3 weeks with Huawei/Google Nexus 6P and iPhone 6 - A Layman's review

siddharthx64

A Droid in a Tux
Updates to this post:
Edit - 1 : Added notes about the review.
Edit - 2 : Added more observations.
Edit - 3 : Adding Images.


[Camera Snap Samples to Come Soon]

Hey guys!

Three weeks ago, Flipkart finally made good on my pre-order of the Nexus 6P 64GB Graphite edition, and I also got the iPhone 6 around the same time. I've been playing around with both, and I would like to share a few of my honest opinions about both these phones.

Please note:
1. This is not a product review. This is not a review pitching the iPhone against the Nexus. Its just a review that collects my experiences using both phones. Thats it! If you notice some obvious points that are missed, please feel free to add them!

2. The review is an opinion after all I welcome constructive criticism, and suggestions for improvement.



Some Images

This Forum does not allow more than 5 attachments in each post. You can find all the photos of the two devices in this Google Drive Folder

iPhone 6
This phone has been around for quite some time now, and adding photos wouldn't be the best use of anyone's time. However, here are a few:
IMG_2831.jpg
IMG_2819.jpg


Nexus 6P
Here are some images of the Nexus 6P
IMG_2871.jpg
IMG_2845.jpg
IMG_2806.jpg


What I liked about the iPhone 6

Build Quality: This is something quite obvious, but I'll add this anyway. The iPhone's build quality is excellent, and I love the feel of it on the palm of my hand. Later, I added the protection of a Spigen's TPU case (Ultra Rugged Hybrid, I guess) and yet, the feel/weight of the phone in the hand is seriously premium. The Nexus 6P too exudes this premium feel thanks to the metal unibody design. However, since it's much larger, it isn't exactly a one-hand device.

Double-tap to reach: The double tap on home button feature that brings all the icons on screen within thumb’s reach. This has been quite useful to me, sometimes, and have often missed the same feature on the much larger screen of the Nexus 6P.

Earpods: Good Bundled EarPods came with the phone - Here’s something Google needs to sit up and take notice. Apple gives a pair of EarPods that are really good. Come on, Google, We paid 43K for a premium device. Don’t you think we deserve at least a basic durable pair of earplugs with the flagship device? The earpods I received with the iPhone 6 are of great quality. However, they cannot be used when moving. the pods kept getting loose and almost falling off my ear when I was walking or moving. The ones I got with the Nexus 6P are also pod-type, and do not have any silicone plugs. These too, are equally annoying when it comes to listening to music or calling when on the move.

Brilliant screen: Yes, the screen on the iPhone rocks when it comes to brightness. The resolution and Pixel density are pretty good for the 4.8Inch screen, and on side by side comparison with the Nexus 6P, they both seem to be just about as clear and Hi Res as each other. However, the Nexus 6P pales in brightness when compared to the iPhone 6, but only slightly.

User Experience: The iPhone has always been known for it's simplistic yet efficient User Experience Design and App guidelines. The iPhone 6 series also, do not disappoint. Good use of screen space, well designed apps and interfaces. I love the default wallpapers, and I'm still using one of those for my lock screen. Minimal inbuilt apps, and most of the apps that I missed were available on the store for free.



What I liked in the Nexus 6P

The Fingerprint Sensor [It does work much better on the 6P] - The Fingerprint sensor on the Nexus 6P has been performing phenomenally so far. I haven’t experienced any inaccuracies yet. Its damn fast too! By the time you remove the phone from your pocket, you already have it unlocked if you allowed your index finger to naturally place itself into the fingerprint sensor’s groove. Thats one feature that Apple hasn’t yet copied - Unlocking the phone merely by touching the sensor. At the moment, I need to press a button first, and then touch the sensor (or press the home button and continue to keep my finger in contact with he sensor on the button to unlock the phone). As you might have guessed, this takes a couple of seconds and a click longer, and can be annoying to go back to once you are used to the raw efficiency of the Nexus Imprint.

