Nexus 6 users: Should I get the Pixel XL?

[jeddo45]

Hi members.

I currently have my trusty Nexus 6. My biggest issue is I just dropped and demolished my screen (don't crucify me for not having a case on it) . This phone has been so good to me but with the busted screen, this phone is just acting up. Should I:

1. Pay to get the screen fixed
2. Buy the Pixel XL because it's that awesome of a phone.

I could afford the Pixel XL, but I want to know how much better it is than my Nexus 6. Is it worth the upgrade?

I am looking for direct comparisons between:

1. The battery life
2. The camera
3. The screen

Please help me decide because I'm having a hard time! If you had the Nexus 6, you'll understand why I'm having a hard time deciding.

Addendum : I realize that I am asking too vague of a question, so let me edit to help clarify comparisons.

 

[Steven Robinson2]

I am moving from a Nexus 6 to Pixel XL. My Nexus 6 had some issues. It is a little slow and the camera app crashes the phone half the time. To be truthful, the N6 is still a capable phone but I can afford a new one and I am all about optimization. Fluidity is why I am getting the Pixel XL. My second choice would have been OnePlus 3.

 

[Jeremy8000]

I could afford the Pixel XL, but I want to know how much better it is than my Nexus 6. Is it worth the upgrade?

I am looking for direct comparisons between:

1. The battery life
2. The camera
3. The screen

1. Only had mine about a week now, but battery life is definitely better than with the Nexus 6. Strangely, my connected Huawei watch loves the Pixel XL as it uses less than 1/2 the energy when connected to it than the Nexus 6 (both configured the same, battery optimization off, etc).

2. I always felt that the Nexus 6 camera was perfectly fine and in fact good for a phone camera. Wasn't the best, but it did, and still does, take very good pictures - once you get the app open, and provided you didn't want to take several pictures with HDR+ on in succession. Here, the Pixel XL is vastly better. Better pictures in nearly every regard, and the EIS on the Pixel XL works better than the OIS on the Nexus 6 for video. Rapidfire pictures, slo-mo, extreme low light, sun-in-your face, you name it, it does it better. But is it worth it? If you generally carry a real camera with you those times you know you'll want to get some good memories recorded, it's not a big deal as the Nexus 6, while lesser, was still quite good for those 'ooh let me snap a pic' moments. Otherwise, yes, much better.

3. Same resolution, both very crisp. One issue I had with the Nexus 6 was that in direct sunlight it was very difficult to see. The Pixel XL shrugs it off with no concern and is very clear and visible, so if you're outside a good bit it's a big step up. If not, there's no real advantage for the Pixel XL. I was very concerned about going from a 6" to a 5.5" screen, but when you're not holding them side by side you quickly forget the fact that it's a little smaller.

Yes, the Pixel XL is that good of a phone. But the Nexus 6 was no slouch in its heyday, and still is a solid piece of gear. If it were me and I had the option of paying a couple of hundred dollars to repair it or putting that money towards a Pixel XL, well, I put the money towards the XL. When you factor in that your Nexus 6 is out of warranty, won't necessarily see further OS updates and only has 1 more year of guaranteed security updates, and could have other issues exposed at or after time of repair, I'd suggest going ahead with the XL if the price isn't that big a barrier.

 

[hpilot]

Yes.

 

[88 FLUX]

I loved my Nexus 6 a lot. But I love even more that I no longer need to use that slow and camera-crashing behemoth. Pixel is definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[anon(9072051)]

Mighty big price difference between $300 for a repaired Nexus 6 and $800 for a new Pixel XL. Since those are the only options you're considering, I'm thinking your decision's not really all that difficult. Especially since the missing dual-speaker setup doesn't even phase you.

 

[Topweasel]

The Nexus 6 is a great phone. Mine isn't even broken and I am still getting the XL. If I had a 6P I probably wouldn't want to get a new phone for a while. But the 6 was at the tail end of the last major jump in CPU performance before CPU performance became the least important for phone functionality. It had a year old CPU in 14, which was Qualcomm's biggest disappointment, being more power hungry than the previous gen and not being much faster (so it's really close to a CPU released in 2012). So now it overheats easily, stalls, resets the UI, among other small issues. But it's adding up and I don't want a phone I have to wipe and reload every time I let it get a little bit bloated.

It is or was a really good phone for the time. But I think this was the release that got Google to decide that they wanted their own phone. Probably also a final straw in their relationship with Moto before selling them. They didn't originally work with Moto for the Nexus but were forced pretty late when LG dropped out. That was strike one on the Nexus side. Then Moto only really had this blown up phablet version of the X in development, it was pretty late in the process and Moto wasn't a premiere partner with Qualcomm so they couldn't get the 810 in there and moto had spent a bunch of time finding software and hardware ways to lower power usage which didn't mesh with ASOP and Android so they kind of had to take the 805 as it was. I think at that point Google decided that they wanted to completely tailor the next release to the Android launch version and Pixel compounds on that idea by tailoring Android to the hardware that they are tailoring towards Android. So it takes what they want in Android and shows if off and then incorperates hardware specific and feature specific functionality to show off the phone.

tldr; Yes. The 6 was old when it came out and really is one of the last phones that come with a performance related expiration data. $300 is lot of money to spend on device that is going to be having performance and probably battery issues in the future.

 

[I800C0LLECT]

I had the droid turbo/little brother imo. Performance wasn't a huge issue but bugs were. The 6 was much better. I don't have any arguments against the 6 but if you like it your going to love the pixel

Get the pixel!