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Google unveiled two new Nexus phones, an updated version of its Chromecast dongle and an audio-only version of the Chromecast at a press event in San Francisco today. This was Google’s largest dedicated hardware event to date, and we spent some quality time with all of the new devices.
The metal-clad Nexus 6P definitely feels like a premium device. It still has a bit of heft to it, but because it’s a little bit smaller, it feels much better in the hand than the somewhat oversized older Nexus 6. Officially, it’s a tiny bit lighter than the previous model, but I doubt you’d notice much of a difference. The AMOLED screen looked great, but we’d have to spend a bit more time with it in real-world conditions to really draw any conclusions about it. At the event, it looked very sharp and seemed to render colors nicely, but you’d expect that from a quad-HD screen.
Within the controlled environment of the event venue, the camera seemed to work really well, but we weren’t able to do any low-light tests yet, for example.
Compared to the new Nexus 6P, the smaller Nexus 5X clearly doesn’t quite feel as premium — mostly because in comparison to the metal Nexus 6P, the plastic housing of the 5X is obviously a bit of a letdown. For about $130 less than the 6P, this is still a phone to be reckoned with, especially because it shares its camera tech with the larger phone.
The first thing you’ll probably notice about the device is that it feels very light. Given that it has a 2,400 mAh battery, that’s actually surprising. The 1080p screen won’t blow you away, but it’s perfectly fine.
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Which one should you get? We haven’t spent enough time with either of them to give you a recommendation just yet, but we’ll review both phones once we get our review units. From the time I spent with them, though, I’d probably go for the 6P. Unlike the last Nexus 6, this one doesn’t feel as bulky — and for me, that was the main reason why I kept my old Nexus 5 around until now.
