Google decided it's time to bring its phones out of their shadowy niche and duke it out directly with top manufactures such as Samsung and Apple. Welcome to the new Pixel phone era.
With premium features exclusive to Pixel phones and a sales plan that means you might actually find one in a store, the company is showing significantly more ambition than it did with the last six years of Nexus-branded phones.
The 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL are officially called "Pixel, a phone by Google" and have a "G" on the back, signifying how Google designed the phones on its own instead of tweaking another company's product into a Nexus. Google is now the one picking components, providing support and promoting the phones.
So what does that ambition get you?
Unlike last year's mid-range Nexus 5X and premium Nexus 6P, the Pixel phones are both top-shelf models. Google wants you to think of them as rivals to the most prestigious models out there, Apple's iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models. They each have quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processors -- two cores running at 2.15GHz and two at a more battery-efficient 1.6GHz -- with a boost from Qualcomm's Hexagon technology for tasks such as image and audio processing. The phones have OLED screens, 4GB of memory and either 32GB and 128GB of storage space.
Starting at $649 in the US, £599 in the UK and AU$1,079 in Australia, the 32GB Pixel is about the same price as Apple's iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy S7. The 128GB model costs $749, £699 or AU$1,229 and the corresponding Pixel XL models cost $769 and $869, £719 and £819 or AU$1269 and AU$1,419. Preorders begin now, with the phone arriving in stores and online on October 20. There's no expandable storage.
Google went adverb-happy with the colors: "very silver," "quite black" and "really blue." Limited availability means only the US will get the blue version initially. The back of the phone is actually two-tone, with a glossy "glass shade" across the top to make antennas work better and a more ordinary bead-blasted metal finish across the bottom. Like the front display, the glass shade employs Gorilla Glass 4 for scratch resistance.
In the hand, the Pixel's metal-and-glass body definitely feels a step above Google's previous Nexus handsets, with fewer exposed seams. The smooth aluminum makes for a premium, iPhone-like feel, but with chamfered edges that make it a bit less slippery.
And while the glass shade might look a little odd, it feels pretty good to the touch, adding a bit of tacky grip. The fingerprint reader also rests neatly under one's index finger, like last year's Nexus smartphones. And I particularly like how Google weighted these phones: they've got some nice solid heft without feeling too heavy like many all-metal phones, or so light (like the Nexus 5X) that they feel hollow.
A few features will help the phones stand out from other models powered by Google's Android software. They'll be the only ones to include Google Assistant, a new beefed-up version of Google's conversational system to control the phone and answer questions -- Google's rival to Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Alexa. It'll also store all photos and video in original resolution for the life of the phone, shuttling older shots to cloud storage if you run out of room. And if you need to call Google's support, a technician will be able to remotely control your phone. Android 7.1 -- the latest version of Nougat -- debuts with the Pixels.
Unlike the iPhone 7, the Pixel phones retain a 3.5 mm headphone jack -- but Pixels come with no headphones, because really, don't you already have some?
There's no camera bump, but the Pixels aren't the thinnest phone around. They're slightly wedge-shaped, tapering from 8.6 mm at the top end to 7.4 mm at the bottom. The Pixel is 69.5 mm wide by 143.8 mm tall (2.73 by 5.66 inches), while the Pixel XL is 75.7 by 154.7 mm (2.98 by 6.09 inches). Screen resolutions are 1,920x1080 at 441 pixels per inch for the Pixel and 2,560x1,440 at 534ppi for the XL.
Based on a brief test, it seems Google has made good on its promise that the main 12-megapixel camera performs much faster than last year's Nexus models -- see CNET's in-depth look at the Pixel camera for more detail. Another useful feature of Android 7.1 is that there's no more long pause when you rotate the phone from portrait to landscape orientation. The company stuck with Sony for the camera's sensor but promises faster autofocus. There's no optical image stabilization like in the iPhone 7 -- nor are there the dual rear cameras of the iPhone 7 Plus -- but Google thinks its fast image processing will do the trick when trying to compensate for your unsteady shooting.
The front-facing camera has an 8-megapixel sensor, and twisting the phone back and forth switches to it from the main camera.
The fingerprint reader on the center of the back gets a new trick, too: if you swipe down on it, it shows your notifications even as it unlocks the phone.
The Pixels, like the Nexus models of 2015, use the newer USB Type-C port for data links and charging. When watching video or browsing the internet, battery life should be 13 hours for the Pixel and 14 for the Pixel XL. The batteries can't be removed.
And careful by the pool, because the Pixel phones are only rated to IP53 when it comes to dust and liquid resistance -- good enough to handle a splash and some rain, not a full dunk like the Samsung and Apple flagship phones can.
Google is leaning on HTC to assemble the phone. The Taiwanese manufacturer has a long history with Google, building the first-ever Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 "Dream" that debuted in 2008, and the Nexus One that inaugurated the Nexus line in 2010. Google has also partnered with Samsung, LG Electronics, Motorola and Huawei to build Nexus phones.
Android partnerships remain. But there's no more pussyfooting around here -- Google is competing directly against Samsung and other partners who use Google's Android software.
Fall 2016 update
Google has scheduled an event for October 4 at which it is expected to launch the next generation of its Android phones. Breaking away from the Nexus name, which has served as the company's in-house phone brand since 2008, the phones will be called the Pixel and Pixel XL, according to a report by Android Police, with pricing reportedly starting at $649.
Back in April, veteran leaker Evan Blass reported that HTC was building devices that would run Android Nougat, Google's recently released operating system. He also reported that there would be two models -- a larger phone, equipped with a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with a 2,560x1440-pixel resolution; and a smaller device, featuring a 5-inch full HD display with a 1,920x1080-pixel resolution. (CNET's rumor roundup contains additional speculation and hearsay.)
Though we can't say how the new phones will stack up against Nexus models currently on the market, not to mention the recently released Apple iPhone 7, phone shoppers looking to make a purchase in the near term will likely have an expanded lineup of choices come October 4.
Editors' note: The original Google Nexus 6P review, published in October 2015, follows.
