Why 2016 will be the year of the Chinese, unlocked budget smartphone
Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, and Motorola are all Android names we are all very familiar with. Those tech giants have been making our phones for quite a few years, and have been charging us an arm and a leg for flagship devices, which typically last anywhere from one to three years if you’re lucky. Flagship devices from these manufacturers can cost as low as $450 and can go as high as $850 depending on where you buy them from.
LG’s flagship V10. $599 to $699
In general, most of them perform the same functions since they are all based on Google’s Android platform. And they all keep us pretty happy. Sure there are differences that justify cost differences, and for the most part, most smartphone enthusiasts will always create a market for high-end smartphones. Smartphones are no different than cars – some will prefer sports cars from the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, while other will prefer luxury from Mercedes and Audi. For the vast majority of people, they will stick to their GM, Toyota and Ford made vehicles opting to save a little bit of money in features they do not need. At the end of the day, all cars serve to provide a means of transportation.
Flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note5, the LG V10, Moto X Pure, HTC One, and the Sony Xperia Z5 premium are all fantastic devices. They all have high-end processors, super clear and colorful displays up to 4k resolution, fantastic speakers and software features that other mid-range and budget phones do not have. And for many of us enthusiasts, we will ALWAYS buy flagship devices, as we really love technology and maximize our usage from these devices. There is no argument from me that there is value in these flagships. But…
What do most of us use our phones for?
There is a good amount of people who need flagship devices to keep up with their lifestyles. But there are more people who simply use smartphones for phone calls, text messaging, scheduling, social media, photos, email, internet browsing, shopping, and basic gaming. All of the flagship devices do all of those tasks with ease.
The things we hoped smartphones would do, like replace desktop computers simply is not happening and probably won’t happen anytime soon. Whether we have a two year old Nexus 5, Galaxy Note5, or brand new LG V10 all Android devices perform the basics.
The difference in internal hardware is becoming less obvious
A couple of years ago it was very easy to pick up on the differences between phones with big V12 engines like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, versus the first four cylinder powered Moto G. The Moto G was terrible at gaming, didn’t get LTE data reception, had a very basic camera, and had a poor to average looking display.
1st generation Moto G
The Note 3, on the other hand, had a great looking OLED 1080p display, Snapdragon 800, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of memory, a 3200mAh battery, and a 13MP rear camera. The 2013 Moto G on the other hand had a 720p display, Snapdragon 400, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of memory, 2070mAh battery and a measly 5MP rear camera. The differences in hardware back in 2013 were significant and the price difference justified the performance. Keep in mind the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was four times more costly than the Moto G.
Note 3
Fast forward to 2015, and compare the Samsung Galaxy Note5 to the Letv 1s. Yeah I know you probably haven’t heard of Letv, but there’s a good chance you didn’t hear of Huawei until this year too. Only until the Nexus 6P did many people in the U.S. take Huawei seriously, even though they had been dominating in China for some time now. They’re a major part of the reason why Samsung’s profits have been on the decline recently.
Both the Letv 1s and the Note5 have octa-core processors and 32GB of internal memory. Yes the processors are made by two different manufacturers, but the difference in processors is slim in real world performance. Both devices have beautiful and durable build quality, with the Letv 1s being made in all metal, and the Galaxy Note5 being a combination of glass and metal. The Letv 1s also comes with the latest USB type-C standard found on the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and OnePlus 2. Both smartphones have a fingerprint reader and both currently run Android 5.1. The major differences are the Note 5 has a 16MP rear camera, 2k display and 4GB of RAM, whereas the Letv 1s has a 13MP camera, 1080p display and 3GB of RAM. The biggest difference between the two, is the Letv 1s comes fully unlocked at $180 whereas the Note5 comes in at $750. That’s quite a price difference.
The cost of phone insurance is extremely high
One of the biggest scams in the U.S. mobile industry is smartphone insurance. Most of us cannot afford to replace a $750 phone if we were to drop it or get it wet, so we rely on insurance to get us out of a jam. There are many companies who offer phone insurance. Why? Because they make lots of money on insurance plans. No company would exist if they lost money.
Let’s take a look at Best Buy’s Geek Squad insurance program.
$7.99 per month for insurance actually doesn’t seem too expensive, especially when it covers drops, spill and cracks. But when you factor in the deductible cost of $149.99 per incident on phones up to $800, a new display can cost $150 plus $7.99 in the first month of ownership. If you purchase the insurance and use it 11 months into owning your device, to replace a cracked display, the cost of that protection now is $88($7.99 x 11 months) plus the $149.99 deductible for a grand total of $233. Worse yet, do not use the insurance over two years, and you just paid $192($8 x 24 months) for peace of mind! That peace of mind is more expensive than a brand new and unlocked Letv 1s.
