Slim Pocket Standoff: Google Nexus 5X Vs. OnePlus X
Not everyone wants a phone so big that it’s hard to put in a pants pocket or use it with one hand. Fortunately, more and more manufacturers are hearing our calls, and two big contenders have come to the fore: the Google Nexus 5X and OnePlus X. Both are thin, thin and powerful, but not expensive. Here’s how they compare.
Applicants
The OnePlus X is a new competitor, but the Nexus 5X debuted back when the Nexus 6P, Google’s current flagship, hit the scene. Both give you the freedom to buy unlocked, powerful Android phones on a budget that’s not nearly as expensive as the flagships they both fly. Here’s an example for both devices:
- The Nexus 5X is the resurrection of the beloved Nexus 5 to the ideal size . Like its predecessor, the Nexus 5X is also made by LG, and the phone is, as our friends at Gizmodo point out, a great budget marvel . Covered entirely in plastic, the 5X comes with Android Marshmallow, is powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor and a 5.2-inch, 443 ppi, IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, bright and beautiful for its size. On the back, you’ll find a 12.3MP rear shooter (same camera in the Nexus 6P), a 5MP front-facing camera, and a pair of stereo speakers at the bottom (even though they look like they’re both in the front.) Like its older sibling. The 5X has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner in the center of the back of the phone for unlocking, authentication and of course Android Pay. The 2,700mAh battery supports fast charging, so you can get a great charge without sitting around forever, all via USB-C.
- The OnePlus X is OnePlus’ attempt to enter the budget market even further. Gizmodo calls it shockingly handsome , which is undeniable – its all-glass body looks and feels great in the hands. It features a 5-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441 ppi, which is amazingly bright and clear. Under the hood, you’ll find a Snapdragon 801 processor (the same processor in the original OnePlus One), a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing camera, and stereo speakers at the bottom, next to the microUSB port used for charging. Built-in 2,525mAh battery. Of course, the OnePlus X runs OnePlus’ Android OxygenOS customization, and the version included in the OnePlus X is based on Lollipop. A few notable things are missing though: no NFC, no fingerprint reader, no 5GHz Wi-Fi support, and no USB-C support. You may not hate it, but it also means no fast charging, which would be nice considering the size of the battery. Guise notes that he is amazing on the outside, but quite normal on the inside , which we generally agree with.
As usual, we are not going to replicate reviews here. We’re going to focus on how to actually use each of these phones during the time we’ve worked with them, and the big features that will make a difference to you in the long run.
A few words about LTE bands and coverage
Before we get started, we must point out something very important about the OnePlus X. If you live in the United States, keep in mind that the phone only supports GSM carriers, for example, and even those carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T and Any MVNO using their networks) there are no LTE bands 12 and 17. These low frequency bands are often used in suburban and rural areas for better LTE coverage, and some operators are switching to these bands in urban areas as well. Other LTE bands are supported, but if you don’t live in the city (as I do, this review took place in Washington DC), you might get stuck at 3G speeds. Outside US buyers probably don’t need to worry, but compared to the Nexus 5X, which works seamlessly with all major US carriers, it’s not clear why OnePlus allowed this to fly.
Bottom line: if you are in the US, and all this “LTE band” is dizzy or for you it is as crazy as it is for us, this phone is not for you.
Pricing
Both of these devices are designed to make your pockets thin, give you a phone you can use with one hand, and do it without emptying your wallet. The Nexus 5X is available in two versions, a 16GB model for $ 329 and a 32GB model for $ 379 . Each model is available in three colors: carbon (black), quartz (white) and ice (blue). All models come with 2GB of RAM and I tested the 32GB quartz version. On the other hand, the OnePlus X is available in one – well, technically two – models, a 16GB onyx (black) model in glass and aluminum for $ 250 . There is reportedly a $ 350 all-ceramic model, but I haven’t seen one listed on the OnePlus site. I tested the 16GB version.
That $ 80 difference isn’t a reason to sneeze, but there are several reasons for it. OnePlus is known for its aggressive pricing, for example. Plus, while the OnePlus X is great, it makes some big sacrifices to stay affordable: USB-C, a fingerprint reader, NFC, matching radios to support broadband, better Wi-Fi, and an even more advanced processor are all under the hood of the 5X. and clearly things that OnePlus missed out to keep costs down. Obviously, they decided to prioritize their design and build costs.
When it comes to pricing, we have to point out that if you want the Nexus 5X, you can simply buy it online. OnePlus, on the other hand, has reverted to its invite-only system for the OnePlus X, presumably to manage demand for the phone (or rather to measure demand and compare supply without overproduction). We’ll have to ask for an invite and wait. When we asked about it, OnePlus said that they have weekly open sales where the OnePlus X can be bought uninvited – you just have to catch it.
