3 weeks with Huawei/Google Nexus 6P and iPhone 6 - A Layman's review

Updates to this post:
Edit - 1 : Added notes about the review.
Edit - 2 : Added more observations.
Edit - 3 : Adding Images.

[Camera Snap Samples to Come Soon]

Hey guys!

Three weeks ago, Flipkart finally made good on my pre-order of the Nexus 6P 64GB Graphite edition, and I also got the iPhone 6 around the same time. I've been playing around with both, and I would like to share a few of my honest opinions about both these phones.

Please note:
1. This is not a product review. This is not a review pitching the iPhone against the Nexus. Its just a review that collects my experiences using both phones. Thats it! If you notice some obvious points that are missed, please feel free to add them!

2. The review is an opinion after all I welcome constructive criticism, and suggestions for improvement.

Some Images

This Forum does not allow more than 5 attachments in each post. You can find all the photos of the two devices in this Google Drive Folder

iPhone 6
This phone has been around for quite some time now, and adding photos wouldn't be the best use of anyone's time. However, here are a few:

Nexus 6P
Here are some images of the Nexus 6P

What I liked about the iPhone 6

Build Quality: This is something quite obvious, but I'll add this anyway. The iPhone's build quality is excellent, and I love the feel of it on the palm of my hand. Later, I added the protection of a Spigen's TPU case (Ultra Rugged Hybrid, I guess) and yet, the feel/weight of the phone in the hand is seriously premium. The Nexus 6P too exudes this premium feel thanks to the metal unibody design. However, since it's much larger, it isn't exactly a one-hand device.

Double-tap to reach: The double tap on home button feature that brings all the icons on screen within thumb’s reach. This has been quite useful to me, sometimes, and have often missed the same feature on the much larger screen of the Nexus 6P.

Earpods: Good Bundled EarPods came with the phone - Here’s something Google needs to sit up and take notice. Apple gives a pair of EarPods that are really good. Come on, Google, We paid 43K for a premium device. Don’t you think we deserve at least a basic durable pair of earplugs with the flagship device? The earpods I received with the iPhone 6 are of great quality. However, they cannot be used when moving. the pods kept getting loose and almost falling off my ear when I was walking or moving. The ones I got with the Nexus 6P are also pod-type, and do not have any silicone plugs. These too, are equally annoying when it comes to listening to music or calling when on the move.

Brilliant screen: Yes, the screen on the iPhone rocks when it comes to brightness. The resolution and Pixel density are pretty good for the 4.8Inch screen, and on side by side comparison with the Nexus 6P, they both seem to be just about as clear and Hi Res as each other. However, the Nexus 6P pales in brightness when compared to the iPhone 6, but only slightly.

User Experience: The iPhone has always been known for it's simplistic yet efficient User Experience Design and App guidelines. The iPhone 6 series also, do not disappoint. Good use of screen space, well designed apps and interfaces. I love the default wallpapers, and I'm still using one of those for my lock screen. Minimal inbuilt apps, and most of the apps that I missed were available on the store for free.

What I liked in the Nexus 6P

The Fingerprint Sensor [It does work much better on the 6P] - The Fingerprint sensor on the Nexus 6P has been performing phenomenally so far. I haven’t experienced any inaccuracies yet. Its damn fast too! By the time you remove the phone from your pocket, you already have it unlocked if you allowed your index finger to naturally place itself into the fingerprint sensor’s groove. Thats one feature that Apple hasn’t yet copied - Unlocking the phone merely by touching the sensor. At the moment, I need to press a button first, and then touch the sensor (or press the home button and continue to keep my finger in contact with he sensor on the button to unlock the phone). As you might have guessed, this takes a couple of seconds and a click longer, and can be annoying to go back to once you are used to the raw efficiency of the Nexus Imprint.

No Crashes. App or system crashes are very very common in Android Phones, but the Nexus Line stands a class apart. I have now used this phone extensively for over a week now, and I am pleased to report that there hasn’t been a single app/system crash to date. The iPhone, on the other hand, crashed once when I was setting it up for the first time, and refused to boot. Only after I attempted a recovery boot by plugging it to a laptop with iTunes did the phone start working normally again. However, that being said, I haven’t experienced any crashes since.

No Overheating. SnapDragon 810 v2.1 is definitely shining with a metal bodied phone. I did not experience any throttling of any kind, and the phone barely ran warm during the most intense app/game usage. I tested using real-world tests, like games, multiple apps in the background, etc., and the phone did,’t even break a sweat, nor did it run hot. It did get warm, but not even half as warm as my old Galaxy s3 used to get. This is one department that I am pleased to say that Huawei has excelled in.

No BendGate Bullshit - This is a large phone, and when wearing a pair of jeans that are a bit on the tight side, you will experience difficulty stuffing or extracting the phone from your pockets. That being said, there’s no chance that the phone will bend under normal circumstances. The bend-gate controversy can now be allowed to sleep. It really isn’t as easily bendable as we have been led to believe. If you take care of the phone (basic maintenance that any manufacturer would expect, not “handle-with-care” type of care), then your phone will last a long time. This applies, of course, to all phones.

Loud Stereophonic speakers. Yes, the speakers on this phone are damn loud. I was extremely happy to see that I could easily listen to a video without having to resort to earphones, when I was out in the open.

Camera Hardware- Laser Auto Focus means that not a single pic I snapped had the subject blurred. Both iPhone and the Nexus have really good cameras, but the Nexus is a clear winner here. Images below, can show you this.

