Polar just announced the A360 which is a wrist-based monitor with a gorgeous color display. The Polar A360 is a 24/7 workhorse that is designed to keep up with your lifestyle and measures your daily activity, steps, calories, workouts and sleep. It is made using durable silicone wristbands which are perfect for people of all activity levels, and most importantly the A360 is waterproof.
Polar has been an industry leader when it comes to making award-winning wearables to monitor your health for almost 40 years. I remember back when I was in college, 1998-2003, Polar was the top choice of all of the athletes, still is to this day, for monitoring fitness activities. Polar has been a brand that has been featured in many active lifestyle magazines like Runner’s World and Bicycling magazinebecause they help athletes reach maximal performance levels.
In order to keep up with your entire lifestyle and encourage activity, Polar goes outside of the realm of health and vibrates when users receive calls, messages, calendar alerts and social media notifications, and also tells you when you have been sedentary for too long. Polar really is taking the best from their activity devices and combining it with real world functionality with the A360. The bands are replaceable so users can choose from a range of silicone wristbands that come in Power White, Charcoal Black, Neon Green, Sorbet Pink and Navy Blue. The Polar A360 will track activity for up to two weeks on a single charge, with one hour of training per day. It can also be paired to the Polar H7 chest strap for those who prefer to monitor their heart rate the traditional way.
The Polar A360 will be available just in time for the holidays this November for a price of $199.95. It will also offer unique Smart Coaching features such as the Activity Guide and Activity Benefit.
The A360 will pair with the Polar Flow mobile app, which is available on Android and iOS and will track your daily activities from lounging around the house to getting outside for the daily five mile run. If you need more than a gentle reminder from your wearable, the A360 can also work with the Polar Club which pairs you up to an actual club instructor.
Polar’s reputation for helping people stay fit is unparalleled and is not only for the novices, but also the fitness enthusiasts as well who simply expect more from the wearables. This is the perfect wrist-based heart rate monitor for keeping track of your physical activities while integrating perfectly with your normal routine. 2016 is just around the corner, so consider this new wearable to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions.
1byone does it again with another high quality product with the Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard which is designed to be used with all software such as Android, Windows and Linux. Considering I have a wide range of smartphones, tablets and laptops and am always on the go, having a portable keyboard that can keep up with me is vital to my writing. So when 1byone offered me the opportunity to review its wireless keyboard I jumped at the opportunity.
Design
The keyboard is primarily made of hard plastic with a brushed metal underbelly. It is an ultra-slim portable keyboard, with Bluetooth 3.0 built-in for quick data transfers, and comes with an integrated touchpad off to the right side which acts as a mouse. The touchpad is surprisingly one of the better ones I have ever used – the texture of the pad itself is right in that sweet spot of rough but still smooth enough to provide good feedback. It is also capable of the modern Windows gestures – pinch to zoom, swipe right, swipe left making it more than just a pointer.
There are also a pair of keys marked “For Win” and “For Android” above the Backspace button that change some of the operating system specialized functionality to make the keyboard more convenient for how you’re using it. A button to disable the trackpad is present, that I ended up not really having to use. Normally I’m one of those people who would accidentally be tapping or touching it while typing, but the touchpad is located to the far right of the keys making it completely out of the way of my palm.
Two AAA batteries are required to power the keyboard and are not included in the box.
Overall 1byone built a fantastic keyboard using high-quality materials with a well thought out design.
Usage
The keyboard paired easily with my Windows Surface Pro 3 tablet, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Nexus 6P. It was sturdy enough to use on my lap without flopping around while I typed on the keys. I found the 1byone Wireless Keyboard to be a refreshing replacement to my Surface Pro 3’s flat keyboard which cost me $129 and provides little ergonomics with a tiny touchpad. I prefer my touchpad be off to the right side of my keyboard, rather than in the center bottom portion, as I have been using a mouse for twenty years with it off to the side.
