Nexus 6P review: Has Google finally built the ultimate smartphone?

Huawei has built a stylish and sturdy smartphone for Google

GOOGLE'S Nexus 6P might just be the best way to experience its stellar Android 6.0 Marshmallow. NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has the full review on the US firm's first collaboration with Huawei.

• Pros – Stylish and Well-Built, Staggering Quad HD Display, Latest OS Updates Direct From Google, Great Cameras
• Cons – 5.7inch Display Makes the Nexus 6P A Little Too Tall, Rear-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor Can Be Inconvenient 

Google designed its Nexus range to showcase the very best of Android.

The Californian technology firm works hand-in-hand with hardware manufacturers to build a device which compliments the latest version of its hugely popular mobile operating system, Android.

And with the recent release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, comes the Huawei-made Nexus 6P.

 

There is no second-ways about it, the Google Nexus 6P is the best Nexus smartphone to date.

Huawei has built a beautiful and premium smartphone – two qualities that were distinctly lacking from its predecessor, the Motorola-made Nexus 6.

The £449 Nexus 6P has a svelte, aeronautical-grade aluminium unibody design with sparkling diamond-cut edges.

A slightly-raised glass cut-out on the rear of the handset houses its impressive 12.3MP camera – but it also gives the Nexus 6P some personality, helping it to stand-out from the endless black rectangles that fill the shelves of mobile phone stores.

 

Huawei has built the first aluminium unibody smartphone for the Google Nexus range

The 5.7inch is pin-sharp and vibrant, but makes the smartphone a little tall and unwieldy

Out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice about the Google Nexus 6P is the stunning 5.7inch display.

Brimming with an eye-watering 518 pixels-per-inch, the Quad-HD AMOLED display is beautiful, bright and colourful.

It also helps the bold colours and bouncy material design animations baked into Android Marshmallow to shine.

However the staggering 16:9 display comes at a hefty cost to your pocket real estate.

Measuring 159mm by 77.8mm, the Nexus 6P is frustratingly tall and can be difficult to use one-handed.

As a result, you’ll struggle to swipe down the notifications shade, or select any menu items at the top of the display without some serious hand gymnastics.

At times, the elongated shape of the flagship Google smartphone is infuriating.

But turn the device on its side and watch the latest Star Wars trailer on Huawei's immersive 5.7inch QHD display and you soon realise it is more than worth the inconvenience.

 

Both new Nexus smartphones charge and sync over USB Type-C

However if you feel differently about phablets, Google has released a smaller Nexus smartphone, the LG Nexus 5X.

Aside from the eye-popping QHD display, the front of the Nexus 6P houses a set of dual front-facing stereo speakers, three microphones for noise cancellation during phone calls and an eight-megapixel video call camera, capable of shooting 30 frames-per-second HD video.

The front-facing camera is good enough for your selfies, Skype and Hangout calls, but it’s not headline worthy. And it’s a similar story with the speakers, which lack the punch of HTC’s dual front-facing BoomSound system but are still just fine.

Without a doubt the most exciting feature included in the new Google Nexus 6P is found on its back.

Huawei has included a frighteningly-fast, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor to showcase the biometric security baked into Android 6.0 Marshmallow, dubbed Nexus Imprint.

 

Huawei's small, circular fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable

The circular fingerprint sensor is fast, reliable and marks a huge step forward for the Google ecosystem, where biometric security systems are still frustratingly rare. Hopefully other manufacturers will follow the Google Nexus' example.

It doesn’t take long before blindly tapping your finger on the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner becomes natural.

Unfortunately Huawei has removed the small swipe gestures it introduced for its own fingerprint scanner with the Mate S smartphone, unveiled earlier this year at the IFA consumer electronics tradeshow in Berlin.

The rear-mounted design also means you’ll be forced to resort to the frustrating slog of tapping a numerical, text or pattern password whenever you use the Google Nexus 6P on a table, or mounted into a holder for your car.

Powering the Google Nexus 6P is a throbbing 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM.