Look, Feel and Use
The Nexus 5X has received many undeserved reviews for being made of soft plastic. The border between the rear panel and the bezel on the sides is pretty clear. The buttons on the side are also plastic. You might think that this makes the phone cheap, but it doesn’t. While it lacks those premium metallic touches found in the Nexus 6P or other more expensive phones, the Nexus 5X actually looks solid. You can drop him, hit him and he doesn’t care.
The 5X’s screen seems a little pale and washed out, but that’s not enough for most people to worry about. This is still an improvement over the lower resolution screens you usually see at this size, and the level of detail you get is excellent. The screen uses space intelligently and the bezels are reasonably thin. Not a millimeter is wasted, and in this respect it is very similar to the original Nexus 5 – although compared to this classic the 5X is definitely bigger, brighter and surprisingly lighter, despite being about as thick and all plastic ( not clingy back like the original Nexus 5.)
The OnePlus X, on the other hand, spent a significant chunk of its budget on building. The back and front are all glass and the body is covered with an etched aluminum bezel. It’s heavier than the Nexus 5X and my current everyday driver, the first generation Moto X, albeit thinner. This aluminum finish is separated by beveled power and volume buttons on the right side of the phone, as well as a notification slider on the left, which I poetically described on the OnePlus 2 . The front and back, which are made up of glass panels, “lift” the sides of the case to welcome you, much like the Sony Xperia line and the front of the iPhone. It’s actually a beautiful design that makes the phone feel like premium tough glass.
Of course, the flip side of this is that it’s all shiny and glossy. While the AMOLED display cuts through this all-black glossy body, it’s also a fingerprint magnet. Keep a microfiber cloth handy. Moreover, it is slippery here , as elsewhere . I’m not kidding: I put the OnePlus X on the charging table and if it was at an angle at all, it slid off immediately. Place it on an uneven surface such as a pillow or sofa and it will fall to the floor. Another drawback we have to point out is that OnePlus hates telling you where the hardware buttons are. On OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, they have almost no backlighting. On the OnePlus X, they don’t have a backlight at all. It’s a little thing, but little things add up.
Compared to each other, the OnePlus X is definitely more premium looking. It’s heavier, made entirely of glass and metal, and features an AMOLED screen. There is a system-wide dark theme to help you save on battery, and some black touches in the UI like notification tint and a few other places just to help keep your screen bright. As a result, a kind of illusion is created that the entire front panel is the screen, and not just the center, which is nice.
However, when it comes to day to day use, things break down a bit. Both phones have gone through my battery of everyday tests and uses, handling games, web browsing, texting, music and video streaming, and reading with ease. Long term use of the Nexus 5X simply feels Android better than OxygenOS, and the large screen and soft buttons make a huge difference.
One thing OnePlus has nailed to the X is sound. LG has never opted for great speakers for its devices, and the built-in 5X stereo speakers mounted at the bottom are noisy and lack any bass or bass. The OnePlus X didn’t quite offer stellar audio (nothing compared to the beauty of the 6P), but it was at least more complete. Side by side X screamed 5X with richer and deeper sound. It doesn’t really matter if you’re plugging in headphones for listening on the go, but if you’re listening to music or watching movies without them, it makes a big difference.
However, the OnePlus X’s screen, even though bright and crisp, felt cramped compared to the Nexus 5X (as you can see in the photo above) and the text seemed large for affordable real estate. Reading on the 5X was just better, although the AMOLED X screen looks better. This is a big deal, especially when reading or playing games, which kind of proves that even in a one-handed world .2 ”can make a huge difference.
We also have to name a few other places that the OnePlus X is missing, making it comparatively painful to use: the lack of 5GHz Wi-Fi support is a bummer, especially if you have a dual-link router. It supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n. Pay attention to the lack of air conditioning? Compared to the Nexus 5X’s dual-band support and 802.11 b / g / n / ac networking, it just sucks. The OnePlus X supports Bluetooth 4.0 compared to Bluetooth 4.2 in the Nexus 5X. The lack of a fingerprint scanner and NFC on the OnePlus X means you won’t be using this phone for Android Pay or other interesting NFC projects . It boasts 3GB of RAM compared to the 2GB in the Nexus 5X, but I’ve never noticed a difference, even in the taxation of apps and games. This makes sense that OnePlus makes, which is, “Well, does it matter when you can get this beauty for $ 250?” Well, yes, we think so, but you can call yourself.
