Apple Shares New iPhone 6s Ads Focused on Cameras and Hey Siri
Apple has shared three new iPhone 6s television ads called The Camera, Crush and Flip a coin, the latter two starring musician and actor Jamie Foxx. The new ads continue Apple’s “the only thing that’s changed is everything” campaign, focusing on the improved cameras and hands-free Hey Siri functionality.
The Camera is a one-minute spot showing off new iPhone 6s camera features, including 3D Touch shortcuts for taking and sharing photos, Live Photos, Retina Flash and 4K video recording. It also features 1080p HD slow-mo video recording and groups of people taking selfies using the improved 5-megapixel FaceTime camera.
Crush is a shorter fifteen-second spot where Foxx is getting dressed in front of a mirror and asks, “Hey Siri how do I look,” to which Siri responds, “Judging from your voice, I’d say you must be fairly attractive.” The focus of the ad is on how “Hey Siri” allows for hands-free usage of Apple’s personal voice assistant on iPhone 6s.
Flip a coin is a similar fifteen-second spot that demonstrates hands-free Siri on iPhone 6s. Foxx is holding two movie scripts in his hand, contemplating which one to choose, before ultimately saying “Hey Siri flip a coin.” Siri responds with “Tails” and Foxx says “sci-fi western it is.”
Apple has released nearly three dozen ads for the iPhone 6s and Apple Watch over the past few weeks. Foxx starred in a similar iPhone 6s ad for 3D Touch earlier this month, while a series of Apple Watch ads have been released on two occasions focused on Apple Music, Apple Pay, Siri and messaging, fitness, maps and more.
Court orders TSA to set rules for full-body airport scanners
Did you think the Transport Security Administration was reckless when it started installing full-body scanners at airports several years ago? So did the Competitive Enterprise Institute — and the libertarian think tank just won a legal victory that could make the TSA clean up its act. In the wake of a lawsuit, the US Court of Appeals has ordered the TSA to finalize a rulemaking schedule for the scanners by November 22nd. The agency was supposed to have established rules for the scanners before it even installed them, but it has dragged its heels ever since — even a 2011 order to “promptly” establish rules didn’t do much. With this ruling, the TSA doesn’t have much of a choice.
Via: The Hill
Source: Competitive Enterprise Institute
Nexus 5X vs Moto X Style (Pure Edition)
Those looking for the best bang for as little buck as possible will find a plethora of options on the market these days. Today we take a look at the Nexus 5X and Moto X Pure Edition, a couple handsets that offer reasonably high-end specs but at a price range that isn’t too hard on the wallet. It’s almost a no-brainer to put these two head to head, as we know many of you are wondering which is the better deal.
Let’s jump right into the details and find out, shall we?
Design
Though there is only a slight price difference between these two handsets, a substantial contrast in design and materials is present. The Nexus 5X is a direct successor to the previous generation Nexus 5, something that is definitely apparent when taking a look at the plastic build. Those who loved the Nexus 5 design will feel right at home with the newer Nexus handset.
The Nexus 5X is super lightweight and provides great one-handed maneuverability. Thanks to its matte finish, rounded corners and tapered back, it also happens to be very comfortable to grip.
On the other hand, we have the Moto X, which is obviously the larger of the two, mostly thanks to its bigger display. Its metal frame gives it a rigid feeling you simply can’t achieve with plastic, while the curved body lets it rest comfortably in the hand. It’s not the best to operate one-handed, but its thin side bezels, small top and bottom chin make it surprisingly manageable. It’s nice to have a phone that doesn’t feel like a slippery soap bar, that’s for sure.
Nexus phones typically stick with traditional colors (black and white), but this time around Google threw in a new blue hue to spice things up a bit for Nexus 5X fans. That still pales in comparison to the endless options Moto Maker offers for the Moto X, though. Aside from all the usual colors, people can also opt for wood, leather, different colored accents, engravings and even special greetings. You can truly make the Moto X your own.
Display
The Nexus 5X and Moto X both use LCD technology, but the main difference here is the size of the panel. The Moto X screen is half an inch larger at 5.7 inches. Meanwhile, the Nexus 5X display is only 5.2 inches. Another important difference is the resolution in these screens. While the Nexus 5X conforms with a 1080p definition, the Moto X sports a nice QHD 2560x1440p panel.
