Google Nexus 6P: 'the smartphone of the future'?

The Google Nexus 6P looks set to be the Android handset to beat in 2016. According to Google the P stands for 'Premium', meaning that the new 'phablet' boasts dramatically improved specs and seamless integration with the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

The phone's designers have also responded to Nexus owners' feedback, bringing in front-facing speakers that offer greater clarity both to calls and music playback.

The P starts at £449, making it cheaper than last year's Nexus as well as its competitors. As Matthew Miller of ZDNet points out: "if you want to save some money over the current Samsung and Apple products, you can't go wrong with the Nexus 6P."

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Design

The design is the biggest area of improvement from previous Nexus phones. TechRadar calls the new handset "luxurious" adding, "its metal design is undoubtedly a step up from the plastic Nexus 5X and every previous Nexus." The 5.7-inch display is encased in a noticeably narrower and thinner phone, and despite its high specs, the phone is lighter than its predecessor, coming in at a surprising 178g.

Display

As well as offering a screen size larger than the iPhone 6S, the Nexus 6P boasts a high-resolution Amoled display. "Sometimes referred to as 2K, the Amoled display fits in with the times as well, lending the 6P a sharp and clear screen, with high contrast," says CNet. The sharp display also makes good use of the new features of the operating system, quickly switching between Google Now and Street View without any obvious lag.

Camera

Google have gone "all-in" with their camera on the Nexus 6P according to David Pierce at Wired. "It has a 12.3 megapixel sensor, which is big; its pixels are 1.55 microns each, which also is big. The combination of the two is huge." The sheer number of megapixels means it's an excellent low-light camera, something that Apple has yet to master in its range of iPhones.

Conclusion

"It's the smartphone of the future," says Pierce. "It just works. It's the best hardware Google (and its partner Huawei) can make, and the best software, all in a single slick package."

Sherri L Smith of Tom's Guide agrees. "If you love stock Android and a well-designed smartphone with long battery life, great cameras and a powerful processor, you're going to love the Nexus 6P."

However, Engadget's Chris Velazsco is less certain: "The Nexus 6P isn't a perfect phone. Its design is a little lacking in charm. And yet, what Google and Huawei get right, they get very right."