes are occurring at once.
Benchmark tests confirm that while the Nexus 5X is no slouch in processing terms, it not quite at the cutting edge of the Android sector. Antutu benchmark returns a score of 52475, which places the phone behind the likes of the HTC One M9, Galaxy S6 and Xperia Z4, but ahead of the LG G4, Nexus 6, Moto X Style and Note 4. Geekbench is slightly less kind, and the phone's score of 3538 puts it head of aging handsets like the Galaxy S5 and (unsurprisingly) the original Nexus 5, but behind pretty much every leading handset from 2015. Again, it's worth stressing that this isn't a top-tier flagship and costs around half as much as some of the leading Android handsets out there.
Nexus 5X Review: Software & User Experience
The Nexus line exists to showcase the power of "pure" Android - it gets updates first and offers a completely unsullied version of Google's OS, free from the bloat and modifications that third-party manufacturers regrettably indulge in. For this reason, hardcore Android fans are usually prepared to accept shortcomings in the hardware, and that's very much the case here - while the tech under the hood might not be cutting-edge, the software certainly is. The Nexus 5X and 6P are the first phones to ship with Android 6.0, also known as Marshmallow. While the visual differences between this and Lollipop - the previous version - are slight, there are plenty of under-the-hood optimisations that enrich the experience dramatically.
The most notable addition is fingerprint security, which has been featured on Samsung's phones for well over a year now. However, Google has now baked it into Android itself, so you can use it to pay for items on the Google Play store or - when it eventually launches in the UK - make contactless payments in shops with Android Pay. Dubbed "Nexus Imprint", the fingerprint recognition in Android 6.0 is arguably the best available right now, effortlessly outpacing Apple's TouchID when it comes to speed and even bettering Samsung's latest take on the tech, which impressed so much on the Galaxy S6.
Setting up a fingerprint is a breeze - the software even asks you to adjust your finger during the setup process so it can be read from different angles - and once it's done, the scanner "learns" and gets better at detecting your print. During our review period it worked fantastically, certainly much better than the already-brilliant scanner on the Galaxy S6. The only issue is that the scanner itself is located on the back of the device, so you can't use it to unlock the phone when it's resting on a flat surface. However, because of the placement, it means it's easier to unlock the device when you pull it out of your pocket. It's personal preference, but after a week we found we were more comfortable using the scanner on the Nexus 5X than the front-facing scanners on other phones.
Elsewhere, Android's new "Doze" feature helps conserve battery life when the phone is idle, only allowing priority notifications to come through and shutting down all the other unnecessary processes that sip away at your battery. The best time to test this feature is when you set your phone down at night; we noticed that the battery level only dropped a few percent, whereas previous Android phones would have shaved off around 10 to 20 percent of their stamina during the same time period.
Another big change is how Google Now works. It's not just consigned to the left of your home screen anymore - it can be activated from anywhere in the UI, bringing up pertinent information instantly. Get an email which contains a famous person or place you're not familiar with? Hold down the 'Home' command and you'll trigger Google Now On Tap, which searches the page for keywords and suggests possible weblinks or apps. It's a genuinely useful addition which we've used more times than we can count.
While the Nexus 5X isn't packing the most powerful specs in Android history, it's worth pointing out that the user experience is rarely less than fantastic. Everything is (generally) buttery-smooth, with pauses and stutters being rarer than they've ever been on Android - in fact, we found that in terms of moving around the UI, opening apps and performing general tasks, the Nexus 5X feels smoother and faster than the Galaxy S6 - a phone which, according to benchmark results, is much more powerful. This is almost certainly down to the lack of bloatware on the device; you're getting pure Android here, with no third-party UI skin over the top or duplicate processes performing the same tasks as Google's own suite of apps. That means a faster, more pleasurable experience overall, and that's precisely why Android fans gravitate towards Nexus phones despite the lack of bleeding-edge internal tech.
Nexus 5X Update Lands March 9 2016 - Performance & Optimisation Boost
Google has now rolled out a new update to the Nexus 5X as of March 9, intended to fix issues some Nexus 5X users were having with "general slow/sluggish performance". The update, details of which were posted on Reddit, is labelled as the MHC19J update, and it's rolling out over-the-air. It also improves Bluetooth and Wi-Fi performance, as well as various other tweaks, bugfixes and optimisations.
