Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the beautiful and powerful Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ goes head-to-head with the new high-end, all-metal Huawei Nexus 6P. Back in the day, there was no way a Nexus device would come close to beating out a Galaxy S series device, but times they are a changing. Does the new Nexus 6P have what it takes in specifications and value to beat out the new Galaxy S6 Edge+ – let’s look and see exactly where these two devices are similar before we look at each individual device in more detail.
The physical size is almost identical with the Nexus 6P just slightly (.2 or .3mm) larger all around and weighing in at 178 grams versus the 153 grams for the S6 Edge+. They both have a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and mobile payments – including Android Pay – in addition, the Nexus 6P can use all of the Marshmallow features baked into it while the S6 Edge+ will have to wait for its Android 6.0 update. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ also offers Samsung Pay and their fingerprint sensor is PayPal certified. Both devices have a 5.7-inch Quad HD (QHD) display resolution sporting 2560 x 1440 pixels – giving both devices 518 pixels-per-inch (PPI). Both displays are AMOLED and made by Samsung for the Nexus 6P and the Super AMOLED on the S6 Edge+ has dual curved edges that offer real little functionality, but are very cool looking. They both use a 64-bit octa-core processor – the S6 Edge+ uses Samsung’s Exynos 7420 and the Nexus 6P uses the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 V2.1. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Nexus 6P both have non-expandable internal memory with the S6 Edge+ offering up a choice of 32GB or 64GB and the Nexus 6P having 32GB, 64GB or 128GB variants. While both devices use the quicker DDR4 RAM, the S6 Edge+ does have a faster advantage by using the faster UFS 2.0 flash memory.
Both devices have the usual suspects – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC and a microUSB port v2 with the Nexus 6P supporting the newer Type-C reversible connector for quicker charging and data transfer. Both have a non-removable battery with the S6 Edge+ coming in at 3000mAh and the Nexus 6P with a larger 3450mAh battery. Each incorporates a rapid charge feature, although the S6 Edge+ also has built-in quick wireless charging.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Samsung really changed their approach in their design of the new Galaxy S series – no more plastic, instead we have a tough aluminum unibody with Gorilla Glass 2.5D on the front and Gorilla Glass 3D on the back. It comes in Black Sapphire, White Pearl, Silver Titanium or Gold Platinum. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is beautiful from every angle with a premium feel and solid build and that extra ‘WOW’ factor with the dual curved display.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ sports a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 518 PPI with its dual-curved screen. This compares to Nexus 6P’s QHD 5.7-inch, Samsung made, AMOLED display and 518 PPI. Samsung decided to go with their in-house 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz featuring 14nm technology. The Nexus 6P is sporting a new 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is packing 4GB of DDR4 RAM, compared to 3GB of DDR4 RAM used in the Nexus 6P. The S6 Edge+ memory options are 32GB or 64GB of the new and faster Samsung UFS 2.0 flash memory with no room for expansion, whereas the Nexus 6P comes with options of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB of internal memory and no expansion.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has one of the best smartphone cameras and it comes with a 16MP ISOCELL sensor with autofocus, LED Flash, a wide f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS. Samsung increased the FFC to 5MP and they wisely added the f/1.9 aperture, 120-degree wide-angle and Live HDR for excellent low-light group selfies and video chatting. The Nexus 6P main camera is a smaller, 12.3MP main camera and a 8MP FFC…it takes great pictures, but the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will win in a head-to-head competition. The non-removable 3000mAh battery in the S6 Edge+ is smaller than the non-removable 3450mAh in the Nexus 6P, but they should get you through an entire day with moderate usage. If you run into trouble, the new Samsung battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and they included built-in quick wireless charging. The Nexus 6P also provides a rapid charge feature as well via the Type-C connector.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has several features not found on the Nexus 6P – it is Samsung Pay ready with a fingerprint sensor that is PayPal certified. It has the definitely cool dual curves display with an ‘edge’ that adds a few functions. It includes a heart rate monitor, an oxygen saturation sensor and quick wireless charging for both Qi and PMA standards. It is running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with TouchWiz UI on top and will cost you about $770 off-contract for the 32GB model.
Huawei Nexus 6P
The Huawei Nexus 6P is the high-end and more expensive Nexus device for 2015. The Nexus 6P is a beautifully designed and well-built device with an all-metal unibody construction and available in three colors – Aluminum, Graphite or Frost. Even though it is a large device, Huawei followed Samsung’s formula to keep it as narrow as possible for comfortable holding in one hand.
Samsung produces the Nexus 6P’s AMOLED QHD display that measures 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and 518 PPI. This compares to the 5.7-inch Super AMOLED QHD display on the on the S6 Edge+ with 518 PPI. Huawei decided to go with the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, v2.1. It has four cores clocked at 1.55GHz and four cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ skipped the Snapdragon 810 in favor of their 64-Bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. The Nexus 6P has 3GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal memory. The S6 Edge+ has 4GB of DDR4 RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory – neither one has room for external expansion.
The camera on the Nexus 6P was recently rated one of the best by DxOMark with a score of 84, right under the 86 score of the S6 Edge+. It has a 12.3MP sensor, laser autofocus and dual-tone LED flash…but no OIS. This goes up against one of the best in the business on the S6 Edge+ with a 16MP sensor, autofocus, LED flash and OIS. The Nexus 6P has a large 8MP FFC for selfies and video chatting, while the S6 Edge+ has a 5MP wide-angle FFC. The Nexus 6P has a large, 3450mAh non-removable battery that includes rapid charge via its Type-C connector. The S6 Edge+ has a smaller 3000mAh non-removable battery with a fast charge feature and a built-in quick wireless charger (Qi and PMA enabled).
The Nexus 6P has a few features not found on the S6 Edge+ – let’s start with a full metal body. It has dual front-facing stereo speakers for great sound and a good location for watching videos or playing games. It also uses the Type-C reversible microUSB port for faster charging and data transfer. Last, but certainly not least, it is running pure Android 6.0 Marshmallow and will always get the fastest upgrades possible when new versions come out. It will cost you $500 for the 32GB model.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This was very tough decision for me – the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a stunning device and certainly is nicer looking than the Nexus 6P…it has an immediate ‘cool’ factor. Is the S6 Edge+ a technically superior device – most definitely. However, does the price difference of $200 justify any superiority that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ flaunts over the Nexus 6P?
In my book, no – with a QHD AMOLED display, the v2.1 Snapdragon 810, DDR4 RAM, an option of 128GB of internal memory, fingerprint sensor, excellent main camera, larger FFC, larger battery, Type-C reversible microUSB port, all-metal construction, dual front-facing stereo speakers, Android 6.0 Marshmallow and the fastest possible software updates, the Nexus 6P at $500 is a no-brainer.
Passing up the Galaxy S6 Edge+, you will be giving up the cool looking dual-curved display, the heart and oxygen sensor, wireless charging and Samsung Pay. You have to ask yourself if those features are worth an extra $200. My answer is a no…but if you cannot live without those things, then the S6 Edge+ is a top-of-line device.
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