Nexus 6 vs 5x - need help choosing

Feb 4, 2012
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Hello,

I need to get a new phone that is compatible with Fi. At this point, I'm looking at the 5x 32gb or the N6 64gb. I'm coming from a six month old LG G4 and a Note 3 before that. Large screen phones don't scare me off. I have small hands and I almost never use it one-handed, even with little feature phones "back in the day".

Here's my initial thinking. I don't want to pay full price for a $650 6 month old phone that will be replaced in the fall or I'd get a 6p. If they were as discounted as the G4 was this far into it's release cycle, I'd consider it. But I think at this point, the upgrade is worth waiting for at those prices. So, I'd definitely be looking at the N6 if the 5x hadn't just gone on a great sale for Fi users. So, pricing wise, I'm looking at $249 for a 32gb 5x or around $335 for a 64gb N6.

My concerns are around a couple of things:
2gb RAM vs 3gb. I'm an admittedly heavy user with many apps open at the same time and regularly, 100+ tabs in Chrome. I have a lot of apps installed (maxed out my 32gb Note 3 w/ microSD but still have some usable space on my G4 w/microSD) and use my phone for loads of things from the usual email, browsing, phone, text to home automation and LifeLine (emergency medical help). Obviously, in lab settings, 3gb vs 2gb RAM will have obvious "more is better" outcomes. But what about real day-to-day usage? How much difference will I see in the 2gb 5x and 3gb N6? I'm concerned enough about it that I'm taking the time to ask, research and consider both phones.

My second concern about the 5x is storage space. I can use cloud storage and get creative on an OTG USB drive/SD card reader for some things and when I'm in WiFi, I'll upload to the cloud. But I am concerned about taking photos, video, etc and having enough space on my phone. This will be the first time ever that I've not had both microSD and removable battery. How much of a problem do you foresee this being for me to make the switch to 32gb rather than 64gb?

Third concern about the 5x is the screen. I currently have a 5.5" display so going to 5.2" isn't going to be a big deal. But QHD vs HD may make a difference. In terms of everyday reading, video, browsing, other media consumption in indoor, outdoor and nighttime situations, how will these two screens differ? Obviously, the N6 PPI is much more dense and AMOLED adding more complications to the situation.

Fourth concern is against the N6 and that is the camera. The G4 has an absolutely phenomenal camera and I adore it. It has grabbed so many fantastic pictures and was an incredible upgrade from the Note 3. I realize that things could be somewhat preference based but how much worse is the N6 camera to both the 5x (same as the 6p from my understanding) and especially the N6?

I'm assuming battery life will work out to be about the same between the two.

32bit N6 vs the 64bit 5x? When will we expect to see an appreciable difference in not having a 64bit processor? How quickly are things moving to the new platform?

Resale value by the end of the year. This is another concern for me. If I want to purchase a new Nexus device in the fall, I'll obviously want to sell my current one. Give the assumed pricing of the N6 at $335+/- and the 5x at $249, which one will I be able to get the most out of for what I put in it? And, if you feel the 5x will significantly hold it's value better, do you think the trade-offs listed above will be too annoying or rather livable for the next 6-8 months?

This would probably be an easier decision towards the N6 if I could find one of the $299 deals for the 64gb size that were available back in Nov, Dec and again in Jan. But, I haven't seen anything like that for now. I wish budget didn't enter into but it does, especially with ongoing medical issues. I really am torn between the newer lower spec'd device and the older high end flagship that still out specs it. I could really use some advice and expertise from people who own at least one of the phones. I hope this is the best place to post this. If I should also post in the 5x forums and would get additional helpful info, I can easily do that. I know some forums frown on "double posting" but I'm not sure I can get the full perspective without that. The large size/smaller size won't really affect me. I know some felt the N6 too large but I use a bag, almost never pockets, so I don't care how actually "pocketable" the device is. If the 5x turns out to be the better value and you feel will perform adequately enough, I'm sure I'll be fine with that size, too. Any knowledge and insight you could share that would help me out of this quandary would be incredibly helpful. Thanks so much!
 

SactoKingsFan

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I went with the N6 for the larger screen, better battery life (6+ hrs SOT over full day), more storage, wireless charging and dual front speakers. The N6 camera is fine but don't expect good low light pics. Only issue I've had with the N6 is the screen not being very bright in sunlight, but there's a high brightness mode that can be enabled with a widget.
 

jmarkey77

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I went with the N6 for the larger screen, better battery life (6+ hrs SOT over full day), more storage, wireless charging and dual front speakers. The N6 camera is fine but don't expect good low light pics. Only issue I've had with the N6 is the screen not being very bright in sunlight, but there's a high brightness mode that can be enabled with a widget.