The total cost of ownership for a Samsung Galaxy Note5 over two years with insurance is close to $1000 with taxes. The total cost one Letv smartphone without insurance (no need to buy insurance if it is more expensive than the phone) is five times less expensive. You could spend that $800 in savings on an Android Wear smartwatch of your choice, headphones, wireless speakers, or better yet your child’s college education. Heck, if you want, buy one Letv 1s this year, and buy the upgraded version next year, and you’ll still have an extra $600 in your pocket if we can assume the next generation stays under $200.
Budget smartphones don’t need insurance and you can even make an argument that they don’t even need a screen protector nor cell phone case which is additional savings.
Keep in mind, almost all phones comes with a one year warranty which protects against manufacturer defects. They just don’t cover accidental damage or loss with those warranties.
Regardless of how you buy your phone, through financing or on a two-year contract, you will pay the full price for the device. Cellular providers use confusion to build in costs.
T Mobile has shaken up the cellular industry in many ways, and one of the most significant ways was by blowing up the two-year contract. AT&T and Verizon have contributed to making cell phone plans very confusing through gimmicks such as the two-year contract. The two-year contract offered expensive flagship phones for prices of $200 or less with the actual retail prices being close to $750. Many consumers were fooled into believing a two-year commitment was enough to justify the discounted price of the smartphone.
AT&T and Verizon were not giving the phones away at $500+ discounts out of the kindness of their hearts – they were simply hiding the fees of the phones in other ways. Rather than charge a customer directly for the full price of a smartphone, Verizon and AT&T would, and still do charge higher fees for a “connection.”
For example, let’s buy a Samsung Galaxy Note5 through AT&T.
There are three options to choose from the first of which is buying outright for $739.99 plus tax. Buying outright qualifies the customer to a $25 discount of their smartphone plan. Total cost of the smartphone is $739.99 plus taxes.
The second option is paying $24.67 for 30 months on the Next plan with a $25 monthly discount on your bill, or paying $249.99 down without the $25 discount for 24 months. $24.67 over 30 months works out to be $740.01, but the $25 discount that applies to your bill is given as a “connection fee” discount which normally costs $40 per month. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can read the fine print at at&t.com.
Lastly you can buy the Note5 on a two-year contract for $249.99, plus tax on the full retail value, plus a $45 upgrade fee, and you lose the $25 discount over those 24 months. The cost excluding taxes, since taxes are applicable to all three methods is $845. So you actually pay more when you sign a two-year contract since you lose the $25 per month discount on service.
The take home message, is no matter how you buy a new smartphone, whether being on a two-year contract, or financing the device through the Next program, you will pay the full price of the phone. Again you don’t have to take my word for it, just read the fine print in your contract. If you have an attorney who represents you, I suggest you have him/her read the fine print and explain it to you, because it truly is confusing.
T-Mobile exposed the nature of hidden fees, but that just opened the door for unlocked smartphones.
The problem with unlocked budget smartphones is there are very few trustworthy reviews
The big manufacturers of smartphones like LG and Samsung have been sending reviewers test units for many years now. New and upcoming Chinese smartphone manufacturers don’t have the same budgets that the big players do, and every dollar counts. It’s why OnePlus created the dreaded invite system, so that they don’t over produce smartphones and have to sell them at a loss later.
Profit margins are slim when you make devices under $200. Chinese smartphone manufacturers have to adhere to strict budgets and have not sent U.S. tech reviewers many phones to review. They also do not have a presence in U.S. stores like Best Buy, Frys, or even AT&T, Verizon and T Mobile stores. And many tech reviewers are so spoiled by getting free review units that they won’t spend their own money on unlocked review units. Plus it is a lot more fun to review a full fledged flagship than a sub $200 smartphone.
Many people who buy smartphones come to websites like ours to get unbiased reviews. Without trustworthy reviews, it’s hard to trust a company you have never heard of and I don’t blame you.
Why 2016 will be the year of the unlocked smartphone
Most importantly hardware differentiation between budget and flagship devices are becoming more and more difficult to realize as a user. There is a good chance many of you have not used the latest budget smartphones from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Letv, Huawei(excluding the Nexus 6P), Doogee(who?), Bluboo, Meizu, Elephone and Ulefone. There’s more than that too. You may have read about them and have been intrigued by Chinese budget devices, but without having the ability to see one for yourself in person, you probably have not pulled the trigger on actually buying one.
