B
Brad Ward
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Google today at an even in San Francisco introduced two new Android smartphones into the world–the LG-made Nexus 5X and the Huawei-manufactured Nexus 6P. Both devices are impressive handsets, but it goes without saying, the Nexus 6P is Google’s “flagship” model.
Equipped with a massive 5.7-inch Quad HD 2560 x 1440 display, this behemoth rivals Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 in a lot of ways. Hit the break to find out how these two premium devices stack up against each other!
Design
The Nexus 6P sizes in at 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm and weighs a meager 136 grams. There’s not much to see on the front besides the two front-facing speakers at the top and bottom of the device, along with the front camera sitting next to the top speaker. Around the back is a black bar housing the device’s flash and rear camera.
Right below that is a fingerprint scanner, and below that is a Nexus and Huawei logo. As for the button layout, you have the usual power button, volume rocker, and SIM card tray placed on either side of the device.
In contrast, the Galaxy Note 5 comes in at 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm and weighs 171 grams. It has the same button layout–power button, volume rocker, and SIM card tray on the sides of the device. Uniquely, it does have the S-Pen tray at the bottom base of the device, and sports a glass back to bring out that premium build quality.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Display
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 sports a behemoth 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display. It has a pixel density of 519ppi and is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for added protection.
The Nexus 6P has a similar 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display. It has a pixel density of 518 pixels-per-inch and is also sporting the latest from Corning–Gorilla Glass 4.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Hardware
The Huawei-made Nexus 6P has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and quad-core 2GHz Cortex-A57 processor. Under the hood is an Adreno 420 GPU, 3GB of RAM, and 32/64/128GB storage options. The device is equipped with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a 12.3-megapixel rear camera with a fingerpint scanner directly below it. Some other things you’ll find on this device include a USB Type-C port, Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 charging, and dual front-facing speakers.
The Galaxy Note 5 is running a Exynos 7420 chipset, a quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and quad-core 2.1GHz Cortex-A57 processor. Additionally, you’ll find a Mali-T760MP8 under the hood, 4GB of RAM, and 32/64GB storage options. There’s also a 16-megapixel camera sensor on the back, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Included in all of this is Samsung’s fast wireless charging features, boasting a full charge in just two hours.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Battery
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 is running a meager and non-removable 3,000mAh battery. Given the screen size and sheer power, the device will chew through that in no time.
On the other side of the spectrum, Google equipped with Nexus 6P with a massive 3,450mAh battery. There’s no telling if the battery will do any better than the one on the Galaxy Note 5, as the Nexus 6P has similar hefty specifications. However, with Android 6.0 behind it, it might just do the trick.
Winner: Nexus 6P
Software
As you would expect with Google’s Nexus devices, the Nexus 6P is running the latest addition to the Android family–Android Marshmallow. It’s stock Android, so users picking up a Nexus 6P can expect to see no bloat or skins, as has historically been the case with Nexus devices.
On the other hand, Samsung loaded the Galaxy Note 5 up with the latest version of its TouchWiz skin atop of Android 5.1.1. There’s a lot of extra gadgets and features packed into the device, meaning it takes up quite a chunk of space.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Availability and Price
The Galaxy Note 5 is available at all major retailers and carriers. Prices vary thanks to differing installment plans, but for the most part, consumers can expect to see it at around $25/month or upwards $700 outright.
For the time being, the Nexus 6P is only available for pre-order through the official Google Store, where the device starts out at $499. It’s not expected to be seen at any major retail outlets or carriers.
Winner: It’s up to preference.
Wrap Up
The Huawei-made Nexus 6P and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 are the same in many ways. There might not be much difference in them as far as specifications go, but most purchase a Nexus device for the freedom and speed they offer. They’re not bogged down by unnecessary applications and the turnaround time for the latest Android release is, most of the time, impeccable.
Both the Nexus 6P and Galaxy Note 5 are impressive devices, and the only real difference is the experience. So, it comes down to choice–would you rather have the fast updates and slick speeds of stock Android or all of the extra features Samsung offers?
What’ll it be?
Come comment on this article: Google Nexus 6P versus Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5
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