How do you do that? The widget thing.
 

Lepa79

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Amazing deal now on 5x with project file. Yes, N6 is a great phone, but with finger print scanner, amazing camera, and upgrades beyond Android N for $250 32gb. You can't possibly go wrong. I got one in addition to my Nexus 6p. See my post here

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3332770

I think the latest March upgrade fixed a lot of issues and people are happy with 5x. I honestly been using it for just couple days and it's as smooth as my Nexus 6P. I don't like having tons of apps open in the background, so I always clear things out but I honestly feel the phone is very smooth and fast. It's not an easy choice but for $250 32gb on project fi, you can easily sell it back the same price you bought it at.
 

ElronTheElder

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The Nexus 6 is a higher end phone.
CPU 2.7GHz vs 1.8GHz, GPU 420 vs 418
4 higher clocked cores beats more cores in everyday usage.
5X will be getting newer software longer into the future......
N6 is getting long in the tooth....[ in cell phone years ]
I keep coming back to my N6 and it doesn't "feel" slow.
Tough call.
 

PhiPsi32

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Feb 21, 2011
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Flip a coin really. If you only expect to keep the handset 6-9 months go with the least expensive option. For resale, the 5X will be the better option. The fingerprint scanner is desirable and the 5X has longer software support from Google.
 

delrey1900

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I loved my short time with the N6. It was short lived cause it had a hard time getting and maintaining signal with t-mobile. It's unfortunate cause it was a superior phone to my current V10. I was in a similar boat as you, except I went with the V10.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

ElronTheElder

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....... It was short lived cause it had a hard time getting and maintaining signal with t-mobile.....

Posted via the Android Central App

Really?
My [prior] Nexus 6 was great with signal.
Went with the T-M version MM [flashed] and it used Wi-Fi...
Carrier started charging Wi-Fi calls against my minutes, but that''s another story.
Moto has a pretty good rep regarding Antenna/signal.
 

ljfong

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Nexus 6 has qi wireless charging. Nexus 5X does not. That is the biggest difference as far as I am concerned.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

jj14x

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2gb RAM vs 3gb. I'm an admittedly heavy user with many apps open at the same time and regularly, 100+ tabs in Chrome. I have a lot of apps installed (maxed out my 32gb Note 3 w/ microSD but still have some usable space on my G4 w/microSD) and use my phone for loads of things from the usual email, browsing, phone, text to home automation and LifeLine (emergency medical help). Obviously, in lab settings, 3gb vs 2gb RAM will have obvious "more is better" outcomes. But what about real day-to-day usage? How much difference will I see in the 2gb 5x and 3gb N6? I'm concerned enough about it that I'm taking the time to ask, research and consider both phones.
If you are keeping 100+ tabs open, it is highly unlikely that the OS is keeping all of that in active RAM. In the background, the OS is moving them back and forth from RAM to storage to RAM, depending on what app you are actively using.
The only time that it will really matter is if you are playing a large game, and then switch out to other apps for a while, and then come back to the game - you will likely see it reload (on the 5x or on the 6). For Email/phone/web-browsing/etc type of activities, the fact that that the OS has to move from RAM to storage to RAM will not make any noticeable difference.

My second concern about the 5x is storage space. I can use cloud storage and get creative on an OTG USB drive/SD card reader for some things and when I'm in WiFi, I'll upload to the cloud. But I am concerned about taking photos, video, etc and having enough space on my phone. This will be the first time ever that I've not had both microSD and removable battery. How much of a problem do you foresee this being for me to make the switch to 32gb rather than 64gb?
That will depend on your personal taste. I have a 64GB N6, and take a decent amount of photos/videos. But as soon as I get back home, those are auto-uploaded to G+, and once a week or so, I clean those out of my phone. So, it doesn't bother me much. The N6 can record video at 4k resolution, and pictures upto 13M in size. So, if you are using those high settings, and take a month long vacation, and have no way to offload the pictures from your phone, you may run into space issues. But USB OTG is a good option (I always carry one with me)

Third concern about the 5x is the screen. I currently have a 5.5" display so going to 5.2" isn't going to be a big deal. But QHD vs HD may make a difference. In terms of everyday reading, video, browsing, other media consumption in indoor, outdoor and nighttime situations, how will these two screens differ? Obviously, the N6 PPI is much more dense and AMOLED adding more complications to the situation.
I have not noticed any appreciable difference between the two screens (I have a N6, and my co-worker has the 5x, and another one has the 6p) - given that the phone is used for media consumption, there isn't really much of a noticeable difference. I'm sure there are folks that will be able to tell the difference - I can't.

