Nexus 6P vs Note 5: No Losers Here

The Huawei-made Nexus 6p, and the Samsung-made Galaxy Note 5 are two of the best Android smartphone/phablet I have used to date. Both of them are similar in size and specifications as well, so a comparison between those two is pretty much inevitable, so lets do it.

In my Nexus 6P review, I call it the best Android phone in the market at this point in time. Of course that’s just my opinion, and might not be the same for everyone. But here’s the tricky part, it can be the best phone in the market TO me, but it may not the phone the best phone FOR me. Hear me out.

The Nexus 6P gets my vote for the best Android phone for 3 simple reasons. Stock Android experience, fast updates, and there is very little wrong with it. To elaborate further on my last point, consider the following.

• The design is nice, but not amazing.
• The fit and finish is good, but not the best.
• The specifications are great, but not the most cutting edge.
• The battery capacity is huge, but it’s not the most efficient.
• The screen is one of the best I’ve seen, but just not the best.
• The camera is really nice, but not the nicest.

I could go on, but you get the point…

It’s a phone that does everything well, but excel in few (mostly only software). It’s a great device that combines great software in a nice hardware package, and It’s a device that will undoubtedly be pleasurable to use for most people. But... it’s kind of boring.

On the other hand, you have the Note 5 which does a lot of things right on the hardware front, but loses point on the software side of things. Let me list out the things that I like about it over the Nexus 6P.

• It manages to fit the same 5.7” display into a smaller physical size.
• The display is better calibrated.
• The fit and finish is better.
• It has better specifications like a better processor, more RAM, faster UFS 2.0 storage.
• Playing games like Need For Speed: No Limits, the Note 5 is noticeably faster.
• Despite a much smaller battery, it actually has better usage battery life.
• The camera is superior in pretty much all situations.
• It has an S-Pen which is really useful.

Its fatal flaw is Samsung’s insistence on overbearing software customisations. In other words, Samsung is its own worst enemy here. While they can try not call it TouchWiz, and claim that they have “lighten” it up, there is just too much things going on still. In most cases it’s fast, but it’s still inconsistent and unreliable at times.

While using the Note 5, I miss the Nexus 6P’s stock Android experience. When using the Nexus 6P, I miss the Note 5’s slimmer form factor, slightly better battery life, better camera, and the S-Pen. You simply can’t have your cake and eat it.

It's not that I want Samsung to simply adopt stock Android wholesale, I just want them to take a more conservative approach when customising their software. They have good features, they just need to be better at selecting what to put in. Motorola has proven that their method of only adding meaningful software on top on stock Android, and leaving the rest alone works really well. Perhaps Samsung can take a page out of their book. Recently there are rumours that Google is helping Samsung optimise TouchWiz, and I hope that it's true.

The Nexus 6P is still the best Android phone to me though. It’s the best representation of Android software, on a really decent hardware. It just isn't the best phone for me though. On my way to work I like to watch videos while doing other things, and the Note 5 does that. I need to use a photo editor to highlight things from time to time, draw once in a while, and take long screenshots occasionally, and the Note 5 does those.

To a smaller extent, I also enjoy the fact that the Note 5 is not just an Android smartphone with a big screen. It tries to do things a little differently with its stylus. Whereas the Nexus 6P feels a little bland, a little too safe, a little too boring.

In the end, there is really no winner or loser here. Both are great Android devices with their own pros and cons, and the decision will simply be down to what you can live with, and what you can’t live without.

Nexus 6P Review

Every year, the most highly anticipated Android smartphone for Android fans is undoubtedly the Nexus. The unadulterated Android experience, as Google intended it to be. This year however, we got 2 Nexus smartphones to deal with. The first being the Nexus 5X which I had a quick look at earlier on, and the other being the bigger, and more premium looking Nexus 6P. So without further ado, let’s talk about the Nexus 6P.