No Crashes. App or system crashes are very very common in Android Phones, but the Nexus Line stands a class apart. I have now used this phone extensively for over a week now, and I am pleased to report that there hasn’t been a single app/system crash to date. The iPhone, on the other hand, crashed once when I was setting it up for the first time, and refused to boot. Only after I attempted a recovery boot by plugging it to a laptop with iTunes did the phone start working normally again. However, that being said, I haven’t experienced any crashes since.

No Overheating. SnapDragon 810 v2.1 is definitely shining with a metal bodied phone. I did not experience any throttling of any kind, and the phone barely ran warm during the most intense app/game usage. I tested using real-world tests, like games, multiple apps in the background, etc., and the phone did,’t even break a sweat, nor did it run hot. It did get warm, but not even half as warm as my old Galaxy s3 used to get. This is one department that I am pleased to say that Huawei has excelled in.

No BendGate Bullshit - This is a large phone, and when wearing a pair of jeans that are a bit on the tight side, you will experience difficulty stuffing or extracting the phone from your pockets. That being said, there’s no chance that the phone will bend under normal circumstances. The bend-gate controversy can now be allowed to sleep. It really isn’t as easily bendable as we have been led to believe. If you take care of the phone (basic maintenance that any manufacturer would expect, not “handle-with-care” type of care), then your phone will last a long time. This applies, of course, to all phones.

Loud Stereophonic speakers. Yes, the speakers on this phone are damn loud. I was extremely happy to see that I could easily listen to a video without having to resort to earphones, when I was out in the open.

Camera Hardware- Laser Auto Focus means that not a single pic I snapped had the subject blurred. Both iPhone and the Nexus have really good cameras, but the Nexus is a clear winner here. Images below, can show you this.



What I do not like in the iPhone 6

The Ringtone debacle [Yes, I’m going to talk about this, Apple] - Seriously? What were you thinking Apple? How much time does it take to set an mp3 song as the ringtone on a nexus device? Lets see: open up a file manager like ES File explorer, select the song, and in the options, choose “set as ringtone”. Done. Less than a minute if you have the file manager app (maybe 1 minute if you don’t). Maybe more for slow people out there. Lets check out the things we need to do on the Apple Phone - Select the song, in the iTunes store, pay for a 20 second version of the song(no, not your choice of 20 seconds), sync the device with your iTunes, get the ringtone and set it in the settings window. Do that in less than 20 minutes, and I’ll be amazed. Another way would be to cut the 20 second clip from an existing mp3 song, convert it to AAC format, change extension of the file from m4a to m4r and then add it to iTunes, sync, set as ring tone on phone. Seriously, What the hell were you thinking???

Delicate Screen - Yes the screen looks bloody brilliant. But its still easily destructible. The rounded sides and edges make sure that the screen touches the surface if placed face-down, and you need to compensate by adding a protective case that comes with extra lip on the top to keep the screen from touching

Raised Camera Module - Unless you are using a case, the camera component will always touch the surface when placed with the face up. This will, over time, cause numerous scratches on the lens, and you might end up regretting not going for one of those lens-guards.

No Notification LED - The Nexus comes with a small yet efficient LED notification that lights up in multiple colors based on the app that is pushing the notification. (So far I have only seen Green (WhatsApp), Blue(FB) and White (SMS, Calls, etc), though more colors may be there). This may be a little insignificant to some, but I find it indispensable, especially when the Ambient Display notification has come and gone unnoticed. In the iPhone, pressing a button is unavoidable when checking for presence of notifications.



What I did not like in the Nexus 6P

No Bundled earphones (unless you pre-ordered your phone like me)

Earphone port on the top instead of the bottom (Yes, it does make a difference)

Battery Life - Yes, the Nexus 6P is a daily driver, and it's battery lasts a day on rigorous use. However, it does leave something to be desired, and on those extra long days, you'll end up searching for the charging port. While its true that the phone has rapid charging capabilities, the USB-C is not yet a standard and widely used port, and hence, you need to keep your charging cable and rapid charger close by at all times. This will become a non-issue over time, but for now, its an issue worth noting. This point will be further updated!

I would love to hear your feedback/opinions about the two phones, and have a discussion going!
 
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REDHOTIRON2004

Journeyman
Good honest review. Yes android have come a long way now and is quite stable specially when coupled with a powerful hardware.