Recently I have had the pleasure of using a couple of these unlocked devices under $200 and they have run Android 5.0 or 5.1, work with LTE on AT&T, and most importantly they can keep up with my needs. I consider myself a power user(subjective of course). By power user, I mean I text frequently, make phone calls, browse the internet, watch movies, play games, email, take pictures and more.
I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that budget phones from China are incredibly well built, use high-end materials, have great displays, have high megapixel cameras, and are very snappy when it comes to performance.
All metal Letv 1s sub $200 unlocked.
As you readers become more educated in the hidden fees of cell phone ownership, and Chinese manufacturers start to enter the U.S. market, many of you will start experimenting with these devices and spreading the word like wildfire that these phones are highly capable of being daily drivers. I have made a commitment to buy at least four to six devices under $300 from Chinese manufacturers with my own money so I can provide high quality reviews. And to prove my reviews true, I will be giving away each phone after I review it to one lucky reader who can validate or invalidate what I said in my review.
My first two reviews will be of the ASUS Zenfone 2(I know, it is more well known, but I wanted to start with an established brand) and will follow up with the Doogee F5.
Doogee F5
If I’m lucky, many Chinese manufacturers will see the value in my reviews and will maybe provide me with review units at cost or free which means more free devices for you too.
But take my word for it that 2016 will be the year of the unlocked, Chinese budget smartphone. Come back in 2017 and let me know if I’m wrong. Huawei already proved they can build one of the best Android devices by offering us the Nexus 6P, now the doors are wide open for Xiaomi, Letv, Doogee, Meizu and the others to flood the U.S. market with affordable devices that can withstand daily usage. Watch out Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola – you have a giant target on your back.
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Huawei tempts us with a glimpse at its upcoming Enjoy 5S mid-ranger
The Mate 8 still hasn’t stopped making headlines, but Huawei isn’t done just yet. Today the company gave us a brief teaser of a new mid-range device known as the Enjoy 5S. Word on the street is that this power-and-budget-conscious device will be officially unveiled this Thursday, December 3rd, but for now we’ve got a good look at what’s coming.
The Enjoy 5S will likely arrive in a full metal body, which is becoming increasingly standard not only for high-end devices, but mid-tier phones as well. However, what’s far more alluring are the two SIM card slots and microSD card slot. This is a pretty nice feature since historically, users have often been forced to choose between memory expansion and the second SIM. Huawei is letting you have your cake and eat it too.
Spec-wise, there’s not a whole lot going on so far. The original Huawei Enjoy didn’t have much to brag about, but if this new model looks to stand in the gap between the Huawei Enjoy and the Mate 8, then we may have quite a bit to look forward to. According to recent rumors, the Enjoy 5S could come with a Kirin 935 processor, 3 gigabytes of RAM, a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP shooter up front. The screen is rumored to measure 5.2 inches and sport a Full HD resolution, and if all goes well, the default storage will be 64GB. The original Huawei Enjoy also came with a massive 4000mAh battery, so it can be assumed its predecessor will come with a big battery as well.
If this sounds tempting to you, keep an eye out Thursday, December 3rd after Huawei makes its official release. We’ll see just how much truth is in the teaser and the rumors.
Huawei may be in running for next Nexus 7 tablet
It has been a while now since Google released a small tablet device, the last of which was the 2013 Nexus 7. Both the first generation and second generation Nexus 7 were produced by Asus for Google. Riding on the recent release of the Nexus 6P, the latest rumors hint at Huawei being a strong contender to produce a new Nexus 7 tablet for 2016.
According to a post on Weibo, the Nexus 7 (2016) project is already underway with a projected release date for later in 2016, likely October. No manufacturer has been officially named yet. If true though, Huawei would join companies like Asus, Samsung and HTC that have produced tablet devices for Google. Except for the Nexus 9 produced by HTC, Google’s tablet devices tend to be seen as more budget-oriented in terms of pricing, so it will be interesting to see what Huawei could squeeze into a device with a relatively low price point if the trend continues.
Although the tablet market seems to be cooling down, Google did announce back in December that they were bringing the Pixel C to market. The Pixel C is a high-end device that appears to be a competitor for the Microsoft Surface or Apple iPad Pro by blurring the lines between a laptop and a tablet device.
source: PhoneRadar
via: VR Zone
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Could we see a Huawei smartphone with swivelling camera? This teaser seems to suggest so
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Swivelling cameras seemed like a fresh, innovative take on smartphone cameras, with devices like the Oppo N1 and Oppo N3 showing that you shouldn’t need to compromise on selfie quality if your camera is able to face both the front and rear of your device. Despite the obvious benefits, it’s not a feature that many besides Oppo have bothered to invest in (except Polaroid who blatantly copied it) – until now. If a Huawei teaser is to be believed, the Chinese manufacturer could be about to announce a Huawei smartphone with swivelling camera.