But resolution is only part of the equation. It is true that some 1080p screens can be better than certain QHD ones, but this is not really the case here. While the Nexus 5X has good viewing angles and an overall enjoyable experience, it just doesn’t compare to what we see in Motorola’s contender. The Moto X screen is brighter, crisper and offers more vibrant colors. Not to mention the fact that it’s significantly larger, which makes it ideal for media consumption.
Neither have bad screens, but putting them side to side makes it pretty obvious who the winner is when it comes to display quality.
Performance
Taking a look at the internals, we see that the 5X and Moto X are actually quite similar. The 5X is running on a Snapdragon 808 processor with 2 GB of RAM. The Moto X has the same chipset, but you also get an extra gigabyte of RAM for a total of 3 GB. Regardless, the difference is small enough to not really notice a difference in performance. Both run stock Android (near stock in the case of the Moto X), which helps significantly in terms of fluidity and overall stability. It also helps that these phones are sold unlocked and not through traditional carriers, which gets rid of bloatware woes.
Just in case you are curious about benchmarks, Geekbench showed no real differences in how these two score, which pretty much falls in line with our experience. It’s no huge surprise, as they use the same processor, clocked at the same speed.
Hardware
A couple pieces of hardware make this year’s Nexus phone slightly superior. One of them is the addition of a USB Type-C port. This technology is reversible and makes life a whole lot easier. In a way, it’s one of those things you can’t let go of once you get a taste of what it brings. The downside is that the practical side of USB-C won’t be noticeable until more products adopt the new technology. To be honest, USB-C can be more of an inconvenience at this point, due to the lack of support.
The second key addition is the fingerprint reader in the Nexus 5X. The Moto X doesn’t sport one, and with these sensors becoming the norm, it’s a bit shocking Motorola opted for dismissing biometric authentication. The fingerprint sensor in the Nexus 5X is extremely fast and accurate. In fact, I would say it’s one of the best I have ever used. It’s a shame Motorola’s device won’t be able to take advantage of this new trend.
Alternatively, the Moto X does have the leg up in internal storage. You get 3 memory options: 16, 32 and 64 GB. On the other hand, the Nexus 5X only has 16 and 32 GB iterations. Furthermore, the Moto X also has support for microSD, a feature Google ditched long ago.
On the battery department, you are looking at a 2700 mAh battery on the 5X, which isn’t too bad, but it’s also not outstanding. Meanwhile, there’s a slightly bigger 3000 mAh battery in the Moto X. On paper, you’d expect a bigger difference, but that’s not really the case, at least right now.
Keep in mind the Nexus 5X takes advantage of Android 6.0’s Doze, which does offer much better standby time by putting your device in a deeper slumber when sleeping for longer periods of time. Once the Moto X gets its own taste of Doze technology, the Moto X might offer an advantage here — though the QHD display may still keep things pretty even.
Neither handsets feature wireless charging, but they do charge rather quickly. The Moto X takes advantage of Motorola’s TurboPower charger, while USB-C definitely speeds things up for the Nexus 5X. You will be up and running in no time if you plug in for just a little while.
Camera
It is common knowledge that Nexus phones have never been known for their cameras. Coincidentally, the same can be said about Motorola’s handsets. The good news is both Google and Motorola took things up a notch this year to make sure their flagships could keep up.
The Nexus 5X sports a brand new Sony-made 12.3 MP sensor, laser auto-focus, an f/2.0 aperture and a large 1.55 microns pixel size. On ther side, the Moto X takes advantage of a 21 MP sensor, phase detection auto-focus and a similar f/2.0 aperture. Neither have optical image stabilization, but in the 5X’s case, the improved sensor is said to make up for it.
The camera software isn’t spectacular in either case, but I do prefer the dedicated on-screen shutter button on Google’s camera app. It’s quicker, precise and more intuitive to use than Motorola’s tap-to-shoot method. In terms of launching the camera, they both have their quick ways of doing it: the Nexus 5X camera can be launched by double-tapping the power button, and Motorola’s phone applies the wrist-twisting gesture we know so well by now.