As far as iphone is concerned. It was never my cup of tea. There are certain things That I can't live without like the file manager, ease of customizing myself and have those widgets according to my needs.
All these are not available with iPhone. People still buy it for its brand value. And to be honest, I too like the design of the older iPhone 5s. While 6 and 6s are quite average and looks like any other phone out there.
 

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
collecting random reasons for not using Apple products here, there is a seemingly endless list > *www.digit.in/forum/fight-club/186906-1000-reasons-never-buy-any-apple-products.html
It is giving cheap and legal way of using songs as ringtones, don't see why that is a problem.
 
According to your review it seems that iPhone 6 lasts longer than 6P. Is that true? I'm asking because most reviews show similar results for ip6 & 6P

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collecting random reasons for not using Apple products here, there is a seemingly endless list > *www.digit.in/forum/fight-club/186906-1000-reasons-never-buy-any-apple-products.html
It is giving cheap and legal way of using songs as ringtones, don't see why that is a problem.

Still most users say iOS is simpler to use in its defense, but iTunes takes it to a whole new level of complexity, which I'm sure Apple won't bother to simplify

BTW after checking your thread...
*i.imgur.com/Vge3M7S.jpg

A year ago when i saw that pic, i was laughing on ip6 with N4 in my hand... But the predictions are true, maybe next year the iphones will have those features.... They don't have to spend much on R&D
 
OP
siddharthx64

siddharthx64

A Droid in a Tux
Hmm... seems biased against Apple.

Thank you for the opinion, Anorion, but I don't see how its biased. I've quoted both good and bad aspects of both the phones. Kindly correct me if I've misquoted something. Essentially, however, I believe that my viewpoints are as unbiased as can be.

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Good review :D


Thank you, Capt. Vyom!
:)

Pics to be posted soon

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Good honest review. Yes android have come a long way now and is quite stable specially when coupled with a powerful hardware.

As far as iphone is concerned. It was never my cup of tea. There are certain things That I can't live without like the file manager, ease of customizing myself and have those widgets according to my needs.
All these are not available with iPhone. People still buy it for its brand value. And to be honest, I too like the design of the older iPhone 5s. While 6 and 6s are quite average and looks like any other phone out there.

I agree with your views, RedHotIron2004,

The iPhone 6 looks much like my old Samsung S3, from the front side. Since I am using a case to protect them, I'm not really getting anything out of the looks dept. from both phones.

Coming to performance, however, I find the Nexus 6P more responsive when it comes to multi-app usage. The iPhone has better User Experience thanks to their well designed guidelines for app devs.

- - - Updated - - -

According to your review it seems that iPhone 6 lasts longer than 6P. Is that true? I'm asking because most reviews show similar results for ip6 & 6P

Due to a variety of reasons, I feel that the battery efficiency of the iPhone 6 is still better than the Nexus 6P. Yes, they both last a whole day, and the iPhone lasted just a bit longer for me. However, this may be because the Nexus is more of a daily driver for me, and I'm ending up using that one a bit more than the iPhone. However, I will test this out more thoroughly and update here.
 

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
They are biased towards a particular usage scenario. There is no exploration of the things apple has to offer, the choices apple is making. Those few are considered negatives for no reason (ringtone store). Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme. Then, there is no bias.

or just look at the chunk of text in the Apple section, that itself is enough to show bias. At least give equal word count to both. It gives very clear cut message that there is less to like and more to dislike about Apple
 

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme. Then, there is no bias.

The whole point is that there IS a need of file manager and need to express our individuality by customizing themes. And the whole point is that to such people who want them Apple is not an option.
To those who don't need such options, it may very well be suited to them.

In other words, Android is THE choice for masses for a reason. And the reason is freedom to do anything. People don't want to spend thousands on a device and be restricted in ANY way.
 

sam9s

The High 5 Flyer
Good review indeed ...!! ....Will get my Nexus 6p tomorrow. Will share my first impressions as well.
 

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
Good review indeed ...!! ....Will get my Nexus 6p tomorrow. Will share my first impressions as well.
You getting Nexus 6p? :shock:
Any chance I can get hold of you in Comic Con happening in Okhla, Delhi on Sunday? So that I can see it?
 