Note that the mechanism for swivelling is quite a lot different to the once Oppo used – while Oppo’s camera rotated along its own axis, the Huawei version hinges at the top of the device, meaning it would sit like a normal camera when facing the rear of the device, but be sticking out when used as the front camera. It’s something different, and presumably Huawei wouldn’t have bothered unless somebody was going to buy it – all the same, we’ll be interested to know more about the device as details become available.
What do you think about a Huawei smartphone with swivelling camera? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Facebook via Phone Arena
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More Chinese manufactures are making their own chips
It seems like every manufacture is making their own chips now a days. It used to be just the biggest manufactures like Apple and Samsung making their own chips, but now more and more Chinese manufactures are getting in on the action.
ZTE has just recently received CNY2.4 billion (US$73.8 million) from China’s National IC Industry Investment Fund. This money will be used to help accelerate their mobile chip development.
Xiaomi is another China based manufacture that will be partnering with chip designer Leadcore Technology to co-develop ARM-based SoCs for Xiaomi’s 2016 device line up.
Finally, Huawei already provides chips to many smartphone vendor’s phones. However, they are doing so well that they are becoming a real problem to mainstream chip companies like MediaTek and Qualcomm.
Source: DigiTimes
Via: Pocketnow
Come comment on this article: More Chinese manufactures are making their own chips
The Nexus 6P takes Android smartphones to new heights (Review)
The Nexus 6P is a product of the perfect marriage between a relatively unknown Chinese company, Huawei, and a well known company, Google. Before this year, very few people in the U.S. knew of Huawei as a consumer product company, but they have been a leader in the communications industry since the 80’s. In 2014, Huawei generated a record profit of $5.5 by becoming one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers among many other consumer products.
Google and Huawei partnered to bring us the most “premium” Nexus in the 6P. The Nexus 6P has been my daily driver, on the AT&T network for the last two months, and has genuinely made me a fan of stock Android and Huawei. The Nexus 6P is a device designed and built to impress: it is a representation of how much pride, research, and countless hours went into making one of the best smartphones ever. Let’s take a look.
Design
Without question the Huawei made Nexus 6P is a device that stands apart from the crowd. It’s really difficult to stand above a crowded market of great looking devices, but the 6P manages with its clean lines, all metal build, premium colors, chamfered edges and perfect size.
The Nexus 6P is a sturdy all metal phone, and comes in three colors: Aluminum, Frost(white) and Graphite. There is a circular fingerprint reader on the back, a power button with a volume rocker on the right side of the phone, a 3.5mm audio jack up top, with dual speakers on the front.
On the back of the device is a glass strip near the top which houses the flash and camera. Some may think it looks out of place, but on my Graphite colored 6P I don’t even notice it. After two months of daily usage without a case, my 6P is scratch free and looks the same as the day I got it. The chamfered edges hold up well and do not chip or scratch like some devices with similar edges have been known to do.
The all metal build is a nice change from the Samsung Galaxy Note5 which has a glass back. That glass back looks nice, but is a fingerprint magnet and also feels extremely fragile. The Nexus 6P is extremely well balanced, which is very important for a device with a 5.7″ display and using it one-handed.
Software
I’m sure many of you Android fans have heard Apple loyalists say the iPhone “just works.” It is one of the most annoying statements that Apple fanboys can possibly say, because there’s an implication that all other software does not work. And as much as I hate to admit it, there is a little bit of truth to “it just works”, even though iOS has its fair share of issues. With all of the freedom Google allows manufacturers, many companies like Samsung and LG have completely changed what Google intended with Android. By doing so, Android sometimes gets a bad reputation as buggy and slow.
Samsung and LG heavily customize Android by adding in features like S-Voice(Samsung’s own OK Google), Samsung Pay, split-screen, a customized skin, and much more. Some of the features are great, and some are downright terrible. But the main issue with customization comes when Google releases an update to Android. Samsung and LG have to modify every update Google releases, which creates fragmentation. By having fragmentation, some users of Samsung’s Note Edge and Note 4, waited six months longer than those on stock Android, to receive Android 5.1 which was a huge improvement over 5.0. Android 5.0 was riddled with bugs like poor battery life and memory leaks, and those users were left hanging with $800 devices that “just didn’t work.”