In my mind, there are two things that a Nexus-branded phone is supposed to do, and the Google Nexus 6P does them both very well. First, it's meant to showcase the very newest Android software. Check! (So does the cheaper, smaller LG-made Nexus 5X.) Second, it should package together very capable hardware for a lower sticker price than more familiar brand-name competitors. Yep, that it does. (See our pricing chart below.)
And then the weighty, 5.7-inch Nexus 6P goes further. It adds a metal frame (a Nexus first!) and a crisp, high-resolution display; a spot-on fingerprint reader; a capable 12-megapixel camera; and strong stereo speakers. It also introduces China-based Huawei, which made the phone, to a whole new audience of people, Google's Nexus fans. (Although I have to say, this breakthrough, while significant for Huawei, is only a passing curiosity for a buyer who's focused on finding the right handset.)
This year's Nexus phones are also compatible with most major carriers, which is terrific, and support Google's own unique Project Fi wireless service -- meaning you can switch among carrier plans without swapping your SIM card or phone. You don't actually need Fi to do that, though, you can seamlessly carrier-hop on your own without Google's specialized SIM card, too.
Here's what I'm saying: the 6P here is the most ambitious and advanced Nexus phone Google has put its stamp on, and it comes closer than previous Nexus devices at meeting and beating premium handsets, big and small -- like the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Edge+ , Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium -- with its combination of internal performance and relatively low cost.
Like all phones, this one isn't without flaws. It's still a large, heavy device. I'm not wild about the design, which is completely fine, but a little generic. The position of the fingerprint reader isn't always convenient. The native camera has fewer options and controls than many rivals. And unlike the Nexus 6 and other Nexus phones, this refresh lacks wireless charging, which would be extra useful backup if you leave your new Type-C charger at home. The 6P also won't have the Note 5's stylus, the Edge+ curves or the Xperia's waterproofing. You have to decide how important those finishing touches are to you.
A little warning for those who want to buy the 6P to mine the Android 6.0 Marshmallow software for all its goodies: while the new operating system brings a few interesting and somewhat useful tools -- like contextual searching through the Now on Tap feature and battery life boosting that works quietly in the background -- the 6P's real take-home value is less about the wonders of Android 6.0 and more about your total bang for the buck.
Android 6.0's nice-but-not-astounding bag of tricks may not have been as successful as past Nexus' braggable features ( Android 5.0 Lollipop was quite the overhaul), but the 6P's Marshmallow status still nabs you certain advantages, like fewer preloaded apps ("bloatware") and being first in line to receive Google's forthcoming software updates. "Pure" Nexus phones are also free from vendors' custom take on Android, which can be good, bad or neutral depending on your stance. On the one hand, custom layers eat up storage space and delay upgrades, but on the other, they can also add handy features and snazzy design layouts.
Personally, I like the the Nexus 6P quite a lot -- it does everything right and very little wrong. While it doesn't grab me the way the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge's unique design does, it's still a phone I'd heartily recommend. As a utilitarian workhorse, the Nexus 6P does the job for less cash, and that's smart.
Pricing and availability
The Nexus 6P is available for pre-order in the US, UK, Ireland and Japan from Google's online store, and will be ship in October. Check out pricing for the US, UK, and Australia in this handy chart below:
To sweeten the deal, Google tacks on a 90-day subscription to Google Play Music (plus a $50 credit for its Play Store for US buyers).
Google also wants to sell you a two-year warranty that covers breaks and water damage, which it's calling Nexus Protect. It costs $89 in the US. If something goes wrong, you can get a new device as soon as the next business day.
In the US, the Nexus 6P works on all major carriers. It'll also support Project Fi , the company's SIM card that uses Wi-Fi hotspots for a network connection, falling back on T-Mobile and Sprint networks.
Specifications versus top rivals
Google's first metal Nexus
- 5.7-inch screen with 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution
- USB-C charging port
- Fingerprint reader
- Stereo forward-facing speakers
- Dimensions: 6.3 by 3.0 by 0.29 inches (159.3 by 77.8 by 7.3mm)
- Weight: 6.3 ounces (178 grams)
Big and aluminium with rounded edges and a fingerprint reader on the back, the Nexus 6P embraces quite a few trends of the day. The 5.7-inch display is a skosh more sizeable than the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S and right on par with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ . Its high-resolution AMOLED display, sometimes referred to as 2K, fits in with the times as well, lending the 6P a sharp and clear screen, with high contrast. (Sony is already pushing boundaries with its world's-first 4K display , which is probably overkill in most scenarios.)
View full gallery Shape-wise, the Nexus 6P is smaller and narrower than Motorola's 6-inch Nexus 6. Still, it's a two-hander. Not the easiest jumbo phone (or, phablet, if you prefer) for my smaller hands to hold. Its slim, straight sides challenged hands larger than mine when I passed the phone around. Some combination of the straight edges and smooth back made the 6P seem unwieldy, slippery, even a little top-heavy. The similarly sized Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+ and iPhone 6S Plus seem proportioned and contoured to fit my mitts better.
Its unibody build means you won't be able to access the battery, and there's no microSD card slot for extra storage either. This is a typical trade-off in full-metal phones. During some of my testing, the Nexus 6P's backing felt warm to the touch, but not dangerously or uncomfortably so.
Since I grip the bottom half of the device to use it, the placement of the Google Imprint fingerprint reader was often a stretch; I sometimes had to shift my grip in order to unlock the phone. If you have larger hands, you probably won't have the same concerns.
I like that double-pressing the lock key launches the camera, but I'm not a fan of the haptic jiggle that confirms you've opened it, and I haven't found a way to turn it off.
You can pick up the Nexus 6P in three colors: aluminum (silver), graphite (black) and frost (white), our favorite of the trio. Japan gets it in gold, too. My all-black model looks nice in a generic way, with subtle chamfered edges around the rims, though the design isn't inspired.
