Google Nexus 6P Review: The Golden One

The Nexus 6P is the pinnacle of Google’s Nexus program — just ask anyone who has reviewed the device, or owns one. It’s pretty good, if nearly perfect the for the category that it was placed and designed for: a flagship, aluminum unlocked stock Android phone — what a mouthful.

Or in other words, Google and Huawei’s love child.

Price as Reviewed: $499 at Play Store

Aesthetics

The Nexus 6P is the first time that I got my flagship device recognition wrong. After all, the aluminum body is something seen with Apple and HTC devices, an in tasteful minimalism with the Galaxy series (those are mostly composed of Gorilla glass). So, with Huawei, the inspirations are apparent, but the overall design is reliantly unique.

[pullquote]”The Nexus 6P is a beautiful slab of aluminum. Especially in gold.”[/pullquote]

Measurements are as follows: 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm with a weight of 178 grams.

That being said, I’m not quite sure why bottom back bar of aluminum is a different color and texture, but let’s chalk that up to engineering and radios (as a guess).

Overall, the device has a large footprint, and is most comparable to “phablet-sized” devices, like the 6 Plus, Edge Plus from Apple and Samsung respectively. That being said it’s not difficult to hold in one hand, at least for me — and I don’t have very large hands as a young man in college.

Some aesthetic touches by Huawei and Google worth noting with the Nexus 6P: the correct design choice of texturing the power/sleep button, to properly distinguish it as it is right above the volume rocker — thus, I never mistake the two. Another solid touch is the speaker setup: it’s done admiringly, with a front-facing design with clear, audibly distinct sound that can be heard during a call or watching a YouTube video — no real complaints there.

In terms of the lens area, that is up for discussion: users of the 6P I’ve spoken to either praise it for having a minimal “camera bump” in comparison to other high-end smartphone, with others kvetch about the fact that the entire black section (which is made of glass) is fragile and can be shattered or cracked. To each his own, in this case.

As for the fingerprint sensor: it’s on the back, and some don’t take a liking to this position. However, I can say that is works — more on that later.

Personally? I think it’s a tasteful design, especially in gold (the model seen here) since its color intensity varies with the surround light. My other suggested 6P color would be black for the svelte look, with frost white and silver taking back seats, simply for the fact that they aren’t captivating to me.

Using It

[pullquote]”The fastest Android phone I’ve used — and that term is used a lot by reviewers for certain flagships.”[/pullquote]

Google and Huawei have choked the Nexus 6P full with steroids. That is to say that it has a well-rounded spec sheet, even by Spring 2016 standards (this is a phone originally released in the third quarter of 2015).

The specifications:

• 5.7" AMOLED Gorilla Glass 4 screen, at 2560 x 1400 resolution (518ppi); oleophobic coating
• Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 810 v2.1, at 2GHz octa-core 64-bit
• 3GB of RAM, with 32/64GB/128GB storage versions (no gold in largest version)
• Main 12.3 megapixel camera; 1.55 μm; f/2.0 and front-facing 8 megapixel camera.
• Adreno 430 GPU
• 3450maAh battery with USB-C fast-charging
• Comes carrier unlocked for use on all major U.S. carriers; LTE cat 6; is a nano-SIM global phone
• Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor
• Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/GLONASS, digital compass, WiFi, NFC

That all translates to a phone that is usable with all modern technologies, with the expecting to wireless charging and IR sensors, which isn’t that cutting-edge to begin with.

While wireless charging is a feature that some might have enjoyed, USB-C is a a step towards the right direction: after all, being able to charge quickly and do data transfers all through one cable that is reversible is a futuristic goal of consumer technology. To top it all off, USB-C is continuing to propagate through larger systems, including Google’s own Pixel C tablet and the Pixel laptop, as well as Apple’s own Macbook and several other systems from other tech corporations. However, it is worth noting many faulty USB-C cables exist on the market, but covering those is not the purpose of this review.

In real-world usage, the Nexus 6P has been infallible: I haven’t needed to charge it mid-day; it’s kept up with my constant requests for information through Google Now or social media apps, is ridiculously fast and responsive (without warming up) and at the cafes of SoHo and East Village, is as useful as can be, thanks to hotspot capabilities. Also: it maintains a clean, constant connection to my smartwatch and Bang & Olufsen headphones.

[pullquote]”What’s not to love? Is it the camera?”[/pullquote]

After all, historically Nexus cameras have been — laughable, really. This generation brings 12MP shooting with 4K video recording and 240fps slow-motion capture. Is it better?

Turns out, the camera is solid. I don’t hesitate using it in a scenario where my “real camera” is not on my person. However, since I am used to shooting with Galaxy cameras in-depth, even to the point where they stood as the default method of capturing images for this site, it will take some time before my skill with it grows. Producing consistent great-looking shots takes practice with the 6P, but being that it focuses and shoots quickly, then it isn’t a problem.

However, here are some test results to show you what I mean, with a selfie from the front-facing:

That (pretty decent!) camera performance, paired with Android as it was intended (stock, no manufacturer customizations, updated monthly) makes for an experience that is unlike the others. It sort of feels like what Android could be if Google tightens the restrictions on device and software modifications.

[pullquote]”Stock Android should not only exist to preserve, but present an experience that isn’t complicated, or filled with unnecessary parts.”[/pullquote]

Android M as a release isn’t anything major in fact, but it brings many improvements that in the long run, are quintessential in making Android an operating system that isn’t filled with inconsistencies. Doze, which conserves vast amounts of energy for apps used infrequently, stretches your battery; Now on Tap scans all content on -screen and provide relevant information (still needs tweaking though).

Smaller things, like the copy/paste/cut method have been tweaked — it’s the little things, and Google’s evolving Material Design is doing justice to the platform.

But my favorite part about using the 6P is its fingerprint sensor: it’s incredibly responsive and accurate, while unlocking as well as waking the phone from sleep — that is awesome.

Conclusion

Score: 9/10

[pullquote]”There’s little going wrong with picking the 6P.”[/pullquote]

For every need I have of a smartphone, the Nexus 6P fulfills that and a little more: it’s fast, reliable, good looking and will get through the day. Couple that with a few color options including a gold version that is anything but gaudy, and Huawei has a winner of a smartphone that is worth the investment.

In fact, what might be the most interesting thing about the Nexus 6P is that for the first time, one doesn’t have to sacrifice anything to have the latest Android updates: the 6P is a complete package.

Pros:

• The fastest Nexus (with a great camera, finally)
• It’s beautiful
• USB-C = glimpse of the future
• Android M

Cons:

• Now on Tap isn’t great — yet
• Size might intimidate some