P is for Premium

The "P" in the “6P” is supposed to stand for “Premium”, and the phone definitely feels that way with its metal and glass construction. The phone feels great in the hand, and feels extremely solid. With a 5.7" display, the phone is undeniably a phablet. But, compared to the behemoth which is the Nexus 6, the slimmer waistline help makes it a lot easier to use one-handed.

The visor hump on the rear of the phone was a topic of much discussion when leaked images of the 6P first appeared. In real life, the hump is actually pretty subtle, and since it’s stretch across the phone it doesn’t cause the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface. The visor is not just for aesthetic purposes of course. It houses some antennas, the laser autofocus, the camera, the flash, and the NFC chip. I actually quite like the look of it.

But there are still a few things I could nitpick about though. The buttons on the sides while nicely crafted, does wobble a little side to side. The plastic panel on the bottom rear of the phone doesn’t sit completely flushed too on my unit, with one side being raised a little bit more than the other.

Overall, unlike the Nexus 5X which has an understated, and utilitarian design, the Nexus 6P lives up to its “Premium” moniker.

A great visual and aural experience

The 5.7” QHD AMOLED display upfront is supposedly sourced from the latest generation of AMOLED panels from Samsung (which in my opinion makes the best looking display on a smartphone to date). However when comparing it side by side with the Note 5, it still seemed a little less impressive, which is probably just down to calibration. Nonetheless, it definitely ranks up there as one of the best looking displays on a smartphone.

On the top and bottom of the screen, there are dual front firing stereo speakers, which is always welcomed in my books. They still don’t sound as good as HTC’s Boomsound speakers which is the yardstick for smartphone speakers, but they do sound rich enough, and has sufficient volume. I did notice that on my unit the top speaker sound ever so slightly louder than the bottom speaker, but not enough to make a fuss over.

Nexus Imprint

On the rear of the device above the Nexus logo, you have a fingerprint sensor. Just like the Nexus 5X, the fingerprint sensor is one of the fastest I have used on a smartphone to date. It is not just fast at unlocking the device every single time, but it is fast as well to set up. It only takes 6 taps to set up a fingerprint, and over time, the fingerprint sensor will “learn” to recognise your fingerprints better.

With it being rear mounted, it makes it a little harder to use when the phone is placed on a table. However, when taking the phone out of your pocket, the fingerprint sensor is perfectly placed to read your index finger. By the time the phone is out of your pocket, the screen is already turned on and unlocked.

A little long in the tooth, but still a top performer

With the newer Snapdragon 820 chipset just round the corner, the Snapdragon 810 that the Nexus 6P uses is getting a little bit long in the tooth. While it is Qualcomm’s best showing this year, compared to its competitor’s offering like Samsung’s Exynos 7420, it falls a little behind. Thankfully with a stock Android build, the software is lean enough to ensure speedy performance.

Comparing it to the Note 5, day to day performance seems just a tad smoother and faster. But when it comes to playing intensive games like Need For Speed: No Limits, the Note 5 loads the game noticeably faster, and is generally a little bit smoother. No doubt helped by the faster UFS 2.0 storage.

Thermal management (a topic that is unavoidable with Qualcomm’s chipset this year) is actually pretty decent on the Nexus 6P. There are occasions where the phone gets really warm, like when using the camera extensively under the hot sun, or while setting up the phone while installing/updating apps. Most of the time under normal usage though, the phone doesn’t seem to warm up as easily as other SD 810 devices like the Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z5, or One M9.

Comparing the Nexus 5X to the 6P, other than having 1 more GB of RAM (2GB vs 3GB), the 6P also uses the newer LPDDR4 instead of the 5X’s LPDDR3. This, plus the beefier processor gives the 6P noticeably better performance. Just use the camera to capture an HDR+ image and you will see the difference in the processing time.

Unadulterated Android Experience

While I personally prefer the stock Android experience, it can be a bit bare bones for your regular consumer. Comparing to the Note 5 which is one of the best phablet in the market today, it doesn't have multi-window mode which really comes in handy at times for watching a video podcast on YouTube while browsing the web. It doesn’t have S-Pen to make use of that large display for taking down notes or drawing. It doesn't have pop-up video player so you can catch up on your favourite TV shows while messaging your friends. It doesn't even have a file manager out of the box.