What about video? Both cameras can record 4K video and slow motion clips at 120 fps. I will say the 5X produces better colors and sharper video, but it gets much shakier when moving. The Moto X does produce more stable video.
Moto X camera samples
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 20%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Nexus 5X camera samples
#gallery-2
margin: auto;
#gallery-2 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 20%;
#gallery-2 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-2 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Overall, both cameras are great, but there are some key differences in the images they output. The 5X typically produces cooler images, as opposed to the warmer tones from the Moto X. Where the Nexus 5X does shine is in overall color reproduction and dynamic range. The colors are less vibrant in the Moto X, and I found the Nexus 5X is better at handling shadows and highlights.
Software
Of course, the biggest advantage of owning a Nexus phone is in the software, something that doesn’t change with the Nexus 5X, as it is one of the first phones to ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. And since it’s a Nexus, it will have no bloatware, a stock Android experience, and quick updates. The Moto X continues to be on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, but Motorola is generally good at updating its handsets. Especially with their flagships.
Aesthetically, the software experience between these two phones is practically identical. Not much really changed in terms of looks when Marshmallow was introduced. One of the few differences is in the app drawer, which now scrolls vertically. But you could do the same in the Moto X if you download the Google Now Launcher.
Obviously, the main differences will come thanks to Android 6.0, which introduces Google Now on Tap, granular app permissions, Doze and other handy features. These will all come to the Moto X at some point, but that is another advantage of going Nexus. You will always get the newest software before others!
The Moto X also has its own set of tricks under the sleeve. Moto X users are huge fans of Motorola’s touchless controls, extensive gestures and getting screen notifications when slightly moving the device. It’s a special experience in both cases; you just need to figure out your preferences.
Specifications
| Nexus 5X | Moto X Style (Pure Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.2-inch LCD display 1920 x 1080 resolution, 424ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
5.7-inch display Quad HD (2560×1440) resolution, 515 ppi |
| Processor | 2.0GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor | 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor |
| RAM | 2GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 16, 32GB | 32 or 64GB |
| MicroSD | No | Yes |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes | No |
| Camera | 12.3MP rear-facing camera 5MP front-facing camera |
21 MP rear-facing camera with dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Battery | Non-removable 2700mAh | Non-removable 3000mAh |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Dimensions | 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9mm, 136g | 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.1 mm, 179g |
Gallery
Price & conclusion
With the Nexus 5X starting at $379 and the Moto X at $400, the $21 difference really won’t be an important factor in your decision. They are both very affordable phones that offer great bang for your buck – you really can’t go wrong with either.
With that said, I would personally choose the Moto X Pure Edition. Customers get a larger display, higher resolution, better build quality, microSD support and a near stock experience, as well as enhancements from Motorola. Not to mention endless customization from Moto Maker.
Of course, the Nexus 5X has its awesome fingerprint reader, USB Type-C, stock Android and a great camera, but in terms of value I say the Moto X offers more bang for your buck.
Watch this iPhone screen protector heal scratches within a second
The folks who came up with the self-healing iPhone case is now back with something a lot more impressive. Innerexile’s earlier technology could repair light scratches within about half a minute (given the right temperature, that is), but the latest version can do the same within just a second! Seriously, you’d have to study very hard to witness that brief magical moment, which proved to be tricky in our bronze brush test video after the break. So what’s the secret sauce behind this new coating? Well, it’s dotted with microcapsules that contain an adhesive-like liquid, and when damaged, the liquid will fill the void so quickly that you probably won’t even realize you’ve just scratched your case or screen protector.
Source: Amazon (for iPhone 6/6s), (for iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus)
T-Mobile makes it free to call and text in and out of Mexico during Hurricane Patricia’s arrival
From now until November 7, T-Mobile is letting subscribers in the Mexico area receive and send texts and calls free of charge.
