The Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P reviews are in. Google's embargo expired, so the usual suspects are keen to let us know what they think.

The release date for both is at month-end, but you can pre-order either already. And you won't need too many pennies: They're hundreds of dollars less than the equivalent iPhone.

tl;dr: The reviews are mostly positive, although if you don't like phablet-sized devices, you're SoL.

In IT Blogwatch, bloggers take a Voight-Kampf test. Not to mention: Nick "Pogo" Bertke is teh awesomes...

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.

[Developing story: Updated 7:07 am, 10:55 am and 4:20 am Tuesday with more comment]



Rock me, Ron Amadeo:

It's time for Google to release the hardware portion of its Q4 release push...the newest additions to the Nexus line. ... The relatively inexpensive, plastic, 5.2-inch Nexus 5X, and the premium, aluminum, 5.7-inch Nexus 6P.

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These are the first Nexus devices that don't have a huge deal breaker attached to them. ... The camera is...great...and can hold its own against the best. ... And the battery life is just as good as any other flagship.

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The 5X starts at just $379...the 6P starts at $499. ... These are also the first Nexus devices to pack a fingerprint sensor, which is a...fully supported component in Android 6. ... All other Android devices are second class citizens. [If you] want the fastest updates, the longest update support time, the best security program, zero crapware...and the latest features from Google, you need to buy a Nexus. MORE



Larry "weekend warrior" Magid has a 6P review unit:

[It] has some significant improvements over its predecessor, the Nexus 6 [and] it’s competitive with the iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S6 Edge+.

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This an an all metal (and glass) phone. ... I wouldn’t call it...particularly attractive...but it’s not ugly either. ... Like other “phablets,” most people are going to hold it in one hand and use it with the other, though it can be used with one hand.

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[The] 3,450 MAh battery...according to Google, gives you up to 7 hours of use on a 10 minute charge. ... A 5.7-inch, high-resolution AMOLED screen is excellent. With 2,560 by 1,400 pixels or 518 pixels per inch. ... I am pretty impressed with the front facing stereo speakers. ... Google is following Apple and Samsung with a fingerprint reader [but] an indented circle on the back [is] easier then pressing the home button on an iPhone or Galaxy. MORE



And Brad Linder bears smaller fruit:

[You're fired -Ed.]

The Nexus 5X has a charm all its own...the spiritual successor to the...Nexus 5 [with] high-end specs at an affordable price. [But] it’s noticeably bigger (although a little thinner) than the original.

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[It] has a 5.2 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core 64-bit processor with Adreno 418 graphics, 2GB of RAM...and a 2,700 mAh battery [It] has a pretty great camera. ... It gets decent battery life. The battery charges pretty quickly.

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USB Type-C is reversible: you can’t accidentally try to insert a cable upside down [and] USB Type-C supports fast charging...the Nexus 5X can get 4 hours of run time from 10 minutes of charging. [It] has a 2700 mAh battery...you can definitely leave it unplugged from morning until night. ... I’d consider upgrading from my Nexus 5 for the improved battery life alone.

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But I’m not convinced I want to spend $379 [for] a bigger screen [with no] more RAM, more storage, [nor] noticeably faster performance. MORE



Meanwhile, Matthew Miller calls the 6P "spectacular":

I've been very impressed by Huawei's recent devices...so was pleased to see Huawei partner with Google for the Nexus 6P.

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[It's] rather stunning. The device is encased in aeronautical-grade aluminum with beveled edges, flat glass face. ... When you pick it up you can immediately feel the quality. ... In my opinion...best[ing] the iPhone. [And it's] $300 less.

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I usually expect to be let down in some area with a Nexus phone, but that is not the case this year. ... If size isn't an issue then the Nexus 6P is tough to beat. MORE



But BitmapBrother is badly bothered by broadcasting, bro:

I’ve been watching football all day and I’ve been bombarded by the Nexus commercial on every game. MORE



Update 1: Ben Bell rings the changes:

No SD is a big no-no for me.



I like to have a large music collection stored on my mobe. I spend a lot of time working down in the bowels of a data centre where phone signal and the company WiFi are non-existant.



I could go to the effort of cloud-syncing a playlist, playing it and then repeating the next day - or I could put a big 64Gig SD card in and have more music than I could ever really want ready and waiting in my pocket. MORE



Update 2: George Michaelson's gotta have faith, son:

The decision to scale up screen turf but not battery size confuses me in the 5x. 2700mah could have been over 3000 for less than 1mm of thickness I hazard at a guess.



Sure, [Marshmallow] has delivered doze mode but even so. MORE



And Finally...

My new favorite YouTube channel: Pogo (Nick Bertke) [a few NSFW words]