Google held an event today to unveil a slew of brand new products. The main focus was Google’s two newest Nexus devices to replace the Nexus 6 that was announced last year. Putting out two smartphones in the Nexus line in one year is a departure from the norm for the search giant, as they usually end up releasing one new Nexus smartphone and a new Nexus tablet. This year however Google opted to revamp the last two Nexus phones instead, with Huawei manufacturing the Nexus 6 reboot known as the Nexus 6P, and LG once again manufacturing the Nexus 5, now known as the Nexus 5X.
Although the Nexus 5X is now official, Google won’t begin selling them until a couple of weeks from now when the phone is set to launch alongside the Nexus 6P in the middle of October. When the phones go live for sale, consumers can expect to pick up the Nexus 5X from the Google Store, although it will also likely be available through all four major U.S. carriers which includes Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. Keeping this in mind Google has not yet confirmed whether it will be available through carrier stores, they have stated though that the phone comes unlocked so it will be usable on all carriers, and, it will be compatible with Project Fi so users will be able to buy the phone along with the setup of the Project Fi service. Pre-orders for the device however, begin today and should be live within the next few hours, and at some point the phone will be available from other retailers unfortunately Google hasn’t mentioned which retailers those are.
To recap on the specifications for the Nexus 5X, it comes equipped with a 5.2-inch Full HD LCD display sporting a 1080p resolution and 424 PPI, and just like LG’s flagship device this year, the LG G4, it comes powered by Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor. Accompanying the CPU is 2GB of RAM which falls in line with the amount of RAM on the original Nexus 5. It’s also powered by a 2,700mAh battery and comes with a 5MP front camera as well as a 12.3MP rear-facing camera with OIS and dual LED flash. The Nexus 5X won’t come with expandable storage, keeping the theme with every other Nexus device, but will offer 16GB and 32GB internal storage options for consumers. It will also be available in the traditional Black and White, as well as a new Ice Blue color instead of the Red found on the original Nexus 5. Prices start at $379.99 for the 16GB model, and $429.99 for the 32GB model, and pre-orders include a $50 Play Credit as well as a free 90-day subscription to Play Music Unlimited.