Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P: Top 5 disappointments of Google’s new phones

Google just unveiled two new Nexus phones and, while there’s a lot to be excited about, we have a few concerns. It seems like the search giant is still holding back when it comes to making the stock Android smartphone of our dreams in a few key ways. So here are our five biggest disappointments with the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.

1. No Wireless Charging

Google has always been a big supporter of wireless charging in the past, so we don’t really understand why this feature didn’t make the cut. Sure, both new devices offer a reversible USB-C port with fast charging capability, but there’s still something so satisfying about simply placing your phone on a charging pad without having to plug it in at all.
To be fair, wireless charging still doesn’t mix very well with metal smartphones, which explains why the Nexus 6P didn’t make the cut. But what about the Nexus 5X? Google could have easily included the feature as an extra perk for its new “all-around champ,” and that fact that it didn’t is more than a little frustrating.

2. No expandable storage

This one isn’t much of a surprise. The last few Nexus phones didn’t offer a microSD slot for adding extra storage, and we didn’t really expect it from the Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P either. Still, if you’re used to a phone with expandable storage you may want to think twice before making the switch to either of these new devices.
It’s also true that Google offers plenty of cloud storage to make up for it, and to be honest we wouldn’t be that annoyed if it wasn’t for the next disappointment on our list.

3. 16GB storage option (Nexus 5X only)

At this point you probably know how we feel about smartphones that only come with 16GB of storage. Even with all the cloud services in the world it still isn’t enough space for most people. Unfortunately, it looks like Google didn’t get the memo.
The Nexus 5X comes with either 16GB of 32GB of storage, which makes that $379 starting price a lot less appealing. Thankfully, the Nexus 6P gets at least 32GB of storage for $499 and goes all the way up to 128GB. It may not be cheap, but at least you won’t run out of space with Google’s new phablet.

4. Camera hump design

Most of the time we don’t mind a smartphone with a camera hump, but the Nexus 6P goes a bit far. Instead of a small bump on the back of the device the entire top edge protrudes, creating what looks like a pretty top-heavy design. Google claims the result is an extremely powerful camera, especially in low-light situations, so hopefully it’s wroth it. It’s a real shame considering how beautiful the rest of the Nexus 6P looks.
As for the Nexus 5X, it features a smaller, more traditional camera hump that doesn’t bother us quite as much. Still, if a sleek design is important to you there are plenty of better, less awkward-looking options.

5. No optical image stabilization

Considering how big the cameras on the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X seem to be we’re also pretty surprised to learn that neither device offers optical image stabilization (OIS). It’s not a huge deal, but OIS can really help smooth out your videos. It’s a nice feature and one we wish Google would have included in its new devices.

Wrap-Up

As you can see, there’s plenty to complain about when it comes to the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. That said, we’re still pretty excited to get our hands on them. Google’s new phones offer a great combination of cutting-edge hardware and pure Android software that could easily put them in direct competition with the best flagship devices on the market. We just can’t help but feel like the new Nexus lineup falls just short of our lofty expectations.