Huawei’s Nexus 6P is quickly becoming my all time favorite smartphone

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huawei. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I had heard of Huawei, but had never really paid attention to their devices before now because they were mainly only available outside the US. Pronounced “Wah-Way”, Huawei is a mobile technology company that is based in China where they’ve already established themselves as a global brand. They have been working very hard the last three years to provide customers with exactly what they are looking for in a mobile device. Now they want to do the same thing here in the United States and so far they are off to a great start with the recent release of the Nexus 6P Android smartphone in partnership with Google.

Phone geeks and gadgeteers like all of you, want a high-end smartphone but don’t want to be locked into contracts or to stick with the same carrier. Unlocked devices like Huawei’s new Nexus 6P let you choose which carrier you want to use the phone on because it’s unlocked. Most smartphones purchased through a carrier like Sprint and Verizon are locked to that carrier. Huawei’s Nexus 6P is unlocked and can be used immediately with all the US carriers including Verizon Wireless, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. The 6P should also work with other cellular services like Cricket Wireless.

Carrier freedom is great, but smartphone shoppers also want a phone that performs as well as it looks. Huawei’s Nexus 6P checks both of those boxes. The 6P is stylish without being gaudy and is super fast because it’s not bloated down with all the pre-loaded software that carrier branded smartphones tend to come with. 6p-1 I’ve been using the 6P for a few weeks and I have no trouble saying that it’s the best phone I’ve used to date. It has a premium look and feel that rivals other popular high-end smartphone devices currently on the market. Some of my favorite features of the Nexus 6P include the large vibrant display with the front facing speakers that really improve the experience of watching video on the phone.

6p-2 Another one of my favorite features is the fingerprint scanner on the back. The location of the scanner seems odd compared to other phones with scanners, but it’s perfectly placed so that your index finger can touch it when you pick up the phone. You don’t have to press any button to wake the phone, just touch the scanner with your finger and it will unlock. I’ve always had trouble using other scanners, but this one works for me almost every time. 6p-3 I also really like the 6P’s 12.3MP camera which performs really well even in low light. Just double press the power button to wake and launch the camera. Then use the volume button to snap the picture. Launching the camera app is super fast and I love that I can keep my gloves on if I’m outdoors on a cold day.

Huawei has really impressed me with the Nexus 6P. They have created a phone that looks very nice and performs faster than any phone I’ve tried to date. Huawei is working to become the leading unlocked wireless solutions alternative in the US and so far they are off to a great start.

You can learn more about Huawei by visiting their website and you can order their premium products through their site as well.

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15 thoughts on “Huawei’s Nexus 6P is quickly becoming my all time favorite smartphone”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. I don’t have the 6p, waiting for the price to drop. For the last 18 months though, I’ve been using a Huawei Ascend Mate2 which has really impressed me. Build quality, speed, performance, all from a SD400 processor!
    I’ve been very impressed with the offerings from Huawei. If my mate2 ever dies, I’m sure going to put them at the top of the list.

  3. I used the galaxy s3 and s4 and to be honest I hated them. It seemed like with both phones they were constantly becoming sluggish and and I couldn’t even surf the net randomly at times until I cleared the memory cache manually. All I really did on my phone was crosswords, listen to music, and watch YouTube. Even after resetting the phones it wouldn’t be long before things were sluggish again. Not to mention the WiFi kept going in and out in a stable area for other devices. It baffled me since Samsung devices are the face of Android as far as the general user goes. What with the Samsung “stores” in best buy and such.

    I switched to Project Fi about a month ago and got the 6P. I absolutely love this phone. It restored my faith in smartphones. After so many purchases being underwhelming it was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been confidently telling people I have -the best- smartphone out right now. And it comes out as a matter of fact and not like I’m being cocky. I love this thing

  4. Ok, so the phone has a large vibrant display, fingerprint scanner and a 12.3MP camera. That makes it your all time favourite smartphone? Really? You know that there are other phones out there with those features? I understand this is a sponsored post, but it could have at least pretended it is legit.

  5. I have a 6p, its fast, cameras great, display is execelent, but the aluminium finish is just DUMB. You will drop this phone unless you have a case.

  6. To add a few points for people considering the purchase of a 6p.

    I converted away from apple awhile ago, somewhere around the time of the 4s. Like most peoples transition to android, ended up with a Samsung right off the bat (the S3). I grew to despise that phone, and it ended up making me question my decision to switch to Android. Determined not to go back to apple, my next offering was the Sony z3. I loved this phone, and the android experience was light years ahead of what I witnessed for 24 long months with the S3. It was fast, even when riddled with telco and manufacture bloatware, took good photos and great videos and I never had issues with the UI. Also didn’t have to panic around water with the IP68 rating. I got 13 months of great use from the Sony, but as Murphy’s Law would suggest, It died trying to take an underwater photo of some monster bream under a Jetty. All gaskets sealed, but it died anyway – common problem I’m told. Did a few days of research and then decided on the nexus 6p.