Hurricane Patricia is one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the western hemisphere. And to make sure everyone can stay in touch with their family and friends, T-Mobile is allowing all of their subscribers in Mexico to make calls and send texts for free during the impact period and recover stage. This includes T-Mobile, MetroPCS, GoSmart and Walmart Family Mobile brands. Meaning wherever you may be, it’s great to know that making a simple phone call or sending a message is free of charge. The offer is valid for all customers, even those on a prepaid plan. It’s too bad that other carriers won’t do the same.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile makes it free to call and text in and out of Mexico during Hurricane Patricia’s arrival
Talk Android Apps of the Week: October 25, 2015
It’s Sunday, the time of the week when Talk Android brings you a report on some of the very best applications we’ve been using over the course of the past seven days. Today we’re focusing our attention on an awesome aircraft-tracking tool, a fantastic plain text editing service, a reliable photo-editing platform and an incredibly addictive game.
Plane Finder
Have you ever looked up at the sky, spotted a plane and wondered where it’s headed? I know I certainly have. That’s why I decided to take to the Play Store to see if I could find a reliable app to lend a helping hand, and, lo and behold, I did. It’s called Plane Finder, it comes courtesy of Pinkfoot Limited and enables users to view a real-time map of aircrafts flying nearby.
As you’d expect from any aviation-orientated service, Plane Finder is filled to the brim with tons of exciting features — both simple and complex. My favourite being the facility to set filters for airlines, aircraft types, airports, altitude and speed. This means that I can instantly focus on the planes that are in close proximity to me, without having to scroll around looking for my current location on a map.
I found this app particularly useful recently when my grandmother was on her way to the Maldives, and I wanted to check on the progress of her flight. I simply opened up the app, input her travel details and within seconds I was presented with an icon depicting her plane flying over the coast of India.
I know what you’re thinking, and I completely agree. This is a very geeky app, but trust me when I say that it really is a lot of fun. If you’d like to see Plane Finder in action, be sure to take a look through the gallery below.
JotterPad
As a student and blogger, I have to do a lot of writing in plain text and markdown. While I like to get most of my work done on my computer, I frequently find myself sitting on trains for long periods of time. Time which could be used productively to get some of my tasks done, so recently I’ve been checking out apps that can assist me. That’s how I stumbled upon JotterPad.
The app features a minimalistic user interface with support for distraction-free editing, which means that you can focus your attention on your writing without being overwhelmed by tons of different features taking up the majority of your display. There’s even Dropbox integration (a pretty rare find in free apps), which gives you the ability to sync your documents between Android, iOS, OS X and Windows without having to pay a dime.
I can’t stress how amazing JotterPad is. It’s already saved me from missing a deadline or two in the very short time I’ve been using it. I honestly can’t see myself switching to a different service anytime soon. If I had to choose my favourite feature within this app, It would have to be its ability to let you color-code documents, making it incredibly easy to find just what you’re looking for.
Be sure to take a look through the gallery below to get a feel for all of JotterPad’s features.
Photoshop Express
Truth be told, I’ve never been one to edit images on either my smartphone or tablet. However, since installing Photoshop Express on my device last Sunday, I’ve become obsessed with making heaps of minor alterations to the images I’ve captured.
Prior to downloading this app, the only previous mobile photo manipulation experiences I’d had were using Snapseed and the default Photo Editor that ships on board the Galaxy S6, but they are both fairly basic.
Photoshop Express, on the other hand, gives you much more by way of functionality. Not only does it provide you with one-click tools to automatically fix your photos, but it also lets you take the reigns to crop, straighten, rotate, flip, color correct and render images so that they’re better suited to your personal preference. Once your editing is complete, you’ill be able to upload the images to your favourite social websites.
While the app is free to download, there is a premium pack available which gives you access to some additional filters and adjustments. These can be unlocked for $3.99, which is a fairly reasonable price to pay in order to have a fully-fledged editing suite on your mobile device.
To see Photoshop Express from all-angles, check out the gallery below.
Hook
The final app we’re looking at this week is one that I discovered a mere three days ago, but haven’t been able to close ever since. Hook is a minimalistic brain-training game, which requires you to solve complex pathway puzzles to get to the next level. As you progress through the title, new obstacles are introduced, like looped tubes, which make it incredibly difficult to follow the individual paths. Nevertheless, it’s still a great deal of fun.
