Nexus 6 still a good buy at 400€ new?

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Ideally, Nexus 6 with updated internals and fingerprint scanner would be ideal. But that is not going to happen, HTC has dialed down the screen size, no phablet this time round.

I appreciate pure Android. I am grasping for straws not to go with something like Xiaomi Mi Max or maybe better yet TBA Huawei Honor V8 max (6.6" QHD OLED). I like the hardware, even MIUI is OK, but..

I don't really need FPR for paying for stuff. Not sure when will I ever. It does look convenient for unlocking, but until now I have never had PIN or password on any of my phones.

I do appreciate a camera that's not too slow, and takes reasonably good daytime photos (I supposed it's too much to expect wonders from N6 OIS?).

I want a reliable 1 day battery life, 5-6h SoT (mostly browsing).

Performance is only important in browsing, general UI navigation, app launching and apps like IM, banking, uber, runtastic, unfortunately facebook and such.
Gaming I could not care less.
But than the other stuff is rather important. I don't want to wait for Chrome to change tabs and stuff like that.
And I don't want to wait for Whatsapp to check out the new message.
Can I expect that from N6?


PS: I really would like to avoid having to root, moot, cook roms and stuff like that. i like that android is open, but i honestly have no time for stuff like that.

I'm boring myself already, but I'm really indecisive about which phone to get, maybe there are now some new suggestions?
Reqs
- >5.7 OLED =>FHD
- acceptable performance (=>S650, =>3GB RAM, good storage?)
- >5h SoT (browsing mostly)
- acceptable software, as close to AOSP as possible, if possible

 

[RossMAN]

That's a steep price to pay (around USD 446) but it sounds like you have limited options. Since it doesn't offer expandable storage and you may keep this a while, do yourself a favor and buy the 64GB model.

Also keep in mind the Nexus 6 will be end of life in 3 months but will most likely continue to receive major updates for a while.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/06/21/google-support-site-now-lists-end-life-dates-nexus-devices/

 

[isekii]

buy it on swappa should be way less than that.

 

[Artdeco]

He's in Croatia, tough to get them to ship...

Actually, Mark, I can sell you mine for $300, shipped, just looked it up (shipping). Mint condition.

 

[Lodix]

I don't think Nexus 6 is worth 400€ right now. And why so much obsesion with stock android ? It doesn't bring anything over other skin, indeed they are very poor in functionality .

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Hey Artdeco, my countryman ☺
I have to decide still, but it's gonna take until Honor V8 Max is announced on the 11th. If I go for N6, I'll contact you.

Lodix, I like aesthetics and faster updates (on the nexus). I hate some custom skins, but some seem ok, like MIUI8. Huaweis and somsungs seem really terrible though.

 

[ControlD]

I don't think Nexus 6 is worth 400€ right now. And why so much obsesion with stock android ? It doesn't bring anything over other skin, indeed they are very poor in functionality .

lol.

You can add whatever functionality you want and aren't stuck with the other 90% that is garbage you will never use. Add to that timely updates and stock (Nexus) is better than fine.

Although I agree at least here in the USA $450 is too much to pay. I have no idea what the market is like in Croatia however. That might be a fair price there.

 

[Lodix]

lol.

You can add whatever functionality you want and aren't stuck with the other 90% that is garbage you will never use. Add to that timely updates and stock (Nexus) is better than fine.

Although I agree at least here in the USA $450 is too much to pay. I have no idea what the market is like in Croatia however. That might be a fair price there.

I prefer to have that real important features that I use and just disable the ones that I don't rather than don't have any at all and a boring phone ( indeed a lof of the features of some skins like touchwizz have been integrated in the stock adroid as "new features" in new versions later... haha ) so it is just hating for the shake of it :S

A phone with stock android doesn't imply having faster updates but the lack of the OEM to invest in the software of the phone and in probably in future updates ( like most cheap chines phones ).

 

[Artdeco]

Hey Artdeco, my countryman ☺
I have to decide still, but it's gonna take until Honor V8 Max is announced on the 11th. If I go for N6, I'll contact you.

Lodix, I like aesthetics and faster updates (on the nexus). I hate some custom skins, but some seem ok, like MIUI8. Huaweis and somsungs seem really terrible though.

Take your time, happy to help if you want it, have a nice fake leather billfold case for it too.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

I prefer to have that real important features that I use and just disable the ones that I don't rather than don't have any at all and a boring phone ( indeed a lof of the features of some skins like touchwizz have been integrated in the stock adroid as "new features" in new versions later... haha ) so it is just hating for the shake of it :S

What are those important features that I could not live without?

It's also not about the features only. It's also the look. If i'm going to be using something a few hours every day, I don't want it to look like a circus, which most of the custom skins do.
I also don't like the idea of no applauncher, but for some reason chinese have to have everything on the desktop, so I guess there's no helping that.

Problem is, that the phones are being designed for the growth markets, like china and india, so all of us have to make do with the quirky asian ways

A phone with stock android doesn't imply having faster updates but the lack of the OEM to invest in the software of the phone and in probably in future updates ( like most cheap chines phones ).

Since Nexus is the only one, yes it does
I was almost ready to import Oppo, but the y just released a new phone, their flagship, and guess what, it runs on 5.1. That is fraked up.

Not that I need more features from newer android versions, but new is new. Probably faster, more optimized.. Some apps require certain versions.. Security (don't care much for that though)..
If it's skinned (and the skin is deep) this makes the update process much, much slower.

 

[RossMAN]

Would the Nexus 6 US version work in your country?

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Would the Nexus 6 US version work in your country?

Not sure how US differs, we have 1800/2600 4G bands here AFAIK.

 

[ControlD]

Not sure how US differs, we have 1800/2600 4G bands here AFAIK.

This might help. The variants table shows the supported band differences between the US and international versions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6#Variants

Since Nexus is the only one, yes it does
I was almost ready to import Oppo, but the y just released a new phone, their flagship, and guess what, it runs on 5.1. That is fraked up.

Exactly. If you want timely updates, Nexus is the way to go. My wife's S5 just got updated to Marshmallow three weeks ago. Pretty sure Samsung isn't a cheap Chinese OEM. I guess if nine months is acceptable then that's OK. I prefer to get my updates a little quicker than that.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Well i don't think I care that much, especially if most of the system is hidden by skin anyway and all the new apps work, but when it's more than a year late by the time it goes on sale, that will not do.

 

[Nashten]

As an owner of a Nexus 6 right now, I would say yes at most for an excellent condition used device, and no for brand new.

The SD805 may not be what the SD810 is in graphics, or even the 820... But the SD805 IS better than the 810 in CPU tests because it doesn't have any thermal issues, coupled with a 2.7GHz base clock.

I'm also enjoying the Android N beta at least, the split screen apps actually make use of the huge screen it has. Email and a reference page on the go, or for me, an excel and word document for the day's production at work.

The build quality is also top notch. And, surprisingly, the previous Android N beta allowed me to tune the RGB values on the screen, and as my unit had a very yellowish screen, I got it to where the screen is absolutely phenomenal. The new Android N build took away RGB tuning for whatever reason, or moved it to where I can't find it... but it at least kept the settings.

Long story short, I would get a nice used unit.

Also, I finally signed up for AT... I've been reading the site and forums for like... 6 years too...