    This is where I can comfortably now state that I am in agreement with the author. From my experience, the nexus 6p is the most superior phone I’ve used to date, by leaps and bounds. I’m not a seasoned reviewer, let alone a technology wizard. I’ve briefly handled, but had little to do with the other flagships currently available (did have a good poke around a Sony z5, but seemed underwhelming coming from the z3). So in this regard, I’m not qualified to say that the nexus 6p is the best phone to date, or the best phone on the market, but in my experience (about a week of use) I’m extremely impressed.

    Heaps of positives with the phone as the original author has given some insight on. Yes, its lightning fast, both operating system and fingerprint scanner. Even though Huawei reveal that the fingerprint scanner acts in 300ms (dont quote me, from memory here), they should just say ‘instantaneous’ – because it is. Brilliant location, right at the g-spot of the index finger (make sure you set up both hands!), so fast unlocking with high security is no problem here. Heaps of other good points, do a Google for yourself!

    Here is some negatives (hmm maybe not negatives, but things I’m a little uneasy on so far). I kid you not, the first card that appeared in google now after turning the phone on, was an article released hours prior detailing a known issue with the Google Nexus Player, which was also now appearing on the 5&6p phones. It’s got to do with poor quality saturation during video playback (again from memory here, dont quote me – do one’s own research), something I have not seen on my individual device as of yet. Google’s statement on the issue was that it is software related (not hardware, good to know!) and its on high priority for resolution.

    Next, this device runs hot. Not uncomfortable to hold hot, but a bit unnerving considering its quite warm with light web browsing or a sneaky game of backgammon on the dunny. This is chip-set related I assume, as a lot of the current flagships have similar problems. So far, during an Australian Summer, it has never overheated to the point of displaying some kind of error or temperature warning, but I’d say it would be throttling itself to try and keep cool. Performance wise haven’t seen any issues when hot, everything still runs quick. The sony z3 was as cool as a cucumber (always was ambient temperature to hold – except when shooting 4k video), so maybe this is also enhancing my awareness of the 6p’s heat.

    In the one week I’ve had the phone, I have had ‘no sim – no service’ message displayed twice as a result of no cell reception. This was in two spots that I am 100% sure have great coverage. The second time it happened I check the location with another phone, which displayed the full 4g coverage, while the nexus 6p showed zilch. If this keeps happening, it would be a major issue and I would investigate a dodgy sim card or have the phone repaired. I haven’t heard of anyone else having this problem though.

    There aren’t too many accessories for this phone yet – understandably so. Huawei who? The large Aussie retailer that I bought this phone from didn’t even stock a case and the Google rep in store told me to check out ebay, where there are a few offerings available.

    No external memory slot, so if you can afford the higher capacity model – get it.

    Obviously you really should road test a phone before purchase etc, but if you’re buying online and possible forget to check the size, or underestimate 5.7″, the phone is large! I’ve got big hands and can comfortably use this phone, but even going from the Sony z3 5.2″ to the Nexus 6p 5.7″ it was confronting.

    Its a beautiful phone, I love mine. Even with the few things I’ve noted above, I’m still really really positive about this phone and hope it continues to keep delivering for the next year or so! Hope you guys got something from my little spin on things.

    Cheers Jason

  7. So, how does that work?.
    Huawei pays you to write your 100% openion?. You’re a writer and your job is to write your openion, why would Huawei need to pay you?

  8. This review really compromises your site. How can any of your readers trust your reviews when you take money from manufacturers to review products? With any negatives omitted why should anyone pay any attention to what you have to say in a review on your site. The fact that you note sponsored reviews in no way mitigates the damage you do your site and your reputation. Sorry, but there it is. This wouldn’t be the first time a good idea was ruined by greed. I’m hoping you will apologize and end this practice.

    1. First of all, this post wasn’t a review. We already posted a fully detailed review of the Huawei Nexus 6P last week using the phones that both Dave Rees and myself bought with our own funds. I had already become a fan of the 6P before this sponsored article was posted. I accept money to do some articles because it takes a lot of money to run this site. All sponsored posts are clearly marked as such. Nothing is hidden from my readers. Why should my readers believe what I have to say? Because I’ve been doing this for over 18 years and have earned a reputation of trust.

  9. I’m sorry but the distinction between a review and a “sponsored article” on the gadgeteer is vague both in graphic presentation and the admission that you review products that you have also been paid to showcase. Unfortunately the fact that you have been bbloging for years has no relevance to this issue. I suggest that you work to gain our trust in your reviews by changing your policy regarding sponsored articles and finding a different way to fund the site. The Gadgeteer’s enviable eighteen year history deserves that redefined policy.

    With best wishes.

  10. I’m quite the opposite. For me the 6P is becoming one of my most hated phones. I can’t believe google can’t get the bluetooth right. Tons of people are having problems with it and it nearly makes an otherwise awesome phone a real pain in the tush!

    1. What types of problems are you having with Bluetooth? So far I’m not noticing anything. I have my 6P paired with a Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, my MINI Cooper and an audio streaming device in my car. Did you receive the 6.0.1 update yet?

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