The new Nexus 6P comes very close, but is no 6S Plus

[sangs]

Having used the Nexus 6P since early last week, I have to say, it's a pretty impressive phone. From build quality, to screen, to performance, it was close to convincing me to use it as my daily driver. Unfortunately, then I shot a video. And another. And another. And my 6S+ no longer had anything to worry about.

The video on the Nexus 6P is - in a word? - terrible.

If you make the slightest movement, it's as if a wave of water has rippled through the screen. Some refer to it as "jelly vision." For the life of me, I cannot figure out what would make a company keep OIS from a phone that size. My 6S+ videos are pristine, whether I'm moving or standing still. This isn't some benchmark test or hypothetical assumption, this is a direct comparison of video camera to video camera - and it isn't close.

Good luck finding an Android review that mentions the video performance, however. They rave about the camera for stills - and the camera sensor is larger, making it very good for low-light photos - but nothing about video. And the camera would be even better were it able to utilize OIS. So in the end, the 6S+ wins. However, if video isn't important to you and you want to dabble in Android, the Nexus 6P is a close to an iPhone in build quality and performance as you're going to find.

 

[Algus]

I haven't used an Android phone that matched iPhone on standby battery life. Could be I don't know how to configure Android (I can be a hopeless noob at times) but it is amazing to me that I can burn only 20% charge on my iPhone whereas my Note 3 took an 80% hit.

I really like the Nexus 6P though. Android has its advantages over iOS and the competition is making both platforms better IMO. Solid phone though I agree, video capture is not really comparable. I don't do much video (or photos to be honest, not much of a shutterbug) so it isn't a huge downside for me.

 

[Eddster]

Even if the video quality turned out to be acceptable, the deal breaker for me would've been when I tried to send it to someone. No iMessage = no deal, for me. I can't deal with the limitations of regular SMS/MMS texting and trying to get people to use 3rd party messaging apps.

 

[JaneGL]

Having used the Nexus 6P since early last week, I have to say, it's a pretty impressive phone. From build quality, to screen, to performance, it was close to convincing me to use it as my daily driver. Unfortunately, then I shot a video. And another. And another. And my 6S+ no longer had anything to worry about.

The video on the Nexus 6P is - in a word? - terrible.

If you make the slightest movement, it's as if a wave of water has rippled through the screen. Some refer to it as "jelly vision." For the life of me, I cannot figure out what would make a company keep OIS from a phone that size. My 6S+ videos are pristine, whether I'm moving or standing still. This isn't some benchmark test or hypothetical assumption, this is a direct comparison of video camera to video camera - and it isn't close.

Good luck finding an Android review that mentions the video performance, however. They rave about the camera for stills - and the camera sensor is larger, making it very good for low-light photos - but nothing about video. And the camera would be even better were it able to utilize OIS. So in the end, the 6S+ wins. However, if video isn't important to you and you want to dabble in Android, the Nexus 6P is a close to an iPhone in build quality and performance as you're going to find.

Every phone has a trade-off for different people. Where you dislike video recording on one phone, someone else will dislike something else on your choice of phone just as much. Kind of a misleading thread title though IMO when your main point is about one feature while you say you were pleased by everything else. If I were to buy an Android phone, this would definitely be my first and only pick, they did an iPhone worthy job of it.

 

[sangs]

Every phone has a trade-off for different people. Where you dislike video recording on one phone, someone else will dislike something else on your choice of phone just as much. Kind of a misleading thread title though IMO when your main point is about one feature while you say you were pleased by everything else. If I were to buy an Android phone, this would definitely be my first and only pick, they did an iPhone worthy job of it.

I said it came very close and then said the only negative for me was the video from the 6P. And said that it was on par with my 6S+ in pretty much everything else. How the heck is that misleading?

 

[iN8ter]

Having used the Nexus 6P since early last week, I have to say, it's a pretty impressive phone. From build quality, to screen, to performance, it was close to convincing me to use it as my daily driver. Unfortunately, then I shot a video. And another. And another. And my 6S+ no longer had anything to worry about.

The video on the Nexus 6P is - in a word? - terrible.

If you make the slightest movement, it's as if a wave of water has rippled through the screen. Some refer to it as "jelly vision." For the life of me, I cannot figure out what would make a company keep OIS from a phone that size. My 6S+ videos are pristine, whether I'm moving or standing still. This isn't some benchmark test or hypothetical assumption, this is a direct comparison of video camera to video camera - and it isn't close.

Good luck finding an Android review that mentions the video performance, however. They rave about the camera for stills - and the camera sensor is larger, making it very good for low-light photos - but nothing about video. And the camera would be even better were it able to utilize OIS. So in the end, the 6S+ wins. However, if video isn't important to you and you want to dabble in Android, the Nexus 6P is a close to an iPhone in build quality and performance as you're going to find.