What I do not like in the iPhone 6

The Ringtone debacle [Yes, I’m going to talk about this, Apple] - Seriously? What were you thinking Apple? How much time does it take to set an mp3 song as the ringtone on a nexus device? Lets see: open up a file manager like ES File explorer, select the song, and in the options, choose “set as ringtone”. Done. Less than a minute if you have the file manager app (maybe 1 minute if you don’t). Maybe more for slow people out there. Lets check out the things we need to do on the Apple Phone - Select the song, in the iTunes store, pay for a 20 second version of the song(no, not your choice of 20 seconds), sync the device with your iTunes, get the ringtone and set it in the settings window. Do that in less than 20 minutes, and I’ll be amazed. Another way would be to cut the 20 second clip from an existing mp3 song, convert it to AAC format, change extension of the file from m4a to m4r and then add it to iTunes, sync, set as ring tone on phone. Seriously, What the hell were you thinking???

Delicate Screen - Yes the screen looks bloody brilliant. But its still easily destructible. The rounded sides and edges make sure that the screen touches the surface if placed face-down, and you need to compensate by adding a protective case that comes with extra lip on the top to keep the screen from touching

Raised Camera Module - Unless you are using a case, the camera component will always touch the surface when placed with the face up. This will, over time, cause numerous scratches on the lens, and you might end up regretting not going for one of those lens-guards.

No Notification LED - The Nexus comes with a small yet efficient LED notification that lights up in multiple colors based on the app that is pushing the notification. (So far I have only seen Green (WhatsApp), Blue(FB) and White (SMS, Calls, etc), though more colors may be there). This may be a little insignificant to some, but I find it indispensable, especially when the Ambient Display notification has come and gone unnoticed. In the iPhone, pressing a button is unavoidable when checking for presence of notifications.

What I did not like in the Nexus 6P

No Bundled earphones (unless you pre-ordered your phone like me)

Earphone port on the top instead of the bottom (Yes, it does make a difference)

Battery Life - Yes, the Nexus 6P is a daily driver, and it's battery lasts a day on rigorous use. However, it does leave something to be desired, and on those extra long days, you'll end up searching for the charging port. While its true that the phone has rapid charging capabilities, the USB-C is not yet a standard and widely used port, and hence, you need to keep your charging cable and rapid charger close by at all times. This will become a non-issue over time, but for now, its an issue worth noting. This point will be further updated!

I would love to hear your feedback/opinions about the two phones, and have a discussion going!

Hmm... seems biased against Apple.

R

Good honest review. Yes android have come a long way now and is quite stable specially when coupled with a powerful hardware.

As far as iphone is concerned. It was never my cup of tea. There are certain things That I can't live without like the file manager, ease of customizing myself and have those widgets according to my needs.
All these are not available with iPhone. People still buy it for its brand value. And to be honest, I too like the design of the older iPhone 5s. While 6 and 6s are quite average and looks like any other phone out there.

collecting random reasons for not using Apple products here, there is a seemingly endless list > *www.digit.in/forum/fight-club/186906-1000-reasons-never-buy-any-apple-products.html
It is giving cheap and legal way of using songs as ringtones, don't see why that is a problem.

According to your review it seems that iPhone 6 lasts longer than 6P. Is that true? I'm asking because most reviews show similar results for ip6 & 6P

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Anorion said:
collecting random reasons for not using Apple products here, there is a seemingly endless list > *www.digit.in/forum/fight-club/186906-1000-reasons-never-buy-any-apple-products.html
It is giving cheap and legal way of using songs as ringtones, don't see why that is a problem.

Still most users say iOS is simpler to use in its defense, but iTunes takes it to a whole new level of complexity, which I'm sure Apple won't bother to simplify

BTW after checking your thread...
*i.imgur.com/Vge3M7S.jpg

A year ago when i saw that pic, i was laughing on ip6 with N4 in my hand... But the predictions are true, maybe next year the iphones will have those features.... They don't have to spend much on R&D

Good review

monkey what know taste of ginger

Anorion said:
Hmm... seems biased against Apple.

Thank you for the opinion, Anorion, but I don't see how its biased. I've quoted both good and bad aspects of both the phones. Kindly correct me if I've misquoted something. Essentially, however, I believe that my viewpoints are as unbiased as can be.

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Vyom said:
Good review

Thank you, Capt. Vyom!

Pics to be posted soon

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REDHOTIRON2004 said:
Good honest review. Yes android have come a long way now and is quite stable specially when coupled with a powerful hardware.

As far as iphone is concerned. It was never my cup of tea. There are certain things That I can't live without like the file manager, ease of customizing myself and have those widgets according to my needs.
All these are not available with iPhone. People still buy it for its brand value. And to be honest, I too like the design of the older iPhone 5s. While 6 and 6s are quite average and looks like any other phone out there.

I agree with your views, RedHotIron2004,

The iPhone 6 looks much like my old Samsung S3, from the front side. Since I am using a case to protect them, I'm not really getting anything out of the looks dept. from both phones.

Coming to performance, however, I find the Nexus 6P more responsive when it comes to multi-app usage. The iPhone has better User Experience thanks to their well designed guidelines for app devs.

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anupam_pb said:
According to your review it seems that iPhone 6 lasts longer than 6P. Is that true? I'm asking because most reviews show similar results for ip6 & 6P

Due to a variety of reasons, I feel that the battery efficiency of the iPhone 6 is still better than the Nexus 6P. Yes, they both last a whole day, and the iPhone lasted just a bit longer for me. However, this may be because the Nexus is more of a daily driver for me, and I'm ending up using that one a bit more than the iPhone. However, I will test this out more thoroughly and update here.

