The Nexus 5X is a joint effort between LG and Google. LG made the hardware, and left the software to Google. It's the smaller, more affordable Nexus phone from 2015. For the price it has some competitive hardware, and it will be first in line for future software updates like Android N which expected to launch in the fall.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Project Fi
One of the few devices that can fully support Google's Project Fi.
Pro Acceptable battery life
The battery isn't enormous at 2700mAh, but it should last a full day on all but the longest, most heavy-use days.
A looped 90 minute video at 100% brightness drained the battery by 32% which is a poor result. If the screen is on constantly, battery will drain fairly quick. In standby, the Nexus 5X barely uses any power. While most other phones will use up 10% throughout the day in idle mode, the Nexus 5X will use significantly less power thanks the the Doze feature which puts the phone into a deeper sleep.
GSMarena rates the 5X at 60h, which is enough to last a full day with regular usage.
Pro Works well in one hand
Being that the device has a 5.2-inch display it is quite easy to reach all corners of the screen without compromising ones grip on the device.
Pro Clean software with quick updates
Stock Android offers a more streamlined experience than most other phones. While it lacks some fancy features, it doesn't come with any pre-installed bloatware, and it will receive updates almost instantly when they become available.
Pro Future-ready charger
USB Type C is a new port which is reversible - you can plug it in either way. The connector is also stronger, so you shouldn't need to replace cables as frequently. It's also a brand new standard, so it isn't going to be replaced within the life of the phone.
Pro Pretty good camera
While it won't be winning any awards, the camera takes some decent shots. Lowlight performance is acceptable, and it's pretty quick to focus and take pictures. Macro shots performed very well.
Pro Good fingerprint scanner
The fingerprint scanner is very quick and reliable. The positioning on the back of the phone means that you won't have to change your grip (it's where your index finger naturally rests).
Cons
Con No wireless charging
A feature implemented in the Nexus 4 and now absent in the latest Nexus devices. Those that have wireless chargers will not be able to use them with this phone.
Con Performance isn't reliable
For a mid-range phone, the Nexus 5X has decent performance, but it's far from the best. The Snapdragon 808 processor is paired with only 2GB of RAM, and for unknown reasons can become unresponsive for seconds at a time.
Con Sub-par camera app
The default camera app doesn't do the camera any justice. The only settings you have access to are resolution, HDR, flash, and timer. There is no manual focus, white balance, ISO etc.
Sometimes the app hangs up for a few seconds and turns unresponsive.
Con Limited storage
There is no SD card slot, and the largest storage option available is 32GB. If you like keeping lots of music/pictures/videos stored on your phone, you may want to look elsewhere
Con Cheaply made
Compared to the more premium phones (like the Nexus 6P), the 5X components aren't as good resulting in performance issues. It's still a good phone relative to it's price though.
Con Poor multitasking performance
With only 2GB of ram the device may run into issues with mutitasking. This means screen redraws and apps that have to refresh when navigating back to them, instead of staying loaded in RAM which would be possible if there were more RAM.
Con Uses a new cable standard
Having USB-C does allow the device to be future proof but also means that all existing USB cables will not work with it. All the micro USB chargers and cables users have built up a collection of over the years are deemed useless with this device.