Review of the Nexus 6

The Nexus 6 Review

Nexus phones are generally a representation of Google’s capabilities in the smartphone market and theoretically shows the best that Google can provide during that period. The recently released Nexus 6 has showed significant changes from the earlier ones released by Nexus and reflects the possible new strategies of Google.

 

The specifications of the Nexus 6 are as follows: 1440×2560 display in a 5.96” screen; is 10.1 mm thick and weighs 184 grams; Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor; Quad core 2.7Ghz CPU and Adreno 420 GPU; 3220mAh battery; a 3gb RAM and 32 or 64gb storage; has a 13mp rear camera and a 2mp front camera; has NFC; and has a MicroUSB port.

The device costs $649 or $699, depending on the storage size. It’s a very reasonable price for the phone quality, plus the price can compete quite well with other phones in the same price range.

 

A lot of people are saying that the Nexus 6 was a prototype for the Moto S. The Nexus 6 looks like a larger version of the Moto X (with a Nexus logo) and a Moto dimple. This comparison can be seen in the photo below:

The phone looks nothing like the conventional Nexus phone design of a flat top, flat back curving at the edges, and a frame that angles inwardly. The Nexus 6 holds a curved display, a curved back tapering at the edges, and a straight frame.

 

The good stuff:

  • The Nexus 6’ design makes the phone very comfortable to hold. Side navigation also looks good. Plus it has small bezels, making the phone bulk-free.
  • It has a resolution of 493 ppi and has great color saturation because of the AMOLED panel. The colors are vibrant. There’s a bit of shifting in the graphic edges but it’s barely noticeable.
  • Speaker grills. Front speaker grills are not serrated and textured. The Nexus 6 instead has a flat and black design that allows the speakers grills to remain barely noticeable despite the slight protruding. It may cause slight discomfort for obsessive-compulsive users, but overall it’s tolerable.
  • There are two front-facing speakers on the phone that deliver clear audio, and volume’s loudness is also commendable. There are a bit of distortion in some tones when the volume’s maxed, but it’s okay because the speakers are still great.
  • Battery life. The battery life of the Nexus 6 is a huge improvement compared to the older Nexus phones. It’s not stellar, but it’s still better. Despite using maximum brightness and mobile data, the phone is still able to last a day. Of course this may differ for every user, depending on the type of usage. The battery drops considerably faster on heavy usage.
  • The good news is that Lollipop has a battery saver mode that’s really helpful. It can extend battery life to the very last drop.

 

A2

  • The Nexus 6 is capable of wireless charging, and buyers would also be provided with Motorola’s turbo charger that can charge a nearly-drained phone (about 7%) in 1 to 2 hours, assuming that you leave it alone to charge. The phone can also probably be used on Google’s square charging mat because it has magnets at the back.
  • Connectivity is great. WiFi, Bluetooth, and mobile data are all functioning according to expectations.
  • Clear call quality. This can be attributed to the great speakers. Plus the volume range is really good.
  • Camera quality is good for a mobile phone – color reproduction is rich, images are clear, and the HDR+ is evident. Again, this depends on the user, but for those who are not too picky, the Nexus 6’ camera works really well.

 

A3

 

  • Audio quality in video-taking. It’s not perfect, but it can effectively block noise. The sound captured is good enough for a smartphone.
  • Ambient display. And the screen immediately comes to life when the user touches anything on the screen. There’s no waiting time.
  • The implementation of Lollipop in Nexus 6 is even better than Moto X. It can show notifications from Google+. App grid is at 4×6 so you don’t have to repeatedly swipe the screen just to see the other apps, and the Nexus 6 has the supported hardware for Lollipop’s “always listening” feature. Google also chose to stay with the holistic approach for its interface, such that one works for all sizes.
  • Fast performance. There are no lags or crashes. It’s definitely way better than the performance of the Nexus 9. The Nexus 6 is a very reliable phone in terms of speed and Lollipop works well.

A4

  • Carrier apps can be downloaded automatically during initial setup, but this can easily be uninstalled if you would like to. That feature is highly welcomed. Thank you, Google.

 

The not-so-good points:

 

  • Size. It’s just massive at 5.96”, so if you’re not used to a phone of this size, it will definitely take some getting used to. It can still fit some pockets, but
  • Camera. It has an aggressive image processing to eliminate noise that makes the image look broken in some areas. This is especially noticeable in images that are taken in low lighting.
  • More on the camera. The digital zoom can also benefit from some improvements, and the camera tends to re-focus during capture.
  • No tap-to-wake option. It has lift-to-wake, though, but this has issues as well. Ambient mode sometimes takes about 3 seconds to load.
  • No removable battery
  • No expandable storage. This may not be an issue for some, but this can be problematic for others. There can be an easy solution for this, though – USB!

The verdict

To sum it up, the Nexus 6 is a great phone. Google really addressed the flaws in its past devices, resulting in a phone with few downsides. Despite the lack of some features like the expandable storage and tap-to-wake option, its performance makes up hugely. Expectations on this phone are met.

 

What do you think of the device? Hit the comments section below!

SC

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoAPTdvgAJg[/embedyt]

About The Author

Reply

error: Content is protected !!