Anorion said:
monkey what know taste of ginger

monkey should no taste ginger. he should stick to banana. :bananana:

They are biased towards a particular usage scenario. There is no exploration of the things apple has to offer, the choices apple is making. Those few are considered negatives for no reason (ringtone store). Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme. Then, there is no bias.

or just look at the chunk of text in the Apple section, that itself is enough to show bias. At least give equal word count to both. It gives very clear cut message that there is less to like and more to dislike about Apple

Anorion said:
Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme. Then, there is no bias.

The whole point is that there IS a need of file manager and need to express our individuality by customizing themes. And the whole point is that to such people who want them Apple is not an option.
To those who don't need such options, it may very well be suited to them.

In other words, Android is THE choice for masses for a reason. And the reason is freedom to do anything. People don't want to spend thousands on a device and be restricted in ANY way.

sam9s said:
Good review indeed ...!! ....Will get my Nexus 6p tomorrow. Will share my first impressions as well.

You getting Nexus 6p? :shock:

Any chance I can get hold of you in Comic Con happening in Okhla, Delhi on Sunday? So that I can see it?

themes and file manager were essential in feature phones

What can I say, you people are reviewing Apple device as if it were an Android device. It is not a review of the device as it is, but a review of what you wanted the device to have been. This review does not give any idea of what is possible or unique to Apple.

Anorion said:
They are biased towards a particular usage scenario. There is no exploration of the things apple has to offer, the choices apple is making. Those few are considered negatives for no reason (ringtone store).

Hey Anorion, As I read your comments, I perceive "Apple Fanboy" vibes getting stronger and stronger from them. That being said, I do believe that every review ever written online always has some degree of bias. But I've tried my best to stay neutral. This is not a review about the capabilities of either phone - there are millions of detailed reviews about that online, from people more qualified than I. This is a review from a layman's perspective, focusing only on the most common features that you would expect to find in both phones, irrespective of their platform - Call tones, Battery, display, music, heat output, camera quality, and more - my review targets those things alone. I have used both iOS and Android for quite a few years now, and I like to believe that the review is as honest as can be.

To be honest, I do not believe that any person using either of the phones would use each and every feature they have to offer. But there are a few extremely basic things that we can safely assume as globally used by millions of users, irrespective of platform. Those are what I have enumerated. Correct me if I am wrong. Do you feel I missed out some obvious iOS features that one would sorely miss? Feel free to add them here!

Anorion said:
Try proceeding for a moment forgetting about needing the file manager. About needing to express your individuality by customizing the theme.

A File manager is not a preference. Its a utility. its a tool. I have faced severe issues when trying to share data between two apps on an iDevice in the past. Simply because I can't share content between apps. This is now less of an issue with the recent iOS updates, but sometimes, it still hurts when using the devices.

Personalization is what makes your phone your phone. If you can't apply even a small degree of personalization, then most of us would have the exact same phone. Whats the fun in that? Customization of themes is already there in Android, but I never harped on that in the review despite the fact that Apple sucks at it. Why? Because we can't have it all.

But Ringtones? Coming to the ringtone sore-point that you consider as a non-issue, I can't see why it must be ignored. even before Android, people have been setting personal ringtones. (remember the MIDI and Polyphonic days? I was there!) Even there, we had freedom of customization. As and when phones got smarter, we would expect to move one step forward, right? Instead, Apple removes support from iTunes to create personalized ringtones. Next, it makes the process quite complicated and gives you an easy way out - iTunes store Ring tones.

You might say 'what's the problem with iTunes store ringtones?' Its easy right? Yes it is. But again, while you were embracing the iTunes store, you were also giving up on the freedom to choose your own personalized ringtone. You only get to select the song, and not the part of the song that you like. How's that a step in the right direction? How is that positive at all? Why should Apple choose which part of a song I get to set as my ringtone?

Lastly, if you need to give up your individuality in order to use a smartphone, then there's something very wrong with the phone, not the users.

ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.
Yes it was there before, but Apple pointedly did not choose these things. Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album. There is a steady stream of goodies, freebies and exclusives, you need to pay little or nothing to be satisfied. This is not about freedom, after digital distribution, and the current prices, there is no excuse for piracy. There are 5 reviews instead of 5 million on the highest rated app, the developers listen to feedback and actually seek out new features on forums. It was easy, even trivial to put in a file manager, but Apple took a choice where the OS does the file management. If you subscribe to podcasts, it downloads automatically whenever there is a new one, and deletes automatically when you listen. It is a different way of doing things, it is unfair to review it from a particular usage scenario. Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things. Why do you have to waste time browsing through lists of random stuff to get at where you want to be?

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

What is unique about Apple : one button interface, less clutter. no file manager. Infinity Blade. Games are much cheaper.

sam9s said:
Good review indeed ...!! ....Will get my Nexus 6p tomorrow. Will share my first impressions as well.

Thank you, Sam9s!
Awesome! Congo on the new phone!

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Anorion said:
ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.

Yes, its absolutely possible to not be a fanboy while using any device, even an apple. Looks like you've made your peace with the limited customization options available, but most of us tend to expect more from a flagship device, when a competitor is already giving the same for so many years. Its only human.

Anorion said:
Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album.[/URL].

Ever considered buying the songs, like me? I buy them. Just not from the iTunes store. One does not need to be a pirate to be able to make his favorite song a ringtone.

Anorion said:
Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things.

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

Its true, that Apple has tried to go for a no-clutter approach, but in the process, valuable things have also been lost. Like functionality. Freedom. and File Manager. I don't know about the rest of the population of India, but I'm sure many would agree with the point that WiFi and Broadband are still precious and costly commodities in our country. Apple comes from a place where data is almost like second nature. Using a cloud drive as a hard drive might become common once the broadband penetration in India improves as much as it has in the developed countries. But as of today, I would consider it an enormous waste of bandwidth to use a Cloud drive as a local one, for regularly used files. Cloud as a backup makes a lot of sense though, and is something I've been doing for quite some time. But not as a regular storage for day-to-day file consumption.