Battery life
Battery performance is extremely important to any phone, and let’s face it, the Nexus 5X beats the OnePlus X on this score, and not just because the battery is physically larger. First, the Nexus 5X takes advantage of Android Marshmallow’s “Doze” feature, which significantly increases battery life . OnePlus says a Marshmallow-based version of OxygenOS is coming soon, which should bring the same benefits to the OnePlus X.
The Nexus 5X has fast charging, which makes a huge difference when you only have a few minutes to connect between meetings, or when you’re getting ready to go after forgetting to charge overnight. The OnePlus X’s AMOLED display may look great, but it has both an advantage and a disadvantage – it consumes power when those pixels are on (and remember, AMOLED means the screen only illuminates the pixels when you need them) and without fast charging, it takes longer to get a good charge if you run out of charge.
All in all, I was able to discharge the Nexus 5X for a full day with moderate to heavy use, texting, emailing, reading the Internet, social media, and of course, listening to music and watching a few YouTube videos. If you’re busy and not using it much, you’ll be wearing this charge for much longer – Doze means the 5X uses almost no power on standby. With the OnePlus X, the story is similar to older Android phones – moderate to moderate use means you definitely want to charge at night while you sleep, while heavy use means you’re better off charging during the day or carrying a power bank with you.
Camera
Comparison of cameras is not a competition here either. The Nexus 5X has the same glass (mostly) as its larger cousin, the Nexus 6P. The OnePlus X’s 13MP rear camera is good, but it doesn’t keep up with what is generally considered one of the best Android cameras out there today. Don’t take my word for it, here are some examples of galleries you can check out for yourself:
Again, this is not side-by-side or anything like that. Again, you’ll find tons of photos, some of which are essentially the same shots, just by trying out every photo mode available. With the Nexus 5X, I captured a lot of bright low-light images, and with the OnePlus X, I spent some time shooting in well-lit rooms (and with a few low-light settings) just to get a cross-section of potential shots.
First of all, with the Nexus 5X, you will notice that the mode you shoot in makes a huge difference in image quality. Shooting in HDR +, especially in low light, produces beautiful, clear photos. However, shooting without it can produce strange and noisy results, and there is no better example like this one with HDR turned off and this one with . However, there is nothing to complain about with the 5X’s camera, especially at its price point. I already mentioned that expert shooters will need a third-party app that offers more tools and customization than Google’s default photography app, and that’s true. My only problem with the 5X is that it lacks Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), but the shutter speed is fast enough, you might not even miss it (unless you are shooting video, which is where you get great video, but better hold your breath for stable clips.)
On the OnePlus X, I didn’t have the camera issues that Gizmodo reported on their review unit , so the story isn’t as bad as there. Even so, the camera is no match for the Nexus 5X. This is bearable, but even its low price does not fully explain my lack of detail and difficulty in focusing on my shots. They’re especially good , they just aren’t impressive either. If you shoot Instagram, you probably won’t even notice the difference, but when you start shooting in low light, or really want detailed landscape shots, or want to turn your photo into a desktop wallpaper, you’ll notice. Likewise, for some reason, the feature-rich camera app from the OnePlus 2 is missing here. The X also lacks OIS and does not shoot 4K video (the Nexus 5X can.)
Verdict
So what is the bottom line here? Well, the winner of this confrontation is the Nexus 5X. It simply envisions the future of affordable phones, wrapped in pretty packaging that makes the right compromises to keep the price low but high performance. It’s not perfect, but it cuts the right angles and lets you shine with the features you want – the ones that matter to most people, like battery life, great camera, perfect size, and pure Android. It’s just a good buy if you’re looking for a relatively affordable phone with decent size options that is also pocket-friendly and easy to use with one hand.
On the other hand, the OnePlus X is n’t bad , but it’s gorgeous and well thought out hardware that I don’t think people should buy. If you don’t know this phone is already for you. OnePlus fans or people who want a premium feel, even if it doesn’t have premium features, will probably love it.
I can’t think of anyone who shouldn’t just spend that extra $ 80 and grab the Nexus 5X (or even the OnePlus 2 for that matter). That’s a shame too, because the OnePlus X is an amazing sight. beauty to keep and technically astonishing at what you can produce and sell at its price. It’s just generally built like a phone that costs two or three times its price tag. But that’s not the problem. The problem is, for the money you spend, even if you have it, you are simply making too many sacrifices that you will likely regret going on – sacrifices that the Nexus 5X does not. Add to that the fact that you’ll essentially have to wait in line to get one of these when you can get a much better device right now, and well, it’s a pretty simple solution.