Granted, this is a Nexus, so you can also tweak it, or install a custom ROM easily to enable those features. However, your regular consumer aren't going to bother with that. Then again, the Nexus brand hasn't always been the most consumer facing product. But with Google seemingly trying to push the Nexus brand in that direction, it is still something worth noting.

One of the most important aspect of the Nexus brand is undoubtedly its fast, and consistent updates. When a new version of Android is released, the Nexus phones will always be first in line to get those updates. I'm not just talking about “bugs fixing” or “new features” updates though. The more important updates are those monthly security updates. While a lot of companies have committed to monthly security updates much like Google has, the only company I have confidence in meeting those datelines are Google themselves.

Biting into that fluffy Marshmallow

As I have talked about in my Nexus 5X blog post, a lot of what comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow are under the hood. The biggest visual change is that the app drawer now scrolls vertically instead of horizontally?

(Doze: Better battery standby drain)

(Google Now on Tap: Contextual personal assistant)

(App permissions: more granular control)

(Nexus Imprint for better security)

Some of the features will be immediately useful, and noticeable such as Doze, Nexus Imprint, and App Permissions. Others like Google Now on Tap will get increasingly more useful as Google improves the service over time much like Google Now.

Other than that, this is the stock Android experience that Android purists know and love.

(There is an improved SD card support which is going to be huge for lower end devices with limited internal memory, but as it's a Nexus, there is no SD card slot. Still worth mentioning though.)

More efficient standby

One of the gripes I had with Android devices for a long while was the battery drain during standby, something the iOS really excelled in. With recent devices, it has been less of an issue as other OEMs have found ways to optimise the system better. Now we have the "Doze" feature built right into Android, hopefully that will mean more devices will get to enjoy better standby battery consumption.

Battery life isn't as fantastic as you would expect from a 3,450 mAh battery, but for what it is, it's decent enough to last me a day of use easily. While Doze works great while the phone is on standby, the drain while the phone is in use is still faster than I would have expected from a battery this size.

Rapid recharging

The bright side is that the phone actually charges pretty quickly with the bundled charger. It uses 5V/3A charging through USB Type C power delivery instead of utilising Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology. While the rapid charging standard that Google is using is an open standard, and I'm normally all for open standards, in this case it's a little bittersweet.

First of all, spare chargers are not that easy to obtain just yet. Secondly, it uses a USB Type C connector, which very few devices are using for now. Compatibility is going to be part of the growing pains with the new Type C standard, but the bright side is that it should get a lot better next year. Thankfully, unlike the Nexus 5X, Google did include a USB A to USB Type C cable in the box which is nice. People typically don't upgrade their computers as often as they do phones, so I'm willing to bet that at this point, only a small percentage of people will have a USB Type C port on their computer.

The best camera on a Nexus to date

With the Nexus 5X, we got a good glimpse of the camera capabilities of the current crop of Nexus devices. It was good, but not without its flaws. The Nexus 6P is no different, which shouldn't be surprising since they are using the same sensor, but it does improve in some areas.

In daylight, the photos looks vibrant. It may not be the most colour accurate, but it does make the photos look good. A minor gripe I have is how auto HDR+ mode doesn't seem to work for daylight. Overexposed area in shots are still common to see. Having a wider angle lens means that you can't go as close to a subject when taking macro shots, but not a huge deal.

In low light, despite the lack of OIS, the Nexus 6P manages to impress. With HDR+ preserving a lot of details despite a noisier shot compared to phones with OIS like the S6 or the G4. Shutter Speed was kept fast too, so I don't really find myself missing OIS here. The minor gripe is that HDR+ processing can take a few seconds, but it is less of a nuisance as the more powerful processor compared to the Nexus 5X means a noticeably faster processing time.

