Later this month, Google will be unveiling not one, but two Nexus handsets running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This will be the first time that Google will be releasing two new Nexus handsets. While the company has released multiple Nexus devices before, they were usually a combination of a handset and a tablet.
Of the two Nexus that are due to be released this year, one of them will be made by LG. The Korean company has in the past worked with Google to release two of the most popular and highly successful Nexus handsets ever: the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.
The second Nexus handset will be made by Huawei and will likely boast better specs. It is, however, the LG-made Nexus 5X that will sell in huge numbers because it will come with a lower price tag.
So, what exactly will the Nexus 5X pack? Read our rumor roundup below to know what to expect from the handset when it launches later next week.
Confirmed
Design: If you thought that the Nexus 5X will sport the same underrated look as the original Nexus 5, you are going to be disappointed. That’s not to say that the handset will come with a flashy design — far from it. (Xanax) It is just that the leaked pictures of the handset show a design that is unlike previous Nexus devices from Google.
The back of the Nexus 5X will feature a ‘NEXUS’ logo in bold and this time around it is accompanied by a halo fingerprint scanner as well. It is the centrally located camera hump at the center that makes the rear look ugly, at least in the above leaked pic. Maybe the final retail unit of the Nexus 5X will look better in black, just maybe.
On the front, the 5.2-inch display of the Nexus 5X will be surrounded by hefty top and bottom bezels due to the front-facing stereo speakers. While the inclusion of front-facing speakers will make many happy, it will also disappoint users who loathe handsets with huge bezels.
Display: The whole purpose of launching two Nexus devices this year, is that it will allow Google to meet the demands of a wider consumer base. The 5.9-inch Nexus 6 put off a lot of potential buyers due to its sheer size. The Nexus 5X is going to be the smaller of the two Nexus handsets to be released this year, and will come with a 5.2-inch 1080p display.
The use of a reasonable Full HD resolution display should allow the Nexus 5X to last a full day of use, which sadly is almost impossible for some major flagships released this year.
Snapdragon 808: Multiple reports have claimed that the Nexus 5X will be powered by a Snapdragon 808 chipset. Once you factor in the heating issues with the Snapdragon 810 chipset, it does make sense for Google and LG to go with the slightly less powerful but more power efficient Snapdragon 808 chipset. The hexa-core chip packs in more than enough power to push the pixels on the Full HD display of the Nexus 5X, so there is no need to worry about the performance of the device as well.
Battery: A reliable source of Android Police had revealed back in late August that the Nexus 5X will come with a 2,700mAh battery. For a phone with a 5.2-inch Full HD display and a Snapdragon 808 chipset, the battery size of 2,700mAh battery size is pretty good. When combined with the new battery saving techniques in Android 6.0 Marshmallow, this should lead to the Nexus 5X offering pretty good battery life.
Fingerprint scanner: The Nexus 6 was supposed to be the first Nexus smartphone with a fingerprint scanner, but Google had to change its plan at the last moment due to the poor quality touch sensors available in the market. Since then though, every major smartphone released in 2015 has featured a touch-based fingerprint sensor, which is as good as the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone.
Leaks have confirmed that the Nexus 5X (and the Nexus 6P) will also come with a fingerprint sensor. Unlike other Android devices out there though, the fingerprint sensor will be located at the back of the device. It will be interesting to see how the position of the fingerprint scanner affects its usability.
Ambiguous
Camera: Up until now, rumors and leaks have only pointed out that the Nexus 5X will come with a 12.3MP shooter at the rear. Other specs of the camera remain completely unknown, though one of the leaked pictures of the back of the handset does confirm the presence of a Laser AutoFocus sensor that should help with the auto focus times.
A leak had claimed that the Nexus 5X will feature the same camera setup as the G4, which includes an F/1.8 aperture lens, though considering the expected price point of around $400, it seems unlikely that Google and LG will equip the Nexus 5X with such a costly camera setup. The handset, however, will definitely come with OIS, since thats a feature that all Nexus devices have featured since the launch of the original Nexus 5 in 2013.
Reports also claim that Google will be be rolling out a new version of Google Camera with new camera features like burst shot and faster performance. This suggests that for the first time since the inception of the Nexus line-up, Google will be focusing on the camera performance of its Nexus handsets.
Leaks have also revealed that the Nexus 5X will come with a 5MP selfie shooter, which sounds just about right since almost every other Android (and even the new iPhones) now ship with a 5MP snapper in the front.
Storage: Various leaks and reports have claimed that the Nexus 5X will be available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. The lack of a 64GB variant in this day and age sounds like a bad move from Google, especially after the previous Nexus device that it offered — the Nexus 6 — was available in 32GB and 64GB storage variants. Additionally, Google is also planning on offering a 128GB storage option for the Huawei Nexus 6P, so if it does end up offering the Nexus 5X in only 16/32GB variants, it will be an odd move for sure from the company.
It is also unclear whether the Nexus 5X will come with a microSD card slot or not, though the chances are almost nil considering that Google has not included a microSD card slot in its Nexus devices released over the last few years.
Unknown
Price: If there is one thing that is almost unknown about the Nexus 5X, it is its price. Rumors have claimed that the handset will be priced between $350-$400, but the exact price still remains unknown. It is likely that LG and Google will be pricing the Nexus 5X at a slightly higher price than the original Nexus 5, due to the specs bump, but how big is the jump going to be? $50? or something more modest?
Whatever the final price might be, it is going to be somewhere around the ballpark of the original Nexus 5 and the likes of the OnePlus 2 and Moto X Pure. This is because Google is also releasing a Huawei-made Nexus 6P this year, which will sport a bigger screen, better build quality, a faster processor, and better battery life, which suggests that it will be priced somewhere around the $500 region.
What are your expectations from the LG Nexus 5X? Will you be buying one? Or are you more interested in the Huawei Nexus 6P? Drop in a comment below and let us know.
