Shootout - Google Nexus 5X vs. iPhone 6S
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - I’ve been running around for the past few days shooting photos and videos on the new Google Nexus 5X phone, which Google says has its best camera ever.
Now beyond the snaps, which we’ll get to in a minute, the Nexus 5X is one of the great bargains in tech, a Google Android showcase with the latest bells and whistles that sells for $375, without a contract. This compares to $650 for the entry-level iPhone 6S.
The previous Nexus 5 was beloved by Android fans for the great specs and low price--it originally sold in 2013 for $350 without a contract.
But about the camera--the new model has a 12 megapixel front-facing camera, with larger pixels than on the previous Nexus 5, and a larger screen. It’s 5.2 inches, compared to the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 and 6S.
In my shootout tests, the photo results are nearly identical to the iPhone 6S, which is generally considered to have the best smartphone camera out there. Considering that many critics thought the previous Nexus 5 had a so-so camera, Google has greatly improved the playing field here.
However, while the snaps are great, there’s shutter lag, which I haven’t seen on the iPhone. And for video, the 5X just isn’t up to par with the iPhone. It doesn’t have the built-in image stabilization that makes your shots steady, or fun gimmicks like timelapse.
But if you’re just looking to save money, only care about terrific snapshots, a big, beautiful screen and the latest in state of the art Android, you might want to take a good look at the Nexus 5X.
Follow Paste BN tech columnist and #talkingtech host Jefferson on Twitter, where he's @jeffersongraham and listen and watch his daily tech reports here and on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and SoundCloud.