Typing this review on my Surface Pro 3 and then finishing on my Note 5 was a breeze using this keyboard. Sure there was a little getting used to touching my phone’s display, but when it came to typing I know this keyboard will be in my armory of gadgets due to its combination of functionality with great ergonomics.
It’s actually quite light and small enough to fit nicely in my standard sized backpack or my medium sized shoulder bag. It is not too small that it felt cramped.
Specs
Supports any Bluetooth-enabled devices
Support systems: Windows, Mac/IOS, Android, Tablet PC, Smartphone
Using the American Broadcom Bluetooth 3.0 chip, it is up to eight times faster than Bluetooth 2.0
Signal distance up to 33ft (10m).
Ultra-slim design, easily stows in a backpack, messenger bag, or case. Ergonomic tilted design reduces wrist strain.
QWERTY layout with hot keys
Auto-sleep feature saves power and extends battery life.
Requires two AAA batteries
Summary
If you’re in the market for a compact keyboard with an integrated touchpad the 1byone Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard is an excellent choice. The touchpad is one of the better ones I’ve used and the keyboard is small enough to be moved around the house or carried in a bag with ease. It is also large enough that it does not feel cramped to type at full speed. The auto-sleep feature will mean longer battery life even if the power switch is accidentally left in the on position.
Priced at $22.99, the 1byone keyboard is a bargain compared to portable keyboards made by companies like Microsoft and Logitech. Save yourself some money and check the 1byone Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard out at Amazon.com. It will also make a perfect gift for students and any writers you might know.
Chances are, you love being on the cutting edge when it comes to devices. Even more so, you love the freedom that Android allows when it comes to testing out new features for applications and such. Well, Google has released started rolling out something that will definitely pique your interest.
If you love trying out the alpha’s or beta’s for apps, then you’ll want to jump on this train. Google has started rolling out a way for you to beta test the latest features that will be found in the Google Search app. Signing up is free and easy. Simply hit the link below, head over to the Beta Opt-in page, and you’ll see an update available in the Play Store within the hour or so.
Google is also showing off the ability to join the beta, through the existing Google search app on your phone. One of those Google Now Cards, will pop up, encouraging you to “Join the Google app beta program to play with experimental features before they’re released.”
This is a great way to test drive what Google is playing around with. You can already do this with the Chrome Beta, but the nice thing about the Google Search beta is, there’s no extra app to download, and nothing extra to enable. Essentially, once you’ve opted in, you’ll receive the update and be home free to test out whatever Google has up its sleeve.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, hit the Beta Opt-in link below, and get that update rolling out to your devices.
Google is currently offering open invitations to its Project Fi wireless service, but only for a limited time. Indeed, Google is celebrating the launch of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P with instant invitations to its upstart experience. You’ll have to act fast, though, it’s only open for 24 hours and the clock has been ticking.
Prior to today, those who were interested in signing up for Project Fi first had to signal their interest and wait for an invitation. Said invitations could take a few weeks or so, sometimes longer. Today, however, you can skip the line and get right in.
Project Fi launched in April and acts as a mobile virtual network operator that utilizes Sprint, T-Mobile, and Wi-Fi networks. Previously, the only supported smartphone was the Motorola-made Nexus 6. Both the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are designed with Project Fi capability.
Both Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobileare now selling new three Android smartphones $150 or less. Whereas some of the models may have been previously announced or offered through one of the service providers, the trio can now be had at both places.
Each comes from a different hardware maker; however, all three run Android 5.1 Lollipop and can be scooped up at Walmart for the two carriers.
The HTC Desire 626s features a 5-inch 720p display, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. You’ll find this one for $130.
The third generation Moto G is a water-resistant handset with a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-inch DH display protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Look for the Moto G for $150.
The Huawei Union is a more entry-level experience and comes with a 4.5-inch touchscreen display, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. Priced $80.00, it offers up a 4.5-inch screen, with power coming from a 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of storage. Rounding things out, the Union has a 2,000mAh battery as well as support for memory cards up to 32GB.
Both Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile operate off of the Sprint network.
