• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

Read this before buying one of Google’s new phones

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 20, 2015, 3:41 PM ET
Google Inc. New Product Announcement
David Burke, director of Android engineering for Google Inc., holds a Nexus 6P smartphone while speaking during an event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. Google unveiled its newest Nexus smartphones with Huawei and LG Electronics Inc. as it looks to blunt the growth of Apple Inc.'s iPhone. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by David Paul Morris — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Reviews of Google’s latest batch of Nexus phones are in. The verdict? Pretty good.

The Nexus 5X—made by South Korean electronics giant LG—is a little cheaper, smaller and made of plastic. The Nexus 6P—made by the Chinese telecom giant Huawei—is slightly larger, more expensive, and encased in aluminum. Everyone seems to agree that the latter is the preferred choice of the pair, but that superior quality comes with a cost: the base price is $120 more.

Early reviewers have praised a few particular features on the new phones. Namely, greatly improved cameras (never Nexus’ strong suit), convenient fingerprint sensor placement (on the backside of the devices, rather than the front), and, above all, bargain prices (starting at $379 for the 5X and $499 for the 6P).

Both run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google’s (GOOG) latest mobile operating system, and come with Google Now on Tap, a contextual search tool that acts like Apple’s (AAPL) Siri.

Both devices go on sale at the end of October, and they’re available now to pre-order. Here’s a rundown of what the early reviewers are saying.

Nexus 5X (LG-made)

“For those who yearned for the days of budget- and pocket-friendly Nexus handsets, the 5X is for you.” (Engadget)

“…it looks like Google (and LG) have finally narrowed the camera gap with Apple’s iPhones. The Nexus 5X’s cameras, while not significantly better than the iPhone 6S’s, are very capable shooters. That alone is a huge win for the Android camp.” (Mashable)

“Hardcore fans may be difficult to please and even fickle at times, but if you give them what they want, they can be your biggest supporters. With the Nexus 5X, Google is giving those die-hard Nexus 5 fans all that and then some.” (Verge)

“The more time I held it in my hand, the cheaper it felt. I’ve tried out a boatload of devices and being light is a good thing…but feeling like cheap plastic totally turns me off. Google and LG calls it ‘premium injection molded polycarbonate,’ but that’s not changing my mind.” (TechCrunch)

“Price alone is a huge driving factor in making the 5X so compelling, but it needs so much more to captivate a wider audience, especially when we’ve been spoiled by so many great-performing, low-cost premium phones.” (PhoneArena)

Nexus 6P (Huawei-made)

“Spoiler: it’s good.” (Wired)

“I wouldn’t call it a particularly attractive phone compared to the iPhone 6s Plus or the newest Galaxy Edge phones from Samsung, but it’s not ugly either. It comes in aluminum, graphite (black) and frost (white).” (Forbes)

“It’s a sleeker, smaller, more powerful take on the phablet formula Google and Motorola tried to crack with the Nexus 6, and it seems to hit all the right notes. Hell, with a price tag that starts at $499, it’s even cheaper than its predecessor.” (Engadget)

“When Google imagined hardware and software working in perfect harmony one day, the 6P was the device they unknowingly fantasized about.” (TechCrunch)

“For a first stab at a Nexus phone, Huawei hit the ball out of the park.” (Mashable)

Both

“[T]he 5X is very obviously the lesser one. Compared to the larger (and pricier) 6P, it has compromises in both performance and design. And though it fights really well in its mid-tier price bracket, if you bump it up to the next weight class, it doesn’t quite hold up to the true flagships from companies such as Apple or Samsung.” (Verge)

“The Nexus 5X and 6P are two of the best Nexus devices ever produced. It’s a common line that people say every year, but these are the first Nexus devices that don’t have a huge deal breaker attached to them. Google and its partners have finally nailed two of the things Nexus devices have traditionally been poor at. The camera is actually good—great, even—and can hold its own against the best mobile shooters out there. And the battery life is just as good as any other flagship as well.” (Ars Technica)

Follow Robert Hackett on Twitter at @rhhackett. Read his technology and cybersecurity coverage at fortune.com/author/robert-hackett. And subscribe to Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the business of technology, where he writes a weekly column.

For more on Google’s recent product announcements, watch this video.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

vegan cheese
AITech
A Mark Cuban-backed vegan cheese company trained AI to scrutinize cardboard boxes. It’s saved $400,000
By Jake AngeloMay 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Young trade worker learning on job
SuccessHiring
Forget Big Tech: Small businesses will hire nearly 1 million grads in 2026—and some of the hottest roles are gloriously AI-proof
By Emma BurleighMay 1, 2026
4 hours ago
Andrew McAfee
SuccessCareers
MIT AI expert warns automating Gen Z entry-level jobs could backfire—and cost companies their future workforce
By Preston ForeMay 1, 2026
5 hours ago
duke
Big TechAmazon
Amazon Prime Video reaches deal with Duke Blue Devils to air 3 games per season
By The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
7 hours ago
valerie
CommentaryLayoffs
Tesla’s former HR chief: the AI layoff panic Is built on a false premise—here’s what most workers need to know
By Valerie Capers WorkmanMay 1, 2026
7 hours ago
AI
AIdisruption
Meet the Americans dismissing AI hype and using it with ingenuity: ‘The efficiencies gained out of it have been tremendous’
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
1 day ago
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
7 hours ago
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
Conferences
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
Commentary
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
By Derek KilmerMay 1, 2026
11 hours ago
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
4 days ago
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
Banking
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.