Loud stereo speakers
Audio quality from the dual front speakers was pretty great for a phone. I played a lot of music videos from YouTube. The highest volume setting filled a room, and songs sounded clear. Compared to a set of good headphones or a decent Bluetooth speaker, though, the 6P's audio still sounded jangly and two-dimensional, where my over-ear In Case headphones sounded rich. But the 6P is still notably better than you'll get from the default speaker in most rival smartphones.
Type-C marginally better
I like the reversible USB Type-C charging port in theory, and once more phone-makers start using it, charging cables will be easier to come by. If you forget the Type-C to Type-C fast-charger and Type-C to USB cables that arrive in the box, you'll be hard-pressed to find one lying around -- it's not compatible with your other devices' cables. Wireless charging would be a convenient backup here, but unlike the 2013 and 2014 Nexus models, that feature is absent.
If you get the 6P, prepare to also buy a few extra chargers and a micro-USB to Type-C adaptor that fits over the tip. (For Type-C fans, keep in mind that the Nexus 6P uses the Type-C charging shape, but not all the features that also support faster file transfers and charging for other devices. Read more about that here.)
Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Now on Tap is not great
- "Pure" Android software
- Google Now on Tap
- Android Pay support
- Doze function saves battery
A Nexus phone is the first to debut Google's latest Android software. Always. In our case, that's the Android 6.0 build , codenamed an ooey-gooey Marshmallow. It promises, as always, to be faster and smoother than the previous generation and filled with more tricks and treats.
The most enticing of these is Google Now on Tap, which is an obscure name for an extra layer of software that lets you more deeply interact with whatever's on the screen. The classic example is asking Google simply, "Who sings this?" when listening to any given song, without having to specify the track's title.
Let's say you're on a restaurant menu and you press and hold the home button. Mini "cards" pop up on the bottom half of the screen with buttons you can press (shortcuts) to search on Google, open a menu, make a reservation, call the business, navigate there and see Google Street View. You can also use voice search to ask for additional information ("show me her tour dates" for example) without having to reframe the question.
CNET will do much more Now on Tap testing, but in my initial tests, I threw a barrage of questions and commands at it, and opened the Now on Tap cards from a variety of Web pages. Some scenarios seem to work better than others. For example, contextual voice searches usually worked, but interrupted the songs I asked about, which made for a pretty disruptive listening experience, since getting search results on-screen essentially stops the music, at least with YouTube.
Other times, Now on Tap presented useful information, like a restaurant menu link and icon shortcuts to other apps, other times, I didn't get what I wanted. Also keep in mind that clicking a link from Now on Tap whisks you away to a new page. Either way, Now on Tap cards took about two seconds to load, which felt slow.
Don't worry, the usual Google Now is still there -- which proactively surfaces information about the weather, sports scores, transportation time home and flight information -- now you swipe right from the home screen or press the "G" icon from the Now on Tap screen. With the ability to add stories and notifications from websites and apps, it operates much more as a typical newsfeed this way.
Other noticeable titbits in Marshmallow: I liked how apps download on the second homescreen (as you swipe left), rather than crowding out your main homescreen. And, though this isn't turned on by default, always-on voice search calls up Google from any screen, even when the phone is locked. Note that the "OK, Google" voice command zeroes in on your voice in particular, so others can't vocally command your 6P without retraining it.
Mobile payments featuring Android Pay also lights up; this is Google's repackaged Google Wallet system, which rivals Apple Pay and the newly launched Samsung Pay. We'll have a breakout of this later.
Google Imprint works well, but...
I used Google Imprint, the fingerprint reader, as the main method for securing the 6P -- you can add up to five prints. I did have to sometimes readjust to reach it, but on the whole, unlock accuracy was flawless.
In my opinion, the biggest benefit right now is being able to unlock the phone with a quick scan. In the future, we'll be able to benefit from authorizing Android Pay purchases and app downloads with a fingertip, too, just like on the iPhone. Right now, though, my two most commonly used apps, Amazon and my bank, don't support Imprint.
View full gallery Google and Huawei have integrated the scanner on the 6P's backside, like another Huawei phone, the Mate S . I'm still getting used to the rear placement, and when the phone is laying flat on a desk or table, I don't like having to lift the entire device to unlock it with my print. Since you must also add a backup PIN in case the reader fails, pressing the power/lock button requires you to swipe the screen and then enter the PIN, which takes time. A scanner within the power/lock button, as Sony uses on its 2015 Xperia phones , or home button scanners, like on the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones, could be more convenient overall.
On the security front, Imprint is just one of many ways to get into the phone, and in fact, Google warns that a good PIN could be a stronger security measure. To gird yourself, you can opt to enter a PIN every time the phone restarts. Other security options include facial or voice recognition in addition to PINs, passwords and patterns.
Cameras and image quality
- Camera: 12.3-megapixel Sony sensor
- 8-megapixel front-facing camera
- 4K video capture support
- Slow-motion video
The Nexus 6P's 12.3-megapixel camera with a Sony sensor claims serious indoor optimization and improved low-light technology, and yes, it takes good outdoor shots. Low light and night shots are still noisier than phones like the Samsung Galaxy S6, but less so than the Nexus 6, and satisfying to view and share overall. Although the Nexus 5X and 6P share the same rear camera specs down to the detail, low light images looked a tad cleaner on the 6P when we took a look at full resolution images side-by-side. Color temperature also differed slightly in indoor shots. For all intents and purposes, differences in image quality between the two Nexuses are negligible (but better than the Nexus 6).
Google says that its camera sensor size dwarfs that of the iPhone 6S Plus , with 1.55-micron pixel size on the 6P, versus 1.22-micron pixels on Apple's jumbo phone. The bigger the pixel, the more light can stream in. In the world of photography, more light is generally better. Photos taken outdoors were certainly nice, with lots of detail and pretty good color fidelity. Pictures took on a yellowy tone that was sometimes warm and sometimes cool. Huawei should fix that, but in general, I prefer a yellow cast to a blue one.
