OnePlus 3 vs Nexus 6P Review – $400 Android Flagship Comparison

Budget Android Flagship Review: OnePlus 3 vs Nexus 6P

Now that the OnePlus 3 is officially launched, we thought of pitting it against the flagship Huawei Nexus 6P. These are two affordable Android flagship smartphones that are roughly priced around $400 each. Of course, the OnePlus 3 is bringing a faster CPU and more RAM onto the table while the 9-month old Nexus 6P is still dominating with its premium and capable hardware. Let’s find out which phone is a better buy in our in-depth comparison and full review.

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Design and build

Starting with the design, the OnePlus 3 is a big departure from the non-metal OnePlus 2. It screams build quality with the unibody aluminum design. The OnePlus 3 really looks a stunner and the back resembles HTC One series. Make no mistake, the OnePlus 3 has its distinctive traits including slightly tapered edges and curved glass which produce seamless and more fluid touch experience.

The Nexus 6P, on the other hand, is an Android to beat when it comes to the overall design and build. It offers unique design than the OnePlus 3 but is left with a flat display.

The wider screen of the Nexus 6P results to a slightly bulkier form though it’s still manageable with a one-hand use. Both offer USB type-C at the bottom while the OnePlus 3 has an extra SIM slot.

Read: Phones with High-res Dolby Sound

The OnePlus 3 retained the positioning of the fingerprint sensor, it’s now better than the previous generation and comparable to the scanner of the Nexus 6P, which is fast and accurate even with wet fingers.

Now on handling, the OnePlus 3 feels more comfortable to hold due to smaller footprint but the advantage of the Nexus 6P is having more color variants including the frost white we have. For OnePlus 3, you’ll have to go for cases which add a few millimeter in thickness.

Display and viewing

The OnePlus 3 rocks a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED. It has a 2.5D curved Gorilla glass 4 from edge-to-edge and really gives a lasting seamless impression. Meanwhile, the Nexus 6P sports a 5.7-inch quad HD AMOLED with the same Gorilla proofing. It’s sharper and a bit saturated, but the difference is hardly noticeable at all unless you put them side-by-side.

Camera in still and video

What’s new with OnePlus 3 is 16MP f2.0 main sensor. Stacking it to 12MP f2.0 sensor of Nexus 6P means OnePlus 3 has more pixels, but sensor size-wise, the Nexus 6P has larger sensor and pixel size.

After some testing, we find out that the automatic HDR mode offers the best photos in terms of pleasing colors and detail preservation. We used a Canon 70D for reference, the Nexus 6P shows more saturated photos but with closer reproduction to 70D. OnePlus 3 has finer details in most daylight photos but is beaten by the Nexus 6P in low light. The 6P maintains natural-looking photos and better detail handling.

HDR, Daylight, Night or Low Light sample photos

The same goes in the selfie shooting with Nexus 6P having less toning but with higher resolved detail and a bit wider angle.

Selfie in low light and day

Despite the Nexus 6P is lacking an OIS, it still managed to produce a decent video quality. The OnePlus 3 struggles during night shooting, however.

Let’s know in the comment and poll section which camera do you think did the job better in this test.

Performance and benchmarks

It’s in the chipset where OnePlus 3 takes the lead. Under the hood are a 6GB RAM, 64GB non-expandable storage, and Snapdragon 820 quad-core chip. The lead in the benchmark is twice compared to the Snapdragon 810-powered Nexus 6P. The difference is not that big in actual performance, but likely noticeable when playing graphics intensive games in high settings. Nonetheless, the Nexus 6P is still a pretty capable hardware.

Antutu benchmarks

Battery and charging

The OnePlus 3’s battery capacity is a step down from 3300mAh of OnePlus 2 to 3000mAh. Battery life remains modest with 3.5 hours screen on time and full day use. This is a similar case to the Nexus 6P and its 3450 mAh juice with roughly 3.5 hours screen on time in moderate use.

Speaker and audio

The speaker on OnePlus 3 is a mono channel located on the bottom while the Nexus 6P has front-facing stereo speakers. In terms of audio output, the speaker on OnePlus 3 is loud and solid but it’s not close to the power on the Nexus 6P.

Pricing and Verdict

Now for the pricing, the OnePlus 3 with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage retails for $399 or roughly P19,000 in the Philippines. Fortunately, the Nexus 6P is also priced around $400-$500 for the 32GB model.

As for the closing thoughts, both are beastly phones and are neck and neck in our review. The OnePlus 3’s main advantage here is the extra power with its 6GB RAM and newer chipset. Meanwhile, the Nexus 6P has a better camera, technically better screen, stereo speakers, and quite unique design. The decision will just matter in your preference. Let’s know in the comments which phone is a better buy.

OnePlus 3 vs Nexus 6P Video Review