Damien McFerran defends Google's often slated Nexus 6
Google’s Nexus range of handsets has a pretty incredible history and a substantial fanbase of loyal users that Google has gradually cultivated over the years. For many, if you go Android there is only one way: Nexus. Why? Simple –– it’s the way Android is meant to be with zero bloatware just as Google intended.
The Nexus line started life in 2010 with the release of the HTC-built Nexus One. But it wasn’t until 2012 that things began to get tasty with the release of the now-seminal LG-built Nexus 4, a remarkable handset retailed at an even more remarkable price point. Google, once again using LG, followed suit a year later with the equally impressive Nexus 5, cementing the reputation of Nexus in the hearts and minds of A LOT of people –– including everybody at KYM.
But change had to come and in 2014 change happened with the release of the Motorola-built Nexus 6, a complete change of direction for Google’s Nexus line. Richard reviewed the Nexus 6 and praised the handset's build quality, power and its new Android Lollipop OS, but took serious issue with the phablet's immense proportions. It's a fair point to make; Google was clearly taking a big risk with its latest flagship device - from corner to corner the display is an inch bigger than the one seen on its immediate forerunner, the Nexus 5.
That was quite a jump, and as Richard rightly pointed out, the phone is simply going to be too big for a lot of users. Yet unlike Apple, which offers two options in the form of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Google didn't provided an alternative at the time and this made 2014's Nexus out of bounds for a lot of users. And as the only option for a pure Android experience this was definitely a bad thing.
This is why Google released two Nexus handsets in 2015 in the form of the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P. Google didn’t want to make the same mistake again. You see, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 were both fairly affordable devices and offered a lot of bang for your buck; they were well optimised and had decently good hardware. But importantly they didn't have the highest-end, bleeding edge hardware, and prioritised the performance and user experience over things like flashy cameras and QHD displays. Not only did the Nexus 6 embrace the somewhat divisive (at the time) phablet form factor, but it also went full steam ahead with the high end specs in most of its features, which meant the price surged alongside.
The Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P hit two price points: one traditional, the other more premium. This way Google hedged its bets and catered to both the high end, floating voters and also Nexus loyalists that wanted something more affordable.
I was one of the many seasoned Android fans who harboured serious reservations regarding the pocket-punishing dimensions of the Nexus 6. I'd hitherto ignored the "phablet" craze and been unimpressed by Samsung and Sony's big-screen behemoths. I like big screens on phones, but I also value compact design. I was almost positive that the Nexus 6 would be impossible to fall in love with –– until I spent a week with it.
Initial impressions were, as is to be expected, tense. The moment I pulled the Nexus 6 from its packaging I was staggered by the size. It makes the Nexus 5 seem tiny, and that's coming from someone who can vividly recall thinking that the Nexus 5's screen was just too big to be practical. However, just as I became used to LG's phone, I slowly but surely warmed to the benefits of the Nexus 6's formidable 5.95-inch AMOLED panel
| Key Nexus 6 Specifications | |
| Processor | Quad-core 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Screen size | 5.96in |
| Screen resolution | 1,440 x 2,560 |
| Screen type | AMOLED |
| Front camera | 2MP |
| Rear camera | 13MP |
| Flash | Dual-LED ring |
| GPS | Yes |
| Compass | Yes |
| Storage | 32/64GB |
| Memory card slot (supplied) | No |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 |
| NFC | Yes |
| Wireless data | 4G (Cat6 up to 300Mbits/sec download) |
| Size | 83 x 10.1 x 159mm (WDH) |
| Weight | 184g |
| Operating system | Android 5 (Lollipop) |
| Battery size | 3,220mAh |
The obvious benefit is that the screen makes practically every activity more enjoyable. Websites look amazing on that display, and you'll almost certainly toggle to the desktop mode whenever the browser defaults to mobile. In fact, the Nexus 6's screen has a higher resolution than the laptop on which I'm typing this right now. Watching movies and viewing images is also a joy on this screen, and games look a million times more impressive, too. Even when moving from the Nexus 5, which, as we've touched upon, was hardly a small-screen experience, the difference is remarkable.
After spending more time with the handset I find it almost laughable that I had any problems with the size at all. Granted, there are moments when I'm reminded of how huge this handset is –– usually when I make a call in public and someone comments on the epic proportions of the phone, or when I'm trying to take a photo and I have to carefully cradle the device in one hand –– but on the whole, the Nexus 6 now feels as natural in my hands and my pockets as the Nexus 5 did.
In fact, when briefly dropping back to the Nexus 5, I found that the smaller screen incredibly limiting and claustrophobic, while using my wife's iPhone, a 4-inch kind, it felt like trying to interact with a postage stamp. Place it alongside the iPhone 3G, and the difference in proportions is almost laughable.
Looking back from the vantage point of 2016, the Nexus 6 clearly wasn’t perfect. Google rushed the handset after issues with its Android Silver programme. But I think the handset itself had to happen, as it paved the way for bigger and better things in Google's Nexus stable. Also, phablets by their very nature were divisive when the Nexus 6 came out, whereas now they’re commonplace thanks to the success of handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy Note range, the LG G3 and a whole load more besides which forced the world’s biggest tech brand to change its tune and release a handset with a bigger display.
For me, the Nexus 6 was a decent effort by Google. But it was clearly a rushed job, as has been widely reported, and didn’t “feel” like a Nexus handset. Not like the Nexus 5 and Nexus 5 did, anyway. The handset tried to do a lot but stumbled in a few key areas — battery, squiffy camera, sub-par display tech — and the result was a mixed bag of tricks.
But it did serve a purpose: Google caught A LOT of flak for it and when it came back with 2015’s Nexus releases it really did smash the ball out of the park with the Nexus 6P, which was one of the finest handsets KYM has ever tested.
Thanks to Mobile Fun for supplying the unit feature in this piece.
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