(Video is where the lack of OIS really hurt the 6P. Video looks visibly more choppy compared to other devices with OIS or EIS.)

(When cropped in, you can still see the details on the railings)

A more capable processor package also meant that the Nexus 6P is able to capture 240fps slow-motion videos compared to the Nexus 5X's 120fps.

All in all, this is the best camera put on a Nexus smartphone just yet. In fact, it is one of the best few camera on a smartphone to date. While it may not beat the likes of the Galaxy S6 or the LG G4, it certainly hold its own still.

Full resolution images comparison: Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, iPhone 6S, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, LG G4, One M9, Xperia Z5

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The real new Nexus

Unlike the Nexus 5X which seems like a Nexus 5 v2.0, the Nexus 6P feels like a brand new Nexus. It feels like the best device to showcase Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Other than its size, there is little that I can complain about the device. It is a well built device with premium materials, the screen looks great, it comes packing with high end specifications, and it has a pretty good camera too. There is very little that I can complain about the Nexus 6P, which brings us to the question, is this the best Android phone in the market right now?

Yes!

This is a phone that showcases the latest and greatest from Android, and it does that convincingly. Despite promises from other manufacturers about fast software updates and security patches, they are never going to be as quick as Google. Despite manufacturers promising they’ve toned down their bloated custom blend of Android on their devices, they are never going to be as lean as on a Nexus device.

While the Nexus 6P might not have the best specifications or features in the market, it gets the basics right, and does very little wrong. It's a smartphone that provides a great user experience that I think most people will enjoy. It's an Android phone that just works.

Quick Look at the OnePlus X

I have never been a fan of OnePlus as a company. First of all, their marketing, and invitation system stinks of bovine manure. While technically useful in a variety of applications, it's still pretty revolting to be around it. Secondly, I don't think their phones are very interesting. Their past 2 “flagship killer” devices brought knives to a gunfight. A cheaper weapon of choice, but not quite as deadly. Thirdly, their slogan “Never Settle”, cannot be any more untrue if you look at their products.

The only reason I got this OPX (OnePlus X) was because a friend of mine bought one, and I swapped my Moto X Play over with him so we could try both devices.

After just 30 minutes, there were only 2 words in my head, “holey sheet!”.

They say first impressions are important, and the OPX definitely impresses. The version I got was the Champagne coloured Chinese version flashed with Oxygen OS, and it feels glorious. The grooved metal sides reminded me of the Note 3, but since it's metal rather than plastic, that shiny look is not going to peel off anytime soon.

The buttons feels well-weighted, and equally premium feeling. The notification slider on the left required just the right amount of force to click into place, and shows no signs of looseness. The metal body is sandwiched by a glass front and back. It looks premium, but not my first choice of material for the back of a smartphone.

Since the back is completely flushed, the glass back is very slippery when you put it on a table top for example. While OnePlus did provide a case in the box that alleviates this issue, covering the phone's design with a case seems like blasphemy. Perhaps a skin might be a better alternative. Also, if you have the champagne version like I have, it's not as much of a fingerprint magnet compared to the darker colours.

The good thing is, that it's not a very big phone either. With a 5.0” FHD AMOLED display, the phone is a welcomed change from the large amount of phablets in the market. It's easy to use one-handed, and fits comfortable in my hands. The AMOLED panel while not the most high resolution in the market, looks very nice with vibrant colours, great viewing angles, as well as good daylight visibility.

At the bottom of the phone, you’ll find 2 sets of precision drilled speaker grills. Only 1 set of it is the speaker though, with the other being the microphone. While being bottom mounted means it's a little easy to accidentally cover it up, it is a pretty decent sounding speaker at least.

Powering the phone, is a somewhat antiquated, but still very decent Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM. Yes, it’s not the latest generation of processor. Yes, it’s not a 64-bit processor. But as a consumer, you’re most likely not going to care about that as long as the phone still performs well. And the OPX does perform well. The UI is smooth, and you hardly see any lag while using the phone. Playing games like Need for Speed: Most Wanted was smoother on the OPX compared to the Moto X Play with the 64-bit Snapdragon 615 (and yeah, it runs cooler too).