The solution for some is to “root” which allows those users to install their own versions of software and fix those bugs, but voids the manufacturer warranty at the same time. And the vast majority of users will not root their devices as they simply do not know how.
In addition to fragmentation, Samsung and LG also partner with companies like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to add in their own software. My last count of AT&T fpre-installed apps on my last Samsung Galaxy Note5 was an astounding 25, all of which could be deactivated but not deleted. Those apps took up an incredible 1.5GB of space, and when I paid for 32GB of internal memory, I should hope that I would have the freedom to delete AT&T’s junk ware.
AT&T bloatware on the Note5
Stock Android
I know many of you already have been fans of stock Android, but for those of you who weren’t, now is the time to consider it. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the best version of Android to date. Google has built in new features such as Doze, which is designed to improve battery life when your phone is not in use. It also brings built-in fingerprint reading for unlocking and waking your smartphone, while also being verification for Android Pay.
With Android 6.0 there is far greater control in what you share with new permission controls. There’s deeper integration with Google Now ,and Android is there to help you search phrases and words with much greater ease.
Better yet, there is no carrier bloatware. While one, two, or even five apps aren’t bad to come pre-installed from AT&T, I cannot condone AT&T’s behavior with its incredible amount of bloatware they install on its devices. Not only do they waste space, but they frequently ask for updates, and I simply do not want them. Seriously, how many people actually use the Yellow Pages app that AT&T installs on every device?
With stock Android, you have the basic apps that Google provides you with and nothing more. Google gives you the freedom to install whatever apps your heart desires.
And most importantly, when Google does release an update, Nexus devices are the first to receive them and that will keep them up to date. I never truly appreciated how important updates were until I was stuck on Android 5.0, and dealing with all of its awful bugs on my Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. I truly felt ripped off by Samsung for charging me over $900 dollars and then making me wait six months to get simple bug fixes.
Pure Android 6.0 just works and it works well. After two solid months, I have yet to experience a slow down, random closing app or any other common software issues.
Battery Life
The Nexus 6P comes with one of the largest batteries available in a mainstream U.S. smartphone at 3450mAh. Phones of a very similar size, the Samsung Galaxy Note5, Moto X Pure and LG V10 all come with a 3000mAh battery, over 10% smaller. After two months, those devices have still yet to update to Android 6.0 which has the Doze feature that dramatically improves battery life.
Doze is defined below:
“If a user leaves a device unplugged and stationary for a period of time, with the screen off, the device enters Doze mode. In Doze mode, the system attempts to conserve battery by restricting apps’ access to network and CPU-intensive services. It also prevents apps from accessing the network and defers their jobs, syncs, and standard alarms.
Periodically, the system exits Doze for a brief time to let apps complete their deferred activities. During this maintenance window, the system runs all pending syncs, jobs, and alarms, and lets apps access the network.”
In day to day terms, this means, the Nexus 6P has damn good battery life. You can imagine most of us phone enthusiasts push our smartphones pretty hard, and I am no exception. I frequently take pictures, take notes, text friends and family, message Androidguys colleagues, email, play games and listen to music.
I will admit before Android 6.0 and the Nexus 6P, I plugged my phone in to charge whenever and wherever I could. There is no shortage of micro USB cables, and I hate having anxiety over low battery life. For a phone enthusiast, there are very few things worse than running out of power. Doze, app-standby and a 3450mAh, make this one of the best performing devices when it comes to battery life.
I know without question that the Nexus 6P has the best battery of any phone I have used before, because I do not have a compatible charger at my work. My typical work day starts between 5-6am, and runs until 5-6pm. Once I get home, I immediately take my super cute dog to the park for an hour, and when I get home I exercise for 45-60 minutes before dinner. At no point in my day am I connected to a charger, because Huawei and Google decided to go with USB type-C, the latest standard in USB cables. The main benefits of USB type-C are a completely reversible plug, and faster data rates. And I’m too cheap to buy more USB type-C cables for my office, so there literally is one place to charge my phone which is at home. At the end of my day, I am typically left with 40-50% power and that’s with heavy usage. I never charge my phone during the daytime.
Micro USB on the left and the new USB type C standard on the right
As much as I hate having a new USB standard, the trade-off is well worth it and I hope USB type-C does take over as the new standard. It is so much easier to not have to worry about making sure I plug the charging cable in the correct direction, and it still provides fast-charging capabilities.
With a 3450mAh battery, Android 6.0 and USB type-C, the Nexus 6P is the next generation in battery life performance.