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
themes and file manager were essential in feature phones

What can I say, you people are reviewing Apple device as if it were an Android device. It is not a review of the device as it is, but a review of what you wanted the device to have been. This review does not give any idea of what is possible or unique to Apple.
 
OP
siddharthx64

siddharthx64

A Droid in a Tux
They are biased towards a particular usage scenario. There is no exploration of the things apple has to offer, the choices apple is making. Those few are considered negatives for no reason (ringtone store).

Hey Anorion, As I read your comments, I perceive "Apple Fanboy" vibes getting stronger and stronger from them. That being said, I do believe that every review ever written online always has some degree of bias. But I've tried my best to stay neutral. This is not a review about the capabilities of either phone - there are millions of detailed reviews about that online, from people more qualified than I. This is a review from a layman's perspective, focusing only on the most common features that you would expect to find in both phones, irrespective of their platform - Call tones, Battery, display, music, heat output, camera quality, and more - my review targets those things alone. I have used both iOS and Android for quite a few years now, and I like to believe that the review is as honest as can be.

To be honest, I do not believe that any person using either of the phones would use each and every feature they have to offer. But there are a few extremely basic things that we can safely assume as globally used by millions of users, irrespective of platform. Those are what I have enumerated. Correct me if I am wrong. Do you feel I missed out some obvious iOS features that one would sorely miss? Feel free to add them here!

Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme.

A File manager is not a preference. Its a utility. its a tool. I have faced severe issues when trying to share data between two apps on an iDevice in the past. Simply because I can't share content between apps. This is now less of an issue with the recent iOS updates, but sometimes, it still hurts when using the devices.

Personalization is what makes your phone your phone. If you can't apply even a small degree of personalization, then most of us would have the exact same phone. Whats the fun in that? Customization of themes is already there in Android, but I never harped on that in the review despite the fact that Apple sucks at it. Why? Because we can't have it all.

But Ringtones? Coming to the ringtone sore-point that you consider as a non-issue, I can't see why it must be ignored. even before Android, people have been setting personal ringtones. (remember the MIDI and Polyphonic days? I was there!) Even there, we had freedom of customization. As and when phones got smarter, we would expect to move one step forward, right? Instead, Apple removes support from iTunes to create personalized ringtones. Next, it makes the process quite complicated and gives you an easy way out - iTunes store Ring tones.

You might say 'what's the problem with iTunes store ringtones?' Its easy right? Yes it is. But again, while you were embracing the iTunes store, you were also giving up on the freedom to choose your own personalized ringtone. You only get to select the song, and not the part of the song that you like. How's that a step in the right direction? How is that positive at all? Why should Apple choose which part of a song I get to set as my ringtone?

Lastly, if you need to give up your individuality in order to use a smartphone, then there's something very wrong with the phone, not the users.
 

sam9s

The High 5 Flyer
You getting Nexus 6p? :shock:
Any chance I can get hold of you in Comic Con happening in Okhla, Delhi on Sunday? So that I can see it?

Why so surprised ... I am HardCore Android guy and have been purchasing the flagship phones right from day of smartphones. HTC Desire (Remember my mega desire thread), HTC Desire HD, Then Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Then LG Nexus 4, Then HTC One M8 and now Nexus 6P.......:)

I was planning to come on sunday but my only friend backed out so dropped the idea ..... I work in Noida sec 126 SEZ, so by any chance you also work near by then we can meet ..... :)

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themes and file manager were essential in feature phones

What can I say, you people are reviewing Apple device as if it were an Android device. It is not a review of the device as it is, but a review of what you wanted the device to have been. This review does not give any idea of what is possible or unique to Apple.

There is nothing Unique to Apple now ..... hard to digest, but thats the truth .... Android has marched miles ahead of iPhone
 

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.
Yes it was there before, but Apple pointedly did not choose these things. Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album. There is a steady stream of goodies, freebies and exclusives, you need to pay little or nothing to be satisfied. This is not about freedom, after digital distribution, and the current prices, there is no excuse for piracy. There are 5 reviews instead of 5 million on the highest rated app, the developers listen to feedback and actually seek out new features on forums. It was easy, even trivial to put in a file manager, but Apple took a choice where the OS does the file management. If you subscribe to podcasts, it downloads automatically whenever there is a new one, and deletes automatically when you listen. It is a different way of doing things, it is unfair to review it from a particular usage scenario. Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things. Why do you have to waste time browsing through lists of random stuff to get at where you want to be?

