Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Huawei Nexus 6P: Which is the better phone?

Just a couple of hours back, Google launched the much awaited Huawei Nexus 6P. Taking the Nexus line of phones into their seventh year of existence, Google has continued to dedicate its resources behind its developer phones. Aimed to bring a class leading Android experience, showcasing the best that Android has to offer, these Nexus line of devices bring the best out of Google and its partner OEMs. The Nexus 6P is manufactured by Huawei this time and designed by Google, exhibiting Google’s intent to focus on the emerging Asian partners instead of the established ones.

While the Nexus 6 last year was not a success Google would have wanted it to be, the search giant is going all out this time with the Nexus 6P. The pricing has been made a lot more sensible, with the entry level Nexus 6P costing $499 in the US, compared to the Nexus 6 which cost $649 at launch. The pricing may not reflect the true value of the Nexus 6P, so we’re going to compare it to the best phablet in the town at the moment, the Galaxy Note 5.

Design

Sporting a metal unibody design, the Nexus 6P looks great at first glance. A first for Nexus phones, the Nexus 6P’s metal unibody design brings it closer to its immediate competitors, the Galaxy Note 5 and the iPhone 6s Plus. The thickness of the phone has been reduced as well, but the camera hump on the back sticks out to an extent. The chamfered edges and brushed aluminium look on the sides make holding the phone easier – a requirement for a phone with a 5.7 inch display.

The Galaxy Note 5, on the other hand, combines glass and metal to forge a Galaxy device that finally looks premium. Samsung has drawn heavy inspiration from the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge announced earlier in the year – the Galaxy Note 5 merely carries forward those looks in a 5.7 inch form factor. It may look gaudy to some, and in front of the Nexus 6P, it does end up look a bit uglier.

Display

The Nexus 6P comes with a 5.7 AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. At 1440p, you get a pixel density of 518 PPI. Additionally, since it is an AMOLED display, the blacks are going to be true. However, we do not know yet which generation of AMOLED Google’s using here, so our comments regarding its performance will have to be reserved for now.

The Galaxy Note 5 comes with the same 5.7 inch sized display, but it uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology. Most of the leading tests have reported that it is the best display in a smartphone out there in terms of colour reproduction, visibility and power efficiency. Samsung’s the winner here.

Processor

The Nexus 6P comes with an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor. Qualcomm has had a lot of troubles with its flagship processor this year, but the most recent phones using the Snapdragon 810 have shown good results. Perhaps Google and Huawei have also found a way around the overheating issues plaguing the Snapdragon 810, as Sony and OnePlus have shown. In terms of real life performance, however, the Snapdragon 810 has continued to prove it superiority over the Exynos 7420 processor used in the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung’s phone may not be suffering from any reported overheating issues, but when it comes to performance, things get a bit difficult.

Camera

The Nexus 6P comes with a 12 MP camera with a dual LED flash and laser autofocus. Google has, for years now, touted about its camera breakthroughs but that has hardly translated into any good results at the end. This year seems to be a bit different however, with the initial camera samples proving to be promising. Other specs include 4K recording support and an 8 MP camera on the front. The lack of optical image stabilization is a bit baffling, though.

The Galaxy Note 5 comes with a class leading 16 MP camera with an LED flash, OIS and 4K recording support. Several tests have shown the great potential of the Note 5’s camera and the results have proven Samsung to have one of the leading cameraphones out there. On the front, there is a 5 MP camera.

Storage

The Nexus 6P comes with 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage options and 3 GB RAM. Google continues to ignore microSD card support, for some reason. The Galaxy Note 5 comes with 32 GB and 64 GB internal storage options and 4 GB RAM, one-upping the Nexus 6P in this area. Samsung has taken away microSD card support with the Note 5.

Battery

Nexus 6P comes with a giant 3450 mAh battery. Google has not revealed expected talk and stand-by times yet, but coupled with the Doze mode in Marshmallow, it should be easy enough to eke out a full day of use from the phone.

The Galaxy Note 5 comes with a surprisingly smaller 3000 mAh battery. Both the phones’ batteries are non-removable.

Verdict

Advantages of the Nexus 6P

• Stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Bigger battery
• Better design
• USB Type C support, with an extra USB Type C to standard A-plug cable
• Faster charging and data transfer speeds
• Higher internal storage at 128 GB for the high end model
• Extensive cellular band support
• Cheaper, at $499

Advantages of the Galaxy Note 5

• Excellent display quality
• Great camera performance
• Faster internal storage and more RAM
• S Pen
• S Pen apps

At the end, while many other factors may influence your decision, I personally find the Nexus 6P to be the better option. The stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is going to shine on the well designed phone, with the Snapdragon 810 processor working out better in the longer run compared to the Exynos 7420 in the Galaxy Note 5. The pricing also helps the Nexus 6P’s case.

That being said, we would love to know your opinions about the two devices. Sound off in the comments below!