nexux 6P
NEXUS 6P – LONG TERM REVIEW
We're gearing up for the launch of the next Nexus, or are we? Rumours point to the next phone from Google to come with a new moniker. Google could use the Pixel branding this time around, and here's everything you need to know about Pixel and Pixel XL.
The Nexus 6P was the first phone I ever scored a perfect 5/5, and at the time I said it was the best Android phone you could buy. It’s about 7 months later now, and I’m still confident in saying this is one of the best phones out there. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 scored 5/5 and 4.5/5 respectively and are both great phones, but if you’re looking for something with a bigger screen I would still highly recommend Google and Huawei’s 6P.
The Snapdragon 810 and 3GB RAM is still a fine combination and it makes for a fast phone. While the Nexus 5X seems to have suffered some performance issues, the 6P is as smooth and quick as it was on day one.
There have been a couple of updates to the camera – it’s much faster now – and you’ve of course got Android N (which we’ll hear more about at Google I/O) coming at some point towards the end of the year.
My one quibble about the longevity of the Nexus 6P comes with its build. I’ve been using a silver model and it’s fine, but I have seen a couple of black models with much of the back paint coming off. This leaves an ugly finish, and not something you’d expect from a pricey phone.
That aside, everything else still gets the thumbs up. The screen is great, camera reliable and the battery will easily make it through the day. It struggles to go two days though, but then so do most phones of this size.
I noted in my original review that USB-C was something of an annoyance simply because it wasn’t widely adopted but I feel that issue has subsided somewhat. A lot of the 2016 flagships have USB-C – LG G5, Huawei P9 and HTC 10 – and it’s becoming more and more common in laptops too.
Key Features
- 5.7-inch, Quad HD AMOLED screen
- Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB RAM
- 32, 64 and 128GB versions, 3,450mAh
The Nexus 6P doesn't have a microSD slot – it's just about the only complaint we can think of about this phone, and it's hardly alone in omitting that feature. In every other respect, the Nexus 6P is one of the best Android phones ever made. One of the smartphones ever, actually.
The fact this is a Nexus phone helps. It doesn't have any annoying extra stuff you don't want or need and you'll get Android updates when they're available, not six months later. But this is first time Google has combined that with a desirable high-end phone that can match the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones.
It's large at 5.7-inches, but the screen is brilliant and battery life is very good. Vitally, it has a decent camera – its 12-megapixel effort isn't quite as good as Samsung's and Apple's cameras, but it's damn close. Low light photos look great and it captures plenty of detail.
If you want the best Android experience possible, this is the phone to buy.