It’s been 10 years since Google released the Nexus 6P, the last phone to bear the Nexus name before the Google Pixel followed it in 2016. Usually, a phone turning 10 is nothing more than an opportunity to wax nostalgic about a beloved device from the past. I think the Nexus 6P is different because a decade later, we’re still feeling the ripples of the splash this phone made, from its incredible camera to its timeless design.
The Nexus 6P isn’t any old Google phone. It’s the start of where Google’s devices are today, the Facehugger to the Pixel’s Xenomorph — a proto-Pixel.
Is the Nexus 6P one of the most iconic Android phones of all time? 15 votes Yes 73 % No 27 %
What is a Nexus, anyway?
For those of you who aren’t familiar, let me explain what a Nexus phone was. Before the Pixel, Google outsourced the manufacturing of its devices to other brands, such as LG, Samsung, and HTC. Initially, Nexus devices weren’t intended to sell millions of units; instead, they were reference devices for developers. Affordable phones and tablets that got Android updates day one, had access to all the developer builds, and allowed developers to get their apps working right. Enthusiasts loved them, too. Many non-developers purchased them to flash custom ROMs, experiment with, or to have a well-specced, blazing-fast phone that was affordable and lacked the bloated software that other phones struggled with at the time.
The Nexus 6 saw the focus on affordability start to slip, and the Nexus 5X and 6P, which launched together, marked Google’s first attempt to make its phones mainstream. Google marketed the 5X and 6P more heavily than any Nexus phone before. In the UK, I remember seeing posters, cinema adverts, and carrier store displays for these devices, something I hadn’t seen for their predecessors. The 6P in particular had substance to back up the marketing push.
A small step for computational photography, a giant leap for Google
Nexus phones historically had bad cameras. They were cheap — the Nexus 5 launched for $350 in 2013, while the competition from Samsung, the Galaxy S4, was $580. However, at $500, the Nexus 6P bucked that trend, using premium components while still undercutting Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge by $150-200. And one of the biggest upgrades was in the camera hardware and software.
Today, computational photography is normal. All our phones take multiple images, blend them, and work software magic to make them look good. In 2015, that was still a novel idea. 2013’s Nexus 5 introduced HDR+, which Google used to describe its computational featureset, but the 6P was the phone that had the hardware capable of better utilizing it. A 12.3MP, 1.5 micron sensor that lets in a lot of light, combined with a flagship Snapdragon 810 SoC, gave HDR Plus solid images to work with and enough horsepower to process those images effectively.
The photos above, taken from our Nexus 6P review, showcase why this phone was a big deal. Look at the vivid detail and the challenging dynamic range captured in the dusk-lit trail shot — these results were trading blows with the best of the competition for the first time. The 6P lacked optical image stabilization (OIS), though, so its video wasn’t as strong as the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6S. While the S6 took sharper images in bright light, the differences were minor and equally balanced by the reliable low-light prowess the 6P had. These images may not seem special compared to today’s Pixel 10 Pro, but for 2015, they were among the best photos you could take on a smartphone.
Google didn’t introduce Night Sight until the Pixel 3. Still, even without a dedicated night mode, the Nexus 6P could capture photos in lighting conditions that other phones couldn’t dream of, and it introduced the high-contrast, balanced look that Pixel fans still enjoy today, even if it has declined somewhat in recent years. The Pixels soon added OIS to rectify stabilization issues, but every impressive photographic feat Google has made in the last ten years is built upon the foundation of the Nexus 6P.
A visor for the future
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Please excuse the quality of the above image. I wanted to include it because it’s a photo I took of my very own Nexus 6P, complete with a colored X skin from dbrand. To this day, it is the best-looking phone I’ve ever owned. The 6P had an aluminum unibody, featuring a glass camera visor and a plastic lower portion that allowed the antennas, NFC, laser auto-focus, and other components to function properly. That meant that the parts of the phone you touched were cool metal, giving it a timeless look. Google worked with HUAWEI for the design and production of this phone, and that partnership paid off.
The design was timeless enough that Google revisited it in 2021. The Pixel 6 had a bold design that restored the camera bar to its rightful place on Google’s flagship phone, and although the latest Pixels have altered the camera bar into more of a camera island, the design gives Pixels something they sorely needed: a distinct identity.
Pixels today stand out from the other metal and glass rectangles in the world, and they have the Nexus 6P to thank for it
The first five generations of Pixel looked good, but they were generic and rarely special, aside from some exciting color options like electric blue and panda. The Pixel 6 through to the latest Pixel 10 have a clear identity that people recognise as “the Google phone.” Whether it’s a camera visor, bar, or island, Pixels today stand out from the other metal and glass rectangles in the world, and they have the Nexus 6P to thank for it.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
The Nexus 6P wasn’t a perfect phone. Mine bent only a few months into ownership, and the Snapdragon 810 had thermal issues no matter what phone it was in. These days, a lot of the remaining Nexus 6P units bootloop or have battery instability issues due to the high temperatures the phone often endured. None of that matters to me. Despite its lack of OIS, wireless charging, and IP rating, as well as the longevity issues associated with its chipset, the Nexus 6P is one of the most iconic Android phones ever made, and its cameras and design continue to influence the Pixel phones we buy today.
Do you have fond (or not so fond) memories of the Nexus 6P? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
Follow