Nexus 5X Review: Camera
One area where the Nexus range has always struggled is photography - the hardware has always been decent enough but Google's software leaves a lot to be desired. The story isn't quite the same this year, but there are some caveats to consider. On the plus side, the 12.3 megapixel sensor boasts 1.55-micron pixels which allow more light to enter, meaning the camera performs better in low-light situations. As standard, Google's camera app offers HDR support, panoramic shooting, lens blur and Photosphere, and in terms of video there's a 4K recording mode and slow-motion, which allows you to capture footage at 120 frames per second.
Photo quality is decent enough, with snaps displaying a large amount of detail and faithful colour replication. The laser auto-focus also means that unlike previous Nexus phones, the 5X can lock onto your subject quickly, ensuring that you don't miss a shot. That's the idea, at least - we found that blurry images were commonplace (there's no Optical Image Stabilization included here either, which surely contributes to this issue), and sometimes the camera wouldn't actually take the shot until a second or so after we'd tapped the button.
Having seen how amazing a camera on an Android device can be thanks to Samsung's amazing snapper on the Galaxy S6, it's disappointing to discover that Google can't make the same leaps and bounds with its own handset. The Nexus 5X is an improvement for sure, but a bit more work is required to make it truly satisfactory from a photographic perspective - the bare-bones camera app in vanilla Android being the prime candidate for an overhaul.
Nexus 5X Review: Memory and Battery Life
Shockingly for a phone launching in 2015, the entry-level Nexus 5X has just 16G of storage, with the 32GB model costing a little more. While the iPhone's recent refresh also begins with 16GB, this amount of space on a leading phone is quite stingy in this day and age. 32GB is the entry level for other phones - the Galaxy S6 included - and even some of the cheap and cheerful handsets coming over from China from the likes of Xiaomi are shipping with 32GB as the perceived norm.
It's annoying - especially as there's no way of adding in more storage via MicroSD cards - but it's not a deal-breaker, especially if you choose to fully embrace the many cloud-storage options available to you. Google Music can store tens of thousands of tracks free of charge, and Google Drive comes with loads of space for gratis. Third-party alternatives can also be used - such as Dropbox and Box - should you find yourself running out of room.
The 2700mAh battery inside the Nexus 5X is another example of LG cutting cost to keep the price low - a 3000mAh power cell would have been welcome, but we still managed to get a full day of moderate use out of the device before it required charging. The Doze feature in Android 6.0 certainly helps stamina - if your set you phone down for large portions of the day you can expect the battery life to extend by quite a bit. The inclusion of a USB Type C connector means that it doesn't take long to top up the battery - you can get around 5 hours of stamina from a 10 minute charge, and to totally fill the battery you're looking at around an hour and a half on the wall socket - not as fast as the Turbo Charging on last year's Nexus 6, but still decent enough.
One thing worth noting is that wireless charging - something that was present in both the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 6 - is absent from this device. It's an odd choice given how much Google pushed the feature over the past two years, but not a disaster - the USB Type C connection charges much faster anyway.
Nexus 5X Review: Conclusion
The Nexus range has always been a curious mixture of amazing software tied to hardware which is lacking in some way, and we're sad to report that hasn't changed this year. The Nexus 5X isn't a bad phone and has some stand-out features - the fingerprint scanner is best in class - but the processor lags behind some of 2015's most notable handsets, the screen is practically the same as the one which launched on the original Nexus 5 and the camera -
while vastly improved over past efforts - simply can't compete with the very best the Android sector has to offer. The plastic casing also feels very cheap, especially as so many other Android phones are now offering metal frames. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that the 5X is aiming for the mid-range with its £340 price point, so something had to give.
while vastly improved over past efforts - simply can't compete with the very best the Android sector has to offer. The plastic casing also feels very cheap, especially as so many other Android phones are now offering metal frames. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that the 5X is aiming for the mid-range with its £340 price point, so something had to give.