Check it out in the gameplay video below:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Previous Apps of the Week editions:
- October 18, 2015
- October 11, 2015
- October 4, 2015
- September 27, 2015
- September 20, 2015
- September 13, 2015
- September 6, 2015
Come comment on this article: Talk Android Apps of the Week: October 25, 2015
The After Math: Go faster
It’s been a week filled with 30 to 40-year-old movie franchises, but other stuff happened, I swear. There is a new Cheap, cheap Segway pretender, a high-speed asteroid fly-by and more! Time may be relative, but TAM still comes in weekly installments. Halloween special? We didn’t say that.
Nexus 6P vs Nexus 5X
This year was pure bliss for Android purists, with two Nexus devices hitting market. One phone definitely doesn’t fit all, something Google learnt with the Nexus 6, a device that was significantly larger than most smartphones and came with a price tag that was heavier than usual.
We have been playing with both the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X for some time and are ready to put them face to face. These Nexus devices have plenty of differences, but the price is obviously the first that comes to mind. The Nexus 5X costs $379, while the Nexus 6P will set you back $499 – but will this make one of these phones better than the other? Let’s find out in our full comparison of the Nexus 6P vs Nexus 5X.
Related Videos
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Design
These smartphones come from the same family, but you would surely think one of them is adopted. They look nothing alike. And much of that is due to the fact that they are made by different manufacturers. Also, the “P” in Nexus 6P stands for premium, which will definitely make it a bit more high-end than the Nexus 5X. “Premium” is definitely the best way to describe the bigger, badder of these two products. Huawei managed to make a good-looking smartphone with a metal design that is ever so slightly curved on the back. Of course, things change once you take a look at the large and heavy top area that houses the camera and its accessories.
Some folks are not too fond of the black bar on the 6P, but it has really grown on us. After all, it actually serves a purpose; and since it’s covered in strong glass, it should hold up under normal usage. Below said bar you will find the fingerprint reader and the landscape-oriented Nexus logo, which does manage to look quite snazzy.
Looking around the phone we can find that the sides are nice and flat, giving the device a very nice grip. Regardless, the phone is still a bit too large for one-handed use. All the buttons are on the right side, and a USB Type-C port sits lonely at the bottom of the smartphone. We are still getting used to this new port, but it’s something that’s growing on us. Aside from being double-sided, this should make a huge impact on peripheral support and accessories.
Finally, there are two front-facing speakers: one above the screen and the other one below, with the 5.7-inch panel right in between them. Front-facing speakers are definitely a must for many of us. I still don’t know why manufacturers continue making phones without them at this point.
On the other hand (quite literally), we have the Nexus 5X made by LG. It’s not only made by a different manufacturer, but it falls under a different price range. For starters, the Nexus 5X is made completely of plastic, so no metal here. And though the black bar in the back is missing, the Nexus 5X’s camera optics do pop out a bit, creating that dreaded protruding camera bump. The fingerprint sensor and landscape Nexus logo are still on board. The general button layout and ports are also the same as with the Nexus 6P, with the only exception being that the 3.5 mm headset jack is located at the bottom of the 5X.
One complaint is that the front of the handset does sport only a single front-facing speaker right below the 5.2-inch display. The good news about this smaller display is that it makes the handset much easier to handle. And though it’s not made of sturdy metal, the soft plastic does manage to feel great in the hand, similarly to the original Nexus 5.
As you can see, these phones are quite different, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We will say the the exquisitely chiseled 6P looks better than the more generic plastic-clad 5X. But I also wouldn’t say the 5X’s plastic body makes it cheap, though. After all, it’s somewhat similar to the previous-gen Nexus 5, and that phone was loved by many. It just happens to be a phone of essentials. No bells or whistles.
Does this mean the Nexus 6P is trying too hard? Certainly not. The high quality build will be familiar to Nexus fans, and it goes in line with Google’s philosophy. Just lifting the device evokes a pleasant emotion, and this phone has everything it needs to give you the best Google has to offer.
Display
Talking about premium – this Nexus 6P display is gorgeous. The 5.7-inch AMOLED panel touts a Quad HD resolution (2560×1440), which emits vibrant colors, deep blacks and steep saturation, something we can expect from high-quality AMOLED screens. Text is obviously amazingly sharp, and media is a pleasure to view.
