Both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Nexus 6P are high-end devices. They do have a lot in common but there are differences that should be known. People automatically known when Samsung launches a new smartphone but this is definitely not the case with Nexus. Even so, we need to acknowledge the fact that Nexus 6P is a very strong contender.
Hardware
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge offers a metal frame and features much shiny, curved glass. Nexus 6P is sleeker and more subtle but is wider, thicker and taller. Texture coating means Nexus 6P is a little easier to hold on while Samsung’s smartphone is slippery.
Through Nexus 6P you get more screen size but if we are to look at display quality, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is better. This does not mean that Nexus is not impressive. However, the SuperAMOLED Samsung panels are simply great.
One Touch fingerprint sensors are really good with both smartphones but there is a placement difference. Nexus offers a more natural feeling.
When looking on the inside, not much difference appears. We have an upper hand in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge though, mostly because the device is newer and manages to add the strong Snapdragon 820 CPU. Nexus 6P only has the Snapdragon 810. 6P has 3 GB of RAM and S7 Edge has 4 GB. Battery capacities are close with S7 having a small edge.
Galaxy S7 Edge offers microSD and waterproof rating. Nexus 6P gives you up to 128 GB internal storage that cannot be expanded. What stands out is waterproofing.
Software And Performance
Both smartphones include Android 6.0 but Samsung’s version is modified. Various extra visual tweaks and features are available while Nexus 6P comes with the stock version. If you do not like the extra features Samsung includes, some of them definitely being useless, you can turn them off. Since we are talking about Android, there is no limit as to what supported apps you can add.
Speaking about security, it seems that Nexus is working harder to keep the device safe at all times. Samsung is behind on security updates. However, performance is very good on both smartphones and you will not see many speed differences between them. Everything is basically comparable, even fast charging.
Camera
It is quite interesting to compare the two because they are really similar. Without going into technical aspects, the main comparison spec is given by focusing. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has Dual Pixel sensor. This means every single pixel will be involved in autofocus but Nexus 6P uses laser autofocusing.
No matter how we look at things, Samsung does win the camera battle. Nexus has a realistic photo output but this can actually be a little too much. Dynamic range is definitely lacking in 6P. Galaxy S7 Edge will always take really warm and vibrant pictures that are sometimes over-saturated. When faced with daylight, both smartphones offer great images. However, when looking at night shots, Samsung clearly wins.
Conclusions
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is better when looking at handling ease, screen quality, waterproofing, features and camera experience. However, Nexus 6P gives you better software experience, speakers, a better fingerprint sensor implementation and a screen that is bigger. The race between them is tied at battery life and the big difference appears just in hardware design. One important thing that will dictate the final choice for many buyers is price. Nexus 6P starts at $499 but Edge starts at around $750 with similar storage capacity. You do get more value for the money paid through Nexus, making it preferred by budget conscious shoppers.
