Google Nexus 5X review: small is beautiful

The Google Nexus 5X's sister phone, the Google Nexus 6P, may have wowed reviewers, but the 5X arrives as the "people's smartphone" with its high-quality camera, stylish screen and great design for a surprisingly affordable price.

As another example of the power and performance of Google's new operating system Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Nexus 5X's standout feature is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone which impressed most reviewers. Dan Seifert at The Verge said "The 5X's scanner falls perfectly under my index finger and is lightning fast. By the time I've gotten the phone out of my pocket and up to my face, the screen is on and it's unlocked."

So can a budget phone keep pace with the top end of the market?

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Google Nexus 5X design

"The phone is exceedingly light," says Michael Calore at Wired. "It's also small – not annoyingly small or 2011 small, but sensibly and refreshingly small."

Tech Radar's Matt Swider agrees: "I was able to swipe across the entire screen without strain, thanks to dimensions of 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm."

It is this ease of use that Google believes will work in the Nexus 5X's favour, reminding users that smartphones don't need to be used with both hands at all times.

But, for all its ergonomic benefits, the 5X feels cheaper than its top-of-the-range competitors.

"Made out of plastic, it actually looks a little more like a budget handset. That's not to say that it's ugly; it's more just a bit messy and rather uninspired," says Seth Barton at ExpertReviews.

Dan Seifert agrees: "There's a hollow echo sound whenever I tap the 5X with my finger, which quickly reminds me that I'm not using a top-tier flagship smartphone, but something less."

Google Nexus 5X display

The display on previous Nexus phones has been praised by critics as sharp and stylish, and the 5X is no different, boasting a 5.2-inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution at a "whopping" 423 pixels per inch.

Barton also praises its "pleasingly flat colour output" saying: "I've seen brighter LCDs at this price, but consistency is the name of the game and the Nexus 5X nails that."

Google Nexus 5X camera

"The new Nexus camera is excellent," says Samuel Gibbs at The Guardian. "Easily one of the best, if not the best camera I have had the pleasure to use on a smartphone. In good light the level of detail captured in photos is fantastic, and when blown up to full size suffers none of the over-sharpening or artefacts that many other do."

In fact the only stumbling block for the Nexus 5X camera, is Google's camera app itself, which Gibbs describes as "slow". Seifert also complains that it: "doesn't let you do basic things like capture still photos while recording video."

Conclusion

"The Google Nexus 5X is a fantastic pick for people who want a relatively small, lightweight smartphone with excellent value for money," says CNet.

Engadget says that the phone "does falter a little with sub-optimal battery life and specs that aren't as good as its rivals, but the 5X is still a solid phone – especially for its price."

Samuel Gibbs though, is blown away giving it a five star review and concluding that "the Nexus 5X is a brilliant phone, with only minor downsides. The camera is excellent, the fingerprint scanner fantastic, it's snappy, has a great screen and is both light and relatively small in a smartphone landscape dominated by phones with screens larger than 5.5in."