What about the Nexus 5X display? I have always said a good 1080p panel trumps a bad QHD screen, but there are obvious differences in this case. While a Full HD resolution works just fine for most uses, there’s an obvious difference in color reproduction here. The Nexus 5X looks a bit washed, so to speak. Colors are simply not as vibrant, and this can be mostly due to the AMOLED display doing a better job of displaying black levels, which help with contrast and ultimately make colors pop better.
The spec hungry will need a larger screen and overall higher-end specs. Without a doubt, the Nexus 6P does provide a better experience. And it’s not even about the resolution.
Performance
The Nexus 6P obviously brings the best performance to the table, in this case, featuring a powerful Snapdragon 810 processor and 3 gigabytes of RAM. It has what it takes to compete against the best of the best, and quite frankly, there is very little we can do to slow it down. Going through every single part of the phone was a breeze.
In contrast, the Nexus 5X features a Snapdragon 808 chipset with 2 gigabytes of RAM. Given the demands that Android can have on the system, more RAM has become the standard and 2 gigabytes seems like the bare minimum at this point. With that in mind, the 5X is still capable of providing a great daily experience.
When you put these phones side to side though, there is a noticeable difference. We would say the Nexus 5X is a couple steps behind the Nexus 6P. It’s not a huge difference, but it just may be enough to sway some of you from one device to the other.
Hardware
This part is interesting, because much of what makes the Nexus experience has been put in both gadgets. The lower-end Nexus 5X still enjoys the benefits of the fast fingerprint reader, Nexus Imprint and awesome camera. Is there anything in which the Nexus 5X falls short, though? The speaker set-up has to be the main concern. But at the very least the single front-facing speaker LG opted for has a nice soundgate, though it could use more volume.
Battery is another point of contention – the smaller 2700mAh battery in the Nexus 5X is not made to go for long periods of time, but we did find it does much better than the older Nexus 5. We can probably thank Doze for this, which puts the phone in a deeper slumber when in sleep for extended periods of time. Overall, you should be able to get a full day of juice, but this is not great compared to the Nexus 6P.
The larger Nexus comes with a massive 3450mAh battery, allowing us to experience battery life times that go well over a full day. We managed to get over 4 hours of screen on time during our tests, without even trying to save battery.
In addition, the dual front-facing speakers provide a loud stereo experience. Once again, the Nexus 6P is simply the better of the two.
Both phones offer the USB Type-C port, which is very convenient, but does come with its downsides. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge solutions are no longer available, for one. Charging is still pretty quick, though, with both phones reaching 0% to 100% in under 90 minutes.
Finally, we have to mention that we love the circular fingerprint readers in these handsets. These are literally some of the best performers we have ever used. They are not only easy to set up, but are also a breeze to use. One can wake and unlock the devices in no time. Using these sensors really do feel like second nature, and you can have your phone ready to go in the very motion it takes to take it out of your pocket.
Camera
Perhaps the best news in terms of these phones’ similarities is the camera, which is the same in both cases. These Nexus handsets have a 12.3MP sensor that Google claims is better at registering more amounts of light. Aside from the better sensor and improved optics, these handsets also tout laser auto-focus, which makes focusing faster.
The app also brings great auto interface, but we must say the software lacks in terms of manual controls. HDR+, Photo Sphere, Panorama and Lens Blur modes do all the work on their own; all you have to do is point and shoot.
4K UHD recording is also available, as is 120 and 240 fps slow motion, though that would be recorded at 720p. What I do love is that Google has added a way to quickly launch the camera by double tapping the power button.
After some testing, we have found the images are actually very detailed. The Nexus line-up has never been known for having great cameras, so it’s definitely pleasant to see this change with the 6P and 5X. Low light performance is quite good, and HDR does a good job at keeping lighting uniform.
All in all we have a good time with these cameras despite the omission of optical image stabilization, which is most felt when shooting video – in photos, it might have been a good boost but hasn’t felt like a huge gap.
Software
You can’t go wrong with Nexus software, right? I mean, these phones offer a pure Google experience, which means the software will be as clean and simple as they get. You also get the benefit of enjoying the latest and greatest Android version, which is 6.0 Marshmallow.