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

What is unique about Apple : one button interface, less clutter. no file manager. Infinity Blade. Games are much cheaper.
 
OP
siddharthx64

siddharthx64

A Droid in a Tux
Good review indeed ...!! ....Will get my Nexus 6p tomorrow. Will share my first impressions as well.

Thank you, Sam9s!
Awesome! Congo on the new phone!

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ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.

Yes, its absolutely possible to not be a fanboy while using any device, even an apple. Looks like you've made your peace with the limited customization options available, but most of us tend to expect more from a flagship device, when a competitor is already giving the same for so many years. Its only human.

Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album.[/URL].

Ever considered buying the songs, like me? I buy them. Just not from the iTunes store. One does not need to be a pirate to be able to make his favorite song a ringtone.

Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things.

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

Its true, that Apple has tried to go for a no-clutter approach, but in the process, valuable things have also been lost. Like functionality. Freedom. and File Manager. I don't know about the rest of the population of India, but I'm sure many would agree with the point that WiFi and Broadband are still precious and costly commodities in our country. Apple comes from a place where data is almost like second nature. Using a cloud drive as a hard drive might become common once the broadband penetration in India improves as much as it has in the developed countries. But as of today, I would consider it an enormous waste of bandwidth to use a Cloud drive as a local one, for regularly used files. Cloud as a backup makes a lot of sense though, and is something I've been doing for quite some time. But not as a regular storage for day-to-day file consumption.
 

REDHOTIRON2004

Journeyman
ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.
Yes it was there before, but Apple pointedly did not choose these things. Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album. There is a steady stream of goodies, freebies and exclusives, you need to pay little or nothing to be satisfied. This is not about freedom, after digital distribution, and the current prices, there is no excuse for piracy. There are 5 reviews instead of 5 million on the highest rated app, the developers listen to feedback and actually seek out new features on forums. It was easy, even trivial to put in a file manager, but Apple took a choice where the OS does the file management. If you subscribe to podcasts, it downloads automatically whenever there is a new one, and deletes automatically when you listen. It is a different way of doing things, it is unfair to review it from a particular usage scenario. Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things. Why do you have to waste time browsing through lists of random stuff to get at where you want to be?

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

What is unique about Apple : one button interface, less clutter. no file manager. Infinity Blade. Games are much cheaper.

The problem here is that you are not addressing the issue of 'ease of use'.
Needing a separate iMac or computer or laptop to manage a smart phone is plane stupid in my eyes. And every user does set his ringtone whether he is a novice or an expert.

Smartphones are a replacement of all those devices. I don't remember the last time I connected my android to a laptop or computer to actually manage it. Also, using an app on computer just to set a ringtone on your mobile and also pay for it is again stupid. Why does a smartphone with dual/quad cores and more than 1gb ram need a computer just to compose a ringtone(it's the height of stupidity). I don't even consider it a feature for which someone have to pay for in the first place. I have a feature phone from 2008. And guess what you can choose your own music from your own fliemanager as a ringtone. You also have the option to select multiple ringtones for different contacts. Lol

Ask windows mobile users who till recently didn't had an option to use a file manager before win 8 mobile OS. How badly they wanted it. Fliemanager is much more than just a video and music player. It's a utility to transfer, store, delete, convert, send, receive and manage your data in the most appropriate way with a single app only. It can even help in managing apps and your backups even though your mobile can't read them directly.

Every time when I receive an attachment or file that can't be read on my mobile phone. I don't have to use a computer to manage/transfer it. I can easily find the app that support that format and run the attachment through file manager. It is a single app that even helps in diagnostic work for mobile.

And yes, I can set any music file as my ringtone, any picture as my desktop picture through the file manager only within seconds. I can also zip and unzip attachments and files there itself. No need for any stupid computer softwares. ;)
 
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