Flagship Battle: Google Nexus 6P Vs OnePlus 2
There are tons of Android flagships to choose from, but if you want your phone to be independent of mobile carriers and the phone to let you have complete control over your experience, you have two big choices: the Google Nexus 6P and OnePlus 2. Beyond the specs, what you should buy? Here’s how they compare after long-term use.
Applicants
The Nexus 6P and OnePlus 2 appeal to the same type of buyer: Someone tired of trusting carriers for phone updates wants to buy an unlocked (but still supported) Android module and use it wherever they want. Plus, they don’t want to compromise on functions in the process. In this regard, the Nexus 6P and OnePlus 2 are great top-notch options that fall into all of these sweet spots. Here is a short description of each of them:
- Nexus 6P : Google’s current flagship Nexus phone, and Gizmodo’s Android phone for everyone . This 5.7-inch all-metal beast, manufactured by Huawei and supplied with pure Android Marshmallow pre-installed, is almost too thin and neat, but still manages to overcome the border between a beautiful big bright screen without being as huge as you can “not use it. with one hand. It includes a Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, and a pair of great front-facing stereo speakers that are loud and proud. It also has a built-in fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone. Oh, it’s also powered by USB-C, which means it charges a 3450mAh battery very quickly.
- OnePlus 2 : The successor to the OnePlus One, the Gizmodo one has already been praised for being powerful and affordable . The OnePlus 2 runs OnePlus’ OxygenOS , a customized version of pure Android that comes with useful tweaks without unnecessary details. It’s a 5.5-inch PSU with a metal finish, a durable sandstone-style sandstone backplate (which can be switched to other styles and colors you can buy), and a Snapdragon 810 Dual SIM processor (one slot can be used for extra storage), a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The OnePlus 2 has a fingerprint sensor that doubles as the Home button on the front, bottom center, and charges its 3,300mAh battery via USB-C.
This is a crash course for each device, and it probably goes as detailed as we do on the specs here. Our friends at Gizmodo have two very detailed reviews with a lot of the photos (and some GIFs) mentioned above and we are not trying to duplicate them. Instead, we’re going to focus on what it actually feels like to use each phone in the time we’ve tested them and the big features that will make a difference to you in the long run.
Pricing
Regardless of which of these phones you pick up, you get a ton of power for your money. The Nexus 6P is available in three flavors: a 32GB model for $ 499 , a 64GB model for $ 549, and a 128GB model for $ 649 . Each model is available in black, aluminum and white. All models come with 3GB of RAM and I tested the 64GB version in black. On the other hand, the OnePlus 2 is available in two models, a $ 329 16GB version with 3GB of RAM and a $ 389 64GB version with 4GB of RAM. I tested this 64GB version too.
On paper, the difference is pretty obvious. Each of the 64GB models costs $ 160. Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 2 has an aggressive price tag, it is intended to undermine other flagships and draw attention to its power without that price tag.
There are, of course, other reasons for the price difference. The OnePlus 2 is a smaller device with a smaller screen, and it’s definitely not the same all-metal, thin and super-premium device that the Nexus 6P has. Both phones have similar internals, but unlike other flagships, OnePlus has decided not to enable NFC in the OnePlus 2. They have a fingerprint reader, but you’re not going to use this phone for Android Pay or other cool stuff. NFC tricks you can use with just about any other Android phone.
Look, Feel and Use
Both of these phones look premium in terms of build, perhaps the Nexus 6P is slightly better than the OnePlus 2, but that’s debatable. Neither seems cheap, and both feel they can take a few hits without batting an eye. They’re both pretty big, so if you’re not a fan of big phones, you can pick them up to give them a try. In fact, despite being my long-time favorite first-generation Moto X as my everyday driver, the Nexus 6P was the first phone that made me think that a larger phone doesn’t have to be bulky.
The Nexus 6P is actually thin and thin, with a bright huge screen, and the fact that it is so thin and light despite its all-metal body makes it easy to use with one hand. This says a lot for me – I have big palms but short fingers, so being able to hold the phone with one hand is critical for me, and 6P made me believe it.
Aside from the beautiful all-metal frame and ultra-thin design, the fingerprint sensor on the back of the 6P sits in a position where your fingers naturally move when you pull your phone out of your pocket or take it off a desk (so make sure you scan your index finger!) making it possible to seriously unlock your device as easy as picking it up or pulling it out for use. The beveled power and volume buttons on the right side are a nice design touch that gives a premium look to an already premium phone. Anyway, the Nexus 6P might be a little too thin (especially if I’m trying to take a photo with one hand), but hey, good problems, right?
The OnePlus 2 is smaller compared to it, but noticeably heavier and thicker than other compared phones. It’s even heavier than the original OnePlus One. This is not a problem as long as you don’t need to unlock it with one hand. In my case, I have to awkwardly move my hand to use the fingerprint reader ( something that Gizmodo’s hands touch ), so hold it tight. Of course, its severity can be a disadvantage when used with one hand, but when used with two hands, such as when taking photos, it is comfortable to hold.