Google has also added smart burst mode to the camera, a new-to-Google feature that captures photos at a rate of 30 frames per second. The Nexus 6P turns your stream of photo bursts, called SmartBurst, into an animated GIF by default (you have to turn this off in settings). It's choppier than a Live Photo in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and only self-generates when you take a burst shot, unlike the iPhone's mini-video treatment that's applied to all photos. I discovered the automatic GIF-sharing by accident, and since it wasn't what I was going for, it wasn't too helpful, and the GIF (of a flower slightly swaying in the breeze), looked choppy and silly.
Selfie photos taken through the 8-megapixel front-facing camera look good on the whole. The 6P appears to apply some automatic air-brushing; or at least, skin tones look softer. Unlike other handsets, there aren't any filters or Beauty Mode controls to smoothe textures (this could be good or bad, depending on your view), and all editing happens by default through the built-in Google Photos app -- this is where you'll see effects like vignette filters.
On the video side, the Nexus 6P will shoot 4K video; if you want this, you'll need to reset the default. A brand-new built-in feature, slow-motion video, can capture up to 240 frames per second, with editing capabilities. This is something we've seen in other phones, by Samsung for example, but this is indeed a first for a Nexus device. We found it's best to use this for action sequences, rather than everyday moments.
Using the camera software is pretty straightforward. You now swipe left and right to switch between photo to video modes. A button tap flips to the front camera and back again. Controls for flash and auto-HDR live on-screen, while panorama mode, Photo Sphere, Lens Blur and Settings hide away in a sub menu. These are good modes to have, but you will find more shooting options in other premium devices, like presets for macro, landscape and sports modes.
We'll have a complete photo shoot-out comparison soon, but in the meantime, check out these images for yourself. Note that all pictures were taken in automatic mode, except when otherwise stated. Click to enlarge to full resolution.
Hardware muscle: Performance and battery life
In our diagnostic performance tests, the Nexus 6P holds its own with most other top phones, though it isn't as fast as some. Benchmark apps are just an indicator of performance, not the final word, and in daily use, my complaints have been few. Google Now on Tap does take about 2 to 2.5 seconds to load, and that's likely a software issue that Google can optimize down the road.
(For benchmark-lovers, I did notice that the 3D Mark results got progressively slower after each consecutive test, which hasn't been the case on other phones. After I waited a few minutes between tests, the numbers climbed back north.)
In terms of navigation, the phone hasn't seemed excessively laggy. It took about 10 seconds to turn off and around 36 seconds to turn on; lower-end phones bootup and shut down in roughly 50 seconds. The 6P had no problems handling a graphics-heavy game like Riptide GP2 with all the effects turned up. This game was extremely responsive, graphics look crisp and rich and shadows appeared where you expect them.
Battery life
Battery life was right in the middle, with an average of 11 hours 30 minutes over four video-loop tests. Even while testing the phone hard for a few days, I didn't worry about reserves. The 6P fully recharged with its Type-C charger in about an hour and a half. I love that the phone tells you how much time you have left to charge (e.g. "32 minutes"), though it sometimes took a little longer than promised (when it predicted 3 minutes it took closer to 6 to complete the charge).
Promising to save you battery life, Android 6.0's Doze feature sips less power when apps slip into standby mode, to help the phone last up to 30 percent longer than it otherwise would. Sure enough, check the battery life settings and you can see the power demands drop off. It's one of those things that, if it does its job, you won't overtly notice until it's time to charge up again. We'll really be able to tell it's working when we can compare battery life on phones before and after they upgrade to Android 6.0.
Call quality
Phone calls were totally decent on the 6P when I tested them in San Francisco (I used AT&T's network). Volume sounded fine on the medium-high in a fairly quiet space. I detected very low static background when I strained to hear, but the white noise won't get in your way. On the other hand, my test partner said he could hear a scratchy sound in the background, and that my voice sounded a tad flat.
Speakerphone wasn't as loud as I expected when I held the phone at hip level. It was loud enough at full volume, but that leaves no audio reserve for noisy environments, like in a car or around the dinner table. Voices also sounded muffled and constrained. On my test partner's end, static worsened.
Your experience could differ depending on network strength where you live.
A phone to seriously consider
With the Nexus 6P, Google boosts the best of its famously affordable Nexus line into the big leagues. Its specs and performance largely match up to the most premium phones already vying for your attention, but for less than their full retail price. (Always check current pricing for phones you're about to buy; sales happen all the time.)
While I do have minor quibbles with the 6P, they're mostly design complaints and disappointment over absent wireless charging on a phone with a brand-new (read: currently unusual) charging standard. These aren't major, purchase-deterring concerns, though.
Android 6.0's Google's Now on Tap is far less the clutch feature at this stage than I had hoped it would be, but it doesn't deter from Google Now, or from using the most accurate voice search in the business. Also, the 6P's "pure Android" status does guarantee fresh future updates, and it's also terrific that the 6P works with all major carriers and, in the US, supports Google Fi. As far as I'm concerned, the more options to hook into Google services, the more choices you'll have down the road if you want to opt in.
Still, competition is fierce among excellent devices, and some people will pick phones are that are smaller and look more interesting than the 6P, or have valuable secondary features, like a stylus, water-resistant coating or wireless charging. While a very good option, the Nexus 6P isn't the must-have phone of 2015. To be fair, I don't think such a thing exists; it really comes down to personal preferences about what you want and need.
For Google's part, the company did well working with Huawei on its ambitious Nexus. Creating this year's flagship Nexus design is a big, fat break for the world's third-largest smartphone-maker (according to research firm IDC). Known in some global regions for its midrange and lower-end phones -- if it's known at all -- Huawei now has a rare chance to impress a pantheon of established Nexus fans. Customers who like the Nexus 6P could very well be converted into Huawei loyalists, or at the very least draw precious attention to the brand.
So, some final food for thought on how the Nexus 6P stacks up against other phones you might want to buy.
Versus high-end Android phones
The 6P is less expensive and has all the Nexus advantages, plus there are the louder-than-average stereo speakers. Phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Edge+ , Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium offer hardware and software extras, and don't suffer from having Android 5.1 Lollipop instead of Android 6.0. The S6 and S6 Edge are a better fit for people who prefer more petite devices.