One of the main differences you will find is within the app drawer, which now scrolls vertically, as opposed to horizontally. There’s also a row of favorite apps added to the top of the drawer, which is great for accessing your 4 most used applications. The flashiest addition to Android 6.0 is definitely Google Now on Tap, though. This software addition looks at what is displayed on the screen and pulls related information on the fly. You can easily access it by pressing and holding the power button. The service might be a little off at times, but overall it works great with text (not so much with images).
Other significant additions are Nexus Imprint, Doze, granular app permissions and more.
Specifications
| Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.7-inch AMOLED display 2560 x 1440 resolution, 518ppi |
5.2-inch LCD display 1920 x 1080 resolution, 424ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor | 2.0GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB |
| Storage | 32, 64, 128GB | 16, 32GB |
| MicroSD | No | No |
| Networks | GSM 850/1900 W-CDMA 2/4/5 CDMA 0/1/10 LTE Band 2/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/41 |
GSM 850/1900 W-CDMA 2/4/5 CDMA 0/1/10 LTE Band 2/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/41 |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 12.3MP rear-facing camera 8MP front-facing camera |
12.3MP rear-facing camera 5MP front-facing camera |
| Battery | Non-removable 3450mAh | Non-removable 2700mAh |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Dimensions | 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm, 178g | 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9mm, 136g |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
This time around price is much less of an issue compared to other years, this is because Google’s offerings now include both an affordable and a high-end option. The Nexus 5X costs $379. On the other hand, a bigger battery, faster processor and superior build is still quite reasonably priced at $499.
We have to tip our hats to Google for bringing the best high-end Nexus they have ever put together, yet they also made a lot of Nexus 5 fans happy with the 5X. Those grabbing the mid-end device will have an amazing experience, but if what you want is to be on the cutting edge, the Nexus 6P is the obvious option. The Nexus 6P is incredible, the Nexus 5X is essential. Assess your needs, take your pick, and you can enjoy the best that Google has to offer in this year’s two great Nexus offerings.
What are your thoughts? Would you choose the Nexus 6P or the 5X? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Buy the Nexus 6P from the Google Store
Buy the Nexus 5X from the Google Store
(3) Nexus 6P Smartphones international giveaway!
Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone or tablet each and every Sunday.
A big congratulations to last week’s winner of the Nexus 6P giveaway: Sumith J. (India).
This week we have a special halloween giveaway sponsored by DU Battery Saver where we are giving away 3 Nexus 6P smartphones.
Wishing you could get a bit more life out of your phone in between charges? Du battery Saver is a free app designed to help you make the most out of your phone’s battery. The app not only can detect battery-hungry apps that are running in the background, and give you the tools to close them, it also has a variety of different power management modes baked in. Using Du’s “Optimize” feature, the app will even scan your phone and will present you with further options on how you could potentially enhance your battery life. You can learn more about Du Battery Saver, as well as the pro version with extra features, here.
How to enter the giveaway:
I think we’ve all had a time where we desperately needed our phone and our batteries dies. We want to hear your story, you can earn tickets into the giveaway by sharing your low battery horror stories on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #LowBattHorrors. You can also earn extra tickets by following BaiduMobile on Twitter & Facebook, downloading DU Battery Saver and sharing the giveaway with your friends.
Join Now!
3 Huawei Nexus 6P Smartphones Giveaway!
https://js.gleam.io/e.js
More Giveaways in October:
Winners Gallery
Winners Gallery on Google+
Terms & Conditions
- The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
- If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- You must be age of majority in your Country of residence.
- We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
- Only 1 entry per person, do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- This giveaway is operated by Android Authority.
- The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: superdogs and a cave museum
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
So far Elon Musk has created next-gen spacecraft and some of the world’s best electric cars — could a futuristic airplane be next? This past week, Musk announced that he’d like to build a “pretty cool supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing electric jet.” In other transportation news, automakers had a Back to the Future field day last week. Stanford rolled out a self-driving DeLorean; Toyota showcased a special Mirai with gull-wing doors and a flux capacitor; and students built an all-electric version of Doc Brown’s time-traveling car. A sleek solar-powered car won the World Solar Challenge by rocketing across the Australian Outback in four days. And we took a test-drive of the all-new, completely rebuilt 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which just hit the market in California.
AIVAnet 