Howdy folks, and welcome to a special edition of #TechTuesdays! We decided to delay this edition of our friendly tech column about 24 hours so that all the Google goodness from their September 29th press event in San Francisco could be released and put into an easily digestible form for all of you.
Now that Google has taken the wraps off its new offerings, what is it that you have to look forward to in the business space? We’re going to tackle that by segmenting this update into three parts, each focusing on a separate product announcement from yesterday: The Nexus 5X smartphone, the Nexus 6P smartphone, and the Pixel C Android tablet.
Nexus 5X Smartphone
Let’s start with the new bargain-priced Nexus smartphone from Google, the Nexus 5X. Manufactured by LG and coming in a plastic case, this phone isn’t the new Nexus flagship, but it still packs a punch.
Since many Android owners are more specification-focused than their iPhone counterparts, here’s a quick rundown of the specs:
Screen: A 1080p (1920 x 1080) LCD display in a 5.2-inch form factor, featuring Gorilla Glass 3
Processor: Snapdragon 808 Hexa-core processor at 1.8GHz w/ Adreno 418 GPU
Rear Camera: 12.3MP (megapixel) Sony camera complete with 4K video capabilities
Front Camera: 5MP
Price: $379 for the 16GB storage variant, and $429 for the 32GB variant
The takeaway? This is a budget phone that packs a big punch. You get a more-than-adequate display with plenty of processing power that should be able to handle the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system quite nicely. After all, Google drew up the specs for these Nexus phones and developed the operating system, so this should provide some peace of mind.
Also, note that the camera has been a point of focus for Google this year, and in fact, the main, rear camera on the Nexus 5X is actually the same as the one on the flagship Nexus 6P. More on this camera shortly…
Nexus 6P Smartphone
Let’s now turn our gaze to the big-time entry from Google this year, the flagship Nexus 6P smartphone manufactured by Huawei. What makes it this year’s premium Nexus? Aside from a fancier metallic case, it’s all about the under-the-hood performance:
Screen: 2560 x 1440 (yowza!) AMOLED display in a 5.7-inch form factor, featuring Gorilla Glass 4
Processor: Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor at 2.0GHz w/ Adreno 430 GPU
Rear Camera: 12.3MP (megapixel) Sony camera complete with 4K video capabilities
Front Camera: 8MP
Price: $499 for 32GB; $549 for 64GB; $649 for 128GB
The takeaway? This puppy’s for hardcore, serious customers looking for one of the “cream of the crop” Android phones. The display is crisper and sturdier than the Nexus 5X thanks to the latest Gorilla Glass, the processor should ensure everything “screams” thanks to that eight-core 2.0 GHz chip, and even the front camera packs a little more punch than the more budget-oriented Nexus variant. Greater detail should be possible, just in case you enjoy taking selfies. (Again, as we’ve said previously, we won’t judge.)
Speaking on the camera, the rear cameras on both the new Nexus handsets are the same, and they pack some impressive tech upgrades that we wanted to dive deeper into. The Google Camera application on these phones now offers slow-motion video support (120fps (frames per second) on the 5x; 240fps on the 6P). Also, Smart Burst is supported on the 6P, which allows users to take quick bursts of shots that help ensure the perfect moment isn’t missed.
Pixel C Android Tablet
Finally, in case you’re in the market for a new tablet and last week’s all-new iPad Pro and revamped iPad Mini 4 weren’t your style, we have the newly-announced Pixel C Android Tablet.
Screen: 10.2-inch with 308ppi (pixels per inch) density
Processor: NVIDIA X1 quad-core processor
Operating System: Android (not Chrome OS)
Price: Starts at $499, with an optional detachable keyboard for $149
The takeaway? This is a pretty nicely spec’d machine that comes with the option of a keyboard that attaches via a magnetic port a la the Microsoft Surface or the new iPad Pro. It’s solid and metallic, but Android tablets are a little harder to get a feel for without a test run, especially considering many apps are still just blown up phone apps that don’t truly take advantage of the on-screen space. The Verge calls the Pixel C a “great tablet for a great deal of money,” while Ars Technica calls it “well-built but clunky.”
Our advice? Unlike the Nexus smartphones, don’t trust yourself to buy this sight unseen. Find a way to give it a test run first.
That’s all for this week! The Apple and Google news may be over (for now), but don’t worry: We’ll be cooking up some good stuff for you over the coming weeks. Stay with us!