Fourth concern is against the N6 and that is the camera. The G4 has an absolutely phenomenal camera and I adore it. It has grabbed so many fantastic pictures and was an incredible upgrade from the Note 3. I realize that things could be somewhat preference based but how much worse is the N6 camera to both the 5x (same as the 6p from my understanding) and especially the N6?
The N6 takes really nice pictures (except in low-light - without flash, pictures turn out dark, and with flash, red-eye is bad). In reasonable lighting, it takes really nice pictures. From what I've read, I don't think the 5x camera is too much of an improvement - the 6p on the other hand seems to have really good low-light pictures too. Nothing beats Samsung's current generation devices. I don't know how these compare to the G4

32bit N6 vs the 64bit 5x? When will we expect to see an appreciable difference in not having a 64bit processor? How quickly are things moving to the new platform?
No idea. For now, I have not come across any instance where I've felt that a 64bit device would have performed better than the N6. But your usage may differ.

Resale value by the end of the year. This is another concern for me. If I want to purchase a new Nexus device in the fall, I'll obviously want to sell my current one. Give the assumed pricing of the N6 at $335+/- and the 5x at $249, which one will I be able to get the most out of for what I put in it? And, if you feel the 5x will significantly hold it's value better, do you think the trade-offs listed above will be too annoying or rather livable for the next 6-8 months?
The N6 often goes for 299 new at amazon, and is usually available on ebay (used) for about 215 or so. By the end of the year, with the next generation Nexus devices out, expect the used device price to drop further.

Nexus 5x is currently available for new Fi subscribers at a discounted price (till Apr 7)
https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#supported-devices-3
"For a limited time, Project Fi is offering a discount of $150 off our normal price for the Nexus 5X, with activation required. If you purchase a Nexus 5X from fi.google.com, the discounted price will automatically apply during checkout. You must then activate Fi service on the same account within 30 days of device shipment, or an additional $150 will be charged to your Google Payments account to match the full price of the device. "
 

NiallTheStyle

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There are some pretty heavy discounts on the 6P now. Does that change things for you? I've had a 5X and a 6P and honestly, while the 5X is a fantastic phone, you do feel the lack of RAM sometimes. Not a lot, mind you, but from time to time recent apps will take a second or two extra to load and I've had a few homescreen redraws as well. Nothing too major though, and not something that ever bothered me too much, but switching to the 6P I've not had any issues whatsoever and the phone runs like a dream.

If you can go for the 6P I'd definitely recommend you do that, so long as the size isn't an issue for you (which I'm assuming it's not seeing as you're considering a 6). Otherwise, between a 6 and a 5X I'd have to go with the 5X. The screen looks a lot better and the camera is significantly better. Even if you don't use your camera a lot it's still nice to be able to trust it for those moments when you do need it to perform.
 

LeoRex

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I've owned a N6, G4, 6P, 5X AND a S7 (some used by my wife).... and have obsessed over the little things on all of them.

The 5X or the N6... the answer all depends on your usage. If you were a heavy gamer, I would opt for the Nexus 6... the additional RAM, screen resolution and more powerful GPU help you out there. And the SD805 is a beast when it comes to high CPU loads over an extended amount of time. With the camera... this one's a big tricky though. The 5X takes better pictures, hands down. Really, there isn't much of a fight, either. The newer Nexus has a much larger sensor and everything from pixel level detail to dynamic range is improved. But, and here's the rub, there's a weird shutter latency of around 300ms on the 5X that I can't get past... my 6P will take a pic the instant I hit that button. But the 5X? Takes a tick before it fires.

But that is, 100%, a software issue... as it only affects the Google Camera and not third party shooters. Maybe it'll be addressed in another performance and bug fix update looming on the horizon. Now, I know, use the other apps, but they don't have HDR+ and HDR+ is awesome. :) And it wouldn't be enough for me to prefer the Nexus 6's camera.

So comparing the two is a tricky, mixed bag since both phones are not geared towards the same needs. The Nexus 6 would be for the gamer/media binger the 5X is more the light duty all-arounder.

Of the two, I'd probably opt for the Nexus 5X and just assume that they tighten up the shutter thing... which was really the only thing that I saw as a real complaint. The phone ran great otherwise.
 

cache11

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If you are keeping 100+ tabs open, it is highly unlikely that the OS is keeping all of that in active RAM. In the background, the OS is moving them back and forth from RAM to storage to RAM, depending on what app you are actively using.
The only time that it will really matter is if you are playing a large game, and then switch out to other apps for a while, and then come back to the game - you will likely see it reload (on the 5x or on the 6). For Email/phone/web-browsing/etc type of activities, the fact that that the OS has to move from RAM to storage to RAM will not make any noticeable difference.