Color matching is a game that we have been playing before most of us can remember. It’s easy, right? Not with Seven Squares. This is a puzzle game that will be enjoyed by anyone, of any age, even if you are color blind.
Overview
In Seven Squares, you are given an 8×8 board and 10 randomly generated colors. Your three initial colors are red, yellow, and orange. The goal is to match a minimum of seven squares of the same color, eliminating the matched group, and allowing you to unlock more colored squares, each worth more points.
Red, yellow, and orange unlock green squares
Green unlocks blue squares
Blue unlocks dark purple squares
Dark purple unlocks light purple squares
Light purple unlocks dark red crowns
One of the things I like is that when you match colors together, you are stuck with that shape and have to move the squares as a group. This will definitely make you think twice where you want to place your squares, as you can get colors blocked in fairly easily if you don’t pay attention. To match a color, simply tap the color square you want, and move it to the corresponding color. You can move squares in any direction, including diagonally, as long as there is room enough to place it. If you do not eliminate a color group, a minimum of three of the initial colors will randomly generate.
If you do succeed in eliminating a color group, you can receive the corresponding color, instead of the initial ones. The number of squares you match will determine how many of the next color will generate. A group of seven will give you one of the next colors, eight will give you two, nine will give you three, and so on. If you match nine, or more, you will receive the appropriate number of the next colors, and none of the initial colors. It can be very difficult to obtain all the colors, which could be attributed to the size of the game board.
Now, the best part of this game is you can play even if you are color blind. From the menu button, just select C. This will add letters and numbers on top of the colored squares, making it easy for you to play, even if the orange might look the same as the yellow. This feature alone makes this a great game for everyone. There is also no time limit, but you will see ads at the bottom of the screen.
Gameplay
The graphics are pretty basic, and the overall setup of the game is very simple and easy to use. The menu buttons are always in the top right corner. However, they are the same colors as some of the squares, so they can blend in a bit, sometimes. Despite this, it is very nice to have the menu buttons so easily accessible. The game will also save itself, making it easy to pick up right where you left off.
The game also has a tutorial section, which can be accessed at any time by pressing the “?” in the drop-down menu, along with options to select the color blind mode, rate the game, and links to two more games by the developer. You can also share the game, restart the game, or connect your facebook account. Linking your Facebook account does not allow the game to make posts for you. This is more for viewing your friends high scores. The top left of the screen will show your current score, and you can view your top score by clicking the score box.
What we liked
Endless gameplay
Very challenging
Simple interface
What could be better
Menu colors that don’t blend into the game board
Screen rotation support
Multiple game board sizes
Summary
There are many types of color matching apps on the market, but having the color blind option makes this one of the best. I really enjoyed playing this game, and will recommend it to anyone who enjoys a challenge.
[pb-app-box pname=’com.siroak.squares’ name=’Seven Squares, a puzzle game’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]
Oppo is known to make some with stellar hardware, rivaling the build of the most premium smartphones on the market right now. What’s nice is that the manufacturer doesn’t exclude its mid-range offerings from that attention to detail.
The Oppo R7 was such a phone, introduced this past summer. In only a few months, Oppo thought a refresh was due. The company has announced the R7s.
So what’s changed? While it looks like the same sexy metal slab on the surface, there are a multitude of updates. One of those is the screen size, which received a considerable bump up from 5″ on the R7 to 5.5″.
The design is primarily the same. Oppo has slightly reduced the side bezels, referring to it as an ultra narrow 2.2mm screen bezel. You can also see that the external speaker has been moved to the bottom of the phone, from the rear placement on the R7.
Some of the internals were improved. Probably the biggest update is the battery, increased from 2,320mAh on the R7 to 3,070mAh. Memory had a slight increase from 3GB to 4GB.
Otherwise, we still have the same Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor. The rear and front cameras are still at 13MP and 8MP, respectively. Although the screen size has increased, the resolution is still FHD (1080P) and an AMOLED panel backed by Gorilla Glass 3.
