Google Phone on the move

Google may make its own phone, and it wouldn't be a Nexus

Just days after we heard rumours that Google is planning to manufacture its own mobile chips for Android devices, the same source is reporting that Google may jump into the phone market as well.
New rumours reported by the Information suggest Google is thinking about joining the phone market – something it has never done directly.

After all, why just build a chip when you have the incentives and pockets deep enough to build the whole phone?

Not just chips, the whole meal

Such a move would be an interesting change of direction for the company – it sold Motorola to Lenovo last year, seemingly doing away with its phone hardware business.

Currently the closest thing Google has to its own phones is the Nexus line. These handsets contain vanilla versions of Google's Android software, but the actual hardware is still manufactured by third parties – in the case of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, LG and Huawei respectively.
If Google does decide to go down the phone-making route it will have to be careful to manage its relationships with existing Android manufacturers such as Samsung.
It could be a smart move for Google though, as it could mean that hardware and software teams could work more closely together to create devices that don't just make better use of the hardware, but also provide an Android experience that's exactly how Google intends it to be.

Nexus 5X review

Our Verdict

You can operate Google's compact Nexus 5X with one hand – and it has a smaller price, too, compared with the metal Nexus 6P. Its fingerprint sensor and USB-C port take some getting used to, but it's ultimately a future-proofed phone everywhere but its memory.
INTRODUCTION AND THE DESIGN
What's the sound of one hand clapping? It's a Nexus 5X owner giving praise to Google and LG for remaking their palm-friendly Android phone while effortlessly holding it in the other hand.
Yes, the new Nexus for 2015 comes in two sizes, and this 5.2-inch phone is for those non-giants out there who literally can't handle a 5.7-inch Nexus 6P or last year's 6-inch Nexus 6 phablet.

 
Meaty paws need not apply, and neither does a big budget. The Nexus 5X starting price is $379 (£339), a deal for an Android with adequate power. The larger Nexus 6P costs $499 (£449) and Nexus 6 started at $650 (£499).

The Nexus 5X is more than just a normal-sized phone at a smaller price. Its 12.3MP camera is able to capture quality low-light photos, and the specs are fast enough for most people.
Its reversible USB Type-C port provides quicker charging, its fingerprint sensor is yet another way to effortless unlock your phone, and it's pre-loaded with Android Marshmallow.
Compromises and competition mean Nexus 5X isn't for everyone. The Nexus 6P requires two hands, but it isn't a stretch to hold in one, making its size difference tighter and all-metal design and more powerful specs tempting.

The Nexus 5X, made of plastic, also faces stiffer competition than the Nexus 5 did two years ago, namely from the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4 and iPhone 6, all on our best phones list.
Easy-to-hold, priced right and feature-packed, this is the Nexus 5 reborn as the Nexus 5X. But two years have gone by. Is it still a worthy stock Android phone? Let's dive into the review.

Design

The Nexus 5X looks and feels like the Nexus 5 adapted for modern times. It's lightweight and, with a 5.2-inch display, my fingers can barely reach all the way across the screen.
It appropriately pushes the limit of a one-handed phone with dimensions of 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm, making it taller and broader, but ultimately skinnier than the phone from two years ago.
That's exactly what I want. A screen size that's maximized, but still operable in one hand. The 5X strikes the right balance, and it's light, too, at 136g. That's a modest gain from 130g.

I don't exactly want a camera bulge around back, which is what happened to the center-located rear snapper, but I'd rather have that than a weaker camera. It's a fair trade-off.
Thankfully, the camera protrusion isn't as significant as we saw in leaked prototypes, and it at least gives us a landmark when trying to find the new, oddly-placed fingerprint sensor on back.
The 5X owes its lightweight design to LG sticking to a polycarbonate back and thin metal frame. This bucks the trend of moving away from plastic and going with all glass or strictly aluminum.

For this reason, it doesn't feel different from the hard plastic of the Nexus 5, although you won't find the soft touch coating of the black Nexus 5 here. It's more of an egg shell texture.
There are three Nexus 5X colors again, but this time it's Carbon Black, Quartz White and Ice Blue, doing away with red from two years ago. All three come with a black front, however.
This makes my white Nexus 5X review unit look like a delicious ice cream sandwich more than a phone. While not as stylish as Motorola's curved Moto X design, it's mostly flat and functional.
In fact, the only glaringly impractical design choices here are the power button and volume rocker located on the right side. They're small, feel cheap and the power button isn't riveted.

That's a design choice I appreciate in recent phones like the Moto X Style and Nexus 6P. At night, it's easier to tell a power button accent with rigids from a smooth volume rocker.
There is a pulse notification light here. It hasn't been omitted, it's just tucked inside the speaker grill located at the bottom front of the phone and, rudely, turned off by default.
Whether or not you're ready, the Nexus 5X includes the USB-C port on the bottom of the frame instead of micro USB, and it's joined by a never-changing 3.5mm headphone jack.
As future-proof as this Android phone tries to be, it doesn't take advantage of Gorilla Glass 4 like the Nexus 6P does. Instead, it sticks to Gorilla Glass 3 like the curved LG G4.

The LG G4 gets away with this in my book because of its protective, curved design. The Nexus 5X has only a small lip around its display bezel, so you may want to opt for a case.
Luckily, the Google Play Store is ready in this department. I'm more of a fan of the official Nexus 5X cases with a microfiber back and what looks like the Amazon Web Service logo (awkward).
I have this official Nexus 6P case, but got stuck with the Speck CandyShell case for my 5X. It has military grade drop protection, but really drives the point home that it's unflattering rubber.