Google Nexus 6P Review: A Magnificent Marshallow Powered Flagship

If you're looking for a clean, unadulterated copy of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, look no further. The Nexus 6P is amongst the first devices to ship with Google's latest mobile OS, and it's certainly the company's finest version yet. Now on Tap is a highlight feature, expanding upon Google Now cards by allowing you to vocally dig into just about any app -- first party or not. Now you can have a dialogue with any of your apps that support the new voice interaction service. For example, if a user says “play some music on TuneIn,” TuneIn will respond by asking “What genre?”.


Furthermore, Doze and App Standby enable the phone to smartly put apps to sleep and reduce battery drain from seldom used apps.


Nexus Imprint is the Google version of Apple's Touch ID, but rather than the fingerprint reader being on the front, it's neatly tucked away on the rear. In practice, this enables you to grab the phone as one normally would, and in the conventional one-hand hold scenario, the unlock happens naturally as you rest your index finger on the rear casing. Beyond unlocking the phone itself, Imprint's software connections allow you to pay for apps, pay for physical goods via Android Pay, and authenticate other programs.


Android 6.0 also gains Bluetooth stylus support, smarter text selection (including built-in undo/redo), inbuilt Google Translate support, a streamlined Settings hub, MIDI support, and added enterprise features courtesy of Android for Work.


We had no issues with Android 6.0 running atop Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 on the Nexus 5X, but it's even more speedy on the 2GHz Snapdragon 810. You aren't apt to notice it unless you're using the devices side-by-side, but the Nexus 6P produces the zippiest Android experience we've come across yet. It's clear that the OS is uncluttered and free from bloat, and the Snapdragon 810 is a strong performer in its own right. If you're looking for the absolute fastest mobile OS experience around, this phone is probably it for now.