The R7s will still run on version 2.1 of Oppo’s UI, ColorOS. Therefore, expect to be a step behind with the Android version, at 5.1 Lollipop.
Does the R7s peak your interest? Check out the product page at the source link below for more details.
The newest Nexus, the LG Nexus 5X has been receiving the full roll-out by Google. Television ads, online promotion and more have been pumping the budget Nexus phone for the past week or so.
And now you can get your hands on it.
The Nexus 5X went on sale this morning in The United States, UK, India, Canada, Ireland, Korea and Japan, and can pick it up on the Google Play store. It starts at $379 and comes in one of three colors: Quartz (white), Slate (black) or Ice (greenish). The more budget friendly Nexus can be purchased with with 16 or 32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM and a 1080p screen. The camera is a 12.3MP shooter with laser auto-focus, and dual flash. One of the biggest changes is that both new Nexus devices will have a USB Type-C connector. Unfortunately it isn’t USB 3.1 but it will still have the reversible connector.
Our Derrick Miyao has the device as has given his first impressions for the 5X, as well as the Huawei Nexus 6P. . Be sure to check them out. This is the first time Google has released two different Nexus devices.
We’ll have a full review coming in due time but for right now, you can pick it up for yourself. Let us know down in the comments what you think of the device. Are you glad that Google brought back the budget Nexus device or do you prefer the more premium Nexus 6P from Huawei?
I know it is too soon to say the Nexus 5X is the real flagship killer that the OnePlus 2 claims to be, but after two days of usage, the Nexus 5X is the real deal. Starting at $379.99 for the LG built Nexus 5x, the phone comes loaded with a Snapdragon 808, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory(not expandable), 5.2 inch LCD 1080P display, and most importantly the same 12.3MP rear camera, Android 6.0 and the game-changing fingerprint reader that the Nexus 6P is loaded with.
I would estimate that 75-90% of Android users out there, like my fantastic mother, don’t need octa-core processors and 4GB of RAM. The majority of users need a stable phone with security features to match, a great display, an even better camera, easy-to-use software and definitely long-lasting battery life. What all of us need more than anything is an affordable device. For far too long, smartphone prices have been out of control and Google is always doing its part to give high value for your dollar and that principle shows clear in the Nexus 5X.
For this initial impressions post, I didn’t get to focus on the Nexus 5X as much as I would have liked, because I was focused on the Nexus 6P instead. However I did try to test it out thoroughly to best inform you of what you should expect.
Design
The Nexus 5X, built by LG, is no slouch when it comes to build-quality. No it doesn’t come with an all metal build or a Super AMOLED display, but that doesn’t mean this device is not premium in its own right. The Nexus 6P, P for “Premium”, would make you believe the 5X is something less, which it is not. I wish Google would have named the Nexus 6P the 6M for metal, because metal is really the main difference besides the base memory and size beyond the spec sheet.
The Nexus 5X comes in a plastic housing that doesn’t feel cheap. It comes in three colors – Carbon(black), Quartz(white) and Ice(minty green shade). All of the colors are very appealing with Ice being the most different color I have seen on a mainstream phone in a long time. It was actually refreshing to see something other than black, silver, gold or white and I hope it is a trend other manufacturers pick up on. Google sent me the Quartz color, which is matte white, and after two days of use I do not see this phone attracting smudges. But I will update you on that when I have a full review in a month or two.
The display is 5.2 inches across, protected by Gorilla Glass 3, and has a front-facing speaker on the bottom portion of the phone. Weighing in at 136g, it is much lighter than the 178g Nexus 6p and is very easy to use one-handed. The main downside to the design of the Nexus 5X is the camera hump on the back of the device. I really dislike when I set my phone down onto the camera lens. It doesn’t sit flat and will probably wear in the spot where it touches flat surfaces.
Other than that minor detail, the Nexus 5X is definitely a premium device by build quality alone.
Fingerprint Reader
If you have read the Nexus 6P first impressions post, you will know I was gushing over the fingerprint reader that Google put so much effort into developing. The Nexus 5X lives up to its premium sibling when it comes to the fingerprint reader. Both are flawless.