Display
I have been a huge fan of AMOLED displays ever since I started using Samsung phones. Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode(AMOLED) differs from Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) by how they light up the screen. (I’m not a display expert so I apologize for my ignorance but if you want to learn more click here for a comparison). Many LG and Sony smartphones use LCD displays, which in my eyes, show back-light bleed and don’t show true blacks because of the nature of the back-light.
AMOLED displays on the other hand offer super high-contrast ratios, as every pixel is controllable, and has saturated and rich colors. Some may prefer LCD due to better color representation, but I simply love AMOLED displays and that is the technology that the Nexus 6P uses for its display.
Both AMOLED displays on the Nexus 6P(left) and Note5 perform admirably in full day light.
With a QHD resolution, 1440 x 2560 pixels, the Nexus 6P has a very clear and easy to read display. The only phones I have come across with a similar performing display are the Galaxy Note 4 and 5, Blackberry PRIV, and Galaxy S6 and variants.
The Nexus 6P has one of the best performing displays on the market.
Performance
Powering the Nexus 6P is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1, 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit with 3GB of RAM. The first generation Snapdragon 810 was riddled with issues like over heating and throttling causing Samsung to go with their own Exynos octa-core processor for the first time in the U.S. Many feared the Nexus 6P would suffer from performance issues with the Snapdragon 810, but Qualcomm solved the issues in the v2.1 processor and my day to day experiences would prove that to be true.
Benchmark tests are designed to test hardware and the latest Samsung processors usually win those tests by a long shot. The Nexus 6P won’t win first place in benchmark tests, but it will win in day to day usage as it does not stutter or have memory issues. On a perceived performance level, I have yet to use a faster phone. 3GB of RAM is more than enough memory when paired with stock Android 6.0 and the Snapdragon 810.
The Nexus 6P may not win benchmark tests, but it will win in real life usage.
Gaming, multi-tasking, photo editing, emailing, video watching was all smooth sailing with the Nexus 6P.
Camera
The Nexus 6P comes with a 12.3MP rear camera, f/2.o aperture, with IR laser-assisted auto-focus and an 8MP front facing camera. The pictures I took look great to me, but I will let you decide in the gallery I have listed below. As for the speed of the camera, it loads super quickly with a double-click of the power button and snaps pictures just as quickly.
The Nexus Camera’s lens with f/2.0 aperture lets more light in and captures sharp images in stunning detail.
For a camera in a smartphone, I am more than happy with it and desire nothing more. The Samsung Galaxy Note5 is still has the best camera, but the Nexus 6P is a close second. Decide for yourself if you like the camera in the pictures I have in the gallery.
Fingerprint Reader
The new fingerprint reader is going to be something everyone uses going forward. Google developed “Nexus Imprint” as a way to unlock your phone, turn on your screen on and breeze through checkout lines using Android Pay. The Nexus 6P asks you to set up a fingerprint, you can do more than one, when you set-up the device. All you have to do is place the same finger on the fingerprint reader five or six times so it can accurately read your fingerprint without worrying about placement.
The fingerprint reader is so easy to use, I don’t see anyone leaving their phones unlocked anymore. I was one of those users who hated to type in pass codes, and also hated Samsung’s fingerprint reader because of the failure rate. I always thought Apple did the fingerprint reading the best on its iPhone, but I can now proudly say that Google OWNS every other fingerprint reader on the market.
Nexus 6P fingerprint reader.
One downside, after two months of usage I have seen an increase in the failure rate with the fingerprint reader. I attribute the failure rate in the fingerprint reader accumulating smudges and oil from my hands. When I clean the back of my phone with a damp cloth, performance improves, but this is something I hope Google and Huawei address in the future.
Audio
The Nexus 6P comes with dual front-facing speakers which get loud. They are definitely clear at the highest volume, but do lack depth and bass if I were to judge it against the HTC One. If I were to judge it against the Nexus 6 or Note 5, I would choose the 6P in a blind test as the best performer every time. Speakers should not be on the back or bottom of a phone as it does not make sense to point sound away from your ears.
I wish all phone manufacturers would stop putting speakers on the bottom or rear of the phone and make it a general rule that they should be placed in the front. Having two speakers is always better than one as well. It may not be important to most, but dual-front facing speakers are a must have for me and the Nexus 6P delivers.
The best Android phone of 2015
I know choosing the best Android of 2015 is highly subjective and there are worthy contenders like the LG V10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note5. But I choose the Nexus 6P as the best phone of 2015 – it is cheaper than the Note 5 and V10, and is equal to or wins in almost every head to head category. Most importantly it wins in the software department with no carrier bloat and gets the first updates from Google.