Versus the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
Your Android-or-iOS preference aside, the iPhone 6S phones have classier designs and an arguably more convenient placement of its fingerprint reader. Voice commands are superior on the Nexus 6P, but Android 6.0 doesn't play a unique role there. The 6P is less expensive than either iPhone, though Google isn't offering Apple's installment pricing that guarantees the latest iPhone every year.
Versus the Nexus 5X
The smaller 5.2-inch Nexus 5X takes almost identical photos as the Nexus 6P from its main camera, but the plastic 5X is less expensive because it uses cheaper parts. The 6P is the more powerful device, and the handset of the two to choose if you aren't cost-sensitive. However, HTC's forthcoming One A9 is far more attractive -- especially at only $399 (but much less so for the £430 UK selling price) -- and made of metal, while also carrying Android 6.0. If you're not in a rush, but would prefer to spend less, it's worth waiting for that review.
Summer '16 update
Anointed by CNET as the "first great smartphone of 2015," the Galaxy S6's attractive aesthetics, first class components, and wireless charging support made it stand out from the field. Since then, Samsung introduced its successor, the Galaxy S7, to rave reviews -- and the Galaxy S7 Active, which was subverted by some inconsistent (but now improved) waterproofing.
Though the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge don't look dramatically different than the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the newer models have expandable storage, are water-resistant, and come with bigger batteries and more powerful processors. To get a feel for how Samsung's current top models stack up against their predecessors, check out our comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge vs the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note 5 and S6+.
Bottom line: the fast, powerful, beautiful Galaxy S7 is 2016's all-around phone to beat. But the Galaxy S6 (and its plus-sized sibling S6 Edge) remain affordable, competent, full-featured Samsung phones that are well worth the money.
Also worth noting: Samsung has released the Galaxy Note 7, a phablet that comes equipped with an array of hot features including a 5.7-inch curved screen, USB-C port, and iris scanner for unlocking the phone with your eyes. And of course, there's the forthcoming iPhone 7, expected to come in early September, and rumored to include three models -- an iPhone 7, an iPhone 7 Plus, and an iPhone 7 Pro -- all of which may (or may not) include a new waterproofing feature.
Editors' note: What follows is the original review of the Samsung Galaxy S6, which was updated regularly after its publication on March 26. In April 2015, CNET designated the Galaxy S6 an Editors' Choice Award winner. We have since lowered the rating to account for the better features and faster performance of the newer Galaxy S7 phones discussed above.
The Galaxy S6 leaves much of its Galaxy S5 DNA behind. Perhaps even more shocking than this materials about-face are the decisions to seal in the battery and leave out a microSD card slot, both choices made in service to staying slim. These are commonplace omissions in the smartphone sphere, but Samsung has been a die-hard defendant of both the removable battery and the extra storage option, until now. It's a move that makes a difference, too, at least on the power front. The S6's ticker ran down faster than last year's S5 did on a single charge.
In many ways, Samsung had no choice but to adopt this svelte, metal chassis and a pared-down, less "bloated" variation of Android 5.0 Lollipop. (Note that in February 2016 Samsung begun to roll out Android 6.01 Marshmallow to the Galaxy S6, bringing with it a number of new features including Google Now on Tap, "doze" mode for automatic extended battery life, support for Android Pay and more.) These moves silence customer complaints about the Galaxy S5's (and the S4's and S3's) plasticky build, while also girding Samsung against staggering iPhone profits and an army of decent low-cost rivals from Lenovo, Xiaomi and Huawei.
Luckily for Samsung, the S6 is good enough to win back straying fans while also surpassing the all-metal HTC One M9 in extra features, battery life andcamera quality.
On top of that, Samsung's S6 follows Apple's mobile payments lead with Samsung Pay, and takes a chance on its sturdy and home-made Exynos processor (versus the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 that will be found in most of its high-end Android rivals). The S6 also bakes in wireless charging support and compatibility with a new version of the Gear VR virtual-reality accessory -- two features you won't find on any iPhone.
Does the new phone have enough in the way of looks and specs to reverse Samsung's sagging smartphone sales? Without a doubt. Samsung continues to build on its camera strengths while also offering interesting extras its Android rivals don't have. The only real danger is in longtime fans of microSD cards and removable batteries punishing Samsung by finding vendors that do. Samsung's hardware has long stood up to the iPhone; at long last, its physical design does, too.
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge: Two devices, one family
If straight-sided phones are too vanilla for your tastes, check out my review of Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge and its wraparound display. While the two share nearly identical specs, the Edge kicks the S6's premium feel up a notch.
Design: Metal and glass; plastic be damned
With a matte aluminum alloy frame and Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back, the S6 lives worlds apart from the plastic construction of five generations of Galaxy flagships. It's obvious that this is a different beast, and one for which fans have been crying out for years.
Samsung didn't get here overnight. It built on the metal-framed Note 4 and more midrange Galaxy Alpha, before experimenting with all-metal chassis in the youth-focused Galaxy A5 and A3.
So, let's talk about this silhouette. The S6 has Samsung's familiar pill shape, with rounded tops and bottoms and straighter sides. The power button and nano-SIM card slot sit on the right spine. A micro-USB charging port and headset jack live on the bottom, and the left spine houses separate up-and-down volume buttons, just like the iPhone 6.
A central, metal-ringed home button joins two capacitive keys for calling up recent apps and paging back. A terrific new feature lets you double-tap the home button to launch the camera at any time, even when the phone is locked (though that takes a little longer). Samsung has also improved the fingerprint scanner, which you can use to securely unlock the phone; instead of dragging your digit down across a sensor, you now just rest it on the home button. It's fast and reliable on the whole.
On the back, you'll find the 16-megapixel camera (same as the Note 4), and a sensor array that includes the camera's LED flash and heart-rate monitor. Up top, the IR blaster beams out infrared for folks who want to use their phones as a TV remote.
A few niggly negatives: the camera protrudes a bit from the back, which some may not like, and the phone's glass surfaces become a smudge gallery for your finest fingerprints. And unlike the S5, the S6 isn't waterproof.
