Nexus 6P First Impressions: A good-looking beast you can consider buying

The Nexus 6P is here. And it is much better - be it in terms of specs or design - than the Google and Motorola manufactured last gen Nexus 6. The previous gen Nexus 6 was a powerful spec-heavy smartphone, and the Nexus 6P continues the trend and lives up to the expectations.

The Nexus 6P essentially is the successor of the last gen Nexus phablet, and is made in partnership with Huawei instead of Motorola. With a different set of specs than last year's Nexus, the all new 5.7-inch Nexus 6P is here to pit against other flagships likes of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Apple iPhone 6S Plus.

PROS

• Premium design
• Fingerprint scanner
• 12.3MP camera

CONS

• Lacks water and dust resistant capabilities
• Single SIM
• No expandable on microSD card

The hardware of the Nexus 6P is meaty and is chosen cleverly to show off the features and capabilities of the latest Android version. The new Android version supports Fingerprint scanner, hence the new Nexus smartphone gets a fingerprint scanner. Similarly, a bump up in camera is to support the new photos app on Android. All these features make the Nexus 6P a spec-heavy smartphone price starting at Rs 39,999 in India.

At this price, the phone is a good option for consumers, however considering the competition, it might have a tough time to sail through.

We spent some time with the Nexus 6P at its launch event in Delhi. Here are our first impressions:

Design

The Nexus 6P is a good looking smartphone. The aluminum metal form factor gives it a premium look and feel. The Nexus 6P is slimmer at 7.3mm, and slightly lighter than the previous gen model.

The front adorns a front-facing snapper, display, and dual-speaker. The left hand side gets the power and volume rocker buttons, while the right hand side of the phone is free from keys. The top has a 3.5mm audio jack, and the bottom flaunts the USB Type-C port which is also a highlight of the phone.

Huawei and Google have kept the back panel of the device interesting by putting the 12.3MP camera along with the Nexus Imprint scanner. Well, the camera is placed on a strip that bulges out a little, but neither looks nor feels odd. The plastic around the cable could be used for better reception of signals, we think!

Fingerprint scanner:

As far as the fingerprint scanner is concerned, you can use it not just to unlock the device but also to access some apps within the phone. Moreover, considering that Android 6.0 Marshmallow enables apps from Google Play to use the fingerprint scanner, it is a lot more useful and make more sense. The scanner works well, is fast and acurate. You can simply tap on the pad to unlock the device.

Moving to display, the 5.7-inch AMOLED display on Nexus 6P has WQHD resolution, which is a treat to eyes and offers good viewing angles.

Processor:

The Nexus 6P is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with 64-bit octa-core CPU, and 3GB of RAM, which should lead to a smooth performance of the device. You will get a native storage space of 32GB or 64GB, depending up on your choice, but cannot expand it using a microSD card, which might be a let down for many consumers.

Camera:

In the new Nexus smartphones, camera is one department which has got a major and most significant upgrade. There is a 12.3MP rear snapper uses Sony sensor with 1.5micron large pixels that can let in more light than the regular sensor. Hence, it results in better photos even in low-light conditions. In addition, there is laser-fast auto focus, and 4K video recording capability and slow-motion shooting mode. Up front, you get an 8MP front-facing selfie camera.

During the hands on exercise, we found the camera good. However, we will give you a detailed opinion only after we use the phone extensively.

Software: Marshmallow

Software is another advantage that you get on Nexus smartphones. Google's latest Android OS version, the Marshmallow, brings new features, and important improvements. For instance, it lets the battery perform better with the new Doze feature. There are many more significant features like Now on Tap and third party app support for fingerprint scanner that are a part of the Marshmallow update.

Battery:

The Nexus 6P boats a bigger battery of 3450mAh capacity and supports fast-charging option to instantly charge the battery to last a few hours. This phone will be good for those who want to buy a high-end phone with good battery back-up, as the Nexus 6P is expected to offer extended battery life due to supporting specs and Android Marshmallow's Doze feature.

Conclusion

The Nexus 6P has almost everything that you want in a premium smartphone. It feels like a premium device that is priced higher, runs on raw Android OS, boasts promising hardware, and supports fast-charging. In fact it seems to make more sense for buyers to go the Nexus 6P which is priced for 39,999 for the 32GB internal storage variant, and Rs. 42,999 for the 64GB variant.