Thanks to Huawei and Google, I have become a true fan of stock Android and simply do not desire to change to another smartphone which is a first for me. The Nexus 6P truly is premium and is a product that both should be tremendously proud of. Both companies should take a bow and we all should stand and applaud this device. With superior software, gorgeous and durable build, a super high resolution display, fantastic camera, a new fingerprint reader, dual-front facing speakers and incredible battery life, the Nexus 6P leaves no detail behind.
The Nexus 6P has set the bar for all other Android devices. I highly recommend the Nexus 6P.
Buy the Nexus 6P at the Google Play Store.
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Android Authority this week – November 29, 2015
Android fans, this week Xiaomi launched a metal-made smartphone for just $140; Huawei introduced its newest phablet flagship, the Mate8; we saw some great Black Friday deals; LG launched a new mid-ranger and revealed some of its plans for the future; the Fossil Q Android Wear smartwatch arrived to the market; and HTC launched its consumer preview program.
Inside AA HQ
Except for the Black Friday craziness, this week has been pretty quiet around AA HQ (and the entire tech scene), with our US team getting some well-deserved time off for Thanksgiving.
According to statistics, most people actually spend the most money on Cyber Monday (i.e. tomorrow). You can bet we’ll have roundups of all the best tech deals, so if you missed Black Friday, keep it tuned tomorrow for a shot at some great deals. Looking for gift ideas? Our Best Gifts under $100 guide has gone live this week.
This week we’re putting up for grabs three Blu Life One X smartphones in our international giveaway! Head over here for your shot at the prize.
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- For developers: Do you want to make some money off your app developing skills? Here are some pitfalls to avoid
- Gift guide: Holidays are coming! Here are the best tech gifts under $100
- Review: The most stylish Pebble watch yet – Josh reviews the Pebble Time Round
- Comparison: Note 5 or iPhone 6S Plus? Big phone showdown!
- Review: The Priv is definitely unique, but just how good is it?
- Comparison: Battle of the Minis: Gary compares the OnePlus X, Xperia Z5 Compact and Moto G
- Review: A full-blown computer the size of a highlighter? Edgar looks at the Asus Chromebit
Top news of the week
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and new Mi Pad
- Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 announced – here are the details
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 launched: full metal body, fingerprint sensor, starting from $140
- Analyst expects Xiaomi Mi 5 in January, Lei Jun already using the phone
Huawei Mate 8 launched
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Amazon announces its Cyber Monday promo: 8 more days of deals
- Black Friday 2015 – best deals
- (Updated: Moto G 2014 for $99) Amazon deals: Nexus 6 for just $200, Nexus 5X $80 off, and more!
- Google Store deals: Nexus 9 $200 off, 2 Chromecasts for $50, Huawei Watch $80 off and more
Fossil Q
LG Ray
HTC Consumer Preview
LG’s future
- LG restructures to focus on key business areas and growth
- Report: LG Electronics working on its second mobile processor
- LG announces substantial investment in next gen OLED production
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Huawei unveils the Mate 8 with Kirin 950 processor, 6-Inch Full HD display and Marshmallow
The Huawei Mate 8 has been the subject of quite a few leaks in recent weeks, from renders to benchmarking sites, and now it is finally official. Huawei launched the Mate 8 earlier today, unveiling a 6-inch handset made of aerospace-grade aluminium with a unibody design. Join us after the break for the rundown on its specifications.
Besides the aluminium build materials, Huawei says that the Mate 8 also carries a 2.5D curved diamond cut glass which adds to its sleekness. As you can see from the images, the bezels are really slim, helping the Mate 8 achieve an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 83%.
Specifications:
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Emotion UI
- 6-Inch Full HD IPS LCD display (1920 x 1080 resolution)
- Kirin 950 Octa-core processor (4 x A72 cores @ 2.3GHz + 4 x A53 cores @ 1.8GHz) with i5 coprocessor to handle low-power functions
- 3GB/4GB LPDDR4 RAM (depending on model)
- 32GB/64GB/128GB Internal storage (depending on model)
- MicroSD card support
- 16MP Rear camera with OIS and LED Flash (Sony IMX298 sensor)
- 8MP Front camera (Sony IMX179 sensor)
- Rear fingerprint scanner
- Dual nano-SIM support with 4G networking (Cat 6)
- 4,000mAh battery
- Available in Champagne Gold, Moonlight Silver, Space Gray and Mocha Brown
The Mate 8 should go on sale in China in Q1 2016 after it has been re-announced at CES in January. Some details on pricing have become available, and as you can probably guess, because the Mate 8 is being aimed at the premium market, there is a premium price attached.
