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Android – Google’s own mobile operating system – has many premium phones, but Google themselves have rarely dabbled in this section of the smartphone market.
The Nexus 6, made by Motorola, didn’t really hit the mark. However things appear to be a little different in the case of the new 6, or 6P to be exact.
What’s more; this is a smartphone that has the spec and performance to rival the iPhone – but is significantly less expensive.
First of all, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has come in to piece it together, and have done so using brushed aluminium that feels similar to what you find on the iPhone or HTC One. In other words, at the very high end of the smartphone market. On top of that is the weight of the 6P; it feels robust, and appeals to that loose logic we all hold that the heavier something is, the more expensive it must be.
What’s also eye-catching is the way the screen fits the front of the 6P. The device is roughly the same size as an iPhone 6s Plus, but it’s 5.7-inch screen is actually bigger than on its Apple counterpart.
And what a screen too; the 6P has a Wide Quad HD AMOLED display that contains 518 pixels per inch. In plain English that is a very clear, bright display, and it’s one that comes with a camera that captures in 4K too. It also has the same larger sensor to let in more light, and better show colour in photos, and the difference with other phones is striking, with colours appearing a lot brighter.
There’s an 8 megapixel front-facing camera too to offer very high-res selfies.
On the subject of the camera, this does offer arguably the only questionable aspect of the 6P’s design; the reflective strip that houses the rear camera. Against the aluminium on the grey device it is less prominent, but it’s still not the prettiest thing you’ll ever see on the back of a smartphone.
Unlike it’s sibling the 5X, the headphone jack is at the top of 6P, with both devices also carrying the new USB-C connector, which is the new industry standard.
Just like the 5X, the 6P is a launch device for Android Marshmallow, and so has all the trimmings built right into it. This includes the Now on Tap feature, better Wi-Fi antennas and Bluetooth 4.2 – the latest version of the connection. Sensor Hub is built in too for better battery life, and the 6P also supports fast charging; meaning that a 10 minute charge can add up to seven hours of battery life.
What it also has is the octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM, which makes the 6P an extremely powerful smartphone. You can feel it in your interactions too. Apps open sharply and games run very smoothly. it’s not often you spot the difference in Wi-Fi speeds as you move from home to the office and surf the web but you will do here; as the 6P pushes everything rapidly, and your internet connection has to respond.
The mid-range 5X stumbles a little in only offering up to 32GB of memory, but the 6P has no such problem as it starts there and goes all the way up to 128GB. What’s more, the 128GB will cost you £579 – that’s cheaper than a 16GB iPhone 6s Plus. To further make the point, a 6s Plus that also has 128GB will cost you £789; £210 more than the Nexus.
And the 6P is not £210 worse than the iPhone – in some ways it is better in fact. The camera and photos you get as a result for one. While the fingerprint scanner, while being on that slightly awkward spot on the rear of the phone is just as quick as Touch ID.
Spend time with the 6P, and you realise there is very little to separate it from the king of the smartphone hill that comes from Apple. It’s only in price that they’re poles apart.
No phablet-sized smartphone is understated, but the Nexus 6P has made that sort of entrance to the market. Yes, Android is a crowded space for phones, but the 6P looks and feels as though it could be a flagship for the entire Android platform, not just Google’s Nexus line.
There is still a valid argument held by many that iOS remains the better, tidier operating system. But that chasm is not as gaping as it once was. Google has learned from Apple how to make great smartphones. You can see that in the brushed metal it is using on this, it’s most important smartphone launch to date. That’s a compliment to their rivals, and an acknowledgement that the iPhone got the style right.
But the smartphone market has evolved, and in this bigger, wider screen with a more powerful camera and even a free trial of Google Play Music thrown in, Google clearly thinks it has the product to begin the Android fightback against iPhone dominance. And this Nexus 6P-shaped package definitely lands a big punch for Google.
