As you’ve all probably figured out by this point I enjoy my gadgets. Phones are particularly important to me because it is the one device that I’m pretty much guaranteed to be carrying or have near me any time day or night. For background, this is my 5th different Android device and they’ve all been on T-Mobile.
I moved from the original Nexus 5 to the Moto X largely because I was seeking a higher build quality. However, having been on the Moto X for over a year I’ve come to realize that there is something special about the Pure Android experience that comes with the Nexus devices. The Moto X is as close to Google as you can get without a Nexus and it was still never quite right. Over time it felt like there was a disconnect between the OS and the hardware. For months I loved the handful of extras that Motorola included above stock Android.
But then one day came and Motorola suddenly wasn’t as quick with the upgrades and updates. Suddenly the device felt great but didn’t quite work as nicely. In truth the battery life had a big part in pushing me away. While searching for a new device I realized I needed to go back and try pure Android again to capture what had been missing. This meant going with either the new Nexus 5 or 6. Reading reviews all pointed to the 6P as the only real choice.
The first week wasn’t the greatest. This is the biggest phone I’ve ever had and it is also heavy relative the Moto X (and other past devices I’ve had). Between those two factors and getting used to Android again there was a surprising learning curve. Everything came over from my other device without any issues but things didn’t just work as I expected.
After a week everything just started to make sense again. Even the size and weight seem normal now. Work with anything long enough and it will start to feel normal. But the quality is high, it feels good in the hand. It’s not so large that it feels like you have to use two hands all the time. It is close to being too big without actually getting there.
But the battery…this is the first Android phone I’ve owned that you can actually go two days over the weekend with moderate use and not be stressing about having no battery left. I can actually leave it off the charger at night and not be afraid it will die before the alarm goes off. I cannot express how much this brings me joy. I’m no longer tied to a power cord!
I’m not going to review the hardware because at this point everything is supposed to simply work and it does. I’m not a big camera user so I can’t adequately describe it’s use. It works for my purposes.
I can’t imagine being happier with a device than I am with with one at the moment. Two thumbs way up.