Prices:
- 3GB/32GB Mate 8 – 2,999 Yuan ($469)
- 4GB/64GB Mate 8 – 3,699 Yuan ($578)
- 4GB 128GB Mate 8 – 4,399 Yuan ($688)
If you are really flush with cash, Huawei is offering the 4GB/128GB Mate 8 paired up with a Steel Strapped Huawei Watch for just 6,888 Yuan ($1078), giving a saving of just 100 Yuan ($15). It ain’t cheap, but hey, it’s still a saving of some sort. There’s no word on international availability as yet.
Come comment on this article: Huawei unveils the Mate 8 with Kirin 950 processor, 6-Inch Full HD display and Marshmallow
Huawei Mate 8 official: 6-inch Full HD, Kirin 950 with coprocessor, and Marshmallow
Huawei is on an upward trajectory, both in its native China, where it just took the market lead, and the West, where the Nexus 6P is being hailed as the best Android smartphone. The company is looking to capitalize on this attention with a brand new flagship that was unveiled minutes ago in China.
Following last year’s Mate 7, and the intermediary Mate S, Huawei is now launching the Mate 8, a stylish phablet featuring the latest-gen Kirin processor, a handful of interesting features, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Details are a little scarce for now, because Huawei chose to give the Mate 8 a limited launch in China, with a full global debut to follow at CES 2015.
The Mate 8 features a 6-inch Full HD display (just like the Mate 7 before it), covered in 2.5D Gorilla Glass. The edge-to-edge design and large display give the Mate 8 a fantastic 83% screen-to-body ratio. The display itself is supposed to be improved compared to last year’s release, featuring a color range that tops 95% of the NTSC gamut.
Available in Champagne Gold, Moonlight Silver, Space Gray and Mocha Brown, the Mate 8 appears to be comparable in thickness with the 7.2-mm Mate S. Confirming the rumors, the rear of the device is dominated by a large camera module and a circular fingerprint sensor evoking the Nexus 6P. The fingerprint scanner is said to be faster and more accurate than the Mate 7’s.
The Kirin 950 processor, which Huawei launched early this month, is the first processor to feature four Cortex-A72 and four Cortex A53 CPU cores, combined with a Mali-T880 GPU. Overall, this 16-nm FinFET design should provide plenty of performance and improved power efficiency compared to last year’s Kirin 930, but the real highlight here is the i5 coprocessor, which Huawei boasts is the most powerful coprocessor on the market.
The i5 coprocessor provides hardware support for tasks like speech recognition, low-power consumption MP3, sensor hub, fused location provider (FLP) navigation, and more efficient location-based tasks. In real life, this means that tasks that don’t require the phone to be awake will be carried out more efficiently, potentially improving battery life by a margin. Things like music playback, always-on voice controls, and GPS navigation should benefit from the presence of i5.
The Kirin 950 also integrates a powerful image processor, which will wrangle the data stream coming from the 16MP camera on the back. Keeping everything humming is a 4,000 mAh battery.
The Mate 8 will run Huawei’s heavily modified EMUI 4.0, which is based on Marshmallow. Even if we need to wait for at least another month to see it in action, the fact that Huawei is only the second major OEM to launch a Marshmallow device is pretty impressive. The company teased a number of software features for the Mate 8, including voice control, a power-saving firewall, a feature called eRecovery that we assume is some type of system restore, and even a defragmenter.
The Huawei Mate 8 will be available in China from today. More details about its price and availability around the world will be revealed at CES 2016 in early January.
We will update this post with more details as they surface, so stay tuned.
Thoughts on Huawei’s new Mate 8?
Huawei still thinks 6-inch phablets is the way to go
It’s been well over a year since Huawei launched its premium Mate 7 phablet, and as of August, over five million units have been sold worldwide. That’s far more impressive than the original goal of just one million phones. While the smaller Mate S has since been released, the company still believes in sticking to the masculine roots of the Mate series, which brings us to the Mate 8. Like before, this model sports the same 6-inch 1080p display spec but now also covers 95 percent of NTSC gamut. As a bonus, there’s a piece of 2.5D glass on top of that. Of course, the biggest selling point this time is the new octa-core Kirin 950 chipset which promises much higher performance and efficiency at the same time, mainly thanks to the new 16nm FinFET+ process, some more powerful CPUs (4 x Cortex-A72 and 4 x Cortex-A53), ARM’s flagship Mali-T880 GPU and integrated LTE Cat 6 modem.
AIVAnet 