Nexus 5X Preview: Specs, Release Date, Price - Everything You Need To Know About LG’s Android Marshmallow Smartphone

Google on Tuesday is widely expected to unveil two new Nexus smartphones, an updated Chromecast dongle and more details about Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The first of those smartphones is set to be called the Nexus 5X and will be an update to the original Nexus 5, which was released in 2013 and produced by South Korean company LG.

Ahead of the launch, here is a round-up of all the leaks, rumors and reports about all aspects of the new smartphone:

Nexus 5X: Design

As you can see in the press renders, obtained by Android Police, the Nexus 5X is not going to challenge the iPhone 6S or the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in terms of design. Like all Nexus smartphones to date, the Nexus 5X shell looks to be comprised of plastic, though that is not necessarily a bad thing, as the original Nexus 5 was a beautifully built smartphone.

The protruding camera enclosure on the rear will be a concern for some, but again the original Nexus 5 also had a protruding camera and this didn’t stop it from being a widely loved smartphone. The Nexus 5X is also set to be slimmer than the original which measured 8.6mm. According to a leaked listing on Amazon’s Indian website, the new Nexus will come in Quartz White, Charcoal Black or Icy Blue.

Nexus 5X: Screen

The Nexus 5X will reported feature a 5.2-inch screen with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is identical to the resolution on the original Nexus 5’s 5-inch screen. With smartphones now available with 4K displays, a Full HD resolution display may seem a little dated, but for most people this will still be sufficient.

Nexus 5X: Camera

The major gripe people had with the original Nexus 5 (and indeed all Nexus smartphones to date) was the poor image quality its camera produced. With LG set to be developing the Nexus 5X, people are hoping it will incorporate some of the technology from its flagship LG G4 smartphone.

Rumors says that a 13 megapixel sensor is housed in that prominent bump on the rear cover along with a wide f/1.8 aperture lens, LG’s advanced laser autofocus, optical image stabilization and a dual-LED flash.

Camera quality is -- along with battery life -- one of the most crucial aspects people consider when purchasing their smartphone and so getting this right will be key for the success of the Nexus 5X.

Nexus 5X: Processor, Fingerprint Scanner And Battery

Leaked spec sheets suggest the Nexus 5X will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 chipset with either 2GB or 3GB of RAM depending on which rumor you believe -- but either way, considering the relatively low resolution of the screen, this should be more than enough power to meet most demands. The Nexus 5X is set to be available in only 16GB and 32GB variants, with no option to upgrade via microSD, which could be a sticking point for some customers.

The Nexus 5X will also include a fingerprint scanner on the rear cover according to the leaked images of the device, which will work natively with Android for the first time in the Marshmallow update.

The battery is also set to get a boost from 2300mAh on the original to 2700mAh on the Nexus 5X, which should help get you at least a day’s use.

Nexus 5X: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Google unveiled Android M at it’s I/O conference in late May and has since confirmed that the sweet codename for Android 6.0 will indeed be Marshmallow. In August Google released the final Android 6.0 SDK to developers and a third (and final) Marshmallow software preview that can be loaded on Nexus devices.

As well as natively supporting fingerprint scanners for better security, Android 6.0 brings a range of additional features including more granular controls over app permissions and support for Android Pay. The overall look of the new operating system is very similar to Android 5.0 (Lollipop) which saw a pretty radical overhaul of the look of the world’s most popular mobile platform.

Nexus 5X: Price And Release Date

With a launch on Sept. 29, rumors suggest the smartphone be up for preorder on Oct. 13 in the U.S., which is around the same time last year’s Nexus 6 went on sale.

As regards pricing, it is expected that the 16GB version of the Nexus 5X will be in the same price bracket as the original which means around the $350 mark. This would put it in same category as Motorola’s recently released Moto X Pure, which costs $400 direct from the manufacturer. Expect a premium of at least $50 for the 32GB version.