OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X comparison preview

We’re excited by the launch of the new Nexus phones but things have changed and Google has serious competition and OnePlus is a notable spanner in the works. The Nexus 5X is now on sale but the OnePlus X will soon rival it so which should you buy? Here’s our OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X comparison review. See also: Best phones of 2015.

OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X price

In the past, Google’s Nexus phones have been the best value for money you can find on the smartphone market. However, things have changed dramatically and there are a lot of rivals offering handsets with decent specs for reasonable price tags.

OnePlus is a name which immediately springs to mind on this front with its flagship devices both launching at outrageous prices.

The flagship OnePlus 2 is just £239 but the OnePlus X is even cheaper starting at just £199 so it’s nearly in budget territory here.

Google’s Nexus prices have increased over time and although the Nexus 5X is pretty good value for money, it’s a decent chunk more than the OnePlus X. It’s yours starting at £339 so that’s more than 50 percent extra in comparison. You will, as usual, need an invite to buy one though so sign up quick.

This alone may have made your mind up but read on to see how they compare in design, hardware and software before you hit they buy button.

OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X design and build

The Nexus 5X looks at feel like a successor to the original, partly down to LG building both devices for Google. It has the same soft rubbery plastic finish but with a more rounded case which is available in three colours: Carbon, Quartz and Ice.

Google’s new phone is 7.9mm and 136g which is nicely compact for a reasonably big phone. The OnePlus X is almost identical at 138g and slightly thinner at 6.6mm. Since these are so close, it’s more the style and materials that make them different.

Instead of plastic, OnePlus has gone for a very premium build starting with a brushed aluminium frame which runs round the edge. It then has dark bevelled glass on the front and back but you can opt for a ceramic model which will be limited edition with just 10,000 units.

While this option goes through a meticulous 25-day process, it does weigh more at 160g and costs more too at £269.

So far it’s the OnePlus X out in front with a stunning design for less money, but can the Nexus 5X make a comeback with hardware and software?

OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X hardware and specs

While the Nexus 5X has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor at 5.2in, the idea of the OnePlus X is that it’s smaller than the firm’s other phones at 5in. It’s essentially the OnePlus mini. Both offer a Full HD resolution so the OnePlus X has a slightly higher pixel density but it’s not really a noticeable difference.

Both phones come with 16GB of storage as standard and while the Nexus 5X is available in a 32GB capacity, it only has 2GB of RAM compare to the OnePlus X’s 3GB. Google still doesn’t offer expandable storage but OnePlus gives you the ability to insert two SIM cards or use one slot for a Micro-SD card (up to 128GB) which is a cheaper way of adding more space.

Although the OnePlus X has more memory and a card slot, it uses an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor which is outpaced by the Nexus 5X’s Snapdragon 808.

The Nexus 5X also boasts NFC, USB Type-C, 11ac Wi-Fi and a fingerprint scanner which are all missing from the OnePlus X. It’s more of a design feature but the OnePlus X instead offers an Alert Slider so you can quickly change your sound profile.

Moving onto photography and both the Nexus 5X and OnePlus X offer a 13Mp rear camera. Well technically it’s 12.3Mp on the 5X but Google provides 1.55µm pixels, a larger f/2 aperture, dual- LED flash, IR laser-assisted autofocus and 4K video recording.

Selfie fans might be swayed by the 8Mp front camera on the OnePlus X though with 5Mp available on the Nexus 5X.

That’s a strong comeback by Google with a number of things on the hardware line-up being superior to the OnePlus X or not available at all. The sore point is the lack of expandable storage which might be key for some.

OnePlus X vs Nexus 5X software and apps

As you probably already know, buying a Google Nexus phones means getting the latest version of Android and exactly as it’s been intended – so no extra bits, tweaked design or bloatware in the form of third-party apps.

That’s a big advantage of buying the Nexus 5X which comes pre-loaded with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with its new features including Doze Mode for better battery life and Now on Tap for using Google Now whatever you’re doing. You’ll also be first in the queue when future versions of Android are released.

OnePlus uses its own Oxygen OS instead. It might sound completely different but it’s based on Android 5.1 Lollipop currently and is actually pretty stock so close to a Nexus experience. It adds things like gestures which can be used when the screen is off, a Dark Mode and Shelf which gives you quick access to your most used apps and contacts.

Reasons to buy the Nexus 5X

•    Snapdragon 808 processor
•    Fingerprint scanner
•    USB Type-C
•    NFC
•    11ac Wi-Fi
•    Stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow and future updates

Reasons to buy the OnePlus X

•    Cheaper
•    Stylish metal and glass (or ceramic) design
•    Dual-SIM/expandable storage
•    More memory at 3GB
•    8Mp front camera

Related: Best OnePlus phones