The integrated fingerprint reader also lives on the back of the device, where you finger naturally rests when gripping the phone. Being that the Nexus 5X also uses the latest Android software in 6.0 Marshmallow, it uses Nexus Imprint to unlock and turn on your display with your fingerprint. As I stated in the Nexus 6P first impressions review, I truly believe this fingerprint reader is something all Android users will be using in the very near future.
Not only is it nice to unlock and turn on your display, but the fingerprint reader is needed for Android Pay and will replace pattern and code unlocks.
Performance and internal hardware
Naturally you would think, based on price, that the Nexus 5X would be outperformed by the Nexus 6P. The Nexus 6P comes with 3GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 810 v2.1, while the Nexus 5X comes with 2GB of RAM and the lower Snapdragon 808.
In my initial usage, I have yet to experience lag or stutters from the 5X, and to be honest, the performance feels almost identical to the 6P. I ran an Antutu benchmark test and it confirmed my feelings as the score was nearly identical. How could this be? Well the Nexus 6P runs the higher resolution OLED display which needs more processing power to drive those extra pixels.
So if the Nexus 5X performs as well as the 6P, and you don’t care about having a metal build or a 5.7 inch display vs. a 5.2 inch display, the Nexus 5X might be a better option considering you will save over $100 dollars.
Google did happen to send me the 32GB version to review which is probably enough memory for the majority of users- the 16GB base model without the ability to add external memory may not be enough. Although I am sure many people get by just fine with 16GB of memory with options to upload pictures, videos and music to the cloud.
Camera
Considering the Nexus 5X has the same camera as the Nexus 6P, one should assume that it performs identically. I haven’t had the time to do head-to-head comparisons but I was equally impressed with the camera. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a ton of shots in full daylight, but I did just walk around outside and take pictures at night.
Google knows cameras are important to people as they are documenting their lives more and more everyday through photos. My nieces can’t stay off Instagram. Who knows, in 100 years we might communicate through pictures instead of words(just kidding). Check out the gallery below.
The Nexus 5X has a 2,700mAh battery inside which is rated to last up to 420 hours on standby, 20 hours of talk time, 10 hours of video playback or 75 hours of audio playback. The battery is no slouch. According to Google, the 5X can last up to four hours on a ten minute fast charge. USB type-C is also integrated into the 5X replacing the antiquated micro-USB standard.
I was tickled at how well the battery has lasted. I gave it a full charge on Friday night, unplugged it Saturday morning around 9am and haven’t connected it to a charger since. As of right now, Monday morning at 12:42am, the Nexus 5X has 66% of battery life remaining! If that isn’t something to brag about, then I don’t know what is.
Disconnected around 9am on Saturday.Still 66% without recharging on Monday at 12:42am.
Display and Speaker
Now, in my Nexus 6P review, I mentioned I am a display snob. I love Samsung’s OLED displays because of the resolution, color saturation and accuracy and brightness level, especially in full sunlight. In terms of resolution, I really cannot see any pixels on this 1080P 423ppi display. The colors are more than acceptable, and the brightness is great too. It does get very bright, from the naked eye it appears to get brighter than its sibling, although like other LCD displays the colors wash out a little bit at the highest setting.
Comparatively it is as good as all other LCD based displays I have laid my eyes on and I know for a fact I could learn to love this display.
The speaker is mounted in the front mouth piece area and does get loud. Being that it is a speaker built into a small area, it does lack bass and slightly distorts on maximum volume. It is still a solid performing speaker by most standards.
Summary
Overall the Nexus 5X(I keep wanting to call it the 5P) is a great phone at an even better price. Don’t let the spec sheets fool you as this does perform equally well to its premium sibling, the Nexus 6P. Specs really mean nothing when it comes to overall performance. If you’ve been using devices with lots of bloat, you probably know what I am talking about.