The 16GB of internal memory can be a bit limited, but it has an optional SD card slot which doubles as a second SIM card slot.

Perhaps part of the smoothness is down to the near stock Android OS on the phone, Oxygen OS. Like the Moto X Play I tested earlier, Oxygen OS basically takes stock Android, and then add on their own (mostly useful) minor enhancements to the system. A few interesting ones are; a Moto X-like feature in which you can wave your hand over the proximity sensor to wake the phone, gestures like double tap to wake or draw pattern to launch camera/flashlight, swipe down from the top right to get into the quick toggles straight, ability to customise icons, ability to choose from either capacitive or on-screen buttons.

Oxygen OS on the OPX comes with a dark mode out of the box, which to me not only looks cool, but it’s also useful for conserving every last drop of that 2,525mAh battery. Since the phone uses an AMOLED panel, using a darker theme with black background means that those black pixels doesn’t use up any power at all since they are not activated at all.

There is a minor downside to the OS though, which is its stability. While it is mostly consistent, every now and again I see glitches here and there. I also encountered an instance in which it froze and auto-rebooted. Unfortunately this is part and parcel of a small Chinese company with a relatively new OS, something OnePlus One owners knows too well of.

In my short time with it, the battery life actually feels quite decent for a battery this size. It last a day of normal use for me very easily. On the down side, charging feels like it takes forever if you’re already used to quick charging like I am.

The camera is a 13MP camera with a f/2.2 aperture. As you probably would have guessed from a phone this thin with a flushed back, there is no OIS (optical image stabilisation). The camera is probably one of the phone’s biggest tradeoff if you ask me.

Daylight shots looks decent when viewed at a smaller size, but when zoomed in a little, reveals poor, over-aggressive, image processing. Dynamic range is not that great too with some shots turning up with overexposed areas, some under.

Low light performance as you would expect as well is not great. No OIS, high ISO, and poor image processing, means that while the camera is somewhat usable at night, you are not going to get any great looking shots.

Overall I would say that the camera is average at best. For a phone that costs 249 USD, it is somewhat acceptable still for this compromise if you don’t use the camera too much. But do note that it is only an acceptable compromise to me because other aspects of the phone is actually not bad. As a gauge, phones like the Moto G 3rd Gen, the Mi 4i, and ZenFone 2 had better image quality in my opinion, and it's mostly down to image processing.

Full resolution images for viewing: OnePlus X, OnePlus One, Moto X Play, Moto G 2014, Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Mi 4i, ZenFone 2

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While the company slogan might be “Never Settle”, you are undoubtedly “settling” when you buy a mid-range or low-priced device. Compromises are inevitable considering something has to be cut out to keep the costs down. How good a budget phone is, will be down to finding the right combination of trade-offs and compromises.

On the OPX, you’re not getting fast charging, not getting a 64-bit processor, not getting NFC, not getting 5GHz WiFi or 802.11ac, and also not getting a great camera. You’re also not getting some other things like a fingerprint sensor, or Cat 6 LTE as well, but that’s forgivable since this is a budget device after all.

Comparing the OPX to the Moto X Play, I would say OnePlus has made mostly the right sacrifices to keep the cost down. The only thing I can say for certain is better on the Moto X Play is the camera performance, and on all other front, the OPX gets my vote.

What you’re getting, is a no frills smartphone running near stock Android, with excellent performance for the price, and a build quality/design that can put devices that costs twice as much to shame. All for a measly 249 USD.

This is the first OnePlus device that I think is worth having a look at. Seeing that local carrier Singtel has begun selling the OnePlus 2 with their services, the prospect of seeing OPX selling at a subsidised rate or even for free with a 2 years service is promising. There are close to zero Android devices available at local carriers running near stock Android, and certainly none that are this affordable. The OPX could be the phone to change that, and for that, I say yes to the OPX.