Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: What's the rumoured difference?

By: BRITTA O’BOYLE for Pocket Lint.

Google is set to launch a couple of new devices on 4 October, both of which are reported to be made by HTC and both of which will be the poster boys for Android Nougat. Traditionally they would have fallen under Nexus branding, but this year it looks like Google will be opting for Pixel branding instead.

The two devices were originally codenamed Sailfish and Marlin, but more recently they have been known as Pixel and Pixel XL and we have seen plenty of leaks grace the internet surrounding them.

This is how the Google Pixel compares to the Nexus 5X, based on the speculation.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Design

The Nexus 5X is a small and compact device that has a polycarbonate rear available in three colour options. It measures 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm and weighs just 136g. There is a fingerprint sensor on the rear, USB Type-C for charging and it is made by LG.

The Google Pixel is reported to be the smaller of the two reported devices made by HTC. Based on the leaked renders, it looks like it will sport a mostly metal build, with a third of the rear featuring a glass panel at the top with a fingerprint sensor sitting within this section.

There also appears to be a deep chamfer at the edges, like the HTC 10 offers, but there doesn’t appear to be any HTC branding, with just a “G” for Google sitting at the bottom of the rear.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Display

The Nexus 5X has a 5.2-inch display that features a Full HD resolution for a pixel density of 423ppi. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

The Google Pixel is rumoured to be coming with a slightly smaller 5-inch display that is also said to offer a 1920 x 1080 resolution for a pixel density of 440ppi.

If this is the case, the Pixel should offer a sharper image than the Nexus 5X thanks to the increase in pixels per inch, though the difference won’t be noticeable to the human eye. We’d expect Gorilla Glass 3 again, if not perhaps Gorilla Glass 4.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Camera

The Nexus 5X has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera, coupled with a 5-megapixel front camera. Both have an aperture of f/2.0 and the rear camera comes with IR laser-assisted auto-focus, along with a dual flash.

A benchmark leak for the Google Pixel has suggested a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. That would mean a slightly higher resolution than what is reported for the Pixel XL’s rear camera though so take this with a pinch of salt for now.

The Pixel XL is rumoured to come with a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, which is the same as the Nexus 6P in terms of resolution. Last year, the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X had the same rear camera but the Nexus 6P offered a higher resolution on the front.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Hardware

The Nexus 5X has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, supported by 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. There is a 2700mAh battery running the show, charged via USB Type-C as we mentioned previously.

The Google Pixel is thought to be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has been claimed the battery will increase to 2770mAh and USB Type-C will once again be on board.

The Nexus line has never offered microSD support within its devices so we don’t expect that to change for the Pixel range.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Software

The Nexus 5X launched on Android Marshmallow, while the Google Pixel will arrive on Android Nougat, more specifically Nought 7.1, which steps up a point and offers a slightly different experience to the Android Nougat that is already publicly available.

Nexus devices have always offered a vanilla Android experience meaning there is no bloatware and are updated to the latest software almost immediately after its release. This will no doubt be the same for Pixel devices, despite the name change.

We know quite a bit about Android Nougat already thanks to it already being available, although there have been a couple of other rumours surrounding Pixel and Pixel XL’s software. Reports suggest we might see a new launcher and a new gesture for opening notifications with the fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: Conclusion

Based on the speculation, it looks like the Google Pixel will be a little smaller than the Nexus 5X, but improve on its hardware and performance, including a faster processor and larger battery. It also looks like it will offer a more premium design.

We know the Pixel will launch with Android Nougat 7.1 and it will more than likely arrive on 4 October, but everything else is still up in the air.

We will continue to update this features as more leaks and information appears so keep your eye out.