Not that any of this will matter all that much to hardened Android followers, of course. The fact remains that the Nexus line is where Google drops its latest versions of Android, and furthermore, it gets pure and unmolested updates, free from the irksome additions of third-party phone makers. This is Android as Google intended, and the end result is a smooth and hassle-free experience free from the horrors of duplicate apps, manufacturer sign-ins and alternative app stores which offer a watered-down version of the Google Play storefront.
While it's not a complete success, the Nexus 5X is still the best option if you feel the Nexus 6P is simply too large and you crave the "pure" Android experience, and at £340 it won't break the bank, either.
Nexus 5X Cases: All Budgets & Styles
The Nexus 5X is the successor to the popular Nexus 5, and is a pretty lovely slab of plastic if we do say so ourselves. Despite the lack of a metal case design, there will be many people who want to keep LG's new plastic phone in premium condition, and with that in mind we've pulled together a selection of the best cases available - and all of them are easy on your wallet, too.
For the creative types: Rearth Ringke Fusion case - £12.99
TPU cases are pretty commonplace these days but the Rearth Ringke Fusion offers something a little different. Not only does it come in a two-tone design, it offers a transparent plastic back which means you can insert your own picture.
The case comes with a template which allows you to cut out the correct shape, meaning you can get creative with your case. There's even a plug which covers up the 3.5mm headphone socket when it's not in use. The case doesn't add much in the way of bulk to the device, but is thick enough to "even out" the camera lens bump.
For serious Android fans: Cruzerlite Bugdroid Circuit case - £12.99
If you want the entire world to know which mobile operating system you've sided with, then this is the case for you. Not only does it offer all-round protection for your beloved handset, it also comes emblazoned with that familiar Android logo on the back.
It's available in several different colours, and is a snug but thin case that won't cause your pocket to bulge. The design might be a bit too "in your face" for most people, though.
For cautious types: Olixar ArmourDillo Hybrid case - £12.99
If you'd rather not take any chances with your new mobile investment then the ArmourDillo Hybrid could be the best choice. It's fashioned from two bits of hard plastic which give it superb all-round shock-resistance, but that comes with a caveat - the case is seriously chunky and really bulks-out the phone.
On the plus side, there's a kick-stand on the back which allows you to rest the phone down on any flat surface for media consumption.
For those who can't stand TPU: Spigen Thin Fit case - £12.99
Most cases are made from TPU these days, and with good reason - the material is rigid enough to provide security but can be deformed to withstand the impact from drops and falls. However, it's not to everyone's liking and as a result we still have a few hard plastic case options on the market, including Spigen's excellent Thin Fit case for the Nexus 5X.
The case wraps around the sides of the phone - leaving the top and bottom edges almost entirely open - but covers all of the vital parts. The result is a case which - if dropped - is sure to take some damage, but ensures that the phone still feels solid in the hand.
For show offs: Spigen Ultra Hybrid case - £14.99
It's ironic that we pay through the nose for the latest phones only to cover them up in cases, but if you want to show off your handset and keep it secure, there are options available. The Spigen Ultra Hybrid combines hard plastic with TPU to create a case which can take serious punishment, yet still shows off the beauty of the Nexus 5X.
It's a bulkier case than some of the other TPU-based offerings out there, and the flat sides can make it hard to find the power and volume buttons, but it looks great when applied.
For the "barely there" crowd: Olixar FlexiShield Ultra-Thin case - £5.99
If you crave protection but don't want your phone to look any different, then Olixar's FlexiShield Ultra-Thin option could be the answer to your prayers. It's incredibly thin but covers the phone in all the right places, and once fitted it's actually hard to tell there's a case on the phone - at least until you get up close.
The price is another bonus, but you should be aware that this case won't offer the same level of impact protection as many of the others in this list.
For the budget shopper: Olixar FlexiShield Gel case - £5.99
Another offering from Olixar, the FlexiShield Gel is slightly bigger than the Ultra-Thin model but offers a more robust level of protection. It comes in a range of colours as well, allowing you a degree of personalisation.
Remarkably, it's the same price as the Ultra-Thin, with the tradeoff being that there's no hiding the fact that you've got a case on your phone.
0 comments:
Post a Comment