That will depend on your personal taste. I have a 64GB N6, and take a decent amount of photos/videos. But as soon as I get back home, those are auto-uploaded to G+, and once a week or so, I clean those out of my phone. So, it doesn't bother me much. The N6 can record video at 4k resolution, and pictures upto 13M in size. So, if you are using those high settings, and take a month long vacation, and have no way to offload the pictures from your phone, you may run into space issues. But USB OTG is a good option (I always carry one with me)


I have not noticed any appreciable difference between the two screens (I have a N6, and my co-worker has the 5x, and another one has the 6p) - given that the phone is used for media consumption, there isn't really much of a noticeable difference. I'm sure there are folks that will be able to tell the difference - I can't.


The N6 takes really nice pictures (except in low-light - without flash, pictures turn out dark, and with flash, red-eye is bad). In reasonable lighting, it takes really nice pictures. From what I've read, I don't think the 5x camera is too much of an improvement - the 6p on the other hand seems to have really good low-light pictures too. Nothing beats Samsung's current generation devices. I don't know how these compare to the G4


No idea. For now, I have not come across any instance where I've felt that a 64bit device would have performed better than the N6. But your usage may differ.


The N6 often goes for 299 new at amazon, and is usually available on ebay (used) for about 215 or so. By the end of the year, with the next generation Nexus devices out, expect the used device price to drop further.

Nexus 5x is currently available for new Fi subscribers at a discounted price (till Apr 7)
https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#supported-devices-3
"For a limited time, Project Fi is offering a discount of $150 off our normal price for the Nexus 5X, with activation required. If you purchase a Nexus 5X from fi.google.com, the discounted price will automatically apply during checkout. You must then activate Fi service on the same account within 30 days of device shipment, or an additional $150 will be charged to your Google Payments account to match the full price of the device. "

Ummm... the 5X and 6P share the exact same rear camera so not sure what you are reading.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

jj14x

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Ummm... the 5X and 6P share the exact same rear camera so not sure what you are reading.

Hardware specs on the sensor are identical - but the 6p has 3 things that the 5x doesn't
  1. 240fps slomo (120fps on Nexus 5X)
  2. Smartburst
  3. EIS

EIS, while not the same as OIS, does help with image stabilization, which in turn contributes to better low light pictures
 

LeoRex

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EIS, while not the same as OIS, does help with image stabilization, which in turn contributes to better low light pictures

EIS doesn't apply to still pictures on the 6P... It only comes into play when taking videos. That's why the field of view on the 6P seems a little bit zoomed in... it's using the overhead to aid in stabilizing the picture... when taking pictures, it's using the full frame of the sensor, so no EIS.

When it comes to still pictures, the 5X and 6P are virtually identical. There is some question to whether the 5X is processing things a little bit differently than the 6P, leading to slightly different color temps... but I haven't gone through the trouble of checking this myself.

That being said, for stills, the 5X's camera is substantially better than the 6 in near every category. Better dynamic range (the 6 is kind of junk in lower light), better light sensitivity, much finer detail. At a pixel level, the 6's shots are still a bit fuzzy compared to the 5X/6P, which maintain sharpness pretty much down to where it is limited by the pixels themselves. I did a lot of comparison testing with the 6P and 6... and while the 6 can take good pictures, it's not in the same league as the 6P.

With videos in good lighting, I think the 6 actually does a slightly better job.. mostly because it does have OIS... the only OIS the 5X has YOU. On the 6P, I've actually found that the EIS is actually pretty good. I've taken quite a few videos and it smooths things out fairly well, at least to the point where any shake isn't a distraction in the final product. And in SOME instances, OIS-equipt phones have an odd wobble caused by interaction between the refraction errors introduced by the moving lens and the electronic image stabilization that those phones still employ (yes, OIS phones still utilize electronic stabilization as well).

If you want the phone with the better overall camera, that's the 5X, no question there. If you want the phone that'll give you the best all around multi-media experience (games and videos included), the Nexus 6 should be the better choice... nearly an extra inch of screen paired with front facing, stereo facing speakers. Those are the two main differentiation between the phones. Day to day performance difference between the 805 and 808 is negligible and the 2G vs 3G RAM thing isn't that huge a deal most of the time. And the addition of the FPS is not trivial, after using it on my 6P, I would really miss it if I had a phone that did not have one.
 

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