Nexus 5X and 6P: first reviews of Google's new smartphones

At its largest hardware event ever, Google has unveiled two new Android phones: the 5X and 6P. The company has expended a great deal of time and breath hyping up both the 5X, which is made by LG, and the 6P, which is manufactured by Huawei.

So what is new about the models and what are the reviewers saying?

Design

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Although the screen size has increased – from 5 inches to 5.2 inches – for the Nexus 5X, the overall design will be rather familiar to those who own the previous model. Phone Arena says the 5X is "a more elegant (although heavier) handset compared to its predecessor". PC Advisor complains that the camera on the Nexus 5X "does stick out a little bit at the back". It adds that "although the Nexus 5's wasn't flush, this time it protrudes much more". Gizmodo is more upbeat and succinct on how it feels to hold the Nexus 5X: "Great. It feels great."

As for the Google Nexus 6P, Digital Trends says it "somehow feels smaller", despite being a large handset. "Thanks to thin bezels on the sides and a thin profile, the 6P felt very holdable in one hand, and comfy," says Jeffrey Van Camp. The Verge was "immediately struck by its build", adding that "rather than the swollen-battery or bubble-back style of last year's model, this new Nexus 6P is sleek".

Hardware

The 5X's fingerprint sensor attracts a lot of comment, with Cnet saying it "took less than a second [to unlock] and felt fast". PC Advisor felt the feature was intuitively "positioned below the camera at the rear of the phone… a suitable place and naturally where your index finger lies".

Meanwhile, Recombu enthuses over the screen of the Nexus 6P, pointing out that its 5.7-inch display is skirted by front-facing stereo speakers. It concludes that the overall set up makes it "a visual delight, with great overall brightness and impeccably punchy colours".

Camera

TechRadar notes Google's bold boast that Nexus 5X has the best camera it has ever put into a Nexus device, and responded: "I found that the Nexus 5X camera may live up to the hype, thanks to its 1.55-micron pixels. These are larger than normal pixels, and therefore can capture more light for stronger indoor photography."

Alphr struck a similar note, saying "it's good to see a bit more attention lavished" on the camera than in previous Nexus models. "In fact, if the hardware is anything like what you get in the LG G4, it'll be more than a mild update - it'll be right up there with the very best," says the site.

The camera on the Nexus 6P fares even better. DxOMark, a website that tests cameras, places it ahead of iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Moto X Pure, LG G4 and others, and second only to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Power

The Sydney Morning Herald says both handsets have "fairly decent battery life", adding that the "6P has a larger 3450 mAh battery and the 5X a smaller 2700 mAh battery". Android Pit says the Nexus 5X will be "one of the first devices to benefit from the advanced battery-saving features of Android Marshmallow upon release", boosting its performance.

Price

The Nexus 5X costs £339, including VAT, while the Nexus 6P will cost you £449.

Verdict

Digital Trends say the Nexus 6P "may be the best Android phone of 2015". PC Advisor says the 5X "is a decent smartphone at an affordable price if you're not fussed about the extras which are available on the Nexus 6P such as the Quad HD screen".