Thursday, February 2, 2017
Google Nexus 6P vs Motorola Moto X Pure Edition 2015
Google Nexus 6P vs Motorola Moto X Pure Edition 2015
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Introduction
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This year, we’ve seen a huge shift towards delivering ‘low-cost’ premium smartphones – you know, high-end spec’d things under the $500 threshold. Traditionally speaking, phones positioned in the upper end of the spectrum have been priced at around $600 at the very least, but with these two smartphones in this comparison, they’re radically redefining the expectations.
The Google Nexus 6P is undoubtedly impressive taking into account its premium metal design, which is unprecedented given the fact it’s attached with a starting cost of $499.00. Equally on the same pedestal, the Moto X Pure Edition comes at us with a highly customizable design at an even lower, $399.99 cost of ownership. Combining killer specs with price points that undercut the competition, it’ll be intriguing to find out exactly how they stack up against one another.
Design
Yet another testament to what can be achieved on such a strict budget, it’s almost unfathomable that they both have attractive and compelling designs. The Nexus 6P, in particular, is stunning looking and it’s the more premium one between the two – attributed to its originality, svelte profile, and aluminum construction. Yes, it’s considerably longer, but its sturdy feel in the hand can’t be matched by its rival.
While it’s thicker and slightly heavier, the Moto X Pure Edition offers a bit more flair with its highly customizable design. In fact, no other phone can compete with the diversity and color combinations that the Moto X Pure Edition offers via Moto Maker – the online portal that allows buyers to select various colors, finishes, and accents for the phone. And on top of that, the arch to its casing gives it a slightly more ergonomic feel in the hand.
We’ll certainly applaud the two for their solid efforts, showing that beautiful designs are obtainable even on a budget. If premium and sturdiness are more your forte, go with the Nexus 6P. However, if flair and style are what matters to you more, then the Moto X Pure Edition is the no-brainer selection.
The Google Nexus 6P’s main distinction, aside from its premium design, is the handy fingerprint sensor slapped on its back. Having it on board enables it for Android Pay, in addition to the added level of security it offers. As for the Moto X Pure Edition, it lacks the modern convenience of a fingerprint sensor, but it comes with a microSD slot for expandable storage.
Display
They settle for nothing less than Quad-HD display! That’s certainly an impressive accomplishment considering how they undercut many other phones with their low lost, but it merely indicates that it’s obtainable. Details are no different with the two, since they’re both endowed with 5.7-inch panels, but the Moto X Pure Edition opts to go with IPS-LCD technology – while it’s AMOLED for the Nexus 6P.
On the surface, there shouldn’t be any complaints about the two. As we use them day-to-day, though, we notice some superiority to the Moto X Pure Editions display. Not only is it significantly brighter at a staggering 715 nits, making it one of the brightest screens around, but it produces colors accurately in the sRGB color gamut chart.
In comparison, the Nexus 6P achieves a maximum luminance of 356 nits, which is far from its rivals’ output – making it tougher to view outdoors. At the same time, too, its color reproduction is skewed by its intense saturation on the default setting. That’s unless you tinker around with the developer settings to enable the sRGB color mode, which then gives the same accuracy as its competitor.
We’re mostly leaning toward the Moto X Pure Edition with this one, mainly because its potent brightness output is unmatched.
Display measurements and quality
- Screen measurements
- Viewing angles
- Color charts
| MAXIMUM BRIGHTNESS(nits)HIGHER IS BETTER | MINIMUM BRIGHTNESS(nits)LOWER IS BETTER | CONTRASTHIGHER IS BETTER | COLOR TEMPERATURE(Kelvins) | GAMMA | DELTA E RGBCMYLOWER IS BETTER | DELTA E GRAYSCALELOWER IS BETTER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Nexus 6P | 356 (Average) | 1 (Excellent) | unmeasurable (Excellent) | 6737 (Excellent) | 2.26 | 6.46 (Average) | 2.04 (Good) |
| Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (2015) | 715 (Excellent) | 1 (Excellent) | 1:1072 (Good) | 6748 (Excellent) | 2.19 | 1.22 (Excellent) | 1.81 (Excellent) |
Interface and Functionality
Being given the Nexus moniker, it means that the Nexus 6P is constantly going to be on tap to receive the newest updates for Android. At the current moment, it’s running stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Having that on board, there are few complaints about the experience because it strikes a favorable balance between visual appeal, performance, and features. The straightforwardness of stock Android gives its broader appeal.
The Google Nexus 6P runs on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow" | |||
To be fair, the Moto X Pure Edition isn’t very far from technically being vanilla as well, seeing that its Android 5.1.1 Lollipop is very much faithful to stock, but with a few enhancements from Motorola. Those enhancements help to deepen the experience, like how the phone knows you’re driving and can automatically reply to incoming phone calls with a text message. And even though it might not be as speedy as its rival when it comes to receiving new software upgrades, there’s no denying that they’ll still come in a relatively timely manner.
