Newsletter
Introduction
It is that time of year again when Google Android lovers have their day in the sun – and rightly so. Today they not only released one, but two new Nexus smartphones – one from LG and one from Huawei. LG was commissioned in the past to do the Nexus 5, which was very well received – their new model, the Nexus 5X is looking pretty good itself. This is Huawei’s first time to the Nexus rodeo and their entry, the Nexus 6P looks to be the higher end Nexus smartphone. What is just as exciting is that both devices will come bearing Android’s new operating system, Android 6.0, called Marshmallow.
The Nexus devices give Google the chance to showcase their operating systems in their purest of forms, with no manufacturer UIs covering them up – Samsung uses TouchWiz, LG uses LG UX and HTC uses Sense. Many Google aficionados will use nothing but Nexus devices for the pure vanilla experience and others prefer the extra options that a UI can add – but the main Android OS is always there in the background and controlling the most important aspects of Android that only get better and better with each rendition. For this comparison, we will take a look at the new Nexus 6P and how it stacks up to the Motorola Nexus 6 it is replacing. Check out and compare their specifications on the chart listed below.
Specifications
Displays
First, we will look at the displays of the Huawei Nexus 6P and the Motorola Nexus 6 – this is one of their many similarities – large and AMOLED displays. The Nexus 6P comes in at 5.7-inches and the Nexus 6 measures out at 5.96-inches. Both displays are also Quad HD (QHD) with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with 493 pixels-per-inch (PPI) on the Nexus 6 and 515 PPI on the Nexus 6P.
Processor/Memory
Huawei decided to stay close to the original Nexus 6 by going to Qualcomm for the processor – generally, Huawei will use one of their homegrown Silicone Kirin processors, but Google probably wanted them to stay with a common brand name that their customers would feel comfortable using. The new Nexus 6P is using the v2.1 of the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz. This replaces the 32-bit Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz that was used in the original Nexus 6.
When it comes to memory configurations, both the older Nexus 6 and the newer Nexus 6P both come with 3GB of RAM. Internal memory in the Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P is either 32GB or 64GB, although the Nexus 6P will also offer a 128GB option. Neither model has a microSD card slot for expansion.
Camera
The camera areas are alike in some respects and different in others, but we will have to wait until we actually get our hands on the new Nexus 6P and put it through its paces to see how just how well it takes photos. The original Nexus 6 uses a 13MP sensor for the main camera while the new Nexus 6P uses a 12.3MP sensor. The Nexus 6 has a dual flash-ring that encircles the lens, and the Nexus 6P uses a dual-tone LED flash that sits beside the lens. Both devices have autofocus (the Nexus 6P has laser autofocus), but only the original Nexus 6 has OIS. The two really differ when it comes to the front-facing cameras (FFC) – the Nexus 6 had a small 2MP FFC and the new Nexus 6P includes a much larger 8MP FFC, which should take some great selfies and provide solid video chats.
Battery/Miscellaneous
The batteries of these two devices are large by smartphone standards – 3220mAh in the original Nexus 6 and an even larger 3450mAh battery in the new Nexus 6P. Both batteries are non-removable and offer a rapid charge feature. The original Nexus 6 also had built-in wireless charging, not found in the new Nexus 6P.
Both devices use a full metal frame, but the Nexus 6P takes it a step further and has an all-metal construction and both offer an easy-to-grip design. Both devices have dual front-facing speakers for great sound. The new Nexus 6P also includes a fingerprint sensor – not only to unlock the device but also to prepare the way for Android Pay with Marshmallow 6.0. The original Nexus came in either Midnight Blue or Cloud White, but the new Nexus 6P will be available in Aluminum, Graphite, Frost and in Japan only…a Gold model.
It is looking like the higher end Nexus 6P from Huawei maybe the almost perfect Nexus smartphone. With all-metal construction and interesting design, fingerprint sensor, large battery, great camera area, updated Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor and Marshmallow 6.0, it looks like a device that will be hard to beat and one that Google can proudly call a Nexus. The new Nexus 6P will be available only online in the Google Play Store, making pricing, delivery and updates all consistent. Pre-orders start today with delivery slated for mid-to-late October. It will also be available at Best Buy, etc., and most likely directly from the carriers, although that was not mentioned.