Weight aside, the OnePlus 2 is thin and clean. The power and volume buttons are easily accessible on the sides (although a little high on the body for my taste, but again, small fingers). The notification slider on the left is pretty nice and makes it easy to turn all your notifications off (slide all the way up) or switch to priority mode (slide to the middle) without taking your phone out of your pocket. It quickly became one of my favorite features, and it was much easier than frantically pressing the volume control to go from medium volume to Do Not Disturb because I was in a meeting.
The only place I really need to characterize the OnePlus 2 (or rather really praise the Nexus 6P) is in the audio department. The Nexus 6P’s dual front-facing speakers are incredible. Compared to pretty much every other phone on my bench right now, the 6P speakers are shining. The OnePlus 2’s main stereo speaker sits on the bottom, and it sounds harsh and noisy by comparison. However, it comes with a pretty nice audio tweak tool, with an equalizer, detailed audio controls, and various “profiles” for music, video, and games, but the speaker just doesn’t deliver it properly. However, these controls are handy when connecting headphones or speakers.
Battery life
On paper, the batteries for both phones have the same capacity. In practice, however, I’ve found the Nexus 6P to be much better, but that could be due to Android Marshmallow’s “Doze” feature, which significantly increases battery life . And this is always the case: there were times when I did not use the Nexus 6P, probably for more than a day, and the battery almost did not drain. During the first few weeks, I charged it maybe two or three times, in total – far from the mindset of most of us “just turn on your phone at night.”
With heavy use, I could drain the Nexus 6P’s battery in a day, but I actually had to use it – web browsing, photos, music, texting, even mobile gaming. If this is your daily driver, you can easily get more than 24 hours of battery life, which is nice. You don’t give a damn about your morning commute because you forgot to charge for the night: you’ll be fine until you get to the office, or until you can charge the next day. Nice feeling.
The OnePlus 2 also manages its battery well, just not so well. Maybe it’s because Lollipop is still running, or, as some say, Oxygen is putting a lot of stress on the battery. I really didn’t get that impression. However, I liked the OxygenOS permission editor, which allows you to kill some of the more battery-hungry features from your installed apps ( at the risk of breaking those apps , of course). With light use, I had to recharge maybe once. a day or so, but with heavy use you will definitely want to connect at night if not sooner. If you are a mobile gamer, then you know what to do.
Camera
The quality of the phone’s camera is probably one of the most important things to me personally, and while I can tell you all about it, it’s better to check out a few sample shots. For this, I have some example galleries that you can check out:
They are not located side by side, these are just a few examples of what you can get with each camera. In short, they are both very good. You will notice that the OnePlus 2’s camera may blur a little in bright light in some places, but overall it’s not bad. With the Nexus 6P, I focused on low light and color photography, and while it doesn’t really stand out, it’s definitely better than previous Nexus cameras and much better than some others for its price. I found this a little more forgiving than some of the other low light shots I’ve seen , but I shot for the landscape, not people, so your experience may be different. Either way, whether you’re trying to preserve your vacation memories or just throwing an Instagram party, both offer high-quality photos that you’ll love to look back at and share. You may just need to work hard to get the perfect shot, not just the good one, especially in low light.
It’s worth noting that neither camera has image stabilization (well, the OnePlus 2 does, but that’s not all that good). Whether you’re shooting video (especially 4K, which both phones are capable of) or HDR (which takes a little longer to process the image, you’ll need to use the old sniper breathing trick to get those stable shots.) The Nexus 6P claims which has video stabilization, but it didn’t perform very well in my tests (although the video quality was stellar).
I also don’t like the default Google Photos app on the Nexus 6P (so we recommend another one , though that means you’ll miss out on the built-in camera gestures), but it can be serviced. The OnePlus 2 photo app used to be just as blank, but has been updated to include controls for ISO, white balance, contrast and brightness, and more. They even show a small animation on the screen when you switch from photo mode to video mode to remind you to turn your phone to the side and shoot in landscape mode. Great OnePlus.
If you have shaky hands, you might prefer the OnePlus 2’s optical image stabilization, or maybe you prefer its more advanced settings and shooting modes (the clear and beauty modes are both back from OnePlus). The Nexus 6P’s camera is good too (especially for 4K video), although you’ll need a third-party app to really dial in the settings. Regular shooters probably won’t notice the difference, but power users will be able to point out 6P low-light issues and lack of features in the photography app.
Verdict
You didn’t expect a clear “winner” here, did you? Buying a smartphone is too personal an element, so we can’t just tell you what to buy. The real question here is, “How important is this feature to me in the overall scheme of things?”
The photography lover may love the OnePlus 2’s camera sound, but would prefer the Nexus 6P’s battery longevity, lightness, and better build. An audiophile may prefer the stellar speakers of the Nexus 6P, but not its price tag. Maybe you like Android Pay or you need Marshmallow. You might like the OnePlus 2’s two SIM cards, but you were intimidated by its old shady PR antics , slightly newer shady PR antics , out -of- spec USB-C cables, or invite-only procurement (noteworthy: OnePlus just killed invitations on OnePlus 2. Anyone can buy it now.) We can’t blame you in any way. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the features you care about, the company you want to support (or not support, as the case may be), and, of course, the little things that matter most to you.
However, we can say without reservations that both devices are great and are two of the best and most interesting phones on the market right now. You will be happy with what you buy, and most people will not notice the difference enough that someday they will want another in their pocket.