As expected, tech giant Google on Tuesday unveiled two new smartphones, the Huawei Nexus 6P and the LG Nexus 5X at its event in San Francisco. The two smartphones are targeting different market segments but both are packing with unique features making it much cheaper that their competitors.
The latest generation Nexus 6P is Google's flagship phone replacing the old Nexus 6 that was originally introduced by Motorola (Google previously owned Motorola before it was purchased by Lenovo). The Nexus 6P is packing with plenty of upgrades compared to its predecessor but comes at a much cheaper price at lower $499 (instead of the Nexus 6's $649) for the 32GB model, $549 for the 64GB and $649 for the 128GB unit.
The new 6P is the first Nexus smartphone manufactured by the Chinese firm Huawei that helped crafted the phone's diamond-carved full-metal body, according to Google's product manager.
The 6P is smaller than its predecessor, with a reduced monitor of 5.7-inch screen WQHD (2560x1440) instead of the previous 6-inch display and comes with ultra-high resolution at 518 ppi. The flagship phone has the same 12.3MP rear-shooting camera as the Nexus 5X, with an 8MP camera on the front for taking selfies.
The Nexus 6P is powered by a 64-bit 2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, with 3GB RAM and Adreno 430 GPU. It's powered by a 3450mAh battery, comes in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage variants, and will be available in Aluminium, Graphite and Frost.
It also comes with a sturdier and lighter unibody aluminium body and has the exact thickness of the iPhone 6s plus at 7.3mm. Google justified the new look of the Nexus 6P saying it wanted its flagship phone to offer a different look that its competitors.
A little silver ring at the back of the phone is the new Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor that users of the phone will use to unlock the phone, validate payments, and access its other features. The position of the fingerprint sensor is actually strategically located as our fingers are used to gravitating towards that spot when we pick up our phones. The feature drastically reduces the barrier and speed to activate the phone.
Here is a video showing the Nexus Imprint feature:
As for concerns of users' privacy, all scanned fingerprints will remain on the device and will not be collected or be transmitted anywhere else, according to Google's rep. During the creation of this feature, the phone designers took special care in how Imprint Sensor feature will be implemented.
Google's LG Nexus 5X
The LG Nexus 5X has a 5.2-inch (1920x1080) display at 423 ppi with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a 12.3MP f/2.0 rear shooter with laser auto focus, 4K recording, and a 5MP front cam. It runs on a 64-bit 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, paired with Adreno 418 GPU and 2GB RAM. The phone is powered by a 2700mAh battery, comes in 16GB and 32GB storage variants, and is available in Carbon, Quartz, and Ice.
The Nexus 5X will set you back $379 for the 16GB version and $429 for the 32GB version.
Although much cheaper than the 6P, the 5X almost has the same improvements found in the 6P and you can still enjoy the fingerprint sensor, USB-C charging and the same high-resolution camera. However, the Nexus 5X comes in a smaller size than the Nexus 6P.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P
Both the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P will be powered by Google's latest Android Operating system, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. With the introduction of Android Senor Hub, the improvements include battery-smart features that put seldom used apps in App Standby and resting device into a sleep mode through Doze, which conserves the battery by 30 percent. This feature is significant in that the battery conservation is achieved through only algorithm updates and no hardware changes.
More importantly, the new generation Nexus smartphones are rolling out straight from Google, minus the third party manufacturer software. This means the phones will be unlocked or not be coming with any software or carrier restrictions and users will be assured of monthly security updates and Google will be supporting the smartphones for at least two years. Meanwhile, the Nexus lines of products will be the first to receive any major Android OS updates and weekly updates.
Both the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are available for pre-order online at Google Store, and will be shipped out beginning next week. For a limited time, Google is also offering a $50 Google Play credit for those who purchase the newly released Nexus phones.