They don't mention it because that's not normal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTAH6gZQPJM

The phone records video just fine. So I'm not even sure what you're talking about, as you haven't given any sample for us to look at. For all we know, you could have just gotten a phone with a defective camera that's causing that. There are tons of Nexus 6P video test images ranging from 720p to 4K and they don't seem really any worse than what you'd get out of an iPhone 6 or 6S (which doesn't have OIS).

Additionally, the reason why the Apple Phones have such stable video is because Apple uses Software Stabilization on top of OIS in their phones. You can do the same thing on a Samsung Phone with their VDIS (vastly improved in the Note 5, BTW). It will use OIS and it will use Software Stabilization on top of that.

This is why iPhones still crop significantly into the frame when recording video (Software Stabilization requires that buffer). You can turn off Video Stabilization in ProCam 3 on an iPhone 6S Plus and record some video with it to check how stable the video is without it working on Apple's Smartphone, since you seem to think OIS is Jesus Christ (most smartphone OIS implementations are horrible, and a majority of OEMs still use Software Stabilization on top of it for that reason, just to "enhance" their software stabilization).

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what would make a company keep OIS from a phone that size.

Email Apple and ask them.

The iPhone 6S starts at $649 with no OIS (Plus with OIS $100 more). The Nexus 6P starts at $499 with no OIS and double the storage capacity. Assuming the average person would go for a 64GB model iPhone (unless severe financial constraints, in which case I question the choice of phone in that situation), you are nitpicking about something that can be improved with a software update (assuming it's an issue, which it is not) on a phone that literally costs $300 less than an iPhone 6S Plus 64GB (assuming you get a 64GB Nexus 6P).

I think you need to keep things in perspective.

Video recording is fine on that device for the most part.

People are overrating OIS. All of a sudden, Apple has OIS for Video and it's the second coming or something. Smartphone OIS sucks and always has, and probably will for another few years. It's why Apple still has software stabilization turned on (and not togglable unless you use a 3rd party app) when recording video.

You're likely seeing more of a difference in the software stabilization algorithms than a difference in the presence or absence of OIS.

Better Software Algorithms are not worth $300, but you're free to convince yourself otherwise. There are much better, more drastic differences between these phones that would lead someone to buy one or the other. Video Stabilization differences is not in that list...

 

[swarlos]

I also just received the 6P and it's an amazing phone very impressed with it. I bought a 32GB aluminum cause it was shipping the quickest and I've really been wanting to try out the phone and Marshmallow.

I love Nexus Imprint super fast capturing your fingerprint and unlocking the phone just by placing your finer on the scanner is so cool. The speakers are amazing as well! I really hope Apple hops on the front facing speaker band wagon cause once you use them there's no going back. Even though Marshmallow is an awesome update there's somethings I can't give up with my iPhone by completely switching back to Android. I also have an Watch and I would hate to get rid of it. Apple Pay has had the advantage of being out longer than Android pay.

So perhaps next year I'll give the Nexus and Android another look but this year Apple has me again.

 

[Peligro911]

I also just received the 6P and it's an amazing phone very impressed with it. I bought a 32GB aluminum cause it was shipping the quickest and I've really been wanting to try out the phone and Marshmallow.

I love Nexus Imprint super fast capturing your fingerprint and unlocking the phone just by placing your finer on the scanner is so cool. The speakers are amazing as well! I really hope Apple hops on the front facing speaker band wagon cause once you use them there's no going back. Even though Marshmallow is an awesome update there's somethings I can't give up with my iPhone by completely switching back to Android. I also have an Watch and I would hate to get rid of it. Apple Pay has had the advantage of being out longer than Android pay.

So perhaps next year I'll give the Nexus and Android another look but this year Apple has me again.

I got a camp fire for that marshmallow .. Hahaha

 

[sangs]

Email Apple and ask them.

The iPhone 6S starts at $649 with no OIS (Plus with OIS $100 more). The Nexus 6P starts at $499 with no OIS and double the storage capacity. Assuming the average person would go for a 64GB model iPhone (unless severe financial constraints, in which case I question the choice of phone in that situation), you are nitpicking about something that can be improved with a software update (assuming it's an issue, which it is not) on a phone that literally costs $300 less than an iPhone 6S Plus 64GB (assuming you get a 64GB Nexus 6P).

Not comparable. The 6S is a smaller phone and easier to handle. OIS is not as important. Being larger, the 6S+ benefits greatly from OIS and the Nexus 6P is slightly larger than the 6S+, so follow the logic there and you get what I'm saying.

 

[iN8ter]

Not comparable. The 6S is a smaller phone and easier to handle. OIS is not as important. Being larger, the 6S+ benefits greatly from OIS and the Nexus 6P is slightly larger than the 6S+, so follow the logic there and you get what I'm saying.

