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Yesterday, we saw the unveiling of two great new Nexus phones. The Nexus 5X is LG’s affordable variant of 2015’s options, but Huawei’s Nexus 6P takes things up a big notch in several areas.
Nexus 6P Specs
You’ve probably already gotten a good look at the Nexus 6P’s spec sheet, but here’s a quick recap in case you need it. The display clocks in at 5.7 inches, and is of the AMOLE variety. It also enjoys 2560 x 1440 resolution, which Chris says is enough to make it gorgeous.
Under the hood is a Snapdragon 810 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM, which should be plenty enough to run the Android 6.0 Marshmallow it’ll ship with. For storage, you’ll have your choice of 32GB, 64GB or 128GB.
The rear camera is 12.3 megapixels. That doesn’t sound too crazy on paper, but we all know megapixels don’t mean a ton. It’s using a rather large image sensor that makes for superior lowlight performance, and comes with the sharpness, color accuracy and quality you’d expect from a flagship’s camera.
Unfortunately it’s missing optical image stabilization, but it at least comes with 4K video recording. The camera experience is rounded out with laser-assisted autofocus and dual-tone flash. The front sensor will give you 8 megapixels to work with for those all-important selfies or video calls.
For connectivity, we have NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, dual-band WiFi AC, and full 4G LTE radios for use on every carrier in America and Canada. There’s also a fingerprint scanner on the rear for use with Android Pay or authorizing Google Play Store purchases, and a 3,450mAh battery should be plenty enough to power it all.
Build Quality
The Nexus 6P is made out of a pure block of aluminum, which should make it the most premium-feeling Nexus device to date. It’s quite slim at just 7.3mm, and it’s quite light at 178 g. The rear is clean and simple, though there’s a slight hump on the back for the camera panel. It’s said this hump also houses some ambient sensors and other components, which is why there’s a black glass panel up top.
Otherwise, it looks classy, slim, sleek and totally Huawei, and that’s actually a good thing in this day and age.
Software and Features
There isn’t much to say here — it’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow as pure as pure can be. That comes with Google Now on Tap, native fingerprint scanner support, Doze mode for battery saving and a whole ton of other features you can read about right here.
Things seem to be running quite smoothly on that Snapdragon 810, too, though we’ll have to get some extended time with the device to see if that holds up well over time.
Worth its skin?
Our early thoughts? This is probably one of the best looking and feeling Nexus devices ever. We can’t say that definitively without putting it through its proper paces, of course, but if you had any doubt that Huawei could do the Nexus line justice then it’s probably safe to throw that doubt straight out of the window. It’s not the most affordable option you’ll be able to get — the Nexus 5X gets that badge — but at least you’ll be getting your money’s worth for spending the extra dough to have one.
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