Starting at $379.99, the Nexus 5X may not have the specs to match the OnePlus 2, but it does beat it in the performance section as well as the NFC category. Android Pay is still in its infancy but is something you’re going to want to use once more places accept it. It is similarly priced and also runs the latest version of Android unlike the OnePlus 2. The Nexus 5X has incredible battery life, a superb camera, high-end performance and should be dubbed The Flagship Killer.
Depending on your budget, I have no hesitations in recommending the Nexus 5X as a daily driver. If I wasn’t such a phone snob, I know with 100% certainty I would buy the Nexus 5X over any other phone for its total package offering including the price.
Let me know in the comments section what you think and let me know what I missed so I can add it to my full review in about a month. Thank you for taking the time to read my review!
It is really difficult to tell how great a phone is at a press event. As a writer, we literally get a few hours max to spend with the newest devices while fighting off other media outlets. I attended the Google press event for the Nexus releases, and my first impressions of the 6P were positive, but I rarely ever like to make judgements without spending quality time with a device. It’s in my nature to study and try things out before I make judgements as I am a Medicinal Chemist at a Biotech in San Diego(yes I can make methamphetamine like Walter White in Breaking Bad, but I enjoy a prison free life so no I will not ever make it). I was taught to make decisions using the Scientific Method which is a process to acquire new knowledge. Yes, I know, I am a super nerd but I am cool with it.
I received the Nexus 6P at 9:20am on the morning on Friday Oct. 16th and got into work late because of it. I had to make up that time this weekend. I was simply excited like any other Nexus fan and once I opened the box, I knew I had something special. It’s been a long time since a device has got me this excited- I was like a fat kid running free in a candy shop with no parents around. Let me explain why.
Nexus 6P unboxing. Google provides a USB type-C to USB type-C cable and type-C charger plug. Under the plug is a standard USB to USB type-C plug.
Design
The first thing we naturally do as humans, is make an initial judgement on how something looks and this Huawei made Nexus 6P is really good looking. If this were a prom dance, the Nexus 6P would nominated for royalty for its looks alone. As a Samsung fanboy, I learned a hard lesson this year about how much people care about the materials used to build smartphones. Samsung radically changed their designs and put beauty over function in their latest metal and glass covered Galaxy devices which broke my heart.
Huawei and Google spared no expense when it came to build materials on the Nexus 6P. It is made out of aeronautical-grade aluminum and comes in three colors – aluminum(non-painted metal), graphite(anodized or powder-coated dark gray color) and frost(also known as white). Google sent me a graphite colored device, and frankly I love it. I saw the aluminum and frost colored Nexus 6P’s at Google and they are all stunning. I really would have been equally happy with any of those colors.
On the sides of the Nexus 6P are chamfered edges which is a similar design to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The all metal body measure at 159.3 X77.8 X 7.3mm, which in comparative terms is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 in size and feel. Although being that the Nexus 6P is made of all metal, it feels much less fragile than the Note 5 and feels very much like a combination of a Note 4 and HTC One M7.
Nexus 6P textured power button with volume rocker. Also notice the chamfered edges.
On the front of the phone are dual front-facing speakers, which like the Nexus 6 blast out sound from the earpiece and microphone slots. The WQHD (2560 x 1440) display is covered in super strong Gorilla Glass 4 and measures in at 5.7 inches diagonally. The back of the phone houses a black strip across the top which holds the flash, laser auto-focus and 12.3 MP camera.
The black strip across the top of the backside seemed to be a concern for aesthetics for many potential users, but I personally don’t find it distracting one bit on this graphite version. The phone sits flat on any level surface and is a nice change from the rounded back of the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 rocked back and forth when trying to use the device on a flat surface. In regards to the frost and aluminum colors, the black strip can look out of place, but honestly I did not think it was a distraction at all.
Also on the backside of the phone is the new fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader is a simple circle that is painted the same color as the rest of the phone. If you didn’t know it was a fingerprint reader, you would just assume it was apart of the design.