The 6S is as big as Android flagships with 5.1" screens and the difference in size between that and a 6 Plus is not so significant that it will affect that unless you record video with one tiny hand.

It's not a big deal. OIS on a smartphone isn't that great. These are not point and shoot cameras. There is barely any benefit from the mediocre OIS in these phones.

And again, Apple uses software stabilization in their phones. The OIS isn't as significant as you think. It's an overrated feature that people seem to be obsessing over cause it's new (to iPhones).

 

[njshoregurlz]

Prefer the 6s plus too
And I had my eye on the nexus very nice phone

 

[sangs]

The 6S is as big as Android flagships with 5.1" screens and the difference in size between that and a 6 Plus is not so significant that it will affect that unless you record video with one tiny hand.

It's not a big deal. OIS on a smartphone isn't that great. These are not point and shoot cameras. There is barely any benefit from the mediocre OIS in these phones.

And again, Apple uses software stabilization in their phones. The OIS isn't as significant as you think. It's an overrated feature that people seem to be obsessing over cause it's new (to iPhones).

OK, whatever you say. Here's what I know - and I own both phones and like EVERYTHING else about the 6P. I shoot video on my 6S+ with OIS and it's pristine. I shoot it on my 6P without OIS and it's not. But hey, you say it's not significant so guess I must be seeing things.

 

[cbobb123]

The 6S+ is not perfect. Both devices are great and both have trade-offs. For example the 6S+ has worst speakers and a lower resolution screen. The 6P's camera is slightly worst and has no force touch.

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[swarlos]

The 6S+ is not perfect. Both devices are great and both have trade-offs. For example the 6S+ has worst speakers and a lower resolution screen. The 6P's camera is slightly worst and has no force touch.

Posted via the iMore App for Android

Im using the 6P right now and I know some people say that 3D touch isn't useful but I miss it when using the Nexus.

 

[cbobb123]

Im using the 6P right now and I know some people say that 3D touch isn't useful but I miss it when using the Nexus.

I don't really find it useful at the moment tbh. The usefulness of 3D touch will depend on the developers as there are still plenty of apps that still don't take advantage of it.

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[swarlos]

I don't really find it useful at the moment tbh. The usefulness of 3D touch will depend on the developers as there are still plenty of apps that still don't take advantage of it.

Posted via the iMore App for Android

That is true but I love mainly using it for previewing links in Safari before actually opening them and then calling my mom from the home just by pressing down on the phone icon. The same was true for TouchID but now quite a few of my apps use it for authentication. There's no apps right now that I used on my iPhone in the Play store that takes advantage of the fingerprint sensor. I know that will change but after using it on iPhone and Apple Pay in apps to reload my Starbucks card and Panera there's no going back for me.

 

[iN8ter]

OK, whatever you say. Here's what I know - and I own both phones and like EVERYTHING else about the 6P. I shoot video on my 6S+ with OIS and it's pristine. I shoot it on my 6P without OIS and it's not. But hey, you say it's not significant so guess I must be seeing things.

It's the Placebo effect. Happens all the time and it's why they use placebos in drug studies.

If you tell people something is amazing it will often seem amazing even when the effect is negligible. People take sugar pills and claim their back pain went from a 7 to a 3, etc.

You aren't immune to it. None of us are. But go on YouTube and you can see the video from the 6P is great.

iPhones actually aren't that great for video. The cropping is severe and the picture is slightly up scaled to compensate. The Sound is Mono. The sharpness and color reproduction in video trails a lot of high end Android phones.

Apples digital stabilization algorithms are great. Look at iPhone 6(s) 4.7" video. It's very stable without OIS.

People are seeing a difference in the quality of the DIS algorithms more than they are seeing the effect of OIS.

 

[avt123]

If I were to buy an Android device it would be the 6P. I've always preferred stock Andorid and I loved my Galaxy Nexus.

I do however hope for Nexus users that this doesn't become a wide spread issue-

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3rwc6p/nexus_6p_back_glass_window_has_just_spontaneously/

People are reporting the glass on both the screen and camera just cracking out of nowhere.

 

[Ticojpunk]

If I were to buy an Android device it would be the 6P. I've always preferred stock Andorid and I loved my Galaxy Nexus.

I do however hope for Nexus users that this doesn't become a wide spread issue-

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3rwc6p/nexus_6p_back_glass_window_has_just_spontaneously/

People are reporting the glass on both the screen and camera just cracking out of nowhere.

Ugh. The "...gate"s keep on coming with this one.

 

[swarlos]

Ugh. The "...gate"s keep on coming with this one.

Seems the 'gates' aren't relegated to just the iPhone anymore LOL.