Rumor claims LG Nexus 5 (2015) will be called Nexus 5X, pricing starts at $400

As we near the September 29 announcement of Google’s new Nexus handsets, the rumors, reports, and speculation just keep building. According to a new report out of Android Authority this morning, the upcoming LG Nexus 5 is going to sport the name “Nexus 5X,” although a “decision on the final name has not been taken yet at Google HQ.” Additionally, the phone is said to start at $400, which is $50 more than the previous Nexus 5 launched in 2013…

Additionally, the publication says that it can confirm independently that the previously-leaked LG Nexus 5 images are indeed legitimate. As you can see in the image below, which was originally shared 2 weeks ago, the phone will sport a fingerprint sensor below a raised camera module, with a dual-tone flash and what is assumably a laser autofocus module.

Apparently, the “Nexus 5X” will be available in white, black, and light blue, and will — as was previously speculated — feature a USB Type-C port as well as a plastic overall build. According to the site’s sources, the phone will start at $399 for a 16 GB — yes, a 16 GB base in late 2015 — model, and $449 for the 32 GB variant. None of this is all too unbelievable.

I instinctively want to say that it seems odd for Google to go with the name “Nexus 5X”. Why? Before the Moto X (2014) was launched, sources told me that the company was internally referring to it as the Moto X+1. To me, “Nexus 5X” sounds like that kind of informal codename to me. Also, the second-generation Nexus 7 was simply the Nexus 7. That seemed to work fine.

Other than that, the only thing that really sticks out to me as “hold up, really?” is the purported 16 GB base model. The Nexus 5 (2013) had a 16 GB base model, but Google did away with that with the launch of the Nexus 6 — which had a 32 GB option at the bottom. I guess it makes sense considering that the Nexus 5 is closer to a mid-range device, but 16 GB just seems low in 2015.