Google’s Nexus range of devices has become iconic, with a devoted following. In a departure from precedent, this year’s Nexus range has two smartphones: the Nexus 5X(Review| Pictures) and the Nexus 6P. The current Nexus device has always been used to show off the newest version of Android, and now Android Marshmallow comes pre-loaded on both new models.
While the polycarbonate Nexus 5X has been designed to appeal to the majority of buyers thanks to its convenient size and lower price, the Huawei-built Nexus 6P is an all-metal powerhouse of a smartphone. Priced at Rs. 39, 999 for the 32GB variant and Rs. 42, 999 for the 64GB variant, the Nexus 6P is Google’s idea of premium. This is a device meant to satisfy the needs of the Android elite; the no-holds-barred smartphone that represents Android in the purest sense. Does the Nexus 6P live up to those expectations? We find out in our review.Look and feel
The 6P is the flagship product of the Nexus range, and Google has stated that the’P’ stands for’Premium’. One look at the device had us in complete agreement; the Nexus 6P, with its metal frame and body looks nothing short of fantastic. While the majority of the back and side surfaces have a dull finish, the edges have a highly reflective finish that makes the Nexus 6P glisten beautifully from all angles.The front of the device is 71.4 percent screen, which is centred perfectly. The top and bottom have the dual stereo speakers, while the front camera and LED notification light are in the top left corner. Unlike a lot of other Android phones, Nexus smartphones are free of branding on the front. Since the Galaxy Nexus, they have all used on-screen buttons rather than soft keys, and the Nexus 6P is no exception.The back of the phone has the iconic’Nexus’ branding, along with a Huawei logo in much smaller text right below. The fingerprint sensor sits one-third of the way down, centred so it’s easy to reach with either hand. The upper back has a noticeable bump, with a black "visor" band on which the camera and flash are located. The laser autofocus window for the rear camera is located here as well. It all looks great, and doesn’t stick out from the rest of the device.
The top, bottom and sides of the Nexus 6P are similar to those of most unibody Android devices, with the power and volume keys on the right, the Type-C USB port on the bottom, the 3.5mm socket on the top, and the SIM tray on the left. The positioning of the power and volume keys isn’t very convenient, and they are a little hard to reach. It required an adjustment in our grip of the phone to reach for either of these. However, once the fingerprint sensor was set up, we didn’t need to reach for the power button so often.With a massive screen and a weight of 178g, the Nexus 6P is among the heaviest we’ve tested this year. One of the biggest complaints with last year’s Nexus 6 was that it was simply too big and expensive. This year, the Nexus 5X exists for exactly that reason: to offer buyers a more convenient and more affordable option. Having said that, the Nexus 6P isn’t the easiest phone to hold or slip into your pocket, although the curved back and sloped edges do help a little bit in this department. However, the size does have its advantages, the biggest of which is the high-resolution screen.
At 5.7 inches across and with a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels, the Nexus 6P’s screen has a density of 518 pixels-per-inch. Naturally, this makes for some of the most detailed and sharp visuals we’ve seen on a smartphone. The screen is bright, vibrant and comfortable on the eyes even at different viewing angles and under harsh sunlight. The size and quality of the screen makes the Nexus 6P excellent for watching movies and videos. This is a visually stunning device that lives up to the’Premium’ name that Google has given it.Specifications
As the flagship Nexus device, the Nexus 6P has a specifications sheet that can put most other smartphones to shame. It’s powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC, with its primary four cores clocked at 2GHz and the secondary four cores at 1.55GHz, and an integrated Adreno 430 GPU. There’s also 3GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of internal storage(non-expandable). The phone supports a single SIM with 4G compatibility(Indian bands supported), Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. It also has a non-removable 3450mAh battery.
Like the Nexus 5X, the 6P uses a USB Type-C connector for charging and data transfer. Unlike the Nexus 5X though, the 6P box contents as listed online include a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, which can be used with practically any PC or standard USB charger(although our review unit’s box did not have this cable inside). Google does encourage the use of its cloud services for backing up files and data, and Type-C USB-OTG drives are becoming available as well. It will just take some time for the new standard to become widespread.Software
The Google Nexus 6P and 5X ship with the latest version of Android, Marshmallow 6.0. Although the visual feel of the system has not changed much between Android Lollipop and Android Marshmallow, there are a few improvements such as the vertically scrolling list for the app drawer and’Now on Tap’, which throws up contextual results for anything you’re doing on any screen with a long press of the home button. Although it’s still in development and doesn’t work perfectly all the time, this is one of our favourite new features in Marshmallow.