In-hand feel
The Galaxy S6 feels far more fluid and thin than it looks in photos, especially compared with the slightly chunkier Galaxy S5. Next to its designer cousin, it's the S6 Edge that feels much slimmer than the S6, despite its being a hair thicker at its chubbiest point.
Because of its straight edges, the S6 isn't as smooth or seamless as the iPhone 6 with its rounded sides, but without a case, the S6 is easier of the two to grip. Keep in mind that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is also smaller all-around than the 5.1-inch S6.
While we're on the topic, the S6 looks too much like the iPhone 6 to ignore. Its footprint may be larger and it sides might be straighter, but the shape and placement of things like the headset jack, speaker grille and volume buttons are shockingly similar when you see two devices side by side. Even the color of the white phones is matchy-matchy, with nearly indistinguishable shades of matte silver trim.
Notably, the S6 packaging includes tear drop-shaped in-ear headphones that look like the next evolution in the iPhone's Apple EarPods.
Some color, lots of flash
Although the colors are fairly staid -- both models comes in platinum gold in addition to sapphire black and white pearl -- Samsung injects shots of color into the lineup with topaz blue, which is really pretty if it catches the light, and just looks black or generically dark if it doesn't. (The S6 Edge, meanwhile, tries on emerald green.)
The incredibly reflective rear surface flashes color and throws back light. Samsung says this is to add depth and warmth, but the skeptic in me notes that relentless reflectance gets annoying to look at. (The white version minimizes this effect, but it's still apparent outdoors.)
Display so crisp it hurts
Even though Samsung hasn't bumped up the screen's 5.1-inch size, it has spiked the resolution of its AMOLED display to 2,560x1,440 pixels, a density of 577 pixels per inch (ppi), currently the best on the market. Now come the inevitable questions: can the human eye really appreciate detail that fine, and is the higher resolution worth the likely impact on battery life?
The answer -- predictably, unsatisfyingly -- is yes and no. I grabbed an extra pair of eyeballs and placed the S6 side-by-side with the iPhone 6 (326ppi), Note Edge (525ppi) and Sony Xperia Z3 (424ppi). After staring at streaming videos, zoomed-in text and HD wallpaper, the S6 edged the rest only when we squinted really, really, really hard.
The S6's screen quality prowess was most apparent against the (poorer) Xperia Z3 in streaming video clarity and saturation, and less so against the iPhone 6. The Note Edge, which shares a 1440p resolution on a larger screen, came the closest to the S6 in terms of flawlessness.
Ironically, some of the revamped icons on the S6 home page look less focused, though every other graphic is razor-sharp.
If you plan on using the S6 in its Gear VR accessory -- which turns it into an Oculus Rift-style virtual reality helmet -- the extra resolution should really pay off because the S6 will be only a couple of inches from your eyes.
But in normal everyday use, the S6's nosebleed-high screen pixel density is probably too exact for most eyes to notice; it's an imposing feature on paper, but less critical in real life.
Softer software
In advance of the March 2016 rollout of the Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung pushed Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Galaxy S6 users. Android 6.0 Marshmallow includes new features including Google Now on Tap, "doze" mode for automatic extended battery life, support for Android Pay and more. Read more about Android 6.0 Marshmallow here.
For years, customers have bemoaned the thick, heavy TouchWiz interface that Samsung uses as its custom layer over Android. No longer. Samsung's take on Android 5.0 Lollipop scales back its own additions and leans heavily on Google's Material design. Samsung succeeds in embracing a simpler layout without shedding all the software it's built over the years, though Android deserves much of that credit for providing the framework.
The setup process is a lot smoother, thanks to Lollipop, with tutorials to help you turn on features (like S Voice and fingerprint scanning) along the way.
I usually make new phones completely silent, since chirps and haptic vibrations annoy me, but Samsung toned both down to acceptable Windows Phone levels.
Samsung has also whittled down the menus. Multiwindow mode, for split-screen viewing, still lets you open two programs at once, but instead of toggling it on yourself and selecting from a pop-out menu, it's always on and launchable from the Recents tray. You can still drag and resize these windows, even turning them into floating bubbles, like in the Note 4.
Other mainstays include private mode and call blocking, easy mode and Do Not Disturb, as well as popular gestures (like Direct Call) and Smart Stay. An area for installing themes has also materialized (there are three in my review unit so far). Kids Mode (and many, many others) hide out in the Galaxy Apps app, but other erstwhile tools, like the S5's floating Toolbox of shortcuts, get the boot.
Here's another axed power-user feature: a fuller list of quick-access controls and settings that you see when pulling down the notifications shade with two fingers. Doing this brings down the same shade as swiping down with a single digit.
Preloaded apps
A few folders prepopulated by vendor apps buttresses the simplified look. There's a bucket of Google apps and services, and one for new partner Microsoft (this folder has Skype and OneDrive, for instance). Bonus: you can edit the folder color.
As for preloaded apps, a few Samsung programs remain, like Milk music and video and S Health, which are Samsung's answers to the iTunes Store and Apple Health, respectively. S Voice is another constant. To get more Samsung apps and partner apps, you'll need to open a shortcut and select them from the buckets marked Galaxy Essentials and Galaxy Gifts. One such Gift is Fleksy, a keyboard alternative that will come free with all S6 phones.
Some unwanted preinstalls are easier to disable than others (press Edit on the app tray), but you won't be able to jettison them completely. Default Android 5.0 might allow this; Samsung does not.
Extras: Fingernail sensitivity, parallax built-in
Samsung doesn't crow about it, but it looks like high screen sensitivity, an option on previous Galaxies, is built into the S6's display. Although the option has disappeared from the Settings menu, I was able to navigate the screen (but not the soft keys) using only my nail. Not so for my fuzzy chenille glove, though it should work with a more fitted leather variety.
Some of the preloaded S6 wallpaper gives you a small parallax effect when you rotate the screen from side to side; the background shifts slightly while icons remain in place. I noticed the effect on two wallpapers. It offers a tiny bit of extra dimension. You can obtain the same visuals with wallpapers on other phones.
