Google Nexus 5X Review: A Pure Android Beast In A Smaller Size

Google's Nexus smartphones have always been ranked high among the leading handsets in the markets. The stock version of Android, decent specs and notably the low price have all made Nexus device very compelling reasons to buy.

This year, Google came up with two Nexus models: the Nexus 5X by LG and the Nexus 6P by Huawei. Both devices show off a flagship-class and come with Nexus Imprint, the company's native Android fingerprint recognition framework and the stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

PROS

• Solid Built
• Android Marshmallow
• Camera

CONS

• No MicroSD Card
• Mediocre Battery Life

Today, we are reviewing the LG Google Nexus 5X, the smaller and more reasonable model among the two. Let's go deeper into the subject and see whether you would agree with me or not. Let's carry on with the review.

Design And Built

The Nexus 5X is comfortable to swipe across the entire screen without strain, thanks to its 7.9mm thickness and weights a light 136 grams. The reason the phone is so light is because it's backed by plastic, unlike the all-metal Nexus 6P.

You can see two large speaker grille; a loudspeaker grill below the screen and another earpiece grille on top. Interestingly, the notification LED is hidden in the lower grille. There is a slightly raised ridge running around the display protecting it from getting accidental scratches.

The 5.2-inch display in the front feel good to hold, but it is still a wide phone. On the right-hand side you can see the power button and volume rockers, fall right under a thumb while holding the device. It has a single Nano-SIM tray on the left, and there is no option for second SIM or a microSD card. The 3.5mm headphone jack is on the bottom along with the brand new USB Type-C port.

The rear panel is not removable and comes with sealed battery. On the back, you can see a dual-LED flash, a camera mound and a small window for laser autofocus. There is also the Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor just below the camera mound, an enormous Nexus logo, and LG logo.

The plastic has some soft matte finish. Overall, the device comes with a solid built and has a decent design with gentle curves. The 5.2-inch looks slightly bigger, but feels comfortable to hold in hand.

Display

Considering, the Nexus 5X is a mid-range phone, it was surprised for its display. It's not a WQHD AMOLED display like its bigger sibling Nexus 6P, but the 5X sports a 5.2-inch LCD display which is still great on its own.

The display boosts full HD resolution at 1920x1080 pixels with an impressive pixel density of 423ppi. The display is brilliant, sharp and produces rich color. The screen is perfectly usable in direct sunlight and the viewing angles are wide.

There is also a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top, which has been treated with an oleophobic coating that helps to wards off fingerprint and smudges. However, it doesn't prevent smudges 100 percent, but it does a good job.

Hardware & Storage

The Nexus 5X is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with hexa core SoC running at 1.8GHz clock speed. It processor is paired with Adreno 418 GPU and there is a 2GB RAM.

On storage front you can choose between 16GB and 32GB internal storage option, but there is no option to expand memory using a microSD card. There is a 2,700mAh batter, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS with GLONESS and NFC.

It might be a disappointment to many, that the Nexus 5X does not support wireless charging. However, Google says wireless charging shouldn't be missed as USB Type-C and its own Fast Charge feature is more convenient.

The 5X comes with native support for fingerprint authentication, which Google has came up with its Nexus Imprint feature. Setting up the fingerprint is extremely simple, you can touch the sensor at any angle for your print to be recognized.

You can not only unlock the device, but you can also authorize Google Play store purchases including Android Pay transactions can be done with fingerprint and even the apps can also be locked if updated to support the features.

Camera

The handset comes with 12.3-megapixel sensor with dual-tone LED flash and a laser auto-focus system. The camera sensor features a larger 1.55 micron pixels to improve low-light performance, and the result is superb.

The camera setup can give a tough competition to like Moto X Pure Edition, OnePlus X and pretty much to other mid-range smartphones. Well, the camera app is improved over its predecessors but still very minimalistic design, when compared to the other OEMs custom camera UI.

The Nexus 5X did really well when it comes to taking photos. The photos came out in detailed, with very slight evidence of compression. We were able to take great close-up shots in daylight.

The camera produces vibrant color, even at night, the camera has managed to take great sots unless the subject was completely in the dark.

The front camera also managed to take great selfies, but the rear one is good for anything more than casual shots.

Software & Interface

One of the biggest benefits advantages of buying a Nexus device is getting access to the latest version of Android the Marshmallow. The latest Android looks matured with a more refined interface which is more intuitive, responsive and well-designed. The Google Now is central to this design and the Now on Tap feature gives more contextual search results.

The Voice search has also been integrated and can be activated it even when the phone is locked by saying "Ok Google." Well, a few of Android Marshmallow features are connected to the hardware such as Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor, support for USB Type-C. It also boasts better power management with Doze mode that puts the phone in a sleep state when it is not in use.

Verdict

People have widely loved the Google's recent Nexus phones and especially the Nexus 5X is highly appreciated among them. With the launch of two Nexus device this year, Google has fragmented its vision of the ideal Android smartphone.

The LG made Nexus 5X is clearly a more affordable of the two, that comes with premium build quality and a good storage option for the more expensive devices. Well, the pure Android Marshmallow experience the the first thing we notice in the Nexus handset.

The improvement in this device is one of the long-running complaint, which is poor camera quality. But, Google has managed to come up with great camera in the Nexus device. With a lower price and a smaller form factor, the Nexus 5X signifies Google's return to a more affordable phone starting at Rs. 23,000.