Gadgetory

for the first time ever Google's new Nexus is not one phone but two and so for the first time ever those in search of a new pure Android smartphone have a choice to make I'm Michael Fisher and I'm here to help you make it this is PocketNow and this is Nexus 6p versus Nexus 5x carrier agnosticism is woven into the DNA of the Nexus line what does that mean Nexus phones are sold unlocked directly from Google and so while they're priced quite competitively they're still generally more expensive upfront than what you can get from a wireless carrier while you can finance either of these through Google's project Phi we're going to assume that most folks will just be buying these outright and that means people stand to save at least 120 dollars by going for the 5x instead of the 6p so how much do you really lose opting for the cheaper of the two the most striking difference once these phones power on is in the display this isn't really about resolution even though the Nexus 6p offers a pixel density 22% higher than the 5x on a screen half an inch larger more important here is the difference in technology the stark contrast and heavy saturation of the AMOLED panel on the 6p make the 5x look washed out and dead by comparison the 5x nonetheless has two advantages it's warmer whites are preferable to the sickly Bluegreen whites on the 6p I know our camera is causing the opposite to appear to be true here but that's an illusion trust me and the 5x panel is also more readable in direct sunlight but the six peas colors and contrast are so rich that everything just looks more alive on the larger phone if you're a display junkie your decision will be a pretty easy one flipper out of the backside and the gulf widens the 5x is LG's sequel to the Nexus 5 of 2013 and as such it features a similar light weight build made from injection molded polycarbonate that means it's soft to the touch and very lightweight almost too light on the other phone wha we had no Nexus legacy to call on when designing the 6p and as such it drew on the all metal roots of phones in its ascend mate line the 6p is heavy it's 30% more massive than the 5x thanks to its machined aluminum chassis whose chamfered edges are slightly harsher on the palm the Huawei phone is also significantly larger so it's the less convenient choice for those who often need to use their phone one-handed it is thinner than the 5x though and that combines with its higher-end industrial design to make it feel every inch the more expensive handheld the so called visor stretching the width of the 6p might make you think that Huawei's got the superior camera too but in this case appearances deceive these phones pack the same exact shooter from Sony twelve point three megapixel sensor with an F 2.0 aperture laser assisted autofocus and 4k video recording on screen the difference between their outputs is striking but this is another deception brought about by that display disparity take them off the phones and side-by-side these photos are nearly identical there's the occasional difference in exposure or white balance in these specific samples but they're so minor that they can be explained by minut differences in focal point or in small variations in lighting in the few seconds between captures if you're really looking for a consistent difference between the two it's tough but maybe try to spot the green tint in a few of the six piece photos a tint that becomes quite pronounced when using the flash the Huawei phone makes up for this apparent quirk though with a higher resolution selfie camera that does a much better job in both daylight and low-light and added features in the camera app on the whole specifically that includes burst mode a higher frame rate in slow motion video and electronic image stabilization of those it's probably the latter that makes the most significant difference between the cameras in Full HD recording mode the 6p does generally produce a steadier shot while walking Google says the 5x lacks those added camera features because it's hexa core Snapdragon 808 processor doesn't pack the oomph of the octa-core Snapdragon 810 and the 6p and that's true across the spec sheet actually the Nexus 6p offers three gigs of RAM to the smaller phones two gigs and it's faster memory as well the Huawei phone also comes in larger available storage options and it brings a battery that's twenty-seven percent larger can you tell the difference between these phones based on the specs in some cases not really in others it's too early to tell each phone runs Android marshmallow and the feature load is almost identical across devices so in a straight-up side-by-side comparison there's little difference in metrics like app launch times and in gaming I can't really tell the difference unless I'm playing a very high demand title with its quality settings maxed out and even then it's negligible in games like asphalt 8 sky gamblers air supremacy I mean I suppose the 5x does stumble somewhat more than the 6p in everyday animations and the 6p seems to have smoother inertial scrolling in some apps like Chrome it's not much but it is a little bit of extra polish that reminds you that you're using a higher-end device that polish extends to the acoustic experience as well with its dual front firing speakers the Nexus 6p is the hands-down winner and out loud playback besting the single speaker on the 5x here's what we couldn't test yet battery life for one thing we just haven't had the phones long enough and for another these are on two separate networks we're using the 5x on t-mobile us and the 6p on project five so a direct comparison just as impossible at this point and the same goes for voice quality but rest assured we will cover these aspects in our separate full reviews of these smartphones lastly there are the minutiae the little idiosyncrasies that make each device special both of these have their power standby keys located above the volume rocker but the 6p makes that awkward arrangement a little easier with a textured finish on the power button to tell them apart the 6p also pulls ahead where glass is concerned it uses fourth generation Gorilla Glass on both the display cover and the camera visor compared to Gorilla Glass 3 on the 5x the Nexus 5x does get a jab in that's small but important to some folks its notification light is bigger brighter and cooler if you ask me the takeaway here is a duo of cliches google has come very close to delivering the best of both worlds but you still get what you pay for the Nexus 5x is very much like its 2013 4 runner in that it delivers a lot of capability and a fair amount of style for a very competitive price point but it's no show horse it's the phone you toss around without worrying too much about scratching it up the one you buy because it's a good deal not because it's delivering a high-end experience if a premium feel is what you're looking for the 6p is obviously the way to go it's got a much nicer screen a more powerful processor better fit and finish and block rocking audio you just need to shell out a bit more together if you're thinking that's an obvious conclusion spend more to get more you're right not all these comparisons can be profound but it is exciting that for the first time in Nexus history buyers have a choice between affordability and super high quality in the same generation and the differences here are straightforward enough that choosing shouldn't be hard at all as long as you're honest with yourself what you want and how much you can spend we're going to fill in some of the holes from this comparison very soon folks in pocket now full review of the Nexus 6p and 5x stay tuned for that and keep yourself sated in the mean time by living vicariously through us as we unpack these devices in our Nexus double unboxing live now on our channel page till next time this has been michael fisher captain two phones on twitter thanks for watching we'll see you real soon