One nice tidbit I have noticed so far, is the weight of the Nexus 6P is distributed very evenly across the phone. This matters because it makes it very easy to hold one-handed for a large device. I actually found myself typing one handed, which I haven’t done in years, because my primary devices were Galaxy Notes which were awkward to hold. My hands aren’t large by any means, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Samsung Note 5 on left and Nexus 6P on right. Very similar size.
Both of the buttons, power and volume rocker, are placed near the middle of the right side of the phone. This makes it very easy to turn the phone on/off since you don’t have to change the placement of your hand to reach the top sides of the phone which is where large phones usually place the power button. Same goes for the volume rocker – the placement is just perfect.
Overall, the design is top-notch and I can’t get enough of it. I can’t wait to see more Huawei designed phones to hit the US market. Google picked the perfect partner to make its first “Premium” smartphone as evidenced by the Nexus 6P.
The reason why I put the fingerprint so high up on the initial impressions post is because this feature 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.
Nexus 6P fingerprint reader.
After over 100 unlocks, with wet fingers even, the fingerprint reader has yet to fail one time. It is so seamless, I don’t even realize the phone is locked because as soon as it reads your fingerprint, which is almost instantaneous, the screen turns on and is unlocked. As a back-up, if for some reason you can’t use your fingerprint, or if someone else wants to unlock your phone, you can always revert back to the more traditional pattern or pass code unlock method that you’re already familiar with.
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 their iPhone, but I can now proudly say that Google OWNS every other fingerprint reader on the market.
Tempted to get the free Android figurine at Jamba Juice this weekend, I used Android Pay four times to make sure I didn’t base my opinion on one payment. On every single attempt to use Android pay, the Nexus 6P performed flawlessly. The Jamba Juice employees, on the other hand…
I actually thought Android Pay wouldn’t make much of an impact, because it’s pretty darn easy to pay with a credit card. However, after using Android Pay, it is much easier to pay with a fingerprint and your smartphone. You don’t even need to pull out your ID or sign a receipt.
The fingerprint reader with Nexus Imprint is a game changer and I expect everyone to be using it very soon.
Battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow claims to improve battery life. As a self-proclaimed power user, I was one of Samsung’s biggest critics for getting rid of the swappable battery option in their Galaxy devices because I need at least one full re,charge per day. Not because devices had battery issues, but I really do use my phones that much.
The Nexus 6P comes with a large 3,450mAh battery, 450mAh bigger than the equally sized Galaxy Note 5. Google claims you can get 440 hours on standby, 23 hours of talk time, 10 hours of video playback or 100 hours of audio playback. I haven’t taken the time to measure specifics, but this is one of the best performing phones when it comes to battery life. I find myself looking for a charger less than ever before. And when it comes to standby, the power meter doesn’t drop when I leave it disconnected from a charger while I sleep. Other phones promise excellent standby time, but many rarely deliver.
The Nexus 6P also comes with the new type-C plug, and other than having to change my cables going forward, I simply love this feature. With micro-USB cables, I might be in the minority here, I always felt like the charging port was fragile. That connector always scared me because I always feared I was going to plug it in at the wrong angle and break it. USB type-C does away with that fear and you can now plug in the cable without looking because it is completely reversible. The Nexus 6P also charges very quickly, with 10 minutes of charging providing up to seven hours of battery life.
Between Marshmallow optimizations and USB type-C, I already feel like micro-USB cables are outdated and phones running on anything less than Android 6.o are ancient.
Software
Again, as a Samsung fanboy, I actually liked Touchwiz. I know that sounds crazy to most of you, but I found it useful. Yes there is an abundance of useless features, but the useful features like multi-screen or the stylus outweighed the negatives. When I tried stock Android 5.0 on the Nexus 6 it proved to be boring and too simple for me.
With the introduction of Android 6.0 and all of its optimizations, I now have a changed heart and now think TouchWiz is overdone. I was more annoyed with Samsung’s really slow updates, being even slower this year though, and lost all of my patience with them on the Note Edge.
