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Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Samsung Galaxy S6 goes up against the new Huawei Nexus 6P. Normally, the Galaxy S series would have no trouble beating up on a Nexus device, but these are new times and it seems as though Google is taking a different approach this year with two Nexus devices. The LG Nexus 5X is a more affordable and therefore does not have the specs to necessarily be called a traditional flagship device, whereas the Huawei Nexus 6P has the necessary parts and pieces to be a true flagship…but can it outclass the new Galaxy S6? Let’s take a look and see if these two devices have anything it common before we look at their differences.
Let’s see – difference in all sizes with the Nexus 6P coming in as larger. They both have a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and mobile payments and in addition, the Nexus 6P can use all of the Marshmallow features baked into it while the Galaxy S6 will have to wait for its Android 6.0 update. The Galaxy S6 also offers Samsung Pay and their fingerprint sensor is PayPal certified. Both devices have the Quad HD (QHD) display resolution sporting 2560 x 1440 pixels – the Galaxy S6 with 577 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and the Nexus 6P with 518 PPI. Both devices use a 64-bit octa-core processor – the Galaxy S6 uses Samsung’s Exynos 7420 and the Nexus 6P uses the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 V2.1. The Galaxy S6 and Nexus 6P both offer 3GB of RAM and non-expandable internal memory in 32GB, 64GB or 128GB – the Galaxy S6 does have a faster advantage by using DDR4 RAM rather than DDR3 and faster UFS 2.0 flash memory.
Both devices have the usual suspects – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (4.1 on the Galaxy S6 and 4.2 on the Nexus 6P), GPS, NFC and a microUSB port v2 with the Nexus 6P sporting the newer Type-C reversible connector for charging and data transfer. Both have a non-removable battery and each incorporate a quick charge feature, although the Galaxy S6 also has wireless charging.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung made some drastic changes with their design of the new Galaxy S6 to combat the justified criticism of their Galaxy S5 – it was a solid device, but lacked any real innovation or design changes. Samsung got rid of the plastic and instead we have an aluminum unibody with Gorilla Glass 2.5D on the front and Gorilla Glass 3D on the back. It comes in a variety of colors, such as White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and an exclusive Galaxy S6 color, Blue Topaz. The Galaxy S6 is beautiful from every angle with a premium feel and solid build, but can be somewhat fragile if dropped without a case.
The Galaxy S6 sports a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 PPI and this compares to Nexus 6P’s QHD AMOLED 5.7-inch display and 518 PPI. Samsung bypassed the usual Snapdragon route with the Galaxy S6 and went with their in-house 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor using the first 14nm technology. It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz. The Nexus 6P is using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit 810 v2.1 octa-core processor. The Galaxy S6 is packing 3GB of the faster DDR4 RAM, compared to 3GB of DDR3 RAM used in the Nexus 6P. The Galaxy S6 memory options are 32GB, 64GB or 128GB models with the new and faster Samsung UFS 2.0 flash memory with no room for expansion. The Nexus 6P comes with the same options of 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal memory with no room for expansion.
The Galaxy S6 main camera has a 16MP sensor with autofocus, LED Flash, a wide f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS. Samsung increased the FFC to 5MP and they wisely added the f/1.9 aperture, 120-degree wide-angle and Live HDR for excellent low-light group selfies and video chatting. The Nexus 6P main camera is a smaller 12.3MP with all the right pieces – even laser autofocus – and a huge 8MP FFC…it should take great pictures, but the Galaxy S6 will win this competition when it comes to main pictures.
The non-removable 2550mAh battery is much smaller when compared to the non-removable 3450mAh in the Nexus 6P, but it should get you through most of the day. However, if you run into trouble, the new Samsung battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and Samsung included built-in wireless charging.
The Galaxy S6 has a few features not found on the Nexus 6P – it is Samsung Pay ready, its fingerprint sensor is PayPal certified, includes a built-in IR blaster, and includes a heart rate monitor, an oxygen saturation sensor, and wireless charging for both Qi and PMA standards. It is running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and will cost you $600 – $700 for the 32GB model.
Huawei Nexus 6P
Google made a smart move this year by trying to cater to a larger crowd of Nexus owners – the LG Nexus 5X is the more mid-range spec’d and priced device, while the Huawei Nexus 6P is the high-end and more expensive device. Both devices should make many people happy and both have a unique look and build. The Nexus 6P is a beautifully designed and well-built device with an all-metal unibody construction and available in three colors – Aluminum, Graphite or Frost.
The Nexus 6P comes with a Samsung-made AMOLED QHD display that measures 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and 518 PPI. This compares to the 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD display on the Galaxy S6 with 577 PPI. Huawei generally uses its own HiSilicon Kirn processor, but instead decided to go with the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, version 2.1. It has four cores clocked at 1.55GHz and four cores clocked at 1.9GHz. We can only guess that Google must have wanted their Nexus devices to use a more familiar and trusted brand name or that Huawei, wanting to gain more access to the US market, opted for the Snapdragon. The Galaxy S6 skipped the Snapdragon 810 in favor of their 64-Bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. Both devices have 3GB of RAM and 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal memory and neither one has room for external expansion.
The camera on the Nexus 6P was recently rated one of the best by DxOMark with a score of 84, right under the 86 score of the Samsung Galaxy S6. It has a 12.3MP sensor, laser autofocus and dual-tone LED flash…but no OIS. This goes up another terrific camera on the Galaxy S6 with a 16MP sensor, laser autofocus, LED flash and OIS. The Nexus 6P has a large 8MP FFC for selfies and video chatting, while the Galaxy S6 has a 5MP FFC. The Nexus 6P has a large, 3450mAh non-removable battery that includes Quick Charge. The Galaxy S6 has a small 2550mAh non-removable battery with a fast charge feature and a built-in wireless charger (Qi and PMA enabled).
The Nexus 6P has a few features not found on the Galaxy S6 – let’s start with a full metal body. It has dual front-facing stereo speakers for great sound and a good location for watching videos or playing games. It also uses the Type-C reversible microUSB port for faster charging and data transfer. Last, but certainly not least, it is running pure Android 6.0 Marshmallow and will always get the fastest upgrades possible when new versions come out. It will cost you $500 for the 32GB model.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This was a very tough decision, but in the end, I picked the Nexus 6P as the overall winner in this comparison. The Samsung Galaxy S6 does have the Super AMOLED display, a better processor, slightly better camera (from tests), faster RAM and memory, a heart rate and oxygen saturation sensor, Samsung Pay, a built-in wireless charger and IR Blaster…and a higher price tag of $100+.
The Huawei Nexus 6P has a beautiful build, and all-metal construction, dual stereo front-facing speakers, a great camera according to DxOMark that has laser autofocus, a larger FFC for selfies, a much larger battery, an easy to use Type-C microUSB adaptor and Android 6.0 Marshmallow with no TouchWiz or bloatware and will continue to receive the fastest updates to new Android’s new OS. Things that are more important to more users than say a heart rate or oxygen saturation sensor.
Both devices are excellent and either one should satisfy your needs – they are premium in all respects and only you can decide if you would rather monitor your heart rate or use the latest pure vanilla Android…I am siding on this comparison with the Nexus 6P.
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