Imagine a clean, white sheet. No blots. No ink marks. No colour. Now take a look at your smartphone. Yes, the Android one in your pocket. Are you sure it’s an Android? Is that the Android you know? Well, if you haven’t had a taste of ‘Pure Android’ or some may call it ‘Plain Vanilla Android,’ you’re in luck. The new Nexus 6P is here. Yes, you read it right.
I’ve been a fan of the Nexus line since the Nexus One (I still have it). The love affair with the Nexus continued through the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. You may ask why. It’s pretty simple really. Pure Android. Android as it should be. Clean as Google imagined the user interface to be. No unnecessary frills, no bloatware, no gimmickry.
Just pure, unadulterated fluidity and responsiveness.
I know, we’ve all been spoiled with myriad iterations of Android. The crazy customisations, the iOS-like icons, the layers of gunk (OK, some are nice I must admit). We’ve put up with buggy user experience, slow OS updates and just plenty of bloatware.
Android as it should be
The good news is, the Nexus 6P is here. If performance and a no-frills Android experience is what you’re after, it doesn’t get better than this.
The Nexus range has seen Google work with several trusted hardware partners over the years. There’s HTC with the Nexus One (and Nexus 7 tablets); Samsung with the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus; and LG with the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. The latest iteration sees Google hold hands with LG again for the entry-level Nexus 5x and for the first time – Huawei, for Google’s finest – the Nexus 6P.
Here’s a quick roundup of the Nexus 6P features.
A winner in the making
One thing you’ll love is the full metal unibody and sleek lines. Crafted from aeronautical-grade anodized aluminium. How about that. And… it is beautiful. IMHO, the most beautiful Nexus yet. Huawei has shown its prowess in design and build – as good as, if not better, than the best from Apple, Samsung and HTC.
Another first on this flagship Google device, is the fingerprint sensor on the back, not unlike Huawei’s own Mate S. The sensor offers instantaneous unlock and can also be used for payment with Android Pay.
On the display side, the Nexus 6P features a delicious 5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED display that pushes 518PPI, protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
Keeping up with its elitist status is the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 (quad-core 1.55GHz Cortex-A53 + quad-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A57). This powerhouse is mated to an Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB RAM.
Malaysians will get the 64GB storage variant, offering a middle-ground between the 32GB and 128GB versions.
What’s to be impressed with is the new 12.3MP camera with laser autofocus and dual-tone flash. Megapixels isn’t everything of course, and Huawei has chosen to go with bigger pixels (ala Apple and HTC). The 1.55 pixel size packs in more light, delivering brighter, sharper photos especially in low light conditions.
You know, for the first time, the Nexus doesn’t have a crap camera. Coming from a (former) Nexus user, I’d say it’s a huge step up.
The selfie camera is an 8MP unit, that should ensure you look prettier than a K-Pop star.
As a a flagship device, the Nexus 6P ticks all the right boxes in terms of connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, you name it.
The device takes in a single nano-SIM and supports 4G LTE.
With the USB Type-C port, you’ll never need to guess which way to plug in your charge cable. Being reversible, simply plug and go. Type-C supports rapid charging, and will also ensure super fast data transfer.
Before I forget, you’ll probably appreciate the front-firing stereo speakers. From first impressions, they’re loud. And that’s a good thing.
Keeping the Nexus 6P running for hours is the 3,450mAh rated battery which Huawei claims will give you up to 23 hours of 3G talktime.
Perhaps the single most important aspect of the Nexus 6P is the operating system. Because it’s a Nexus device, it always get the latest version of Android, first. Yes, it’s bragging rights. And yes, if you’re a tech-head, enthusiast, developer, fan, early-adopter, this is THE only reason to get the Nexus.
On the Nexus 6P of course, you get the sweetest – Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It’s intuitive, fluid, fast. You get a more intelligent user experience overall with Google Now on Tap, enhanced lock screen and homescreen; refined app drawer, notifications and quick settings, Doze and more.
Pricing and availability
The Nexus 6P will be available from 10 December onwards at Vmall.my and Lazada. Available colours are Graphite and Aluminium. It retails at MYR2,698 including GST. For the first 600 units, Huawei is also throwing in a free Chromecast worth MYR149. The Nexus 6P is covered by a 1-year one-to-one exchange warranty (Vmall).