Mobile payments up ahead
That improved fingerprint reader we talked about above isn't only for unlocking the phone. It also sets the S6 up for making mobile payments using Samsung Pay, which launches this summer in the US and South Korea. Although we're not sure which markets it'll work in next, we do know how it'll work -- here's our hands-on with Samsung Pay.
In the meantime, you can use Google Pay (with the S6's built-in NFC, or near-field communication, technology), or a variety of other payment apps. (Install Google Wallet, turn on NFC, and presto: Google Wallet appears in the NFC and Payment submenu under "Tap and Pay.")
Camera action
A 16-megapixel camera juts out slightly from the phones' back, sporting the same resolution we see on its big brother, 2014's Galaxy Note 4. The lens itself gets an upgrade over the Galaxy S5, to f/1.9, from the S5's f/2.2 rear camera.
The S6 and S6 Edge become the second wave of Samsung phones to include optical image stabilization (after the Note 4 and Note Edge), which should help smooth out shaky hand shots. A new auto-HDR (high dynamic range) feature means you won't have to stop to improve certain scenes, like landscapes. It'll automatically adjust white balance, too.
On the front, Samsung installs a 5-megapixel shooter for wide-angle selfies, promising improved low-light photos. As with the Note 4, you can shoot a selfie by tapping the sensor on the back of the phone, and you can download a separate Samsung shooting mode that'll take a self-portrait from the phone's rear camera.
Lay of the land, extra modes
The native camera app looks clean and simple (and similar to that of the HTC One M9, probably because of the common Android 5.0 denominator).
On-screen controls on the left and right edges include effects and the timer, plus settings that dig deep into options like tracking auto-focus and voice control. Meanwhile, the Mode button on the right pulls up six alterna-modes for effects like panorama and slow-motion (hilarious on a 2-year-old!). Pro mode lets you more granularly adjust settings for macro and white balance, and Virtual Shot gives you a sort of weird GIF effect that I'm not sure anyone really needs.
Meanwhile, the editing app tucked into the Gallery has its own hat full of tricks, like a collage tool that I like for its Instagram-friendly capabilities, and a portrait editor that will do things like slim your face or enlarge your eyes. This creeps me out, but a lot of people seem to like these nonsurgical adjustments.
Check out some of these tools in the separate camera video from Mobile World Congress:
Image quality
We created a separate photo shoot-out that pits the Galaxy S6 against the iPhone 6 and HTC One M9, where the S6 and iPhone trade off which one edges the other (there's no clear champ, though there are some differences in how each one handles color and exposure), and they both best the One M9. Be sure to check that out. In the meantime, here's how the S6 fared on its own, with a few sample shots below.
Enlarge ImageAs with most cameras, outdoor shots and those taken in ample lighting looked scads better than photos captured solely indoors under artificial lighting. People photographed inside often wind up looking like they're wearing weird plastic masks, though that's not an S6-only or even a Samsung-only trait.
Close-ups, meanwhile, looked great, showing off individual strands of fur on a worn tennis ball and throwing shadows in sharp, detailed relief.
Selfies are meant to do one thing, and that's make you look good, or at least good enough to text out or post to a social network. This the S6 does admirably indoors and outside, whether the resulting skin tones are true-to-life or not.
Photos taken with the wide-angle 5-megapixel front-facing camera easily bests the S5's, which was near the top of its class last year. Images were detailed without making complexions grainy or unflattering, and colors were fairly on-point as well, with no grayed-out skin tones in sight.
Samsung cameras still struggle with night mode and low-light shots. While the quality continues to improve year after year, you still don't get uniformly awesome shots in these common lighting scenarios.
See how the S6 camera performs against the iPhone 6 and HTC One M9 in this camera shootout.
Video, too
Samsung gives your Galaxy S6 a 1080p HD filming resolution by default, though you can also trade up to a 60fps frame rate, a resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels, and the ultra-HD resolution of 3,840x2,160 (listed as UHD). You can also drop down several resolution notches.
Video quality was excellent in initial testing, especially with sound pickup. It got the background TV noise, my own voice (without blaring too loudly) and a third person's voice from far away; though quieter, it was still discernable.
The image, meanwhile, recreated indoor colors with high fidelity, and quickly refocused when the scene switched among subjects near and far: people, moving people, a drinking glass, the action movie on TV.
Hardware performance
For the first time, Samsung has opted to use its own octa-core Exynos processor instead of Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset. In initial diagnostic tests, the S6's octa-core Exynos processor trails the One M9 and LG G Flex 2 in one and tops them in others. Companies -- including Samsung and HTC -- have been known to optimize for benchmark performance, so take these results with a grain of salt.
During my testing, the Edge's recent apps soft key stuck at times, making me think it didn't register my presses. I also noticed this once or twice on other button presses, though I didn't initially have the same issues on the S6. For the most part, tasks completed without incident.
| Display size/resolution | 5.1-inch, 2,560x1,440 pixels |
|---|---|
| CPU | 8-core, 2,100MHz, ARM Cortex-A57 |
| Memory | 3GB RAM |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB/128GB |
| Networking | 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Operating system | Android (5.0) TouchWiz UI |
On to the games and apps. The Galaxy S6, iPhone 6 and Note 4 all handled Real Racing 3 well, but the iPhone 6 seemed the most fluid (by a slim margin), with the least amount of visible aliasing on its admittedly smaller screen.
The graphics-heavy Google Earth app came next. Of the three, Apple's iPhone 6 was a touch smoother to rotate and navigate around after a map of the CNET office, but really, we're talking about minuscule differences.
Battery life...and death
How about the S6's power quotient? The S6 has a 2,550mAh battery (the S6 Edge's is a tiny big larger, at 2,600mAh). Both of these are smaller than last year's 2,800mAh ticker.
In our standard video loop test, the battery took an average of 12.4 hours to run down. That's a few hours longer than the average HTC One M9 results, which have been hovering around just under 9 hours. Still, that puts the S6 at hours less than the S5's 15 hours, 18 minutes results.