R

Anorion said:
ok. I don't know if I am a fanboy or not, but at least I think I am also a regular user. Is it even possible to use an Apple device without being a fanboy? Just changing the background, or endlessly re-arranging the icons on the homsecreen in the most aesthetically pleasing manner are forms of self expression for Apple users.
Yes it was there before, but Apple pointedly did not choose these things. Ringtones were always there, but there was never any cheap, legal way of using the property of other people as a ringtone till Apple came up with the ringtone store. For a regular person, who does not want to pirate songs, the store is the only place to get the latest Katy Perry album or the oldest Beatles album. There is a steady stream of goodies, freebies and exclusives, you need to pay little or nothing to be satisfied. This is not about freedom, after digital distribution, and the current prices, there is no excuse for piracy. There are 5 reviews instead of 5 million on the highest rated app, the developers listen to feedback and actually seek out new features on forums. It was easy, even trivial to put in a file manager, but Apple took a choice where the OS does the file management. If you subscribe to podcasts, it downloads automatically whenever there is a new one, and deletes automatically when you listen. It is a different way of doing things, it is unfair to review it from a particular usage scenario. Seriously, when you use Apple, there is no need for a file manager, it feels unnecessary and cumbersome way of doing things. Why do you have to waste time browsing through lists of random stuff to get at where you want to be?

PS to use Apple, yeah, you have no data of your own, no tethering or at least wi fi tethering. Generate everything on the device, and use the iTunes store as the hard drive. Consume and delete content, download again if and when necessary.

What is unique about Apple : one button interface, less clutter. no file manager. Infinity Blade. Games are much cheaper.

The problem here is that you are not addressing the issue of 'ease of use'.
Needing a separate iMac or computer or laptop to manage a smart phone is plane stupid in my eyes. And every user does set his ringtone whether he is a novice or an expert.

Smartphones are a replacement of all those devices. I don't remember the last time I connected my android to a laptop or computer to actually manage it. Also, using an app on computer just to set a ringtone on your mobile and also pay for it is again stupid. Why does a smartphone with dual/quad cores and more than 1gb ram need a computer just to compose a ringtone(it's the height of stupidity). I don't even consider it a feature for which someone have to pay for in the first place. I have a feature phone from 2008. And guess what you can choose your own music from your own fliemanager as a ringtone. You also have the option to select multiple ringtones for different contacts. Lol

Ask windows mobile users who till recently didn't had an option to use a file manager before win 8 mobile OS. How badly they wanted it. Fliemanager is much more than just a video and music player. It's a utility to transfer, store, delete, convert, send, receive and manage your data in the most appropriate way with a single app only. It can even help in managing apps and your backups even though your mobile can't read them directly.

Every time when I receive an attachment or file that can't be read on my mobile phone. I don't have to use a computer to manage/transfer it. I can easily find the app that support that format and run the attachment through file manager. It is a single app that even helps in diagnostic work for mobile.

And yes, I can set any music file as my ringtone, any picture as my desktop picture through the file manager only within seconds. I can also zip and unzip attachments and files there itself. No need for any stupid computer softwares.

A "smartphone" shouldn't need a separate PC application just to set a ringtone.

I hope this wont turn out into an all out IOS vs Android thread but I just want to point out that OP has tried to not be biased on anything..
He noted some positive points in iphone that actually make sense, even I agree

REDHOTIRON2004 said:
The problem here is that you are not addressing the issue of 'ease of use'.
Needing a separate iMac or computer or laptop to manage a smart phone is plane stupid in my eyes. And every user does set his ringtone whether he is a novice or an expert.

Smartphones are a replacement of all those devices. I don't remember the last time I connected my android to a laptop or computer to actually manage it. Also, using an app on computer just to set a ringtone on your mobile and also pay for it is again stupid. Why does a smartphone with dual/quad cores and more than 1gb ram need a computer just to compose a ringtone(it's the height of stupidity). I don't even consider it a feature for which someone have to pay for in the first place. I have a feature phone from 2008. And guess what you can choose your own music from your own fliemanager as a ringtone. You also have the option to select multiple ringtones for different contacts. Lol

Ask windows mobile users who till recently didn't had an option to use a file manager before win 8 mobile OS. How badly they wanted it. Fliemanager is much more than just a video and music player. It's a utility to transfer, store, delete, convert, send, receive and manage your data in the most appropriate way with a single app only. It can even help in managing apps and your backups even though your mobile can't read them directly.

Every time when I receive an attachment or file that can't be read on my mobile phone. I don't have to use a computer to manage/transfer it. I can easily find the app that support that format and run the attachment through file manager. It is a single app that even helps in diagnostic work for mobile.

And yes, I can set any music file as my ringtone, any picture as my desktop picture through the file manager only within seconds. I can also zip and unzip attachments and files there itself. No need for any stupid computer softwares.

Well said! Couldn't have explained it any better myself!

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SaiyanGoku said:
A "smartphone" shouldn't need a separate PC application just to set a ringtone.

Precisely what I've been trying to say. Thank you!

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Nerevarine said:
I hope this wont turn out into an all out IOS vs Android thread but I just want to point out that OP has tried to not be biased on anything..
He noted some positive points in iphone that actually make sense, even I agree

Thank you for noticing this!

I have tried my best to stay neutral. Both are marvelous phones, but when it comes down to ease of use, daily usage and experience, each phone will have it's own merits and shortcomings. In this case, some obvious shortcomings were noted on the iPhone side, and we just need to accept the facts.

Lastly, I completely align myself to the same hope as you: that this does not turn into an Android vs iOS debate. This is exactly the reason I said "Huawei/Google Nexus 6P and iPhone 6" instead of "Huawei/Google Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6"

M

OP, you could add a note on camera performance with nexus devices. Google finally got things rolling on this front.

It might be just me but coming from prev nexuses, this thing has a night and day improvements in camera on a nexus phone.

Nicely detailed review btw.

MANOfJosh said:
OP, you could add a note on camera performance with nexus devices. Google finally got things rolling on this front.

It might be just me but coming from prev nexuses, this thing has a night and day improvements in camera on a nexus phone.

Nicely detailed review btw.

Thank you for your feedback, ManOfJosh! I am actually working on snapping a few shots using both phones since a couple of days, and yes, I definitely noticed the major improvements in Camera Hardware and Pic O/p Quality. I will be posting these within a couple of days!

Of course I understand, it is not so difficult to understand. But equating it with ease of use is just wrong.
not even talking as android-vs-ios, this is just ios. There are choices that Jony Ive has made. You cannot disrespect these very choices and give it negative marking for being what it is. That is like going and buying a car instead of a tractor and then complaining that it is not good for ploughing the field.
If everyone is using the device in only one way, and having the expectation that everyone else also will or should use in that way only then that is bandwagon effect, herd mentality. Sure, the iPhone was not designed for a third world country, neither was any smartphone. The last phone like that was the 1100.

also, which mp3 buying service licenses the files for usage as ringtones? normally the agreement has some clause like no digital manipulation and reproduction.

Anorion said:
Of course I understand, it is not so difficult to understand. But equating it with ease of use is just wrong.
not even talking as android-vs-ios, this is just ios. There are choices that Jony Ive has made. You cannot disrespect these very choices and give it negative marking for being what it is. That is like going and buying a car instead of a tractor and then complaining that it is not good for ploughing the field.
If everyone is using the device in only one way, and having the expectation that everyone else also will or should use in that way only then that is bandwagon effect, herd mentality. Sure, the iPhone was not designed for a third world country, neither was any smartphone. The last phone like that was the 1100.

In the end, no one wants a phone thats not easy to use, good looking, or well-performing. The tasks/activities I mentioned in my post are well within the confines of what would be globally acknowledged as day-to-day tasks, and are performed by a vast majority of people who use smartphones from different brands and platforms.

Car and tractor joke was funny. but not really sensible to use in this context, simply because both of them are still phones. We are not comparing tablets and smartphones here. We're comparing smartphones to smartphones. Using basic things that people would do with smartphones. Just because Apple decided to take those choices away from you doesn't mean that we ought to stop doing those tasks.

Lastly, no one is disrespecting the choices that Apple has force-fed it's users. We are just choosing to make our own choices instead of letting someone make them for us.

I can't make it any more simpler for you.

Anorion said:
also, which mp3 buying service licenses the files for usage as ringtones? normally the agreement has some clause like no digital manipulation and reproduction.

Maybe this can help: Know Your Rights: Is it illegal to make my own ringtones?
Looks to me like you are well within your rights to use MP3s as your ringtones. Just not mp3s bought from iTMS.

R

What a lame comparison anorion . A better comparison would be Microsoft's choice (dunno their lead's name) their decision to bring the tiled interface to Windows 8 missing out on the home button. But no one (i thnk 99% of the world) appreciated their decision (i didn't followed tdf back then. Did u said we should support the new design philosophy?) and they received a lot of flak. Soo are we biased against Microsoft too? Or bias is just a relative term?

K

Anorion said:
Of course I understand, it is not so difficult to understand. But equating it with ease of use is just wrong.
not even talking as android-vs-ios, this is just ios. There are choices that Jony Ive has made. You cannot disrespect these very choices and give it negative marking for being what it is. That is like going and buying a car instead of a tractor and then complaining that it is not good for ploughing the field.
If everyone is using the device in only one way, and having the expectation that everyone else also will or should use in that way only then that is bandwagon effect, herd mentality. Sure, the iPhone was not designed for a third world country, neither was any smartphone. The last phone like that was the 1100.

also, which mp3 buying service licenses the files for usage as ringtones? normally the agreement has some clause like no digital manipulation and reproduction.

wow you make an excellent point !!
this is soo true !!

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rachitrt23 said:
What a lame comparison anorion . A better comparison would be Microsoft's choice (dunno their lead's name) their decision to bring the tiled interface to Windows 8 missing out on the home button. But no one (i thnk 99% of the world) appreciated their decision (i didn't followed tdf back then. Did u said we should support the new design philosophy?) and they received a lot of flak. Soo are we biased against Microsoft too? Or bias is just a relative term?

since you brought Windows 8 into the picture-
I agree windows 8 was not that pleasing for non-touch screen users but you gotta admit, as an OS, it was actually faster than windows 7 and improved on multiple levels
its design was more pleasing to the eye but implementation should have been like what Windows 10 is today
it got alot of unnecessary hate and untruths told about it(just as windows 10 seems to be getting) despite its obvious pros

I think these reviewers are partly responsible for this and bring in their own bias and hate towards Microsoft (and sometimes even in Apple reviews) whereas Google and other companies rarely get any hate despite their cons

Btw Im basing this opinion based on my experience with my Dell laptop(which was updated officially - 7 to 8 to 8.1 and now 10) , Surface Pro 3(8.1 to 10) , Lumia 720 (8.0 to 8.1 and 10 dev preview) , Nexus 5 and 7 (4.x to 6.0) , iPad 2,3,4,mini 1 and 2 (ios 4 to ios 9 depending on device)..
I think Apple and Microsoft are very underrated and get too much flak than what they deserve whereas Samsung, Google etc are never portrayed in the way they should be

I don't know what part to answer to. All of these very things are actually easier. will have a go at customisation. whatever this customization is, orange fading to pink with some script font, Jony Ive has chosen the most legible digital display font for mobile screen resolutions under different circumstances (eg: movement, lighting) in accordance with current available technology and has used colours in a contextual way that gives more information about the task being performed. If you are even bothering to customize, rest assured that Jony Ive is the Industry Leader in thinking these things through for maximum benefit, he will think more about why to use a font or a colour than you ever will. You are doing less work in customising, how is that more.

Apple is the industry leader, historically when it comes to fonts for digital displays as well as fonts for design. They got in Myriad and Helvetica.

sam9s said:
its like comparing Oranges and Apple, and then eating apple n sayin git does not tast like orange

I had never really understood that analogy till now. Thank you heartily.

I

I used to use iPhone for quite some time and have an iPad for gaming as well. Yes iPhone in general has the ease of use and consistent interface making things easy going for it etc. & that's a big plus for iPhones. I peronally love that it has no app drawer which makes things so much easier for older people to use. But this ignores the fact that the itunes & loading media through itunes is absurd and the complete opposite of ease of use which iPhones are known for.

The problem siddharthx64 highlighted with Ringtones is one thing, another was what about if your ringtone isn't a song? I personally like stuff from games/BBC intro or intro from several series GoT/Sherlock etc. That is just not in iTunes and I have to jump around insane hoops which are the opposite of user friendly and require a level of expertise in computers. (Changing the file type, converting mp3's cutting them etc etc.)

The point of comparing that to Android is that it's possible to make it so simple.

Anyways I think almost anywhere iTunes gets involved it makes things worse. Want to copy anything from someone else's comp? Well you can't.
And the thing that irks me most about it is that I cannot purchase an app not even get one that is free on an offer unless I have my iPad with me or a comp with iTunes on it. Which becomes really tough when you get to know about an offer on an app that you want but don't have your tab with you at work and your work comp doesn't have itunes.

And again comparing with Android just so it can show an alternative of it being done: I buy an app on the web play store and my pad @ my home will automatically start downloading it. When I get home it's generally finished downloading and I can start to play almost instantaneously.

Please tell me how iTunes isn't far far worse in this case compared to play store.
My usage is I game alot and with space restrictions I have to keep deleting and downloading newer games. So over the long run I have a far better time doing this in Android and get frustrated with ios.

F

*support.apple.com/en-in/HT202180

I

Did you even read what I wrote???

You can't buy an app even if its free without iTunes installed on your comp. That is retarded.

T

This is an interesting forum to read... I was searching for an Android vs iOS debate to strengthen my R&D to purchase my next and hopefully (no, I 'beg' Dear GOD) final daily driver for atleast a couple of years. Here Anorion is the lone soldier in the Apple corner while an army of Androids keep launching attacks!

I too have a soft corner for iOS but lately after 6S pricing, its vapourizing in the atmosphere.

F

sam9s said:
My One liner Android supporter statement will be :: Those who are techie Geeks and love to fiddle around with a piece of hardware and software, and those who love customization to minuscule nature, will LOVE Android and will stick with it. Rest who dont bother the above and just want a smartphone that can do basic tasks, call, net, youtube, map etc etc AND can afford obviously will go for Apple.

BTW its been 4,5 days of heavy Nexus 6P use. ANother week or so and I shall be ready to share my reviews; on Marshmallow and Nexus device as well. And yes already Rooted the phone, so that also I will cover. This was the very first thing I did, the moment I recieved the phone ......

Ans : JB

I

sam9s said:
My One liner Android supporter statement will be :: Those who are techie Geeks and love to fiddle around with a piece of hardware and software, and those who love customization to minuscule nature, will LOVE Android and will stick with it. Rest who dont bother the above and just want a smartphone that can do basic tasks, call, net, youtube, map etc etc AND can afford obviously will go for Apple.

BTW its been 4,5 days of heavy Nexus 6P use. ANother week or so and I shall be ready to share my reviews; on Marshmallow and Nexus device as well. And yes already Rooted the phone, so that also I will cover. This was the very first thing I did, the moment I recieved the phone ......

Yep that's quite right. If you can afford Apple and don't want to fiddle around much it's the most well rounded phone.
Also for people who are not into tech stuff/ don't take basic security precautions (like not downloading random apps from ads etc.)/ don't get shortcuts widgets etc. iPhones are better and much more user friendly.

With one caveat: In India where most people download movies/songs etc. It's not that convenient if you keep downloading a lot of new ones. Which a lot of casual users do.

R

I think android is as user friendly as iOS if not more. Even if you don't fiddle around android is still great from a normal user's perspective.
Though iOS or rather the optimization done by Apple and the hardware provided by them sure is compelling. Albeit bit expensive in India.

The biggest difference to me is content. If half the same content I have on my iTunes account comes on the Play store, I will literally run to the store and buy a Droid.
Another difference is how fragmented android is. Im paying for the processor, don't want it working for some haphazard combination of OEM, ISP and Google, but one application made just for, and tested with, that combination hardware and software.
Each device is not so critical, so can buy any phone from line up, this is "brand value".

R

Fair point. But android fragmentation is blown out of proportions imo. Because most of the apps do work on almost all android 4.0 and up devices

if fragmentation is no longer a problem, it was a problem that was solved, a problem that Apple never had.

it is apple does not taste like orange
they both set out to solve different problems despite being smartphone platforms
Approach is only different, for ease of use it makes a lot of difference that
one is a closed ecosystem, one is open, both have benefits and shortcomings because of their nature. Bias comes in when saying either one is as good or better than the other.

Android had project butter, seems to me that it was using more resources for making stuff look smooth rather than the actual work, but that could be my bias
HTC released this infographic, must be similar for other droid OEMs

*www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/htc-update-infographic.jpg

that is not the way Apple does things at all. Cannot compare the two here.

R

Bias is a relative term. I think we all have come to a point where all the devices are equally good. It just depends on the eco system you have invested or the one you prefer.

[MENTION=56202]Anorion[/MENTION] is right about the availability of some apps on Ios.. Infinity blade, Ace attourney dual destinies and a couple of other games, are very well made ios exclusives

JB = Jailbreak right ?

R

Jailbreak

Which content you talking about if it aint exclusive to an OS, I am sure what you can find in App store you can find on play store as well. There is nothing in apple that Android cannot do, vice versa might not be true always ...

Infinity Blade (and it's milked sequels) and Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies is the only reason I borrow my sister's ipad from time to time.. Other than that, id say Android has all other kinds of games and apps that I require, I spend a buttload of time playing nintendo DS games using DrasticDSEmulator (Zelda and Phoenix Wright Justice for all)

recent one is hyperlapse from instagram
and quote from developer Available in Android play store ? | Page 2 | Vainglory Community Forums. So fragmentation, iOS users being more bankable, and easy hacking are three problem areas.

seriously, in some spaces (video game content) even now Nintendo and Sony compete more with iOS than Android.
Will believe Android has arrived when Metacritic - Movie Reviews, TV Reviews, Game Reviews, and Music Reviews starts rating droid titles.

And, *en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Originals

R

Anorion said:
recent one is hyperlapse from instagram
and quote from developer Available in Android play store ? | Page 2 | Vainglory Community Forums. So fragmentation, iOS users being more bankable, and easy hacking are three problem areas.

seriously, in some spaces (video game content) even now Nintendo and Sony compete more with iOS than Android.
Will believe Android has arrived when Metacritic - Movie Reviews, TV Reviews, Game Reviews, and Music Reviews starts rating droid titles.

And, *en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Originals

People or users care less about some stupid review site. I depend more on rating and the reviews on the play store itself.

Have you forgotten nvidia shield games etc. They were android exlusive. Also, people have even hacked there androids to make them work on devices on which they were not meant to run at all. Diversification is not at all bad. It means that whatever exclusive content Samsung, Sony, htc etc would develop for there android devices would also be available on other devices as well.

Apart from them, Everybody have exclusive titles and apps. Android have many apps that are simply not available on iPhone. Also, there are many alternatives out there. Android is all about alternatives. If you want to play a game. Then there are always many alternative game on android with better graphics and extra options.

The more I see search nowadays android apps are mostly developed first. And only then ios apps come up. Infact many apps that are being developed here in india dont even have an ios alternative.

sam9s said:
I did write which is not exclusive to an OS .... games often are launched exclusive, and in that aspect obviously we cannot do much ......

Yeah, similarly ios using people cannot do much about android exclusives. Also android have huge developer support that iPhone simply cannot match.

^which Indian ones, not available on iOS ?

and yeah, I agree, Android is all about alternatives. Android has 12 best alternatives to Bloodmasque.

K

not true at all
ios apps are developed first and ios apps are better optimised than android apps any day
also android apps are nowhere near the level of ios apps
agreed, ios has its limitations but that doesnt mean the os as a whole is lacking

I simply dont get the hate for ios and windows phone at all , give credit where due
android has its own issues

T

Flipkart and Myntra apps on my Android (opo) perform much much better than on my iP4 and iPad mini where they hang and always load stuff.

rachitrt23 said:
Bias is a relative term.

sure, but at the same time, there are some easily identifiable signs of bias or red flags
if you pick and choose points valid to one point of view, or ignore or gloss over or try to explain away a contrasting pov, that is confirmation bias.
if you follow certain behavior patterns to engage with technology, and expect all of tech to be exactly like your usage, that is a classic example of the bandwagon effect. just to be pre-empt any mindless keyboard bashing, and in the interest of clarity, this herd mentality is os agnostic.
there is something called the spiral of silence, where majority opinions bully out the voices of the equally valid minority opinions

R

Anorion said:
sure, but at the same time, there are some easily identifiable signs of bias or red flags
if you pick and choose points valid to one point of view, or ignore or gloss over or try to explain away a contrasting pov, that is confirmation bias.
if you follow certain behavior patterns to engage with technology, and expect all of tech to be exactly like your usage, that is a classic example of the bandwagon effect. just to be pre-empt any mindless keyboard bashing, and in the interest of clarity, this herd mentality is os agnostic.
there is something called the circle of silence, where majority opinions bully out the voices of the equally valid minority opinions

Seriously, have you been drinking lately! Smoking Or taking some drugs maybe?

Anyways, be happy with your iphone. Nobody wants to take it away from you. Just relax and spend the rest of your life thinking about the Awesome piece of hardware in your hand. And leave other less mortals to lead there life with other not so heavenly android or windows mobile.

ooh no Im not worried about anyone taking away my iphone. like there is an app for that, findmyiphone. I am just worried about those who would have enjoyed an iPhone but are discouraged from that heavenly choice because of biased opinions of lesser mortals.

R

Now if someone else comes with a term like that which says you are the one who is biased. Will it still be used as a reference? You just proved what i was saying bias is a relative term.
And the point of circle of silence it can be applied to iOS agnostic users as well. Infact all the points made can be applied to the camp where you stand.

example of content
*www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10...24610777664.193516.30899502664&type=1&theater

Innocent Lies said:
Did you even read what I wrote???

You can't buy an app even if its free without iTunes installed on your comp. That is retarded.

Does that mean if I have just an iPhone[whateverModel], I won't be able to buy apps on it if I don't have a PC with iTunes or an iPad ? :O

Anorion said:
if fragmentation is no longer a problem, it was a problem that was solved, a problem that Apple never had.

If you're saying it just for the sake of it, then there tons of things for both ecosystems. I very well remember that in early iOS days, one could not forward a msg. Now how about explaining that ?

Anorion said:
Android had project butter, seems to me that it was using more resources for making stuff look smooth rather than the actual work, but that could be my bias
HTC released this infographic, must be similar for other droid OEMs

*www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/htc-update-infographic.jpg

that is not the way Apple does things at all. Cannot compare the two here.

Your point being ?

Android has got multiple device manufacturers against Apple which does by itself, so the process has to differ.

Fragmentation was the problem of this multi-diverse scenario of multiple manufacturers but you can't deny the plethora of options end users are getting. And with fragmentation fading way (I'd say it still exists), the day is not far if not near, when Android will achieve iOS fluidity (yes, iOS really IS fluid).

not saying just for sake, there were people saying fragmentation is not a problem, so replying to that. yeah watch this video to understand why hardware and software working together so intimately is necessary for the considerations made on a device, and why Android can never achieve that because one company is never going to make both

No doubt that hardware and software integration is of premiere importance, that's why iOS is miles ahead in some aspects. And no one denies that fact. But why you deny the fact that Apple is taking advantage of it's position to force some very unconventional things ? Why you always try to justify them from your point of view ? If some thing is wrong, then it's wrong. And even if you forget the software part for a moment, there are many things done by Apple in hardware segment to create a nuisance. Like not implementing micro USB when every other OEM is following that. And the latest removal of 3.5mm jack. Apple Ditching The Headphone Jack Is Less About Music, More About Royalties. I mean seriously ? The worst problem with Apple users is that they just don't want to accept that there's a (basic) flaw in their ecosystem.

this is the "vision document" for apple products. *www.vitsoe.com/rw/about/good-design
all choices are based on those principles

dashing.sujay said:
No doubt that hardware and software integration is of premiere importance, that's why iOS is miles ahead in some aspects. And no one denies that fact. But why you deny the fact that Apple is taking advantage of it's position to force some very unconventional things ? Why you always try to justify them from your point of view ? If some things is wrong, then it's wrong. And even if you forget the software part for a moment, there are many things done by Apple in hardware segment to create a nuisance. Like not implementing micro USB when every other OEM is following that. And the latest removal of 3.5mm jack. Apple Ditching The Headphone Jack Is Less About Music, More About Royalties. I mean seriously ? The worst problem with Apple users is that they just don't want to accept that there's a (basic) flaw in their ecosystem.

Not to mention the exclusion of microSD card slot (16GB :rofl:

only for 650$, most phones have that much for one-sixth of the price) , non-removable batteries.

Anorion said:
this is the "vision document" for apple products. *www.vitsoe.com/rw/about/good-design
all choices are based on those principles

How Apple Is Giving Design A Bad Name

wow craftily written. It is a good list of things that Apple claims to do and apparently does not do.

uh... just found out that Apple's entire exclusive music library is available on Android through Apple Music.

Taylor Swift's discography is nowhere else.

K

Except that "Nvme storage in the 6s instead of mmc"

Nothing is even worth looking.

6p with Nvme storage would be a lovely phone.

I am really fond of Huawei's design language.
Honor 5x for example selling @ $199 is an absolute beauty of design.

All the specs of Honor 7 replacing kirin with Snapdragon and that camera.

Most sophisticated design language by Huawei.
Hats off!

SaiyanGoku said:
Not to mention the exclusion of microSD card slot (16GB only for 650$, most phones have that much for one-sixth of the price) , non-removable batteries.

This is the solution for apple users :
Amazon.in: Buy SanDisk iXpand 128GB Flash Drive For iPhones, iPads & Computers Online at Low Prices in India | SanDisk Reviews & Ratings

Having mentioned that what happened to the sleek slim design of iphone if you have to use a device like that ? How well does it go with iphone's design standard. Apple only cares about their shameless profit but not user friendliness anymore. It's a shame they want to make money by taking all unethical ways by limiting / changing their HW design to sell their exclusive iFail only compatible accessories.

again the profit thing. What is the source? Where has Apple said they care about profits more than user friendliness? Or which specific authority has made that allegation and not some randoms on forums?
Here is Jony Ive explaining why going for profit didn't work for the company, and how the company got turned around and started making profits when they just focused on making the most thought through products
Jonathan Ive: Apple's goal isn't to make money (Wired UK)

"We are really pleased with our revenues but our goal isn't to make money. It sounds a little flippant, but it's the truth. Our goal and what makes us excited is to make great products. If we are successful people will like them and if we are operationally competent, we will make money," he said.

PS tear-downs don't take into consideration the cost of R&D, and marketing and promotion, all of which add to the cost of a device

^ I'm pretty sure increasing the storage to 32GB of base model shouldn't be a problem for any OEM in that budget. Seriously, there are phones which support upto 2TB of expandable storage through microSD card even though the cards aren't economical.

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Apple acknowledges issue with iPhone 6s battery percentage indicator

There seems to be an issue with the battery indicator on the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which prevents the battery indicator from reducing proportionately with the actual charge of the battery, thereby suggesting you have more power left than you actually do.

Apple is aware of the problem and has suggested a simple fix for it. It seems the issue is caused by the device time settings, so moving between timezones causes the battery meter to malfunction. The fix is to either restart the phone or check if the clock is set to update automatically through the settings.

A more permanent fix should be rolled out in the next iOS update.

Really?