At the Nexus event last night, Google announced not one, but two Nexus devices this year. Although device details did get leaked in the run up to the event, we now have more clarity on the difference between the devices.
It’s been a wait for these new Nexus devices. And now that they’re finally here, we compared their specifications to get a feel of where they stand.
Considering the Nexus 6P is the flagship device, we’ve compared it to the most recent flagships from from Apple and Samsung. In the comparison table below, we’ve also included the Motorola Nexus 6 to see the new changes when compared to their predecessor.
Over the past couple of years, Apple has been releasing two iterations of the iPhone. This year, Google decided to follow suit and get two partner manufacturers to launch two Nexus devices.
Display
In the new Nexus devices, the Google Nexus 5X has an IPS LCD display, while the new Nexus 6P has an AMOLED display. The existing Motorola Nexus 6 also has an AMOLED screen. In terms of display resolution, the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P offers 424 and 518ppi, respectively. The existing Motorola Nexus 6 offers 493ppi. To put these numbers in perspective, the display on the LG G4 offers a screen resolution of 538ppi. Similarly, the iPhone 6s Plus offers a pixel density of 401ppi. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S6 offers a 5.1 superAMOLED screen with 577ppi.
Processor
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor powers the new Nexus 6P. For graphics, there is an Adreno 430. This would enable you to have a superior gaming experience, which was also demoed on stage using the Chromecast to stream games on to a television. The Motorola Nexus 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset and Adreno 420 graphics chip.
Similarly, in case of the Nexus 5X, it is powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor with an Adreno 418 graphics chip. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is powered by the Exynos 7420 chipset with a Mali-T760MP8 graphics chip.
Dimensions and build
Both the Nexus devices launched yesterday are lighter than the existing Motorola Nexus 6, which weighs 184g. The Nexus 5X weighs 136g while the Nexus 6P weighs closer to the Nexus 6 at 178g. However, it is worth noting that both the devices have smaller screen sizes than the Nexus 6.
While the Nexus 6 has a display size of 5.96 inches, the Nexus 5X offers a 5.2-inch screen as compared to a 5.7-inch display. Despite being a smaller device than the existing Nexus, the newer Nexus 6P by Huawei stands out with a metal body compared to a hard matte plastic build in the Motorola Nexus 6.
At the rear side of the device, is a fingerprint scanner that Google calls ‘Imprint’. Given that the build is aluminium, the design bears a striking resembles to the Apple’s Touch ID on the front of the Apple iPhone. The Nexus 5X by LG continues to have a plastic body.
Memory
The Nexus 6P is available in 32/64/128GB versions, while the Nexus 5X is available in 16 and 32GB versions only. In comparison the existing Nexus 6 by Motorola was available only in the 32 and 64 GB versions. It is interesting that Google has introduced a 16 GB version yet again.
The new LG Nexus 5X retains the same 2GB LPDDR3 RAM. This is the same as the LG Nexus 5. In the case of the Huawei Nexus 6P has 3GB LPDDR4 RAM compared to 3GB of DDR3 in the existing Motorola Nexus 6. The iPhone 6s comes with 2GB, which is said to be sufficient to handle the tasks. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 comes with 3GB of RAM for smooth functionality.
Battery
The Nexus 6P comes with a 3450mAh battery while the the Nexus 5X is powered by a 2700mAh battery. In comparison the Motorola Nexus 6 has 3220 mAh battery. The Apple iPhone 6S Plus has a 1810 mAh battery.
The only information that Google has provided regarding the battery is that it “keeps you talking, texting and apping into the night.” However, we’d only know how many hours this translates to after using the device. Feedback on the device would start trickling in once the device is available, beginning in the US.
Connectivity
In an expected, yet welcome move, the new Nexus devices use the USB-Type C connector. This helps with faster data speeds and improved power delivery via the USB port. The benefit of this is faster transfers of data including videos and images from your smartphone as well as improved charging cycles.
In addition, the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P offers HSPA, LTE, dual band, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA as well as hotspots as means to connect your device to a network. In addition, the new devices would be able to latch on to the experimental Project Fi network. According to Google, Project Fi is a program to deliver a fast, easy wireless experience in close partnership with leading carriers, hardware makers, and users to give you fast speeds, more coverage, and better connections to Wi-Fi.
In addition to the devices, Google also announced the launch of Nexus Protect plan, which is an extended warranty program offered by Google. In the US, the premium warranty plan is available for $69 (approx. Rs 4500) for the LG Nexus 5X and $89 (approx. Rs 5800) for the Huawei Nexus 6P. In return, Google offers:
2 years of coverage for mechanical breakdown
2 years of protection from accidental damage
Next business day replacement (if needed)
Although this is a US-centric announcement, we expect similar plans to be rolled out in India through LG and Huawei considering that there are competing OEMs vying for market share in a competitive market.
Bottom line
All said and done, this is the Nexus line-up. The best experience Android could offer, as envisioned by Google. If you’re an Android purist, this would just be the device for you. Depending on your preference, Google has also targeted two devices addressing two different set of needs across two feature sets and price points. However, when it comes to pricing, there seems to be a marginal difference. Effectively you could choose a device from 16GB all the way up to 128GB.
However, in terms of value being offered, there would be better information only when the devices are used for a prolonged term. Since two manufacturers would be competing with each other, we would expect better sales and support service by LG as well as Huawei.
A few welcome signs are the use of USB Type-C, which is soon becoming the de-facto among flagship devices. In addition, from initial feedback, mobile camera review website DXOMark has rated the camera on the Nexus 6P very highly, especially in low light conditions. In fact, it has been rated the best tested so far!
To sum it up, if you prefer an Android device, the new Nexus devices do stand out over the Samsung Galaxy S6 due to the marginal edge that the Snapdragon 810 has over the Exynos 7. Similarly, in the case of the iPhone, the choice is pretty much platform preference and price when compared to the Nexus 6P.