Anecdotally, battery life lasted about a day doing all the things I do most: cruise the Web and Yelp, check my mail, upload photos to social networks and navigate using Google Maps. Note that batteries wear out over time, and the more you demand of your phone, the faster it will drain. Bottom line: this is not the phone that takes you all day and all night on a single charge with more juice to spare. (Note, again, that you can't swap in a new battery like you would with the S5; but you can buy a Mophie charging case later this year for $100 or so.)
Samsung's goal seems to be: if the battery doesn't last all day, let's at least make it easy to top up, through quick-charging and wireless charging. The former works as promised; I got 70 percent top-up in about an hour. The latter is compatible with any Qi wireless charger. I tested with a Nokia charging pad I had on-hand and also Samsung's after-market charger. Beyond that, there's power-saving mode and the even more spartan ultra-power saving mode.
LTE and Wi-Fi
LTE is a given on the Galaxy S6, with support for Category 6 connections at a theoretical cap of 300Mbps down and 50Mbps up. Real world performance will vary based on individual network strength.
In San Francisco, on T-Mobile, my scores through the diagnostic Speedtest.net app ranged from results in the single digits up to 23Mbps down and 26Mbps up.
Real-world experience echoed that. In areas with low coverage, like San Francisco's further-flung Presidio neighborhood, progress meters swirled and photos refused to upload.
Most of the time, though, pages loaded and items streamed just fine.
If you don't live in an LTE area, the S6 also supports HSPA networks rated at 42.2Mbps down and 5.76Mbps up.
Built-in Wi-Fi supports the 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac protocol.
Call quality
As with LTE results, call quality depends strongly on your local network. Yes, there's a lot of engineering that goes into the phone itself, but the cackles and other audio inconsistencies you might hear on the line are generally network-related.
I can say that in my tests, the S6 sounded like a typical cell phone; it didn't stand out as being magnificently crystal clear or especially terrible. Speakerphone worked well enough that I'd use it if I needed to or wanted to.
One word of caution is that the Extra Volume on-screen control, while handy for boosting audio levels on a call, tend to amplify any imperfection.
Pricing and availability
The Galaxy S6 goes on sale globally starting April 10. Pricing will vary by region, but expect the S6 to cost about the same as the S5, and for the S6 Edge to cost...more.
US pricing varies wildly by service provider. It'll be available from all major UK networks and retailers, with the SIM-free 32GB model costing £600 directly from Samsung. In Australia the 32GB costs AU$999, with 64GB at AU$1,149 and 128GB setting you back AU$1,299. There are the usual plans from all the major network providers.
Versus the HTC One M9, iPhone 6, S6 Edge, S5
HTC One M9: While the S6's newfound metal frame looks smashing, the M9's design (essentially a redux of last year's M8) is more eye-catching yet, and its Sense operating system keeps its elegant cool. But the S6's extra features, battery life and camera image quality top the M9. The S6 is the easy winner here, unless you really adore the One's design or the Sense user interface.
iPhone 6: When it comes down to it, the S6 is like the Android version of the iPhone 6; they're pretty much neck-and-neck in all the design and performance details that matter. The iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 look similar and have a lot of feature parity, especially with Samsung Pay around the corner. Each is backed by Google's or Apple's powerhouse online services (like Google Drive and Continuity/Handoff, respectively). Choosing between them will come down more to operating system preference than anything else.
Galaxy S6 Edge: There's no competition here; the S6 Edge is the better phone, hands-down. It builds off the S6's overall excellence with those side humps and Edge display software. In other words, it's all win on top of win. You just need to decide if the designer shape and software are worth the extra cost. If not, I think you'll be just as happy with the S6's runway-ready looks and internal performance.
Galaxy S5: There are enough differences and improvements that I'd at least consider upgrading from the S5, especially if you're at all interested in Samsung Pay (this applies to US and South Korean customers first) or in the Edge. Unless, of course, that swappable battery and expandable storage on the S5 is your must-have feature, in which case you should stay put -- or consider going the phablet route with the Note 4.
Final thoughts: This is the Android phone to beat
The Galaxy S6 is the most competitive Android phone right now, capped only by the S6 Edge. Its Exynos processor seems to be at least comparable to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chip performance in top-notch phones, with the S6 faring well (but not dominating) diagnostic performance tests and battery life doing at least as well as contemporary competitors (but not as good as last year's model.)
Image quality also looks great on both S6 and S6 Edge cameras, though once again outdoor shots are better than indoor photos. Selfie quality keeps improving, making those shots look more natural and less scary-detailed.
Like its forebears, the S6 brims with high-performance hardware, but it does so with a newfound style that also corrects buyers' most glaring complaints about plastic build materials, a bum fingerprint reader and too many preloaded apps and confusing software features. While the Edge brings some nice extra credit, the S6 is the more approachable, "everyman" phone to get.
True, the S6 does introduce new raised fists over the embedded battery and sealed-up storage slot, but for me, the benefits outweigh the faults, with features like Samsung Pay and the camera shortcut launch earning extra credit. Attention LG, Sony, Xiaomi: The gauntlet has been thrown. It's your turn now.
Developing News: Samsung Galaxy S6
The first great smartphone of 2015 continues to generate headlines. As the competitive landscape shifts throughout the year, we'll use the space below to keep you posted on new developments with the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo rumored with mid-range specs
A variant on last year's flagship model could still arrive, amidst global S6 sales.
Samsung's 5.5-inch Galaxy S6 Plus rumored to be coming soon
Outfitted with a larger screen, the Plus version of Samsung's Galaxy S6 may debut in the coming weeks, an Italian blog site claims.
Samsung armors up with limited-edition 'Iron Man' S6 Edge
Iron Man fans rejoice -- Samsung has teamed up with Marvel to produce a limited-edition Galaxy S6 Edge suited up just like your favorite superhero.
Samsung's new phones are off to a strong start, says report
A month after launch, shipments of the company's Galaxy S6 series of smartphones have topped 10 million, says a Korean publication.
Alleged Samsung Galaxy S6 Active specs and images surface
The rugged variant of the flagship smartphone may be exclusive to AT&T in the United States.
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