Google has announced the much-anticipated Nexus 5X following months of rumours. The new device was unveiled during an event in San Francisco, stepping in to replace the 2-year-old Nexus 5.

You can read about how the Nexus 5X compares to the Nexus 5 here, but this feature is looking at how the new purebred Android handset compares to the rest of its competition.

We have put it up against a selection of the best of the 5-inch, or thereabouts, Android devices. Read on to find out how the Nexus 5X compares to the Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z5, Motorola Moto G and slightly larger Motorola Moto X Play and OnePlus 2.

Design

The Nexus 5X measures 146.9 x 72.6 x 7.9mm and hits the scales at 136g. It features a plastic build and is available in three colours comprising white, black and mint-blue-aqua. It also has a fingerprint sensor on the rear.

These measurements mean the Nexus 5X is slightly larger than the Sony Xperia Z5, Motorola Moto G and the Samsung Galaxy S6, but smaller than the OnePlus 2 and the Motorola Moto X Play.

The Nexus 5X is the lightest overall however, while the OnePlus 2 is the heaviest and the largest. The smallest is a close call between the Galaxy S6 and the Moto G, but the Moto G is a little fatter in its thickest place.

The Moto G and Moto X Play have the best choice when it comes to colour variation thanks to Moto Maker, but the most premium-looking builds fall in the hands on the Galaxy S6 and Xperia Z4.

Only the Nexus 5X and the OnePlus 2 offer USB Type-C and only the Moto X Play, Moto G and Xperia Z5 offer some form of water resistance. You'll find fingerprint sensors on all the devices except the Motorola ones.

Display

The Nexus 5X has a 5.2-inch Full HD display that delivers a pixel density of 423ppi, which is the same as the Sony Xperia Z5.

The Motorola Moto G and the Samsung Galaxy S6 both have smaller screen sizes at 5-inches and 5.1-inches respectively. The Moto G has the lowest pixel density of all the devices being compared at 294ppi, while the Galaxy S6 has the highest and is therefore the sharpest at 575ppi.

The OnePlus 2 and the Motorola Moto X Play both have 5.5-inch displays with pixel densities of 403ppi so a little larger than the Nexus 5X but not crisper.

Camera

The Nexus 5X has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture, laser-assisted autofocus and a dual-flash. The rear camera sensor also has larger pixels that Google claims will aid better low light shots. The front camera is 5-megapixels.

All the handsets being compared here have 5-megapixel front cameras so while there will be variation in how they perform, the resolutions remain the same.

In terms of the rear cameras, both the OnePlus 2 and the Motorola Moto G come the closest to the Nexus 5X in terms of megapixels with 13-megapixel offerings, while Samsung follows closely behind with a 16-megapixel sensor.

The Sony Xperia Z5 and the Motorola Moto X Play take things above the 20 mark with the Moto X Play opting for a 21-megapixel sensor and Sony for the winning 23-megapixels.

Each of the smartphones here have varying features when it comes to cameras and some perform better than others. It is worth remembering that megapixels aren't everything so be sure to check out reviews before you pick one based on camera performance.

Hardware

The Nexus 5X features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 418 graphics and 2GB of RAM. There is a 2700mAh battery on board and storage options include a 16GB model and a 32GB model.

All the other devices being compared here feature varying Qualcomm chipsets and Adreno graphics except for Samsung, who opts for an in-house Exynos processor and a Mali GPU.

Both the OnePlus 2 and the Sony Xperia Z5 feature the latest SD810 processor and Adreno 430 graphics so they are likely to be a little better performing than the Nexus 5X. The OnePlus 2 has 3GB or 4GB of RAM depending on the storage model, while the Xperia Z5 has 3GB, as does the Galaxy S6.

The Motorola handsets opt for slightly older processors, with the Moto Play X sporting the SD615 and Adreno 405 graphics, and the Moto G opting for the SD410 and Adreno 306 graphics. They both offer 2GB of RAM, but the Moto G also has a 1GB RAM model, which is something to be considered if you opt for the 8GB model.

The largest battery capacity lies within the Moto X Play at 3630mAh, and the smallest within the Moto G at 2470mAh. All the others sit between, with the Nexus 5X bang in the middle under the Xperia Z5 and OnePlus 2.

In terms of storage, only the Xperia Z5 and Moto phones offers microSD expansion. Internal storage ranges from 8GB with the Moto G to 128GB with the Galaxy S6.

Software

The Nexus 5X will debut with the latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow meaning a host of new features. All the other devices compared here run on Android Lollipop.

All the devices (bar Motorola) have their own skins on top of Android, so you will get a different experience and different features with each, but they will also all get an upgrade to Marshmallow eventually. When those updates will arrive is anyone's guess.

The Motorola devices are likely to get the Android Marshmallow update before the others as it is the closest to pure Android if you don't opt for Nexus.

It will depend on what kind of software experience you want as to which device is the one for you. If you want clean Android go with the Nexus 5X or Motorola, if you don't mind a couple of extras. The others will come with various apps and software duplication in some cases.

Price

The Nexus 5X will set you back £339 for the 16GB and £379 for the 32GB.

If you want a cheaper device, the Motorola Moto G is £179 for the 16GB version, which is followed by the Moto X Play that costs £279. The Samsung Galaxy S6 costs £499 and the OnePlus is cheap at £239 but you'll need an invite to get one.

The most expensive is the Sony Xperia Z5 at £549, but aside from the Nexus, it is the newest device here.

Conclusion

All the smartphones being compared here are good devices in their own right and they all have strengths and weaknesses.

The Nexus 5X is the lightest of them all, is one of the only ones to sport USB Type-C, has pure Android and it comes in at a pretty decent price point.

If you want the highest spec, you'll need to look towards the Sony Xperia Z5 or the Samsung Galaxy S6, but you'll pay the price for those. If your budget is lower but you still want a good handset, both the Motorola's are good options or you could take the OnePlus 2.

The Nexus 5X sits in the middle. It isn't quite flagship specs, but it offers good specs for a good price, and the latest Android experience.