SpecEagle review · Google

Nexus 5X review: The compact LG-built Nexus with a USB-C port and fingerprint reader.

SpecEagle Editorial·Sep 2015·$379
Overall
42/100
Class rank
#2 of 2
Tier
Mid-range
Buy?
Look elsewhere
The verdict, up front

The affordable 2015 Nexus — a good camera held back by 2 GB RAM.

The Nexus 5X paired the 6P’s camera with a compact, cheaper body. Just 2 GB of RAM aged it quickly; it is a legacy device now.

01Display

58/100

58/100 is one of the weaker display results among mid-range phones of 2015 — 7 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

TypeIPS LCD, 60 Hz
Size5.2 inches
Resolution1,920 × 1,080 px (424 ppi)
ProtectionGorilla Glass 3

02Camera

56/100

56/100 puts it above the 53-point average for mid-range phones of 2015.

Main12.3 MP, f/2.0, laser AF
Selfie5 MP, f/2.0
Video4K @ 30 fps
Features1.55µm large pixels

03Performance

36/100

36/100 is one of the weaker performance results among mid-range phones of 2015 — 17 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

ChipsetSnapdragon 808 (20 nm)
CPUHexa-core
GPUAdreno 418
RAM2 GB
Storage16 GB / 32 GB

04Battery

48/100

48/100 is one of the weaker battery results among mid-range phones of 2015 — 16 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

Capacity2,700 mAh
Wired15 W USB-C
WirelessNo

05Build

54/100

54/100 is one of the weaker build results among mid-range phones of 2015 — 12 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

06Value

50/100

50/100 trails the 55-point cohort average for mid-range phones of 2015.

What works
  • Compact and light at 136 g.
  • Same well-regarded 12.3 MP camera as the 6P.
  • Rear fingerprint reader and USB-C.
  • Clean stock Android.
What doesn't
  • Only 2 GB RAM — became sluggish with updates.
  • Mono speaker; plastic build.
  • Software ended at Android 8.
  • Discontinued.

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 2-phone cohort of mid-range devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .