Googles newPixel phones are hereto replace the Nexus line.
Heres are our contenders:
Nexus 6P:Googles large-screen Nexus was built by Huawei.
It also features the baffling non-standard dual front-facing speakers, which are perfect for watching videos.
Notably, the 6P had a number of differences from its little brother the 5X.
Pixel XL:The Pixel line is a lot more uniform than its Nexus predecessors.
These two differences aside, theyre nearly identical.
While well be focusing on the XL, you could safely treat both Pixels as roughly the same.
This means the camera isfast.
Faster than it feels like it should be.
This feature also helps with the Pixels electronic (but not optical) image stabilization.
When shooting video, the Pixel tries to stabilize shaky camto an almost uncomfortable degree.
Of course, for the average smartphone user, these improvements might not matter that much.
Third-party camera rating siteDxOMarkgave the Pixela score of 89 out of 100.
For comparison, the iPhone 7 receiveda score of 86and theGalaxy S7 Edge got an 88.
The Nexus 6Preceived an 84.
Thats still pretty impressive.
If you buy the 6P, you could get nearly every feature of the Pixel with minimal effort.
Even if you dont want to root, though, youll still getmostof the Pixels features.
Many of the Pixels neatest and overlooked features are actually just part of Android 7.1.
For example, you might long-press the Google Maps icon to quickly navigate to home or work.
The Google Now launcheralready supports these, and other launchers are sure to folllow.
you’re able to then choose which ones you dont want and delete them.
In fact, Google Assistant is one of the only major features thats exclusive to the Pixel.
Even if youre not comfortablemodifying your phone to get it, Google Now isstill crazy powerful.
If you opt for the 6P instead, you wont miss much.
you’ve got the option to even share your screen with a Google representative.
If you want support for your Nexus, youd better be comfortable with reading forums and help pages.
The closest I could find to real human help wasa Nexus Help page.
Thats less than helpful.
When it comes to updates, the Pixel wins out purely because its newer.
Meanwhile, the Pixels are guaranteed to get updatesfor at least two years, or until October 2018.
That means youll get an extra years worth of upgrades over a Nexus.
The basic Pixel starts at $650.
Meanwhile, abrand new Nexus 6P is $469 on Amazon from Huawei.
Thats already a pretty big difference.
However, the Nexus 6P is also in the process of being discontinued.
Earlier this month, Google removed the old Nexusesfrom its online store.
Instead, you canbuy used handsetson sites likeSwappa, where 6Ps are goingfor less than $400.
There may be some key differences, but theyre so similar its hard to tell them apart sometimes.
If youre upgrading from an older phone, youll probably be happy with either one.
However, there are a couple of handy criteria to help separate the two.
It has a killer camera and support is a tap away.
Theres almost nothing the Pixel can do that the Nexus cant.
For Android enthusiasts, theres something meaningful in being part of that tradition as it comes to a close.
