Latest Google phones reportedly named Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P

Google's forthcoming Nexus devices may finally have names.

The two devices successors to the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 will be branded as the Nexus 5X and 6P, according to Droid Life.

The new phones are expected to launch at event on 29 September, alongside the full release of Android Marshmallow, Google's latest mobile OS.

The smaller 5X is set to be manufactured by LG, while Chinese manufacturer Huawei is tipped to be behind the 6P.

The thinking behind the new naming convention is currently unknown, although there has been speculation.

One theory is that Google is mimicking Apple's iPhone 's' update schedule, but since both phones look to be entirely new models rather than iterations of old ones, this seems unlikely.

A much more plausible explanation is that Google is addressing one of the Nexus range's principal problems, in the form of its highly ambiguous naming convention.

Initially launched in 2013, the Nexus 5 was updated earlier this year, but retained the same name, leading to potential customer confusion.

This could be an attempt to remedy this, although no-one's entirely sure what the suffixed letters stand for.

Due to the size of the new devices both of which are larger than their predecessors it's been speculated the 5X and 6P stand for Extra Large' and Plus'.

Rumours have also surfaced recently that Huawei's Nexus 6P will carry a maximum 128GB of built-in storage.

This would be a first for the Nexus lineup, and would bring the range on-par with flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Adam Shepherd

Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.

Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.

You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.