Oct 10, 2016 01:53 PM
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The new MacBook and the OnePlus Two may have got there first, but Google’s inclusion of USB Type-C here is a far greater statement of intent for the future of most smartphones. The reversible connector is simply great; it’s a little chunkier and feels sturdier than micro USB, and not having to faff about plugging it in the right way up is a revelation(one that iPhone users have enjoyed for years). It’s a little longer, and so slides home more convincingly, and has a distinct click when properly inserted. Yes, it’s only a connector, but it really improves the feel of the device using it day-to-day and that’s important.
We may all be using it tomorrow, but what’s it like to live with today? One problem is that USB Type-C cables aren’t exactly common. Leave yours at home and you’re unlikely to be able to grab a charge at a friend’s house or the office without it. Google hasn’t helped things by only including a Type-C to Type-C cable, along with a Type-C adaptor, in the box. You’ll want to pick up a Type-A to Type-C cable for carrying about with you.
Power isn’t the most exciting element of any handset, but it’s certainly essential, and Type-C allows for fast charging by default. The Nexus 5X charges to 20% in just 10mins, reaches 48% after 30mins and hits a day’s worth of battery(84%) in an hour. It then slows down considerably, reaching 100% after 1hr 40mins, but that’s still quick. It’s a slightly quicker than a Samsung Galaxy S6 using a fast charger, except for that final 16% where the S6 catches up. Useful then, but not groundbreaking.
The battery itself has a 2, 700mAh capacity, which is about par for the course given this is a pretty slim 7.9mm handset. In our continuous video playback test, it lasted for a respectable ten hours and 14 minutes. The Moto X Play lasted for over thirteen hours in the same test, but that phone is over 10mm at its thickest point. Quibbles on size apart, the Nexus 5X reliably got me through a full day of use, but if you hammer your smartphone’s battery then there are longer-lasting alternatives.
In most areas, the Nexus 5X may be simply competent, but its camera is truly excellent. I pitted it head-to-head against the very capable Samsung Galaxy S6, and the LG-made phone came out on top. The camera has an unremarkable 12-megapixels on a typically-sized 1/2.3in sensor; however, each pixel is bigger than most, measuring 1.55um. By comparison, the S6 reportedly has 1.12um pixels on its 16-megapixel sensor.
Whatever the reasons, the results speak for themselves. Across a range of tests, the Nexus 5X’s photos were packed with detail, compared to the more smoothed off appearance of the Galaxy S6’s efforts. Outdoors, you can see great detail in brick walls and a sharper image overall. Colour balance was spot on too, with the camera matching the output of the S6 almost exactly - a good thing in our experience.
