Huawei and LG lead the Nexus generation

Biometric security, a focus on photography and improved battery life will be the hallmarks of Android Marshmallow when it premiers on upcoming Nexus devices from Huawei and LG.

Google is readying to rollout the next generation of its Android operating system to its portfolio of Nexus devices in the coming week. The company showcased core features with the unveiling of the Huawei 6P and LG 5X at a launch event in San Francisco.

Spiffy finger scanners will feature prominently in smartphones as the biometric form of security is adopted natively into Android. Both LG and Huawei’s upcoming Nexus smartphones have finger scanners located on the back cover that can scan learned fingers in almost half a second.

Packing Android smartphones with a finger scanner bodes well for Google Pay, the company’s tap-to-pay system used in overseas markets. It remains unknown if and when Google will introduce Google Pay in Australia, but when it does, most will be carrying an Android device compatible with the technology.

The upcoming Nexus devices lead the market in connectivity by ditching microUSB ports in favour of USB-C connections. Huawei’s 6P and LG’s 5X follow only OnePlus’ 2 smartphone in adopting the next generation standard, which is reversible and is compatible with fast charging.

Camera quality has been a sore point for most dated Nexus devices. Android Marshmallow will introduce a ‘smart burst’ shooting mode, which will capture photos in rapid succession, lending itself to quick paced action shots and the creation of animated .gifs.

Battery life will be extended with the introduction of a “deep sleep” mode known as Doze. It recognises periods of inactivity and disables superfluous smartphone functions in a bid to prolong battery life. Company representatives claim the mode extended the life of older Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 smartphones by 30 per cent.

A closer look at the Nexus generation

Two Nexus smartphones were unveiled at the San Francisco event, the Huawei Nexus 6P and LG Nexus 5X.

The Huawei built smartphone targets the performance end of the market with a 1440p, 5.7-inch display and a metal unibody — the first Nexus to adopt the premium material.

Its Snapdragon 810 chipset packs a 2GHz octa-core CPU, which works with an Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It comes in storage options of 32, 64 and 128 gigabytes, and has a large 3450 milliamp-hour battery.

Joining it is the LG 5X, which marks the third collaboration between LG and Google.

The smaller smartphone has a 5.2-inch, Full HD display that is flanked by front firing speakers. Powering it is the same hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chipset found in the G4 and 2GB of RAM. It has a 2700 milliamp-hour battery and will come in storage capacities of 16GB and 32GB.

Both upcoming Nexus smartphones have 12.3 megapixel primary cameras and are capable of recording video in 4K resolution. The smartphones should be performers in low light situations with large 1.55 micron pixels and an f/2.0 aperture.

Front cameras are high in resolution, with the Huawei and LG smartphones coming with respective 8MP and 5MP secondary cameras.

Pre-orders commence today in select countries with pricing set at $US499 for the Huawei 6P and $US379 for the LG 5X. The smartphones are expected to launch in Australia in late October.