The new Google Pixel and Pixel XL are here to take the places of the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P, respectively.
If you are still rocking any of the 2015 handsets from Google or you are simply in the market for a new Android phone, it is worth looking at the new Pixel and Pixel XL phones. They bring a new design, a bunch of new features, the hardware is also very powerful, however, there have been some complaints about the pricing, especially when compared to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
To discover where the real value lies here is a look at how the Google Pixel and Pixel XL compare against the Google Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
| Model | Nexus 5X | Pixel | Nexus 6P | Pixel XL |
| Display size | 5.2 inches | 5.0 inches | 5.7 inches | 5.5 inches |
| Resolution | Full HD LCD (1920 x 1080 pixels) | Full HD AMOLED (1920 x 1080 pixels) | QHD AMOLED (2560 x 1440 pixels) | QHD AMOLED (2560 x 1440 pixels) |
| CPU | Snapdragon 808 | Snapdragon 821 | Snapdragon 810 | Snapdragon 821 |
| RAM | 2GB | 4GB | 3GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 16GB/32GB | 32GB/128GB | 32GB/64GB/128GB | 32GB/128GB |
| Primary Camera | 12.3MP, f/2.0 | 12.3MP, f/2.0 | 12.3MP, f/2.0 | 12.3MP, f/2.0 |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP, f/2.0 | 8MP, f/2.4 | 8MP, f/2.4 | 8MP, f/2.4 |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 Nougat (OTA) | Android 7.1 Nougat | Android 7.0 Nougat (OTA) | Android 7.1 Nougat |
| Water & Dust Resistance | No | IP53 | No | IP53 |
| Battery capacity | 2700mAh | 2770mAh | 3450mAh | 3450mAh |
| Fast charging | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Current price | $270 | $649 | $399 | $769 |
On paper specs aside, let’s take a look at what the Google Pixel and Pixel XL bring to the fold when compared to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
An enhanced camera
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL ship with the same rear snapper as what is found on the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, at least on paper. You find the same 12.3MP snapper carrying the same aperture and dual-tone LED flash, however, the newer models add phase detection and laser autofocus as opposed to the mere laser autofocus found on the Nexus 6P and 5X. Even though there is no OIS, you get EIS on the latest phones. This is also available on the Nexus 6P, but it is disabled when in video mode.
The Pixel and Pixel XL have one of the fastest cameras, if not the fastest. The snapper starts capturing photos immediately the app is launched. It keeps on doing this the entire time the app is open and by the time you tap the shutter button, you will have a ready scene of what you wanted already captured. This fast camera also means that HDR+ can always be left on.
As far as industry ratings are concerned, the 12.3MP snapper on the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X has a DxOMark rating of 84. On the other hand, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL have the best rating in the industry – 89. This is even better than the magnificent Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge, which has a rating of 88 from the same experts.
Better customer care support
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL do not just come in with a unique Android 7.1 Nougat OS, however, you also find a number of features that are exclusive to this lineup. While most of the features running on the Pixel phones, among them app shortcuts, seamless updates, smart storage and many others, will be making their way to the Google Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X via software updates, there are several that will not make the jump.
One of these features is the unlimited customer care support – something that Google has lagged behind when compared to what Apple offers for its iPhone lineup. Users of Pixel and Pixel XL phones can contact the company’s customer care via a voice call or text. This feature is found in the settings app.
Unlimited cloud storage
Both Google Nexus 6P and Pixel XL have excellent cameras. However, the slightly better Pixel XL takes everything to the next level by adding unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos. With a great camera at your disposal, why not take dozens of photos every day? Well, this is something Nexus 6P can worry about since they only have a maximum of 128GB for storage purposes. As for the Pixel and Pixel XL, the onboard storage remains untouched as the photos and videos are saved to Google Photos in their original quality.
But the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P have a better price
A closer look at the head-to-head specs will show you that there are not so many significant upgrades on the Pixel phones when compared to the old guard. Of course, each year sees a new powerful processor come to life, a better design, new features and so on, however, the performance levels in the real world are almost the same.
With this in mind, you will be getting a better value for your money by buying a $399 Google Nexus 6P as compared to shelling out $769 to get a similar capacity Pixel XL. The story is the same for the Nexus 5X and the smaller Google Pixel.
What do you think about these two pairs of phones? Share your views in the comments.
We recently purchased the Nexas 6p now a couple of weeks later Google brings out the Pixal We need long lasting batteries and the Nexas6p does not last as long as advertised Google now advertised a quick charge and longer lasting battery I wish there was some type of notification cause now we are stuck with the Nexas
I would suggest you to reboot your phone in Safe Mode and check your battery usage because I too faced the same issue in my Nexus 6P but after uninstalling the “File Manager” application (which was creating the issue for me), my phone is working fine now.
I would suggest you people to wait for the next Pixel as the current one is the first in its kind. Also, the Google will also monitor the handset and will make a good one next year. So, I would say to don’t buy the Pixel or Pixel XL and wait for the new ones.
My battery lasts a very long time. Regarding the unlimited cloud storage, is unfortunate they aren’t giving that to the 6p owners bc I just signed up for the Amazon service instead.