That’s more than enough to keep Android 6.0 Marshmallow running smoothly – and even the most intensive power users will struggle to notice any lag or stutter while using the Nexus 6P.

 

On the subject of Android Marshmallow, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system brings with it some time-saving new Google Now functionality, granular security features and battery-saving technology.

Now on Tap is the most exciting new addition and brings Google Now functionality inside of apps and webpages.

For example, summoning Now on Tap on a text conversation about dinner plans with a close friend will pop-up directions to the restaurant mentioned in the chat, as well as its Trip Advisor rating and a estimated time to leave to get there.

The functionality continues Google’s own brand of slightly creepy by oh-so-useful predictive features.

 

Nexus smartphones always get the latest Android OS updates straight from Google HQ. As a result, Nexus handsets are often updated with the latest features and functionality months ahead of the competition, like Samsung and HTC.

The Huawei-made Nexus 6P is no exception and will always get the latest from Google.

Granted, it's a small differentiator but nonetheless an important one. And it should go some way to reassure customers rattled by the recent spate of Android cyberattacks, published vulnerabilities and security warnings.

 



The speedy 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM keep Android ticking over



The Nexus 6P has a large 3,450mAh battery which should keep your smartphone powered throughout the day and well into the evening, too. 

Huawei quotes 10 hours of web browsing over a 4G data connection, and we found that to be fairly close to the money.

Just don’t expect to take your new Nexus away for a weekend without a charger close to hand.

The Google Nexus 6P charges over the future-proof USB Type-C connection.

There is no longer any doubt this nifty new reversible connector is on the verge of becoming the new standard for flagship smartphones, but for now, you’ll still find spare cables all too rare in a world filled with microUSB cables.

Fortunately the Nexus 6P supports fast charging – and you can quickly top-up the device with seven hours of battery life in just ten minutes.

 



The Huawei Nexus 6P ships in either Aluminium, Graphite and Frost



Huawei has also made a lot of noise about its new rear camera. And it’s easy to see why.

Compared to the dull shooter bundled with the Nexus 6, the new 12.3MP rear camera is a staggering upgrade.

The Nexus 6P takes a great photograph in the vast majority of situations.

It captures crisp and vibrant images with a huge amount of detail, although the results can look a little cooler than other rival smartphones.

 

Photos from the Nexus 6P, LEFT, are typically cooler than rival smartphones, RIGHT

The IR laser-assisted autofocus is impressively fast at zeroing in on your subject.

Smartphones always struggle in low-light conditions and the Google Nexus 6P is no different.

The latest Google flagship struggled to pick-out details in gloomier conditions, especially when it went head-to-head with the Apple iPhone 6S Plus.

The Nexus 6P lacks Optical Image Stabilisation. On paper, this seems like a huge oversight, but in practice, the omission does not seem to affect performance.

Ultra HD 4K video at 30-frames-per-second is also supported, which means your home movies will be future-proofed, ready for your next TV.

 



The Nexus 6P has a solid rear camera, although it can struggle in low light conditions



Final Verdict 

Huawei has built a stylish and premium smartphone with flagship specs and a distinct personality. 

Coupled with the impressive functionality of pure Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Nexus 6P is a formidable flagship.

Granted, the 5.7inch display makes the device a little cumbersome to use one-handed and there will be times when you’ll wish the fingerprint sensor was on the front of the smartphone, like rivals Samsung and Apple.

But these small quibbles are easily forgiven. Especially when you compare the svelte, metallic Nexus 6P to the bulbous plastic body of its predecessor, the £499 Motorola-built Nexus 6.

 

It’s the best Google Nexus smartphone ever released. And it’s the best Android smartphone, too.

For our money, the curvaceous Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge still trumps the Nexus 6P in terms of design. And the staggering camera on the LG G4 beats the Nexus 6P shooter, too. But that’s OK.

Fast updates direct from Google, solid hardware design and quality from Huawei and a reasonable £449 price tag for the SIM-free handset, make this the no-compromise Android smartphone of the year.

The Huawei Nexus 6P is available today from the Google Store.

It ships in either Aluminium, Graphite and Frost with 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.