Stock Android Marshmallow doesn’t look any different, from what I can tell so far, than Android Lollipop. It performs buttery smooth on the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X. Not once have I experienced a single stutter or lag which is something I cannot say for any other device including the Note 5 and iPhone 6S.
Considering I have only used the Nexus 6P for two days, I haven’t had enough time to play with the new software features like “Now on Tap” or “Direct Share”.
I will get to those features in my full review in about a month. Overall, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is blazing fast and super stable and I love it so much I want to marry it.
Camera
I’m probably the last guy who should be testing cameras at Androidguys.com as I simply am not good at picking up fine details. I think many cameras are great these days, with the exception of Motorola and mid-range to budget devices. Hopefully Josh Noriega, another editor at AG, will do his signature camera comparison in the near future.
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.
For a camera and using it over a weekend, I am more than happy with it and desire nothing more.
Again, as a Samsung fanboy I am a display snob. I rarely find any display acceptable, other than what comes on Samsung flagships, because the latest Galaxy devices have the best displays using 2k resolution and OLED technology. The super AMOLED display Samsung uses is incredibly bright, has superior contrast ratios, rich colors and is very clear.
Rather than try to beat Samsung at a game they cannot win, Google and Hauwei decided to use Samsung’s OLED displays in the Nexus 6P. Everything matches up in terms of display performance, with the slight exception that the Nexus 6P appeared less than the Note 5 in daylight. I couldn’t test this completely, as San Diego was cloudy all weekend which is a rarity around here. I still did not have any issues seeing the display under full cloudy conditions. Being a premium device, the Nexus 6P display measures up to its name.
Nexus 6P on left and Samsung Note 5 on right under cloudy conditions. Picture taken with Nexus 5X.
Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor
Many of you know Qualcomm ran into some issues with its Snapdragon 810 which lead to device manufacturers shying away from the high-end processor. This blunder helped contribute to Qualcomm’s struggles in 2015 and resulted in employee layoffs. Google and Huawei decided to go with the Snapdragon 810, but it wasn’t the same version that ran into issues. They used the Snapdragon 810 v2.1 which supposedly fixed the overheating and throttling issues.
In my initial usage, I never found the phone to get hot or stutter. I wish Qualcomm would have named the Snapdragon 810 v2.1 something else like the Snapdragon 811 because people simply don’t know enough about the 810 to know there was an updated chip that addressed those issues.
According to the Antutu benchmark test I ran, the Nexus 6P isn’t the fastest performer on the block, but Google wasn’t dumb enough to fall into that trap. Google didn’t see a need to put a v-12 engine in a golf cart, rather they built the Nexus 6P like a Porsche with balanced a balanced power-to-weight ratio, as this phone is designed to be an all-around performer. Not a drag strip car built for the quarter mile that needs to be towed to the track.
Referring back to the software and the software optimizations, this is probably the quickest phone I have ever used.
Antutu benchmark results fell in the range of 53k-59k.
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.
Nexus 6P flush speaker with display.
Summary
It has been a long time since I have been excited about a phone and I am giddy every time I pull the Nexus 6P out of my pocket. In just two full days of usage, I am no longer a Samsung fanboy, but I still dare them to get my attention back. The Nexus 6P is a loaner from Google, and the day I send it back, I will already have a replacement Nexus 6P ready to go paid for with my own hard-earned money. Other than having to upgrade my cables around my house to USB type-C, I cannot find a single flaw with the Nexus 6P. It is fast, has incredible software with no bloat, has a game-changing fingerprint reader, great camera, and best of all an incredible build. Starting at $499 for the base 32GB model with 3GB of RAM, you cannot go wrong with this most premium of phones in the Nexus 6P. You can order the Nexus 6P now at the Google Store, and if you have been looking for a new phone just get this one, you won’t regret it. Beware, shipping times are four weeks out and I suggest you get your order in sooner rather than later as I predict the Nexus 6P will sell in record numbers.
Look for a full review in one month. Thanks for reading this initial impressions post. Please let me know your feedback in the comments section below.
