Pixel XL vs Nexus 6P: What are the main differences?

With the announcement of Pixel smartphones, it became obvious that Nexus phones were being replaced and would no longer be manufactured, something that Google has already confirmed. Of course, this is bad news for those who prefer smartphones from this brand, but it is also an opportunity to have handsets fully developed by Google, which was not the case with Nexus. Still, it's hard not to compare the Nexus 6P (released late last year) with the new Pixel XL, something we've already done that you can check out below!

1. Pixel vs Nexus

First of all, it's important to explain a little about Google's two lines of smartphones for those who don't know them so well. The Nexus brand has been around for 6 years and really started to get the public's attention with the launch of Nexus 4 in 2012. The advantage of this line was that it brought powerful hardware, a totally pure Android experience (ie, no modifications) and a very affordable price.

That changed slightly last year with the release of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, which seemed to be an attempt to compete directly with iPhones and Galaxy line devices. The two new handsets were far more powerful than other Nexus and were also much more expensive.

It seemed that Google was really willing to enter the premium smartphone business, but there was a problem: Nexus devices were always made in partnership with other manufacturers such as LG, Huawei and HTC, for example, which left Google only as a supervisor. of its development.

Instead of taking control of the Nexus entirely for itself, the company decided to create the Pixel line, which would be totally new and without a past full of old intermediate devices. Pixel's proposal is not to offer good prices like Nexus, but to draw the attention of those who want something different and better experience than Android on a premium device. From the commotion caused by the new handsets, it's easy to see that Google got the decision right.

2. Display

Considered the most important part of today's smartphones, you can not start without talking about the display of the devices, is not it ?! For this comparison, we chose Pixel XL and Nexus 6P exactly because of the similarity of their screen size.

The Nexus 6P has an imposing 5.7 inch AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 in pixel density per inch. The Pixel XL has a 5.5 inch AMOLED screen with the same Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 534 pixel density per inch.

Because the Nexus screen is slightly larger but has the same resolution as Pixel, the pixel density turns out to be slightly lower, but not noticeable to human eyes. In this respect, the two smartphones of Google tie.

3. Performance

Of course the same cannot be said about the performance of the two smartphones, after all, the Nexus 6P just made a year of existence. In this case, it has a Snapdragon 810 processor, Adreno 430 GPU and 3 GB of RAM, which was excellent late last year.

Already the Pixel XL has the newly released Snapdragon 821, GPU Adreno 530 and 4 GB of RAM. As expected, Pixel is much better, but Nexus is still well advanced and should continue to perform well for at least 2 or 3 years.

4. Camera

The camera of the Nexus 6P received high praise at the time of its release, because it got better pictures than more expensive smartphones. At the rear we have a 12.3 megapixel camera with f / 2.0 aperture, which ensures excellent quality photos even in darker environments. In addition, the device also has image stabilization for videos, preventing them from shaking. In the front camera we have 8 megapixels

Of course, Google made a point of fussing over Pixel's camera, which was considered the best ever seen on a smartphone. In theory, it doesn't look much different from the Nexus, as the rear camera also has 12.3 megapixels (f / 2.0 aperture) and the front camera has 8 megapixels. The difference is how they work and capture images, as they feature larger pixels, greater light input and stabilization that analyzes motion about 200 times per second, for example.

It's good to mention that both devices record 4K video in the rear and 1080p in the front camera. Although the Pixel XL has a far superior camera, the Nexus still gets better results than its many competitors.

5. Storage

In terms of storage, the two devices are very similar, but the Nexus 6P offers an extra option. In this case, this handset has options of 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB of internal storage and no micro SD card slot.

Pixel XL has 32 GB and 128 GB versions of internal storage and no micro SD card slot. Pixel's advantage is that it offers unlimited online storage for its users on Google Photos, where videos and images can be saved without size or time restrictions. This way, much more space for other files and apps.

6. Battery

Amazingly, both the Nexus 6P and Pixel XL have exactly the same 3, 450 mAh battery. With a slightly smaller screen and some unique features, it is quite possible that the Pixel may have a longer load, but it is too early to be sure.

Both handsets have USB-C charger input and have quick recharge, and the Pixel can recover 7 hours of battery in 15 minutes Nexus promises the same in just 10 minutes.

7. Specifications

The technical specifications of the two devices are not that different either. The Nexus is 159.2 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 7.3 mm thick and weighs 178 grams. The Pixel XL is 154.7 mm wide, 75.7 mm wide, 8.6 mm thick and weighs around 168 grams.

8. Android

Perhaps one of the most important aspects to consider is the support given to the operating system of these devices. Nexus 6P comes with Android Marshmallow installed, is one of the only ones (along with other Nexus) that currently has Android Nougat and will have updates until the end of 2017 at least and may receive updates after that period if Google Wish.

Already Pixel XL will be released with Android Nougat in the enhanced version 7.1, which contains several new features and a completely renewed appearance. This update will also be available on Nexus devices, but it is not known when and if it will have all the features we saw in Pixel. Other than that, the Pixel will be updated until minus 2018, a period that can also extend.

Prefer which smartphone?

Could you take our comparison to determine which of the two Google smartphones is best for you? Don't forget to leave your comment telling us what you think!

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