My trusty S1 is starting to look abit dated, im looking into getting either the Galaxy Nexus or SIII but havent seen either in person :S if money wasnt in the equation i would have gone straight for the S3 with the beast ExynosQuad but im only 17 so £500 for a phone is abit pricey, So I can either get the Galxy Nexus being slightly cheaper or the S3, ive heard good and bad about the GNex so im not quite sure, plus, i get bored with using the same UI very easily so im not sure whether ill be left with buyers remorse a month after buying a shiny new GNex. Also, does anyone know how easy the Nexus is to root compared to the S3, throughout the Galaxy S its easy as hell, all you have to do is flash a custom Kernel, is it that simple for the GNex? And how easy is it to brick? The S1 has got to be hands down the best phone when it comes to "unbrickability"
Sorry if I rambled on didnt wnt to post in a S3 or GNex forum as i knew it would be biased towards that particular phone.
Personally I'd go for the S3. Tried the GNex from a friend of mine, feels a bit silly imo. The S3 looks immense though. If you want a solid device for a decent price I'd recommend the S2.
I bought my S1 5 weeks back for £100 and feel a bit silly because of the price crash on the S2's due to the new release.
I just flashed RemICS v1.2 on my phone and I think it can tide me over until a windows 8 phone comes out It's a nice rom, suffice it to say.
Well my friend own's a Nexus and he loves it, but he's not really a techie anyway and doesn't root or flash or anything.
I'm guessing you've already read a few reviews for both phones to help with your decision?? Also, are you on a contract or pre-paid? It's gonna be a lot cheaper obviously if you get the S3 on a contract. It's not like the Nexus is a BAD phone... it's just that the S3 is better
And it took me a while to figure out how to root my S1 (my touchpad was a b*tch to figure out) so I'm probably not the best judge on whether or not the Nexus is easily rooted... If you don't get the answer you want on this thread I'd suggest actually researching the Nexus' rooting methods. I'd imagine they'd all pretty much have similar instructions anyway.
It really depends on what you actually do on your phone. If you're constantly running your phone hard or just want the newest gadget, then the S3 - you're future-proofed for a couple of years at least. The dual core on the Nexus should get you through most of anything, but as you said buyer's remorse. But considering you're only 17... I don't think you can afford getting buyer's remorse on anything
Title says it all, what's the census? I realize I'm asking in the Note forum, so I expect bias. I'll also post this in the m8 forum also.
Also, I'd be purchasing both off contract. m8 would be cheaper as it's older. Figure I could get the m8 for ~400-450 and the Note 4 off contract @ $699.
Main concern with Note:
1) Size. I had a Note 2 and got along alright with it. This one is a little bigger.
2) I don't like TouchWiz. To clarify more, I find the TouchWiz on the Note series a "scaled" up version of the Galaxy S phones and doesn't take advantage of the larger screen. Multi DPI apps help. So, this would require AOSP mods or ROMS. What's the Dev community like in comparison?
Main concern with m8:
1) Camera
2) No removeable battery.
3) already out of date?
Also, if anyone has general opinions who've used both, please lemme know!
Thanks Guys
mcgrathpatj said:
Title says it all, what's the census? I realize I'm asking in the Note forum, so I expect bias. I'll also post this in the m8 forum also.
Also, I'd be purchasing both off contract. m8 would be cheaper as it's older. Figure I could get the m8 for ~400-450 and the Note 4 off contract @ $699.
Main concern with Note:
1) Size. I had a Note 2 and got along alright with it. This one is a little bigger.
2) I don't like TouchWiz. To clarify more, I find the TouchWiz on the Note series a "scaled" up version of the Galaxy S phones and doesn't take advantage of the larger screen. Multi DPI apps help. So, this would require AOSP mods or ROMS. What's the Dev community like in comparison?
Main concern with m8:
1) Camera
2) No removeable battery.
3) already out of date?
Also, if anyone has general opinions who've used both, please lemme know!
Thanks Guys
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Click to collapse
In my opinion, you should figure out if you can handle the size first. If you cannot, then go no further and get a smaller phone.
TouchWiz is still Touchwiz although they scaled back a little from previous versions.
The things that blow me away with this phone (coming from Nexus 5):
Beautiful screen - best I have ever seen
Awesome camera quality
Battery life is incredible! Especially considering the screen size. Not uncommon to get 24-36 hours on one charge with proper tweaks.
Fast charge is amazing! I can charge my phone within an hour and not have to worry about it for a day.
Fingerprint scanner - I don't think I can be without it anymore. Works great with Lastpass password management which I use heavily.
Things I do not like:
Speaker on the back (not a deal breaker but why ever put a speaker on the back!!)
The things I do not like would have been longer which would have included software and Touchwiz issues but I have addressed all of them with root, ROM and hacks. I have to say this is the best phone I have ever touched but you have to be able to handle the size.
I have a M8 but I've never used a Note 4. But in this scenario, I'd choose the Note because it has the latest hardware and there's only a few more months before the next gen One will be released. (Probably Q1 2015)
If you like HTC's hardware and Sense skin but want a screen as big as the Note, you should wait on the One Max aka One Prime.
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/ph...let-specs-promise-note-matching-grunt-1267276
I believe the T-Mobile HTC M8 version doesn't support LTE Band 2. An with most Edge to LTE direct upgrades being Band 2. I would then go with the Note 4.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
Sorry, I should have commented that the m8 I'd purchase is the verizon developer edition.
Either or. Both are great phones in their own respects. Ended up demoting my m8 to personal music player/backup phone and note4 is daily driver.
Note 4!!!
Yes, I'm bias, who cares. Definitely go with the Note 4. Personally I can't stand HTC's ....cosmetically pleasing frame, but man.....it does not compare to Samsung. Especially against the Note 4. HTC's have always failed for me.
*** Also, please do keep in mind that even though you don't like TW, you don't have to use it!!!!! Things like this shouldn't be a determining factor LOL....I just don't get how people (not you, just speaking in general) complain about something they can fix! ****
So please people (in general) stick with stuff like...."NOT having a removable batter, SD etc..." consider those kind of things that really MATTER! Not the UI where you have options to change it! :good:
I wish I could say that you can't go wrong with either....but sorry I can't LOL.
Plus, the M8 isn't even in the same league. :laugh:
Hi guys and gals,
Looking for some advice from more experienced and wiser users such as yourselves.
My Z1 has just crapped out on me, meaning it took a huge fall and crapped itself all over the pavement.. Sigh...
As such, I'm in need of a new phone. As we all know the S6 and the M9 are up for grabs and in my country, the unlocked price between these and the Nexus 6 is pretty much the same.
So the question is, do I buy one of these or is the Nexus still a valid option?
I mean, the S6 has a beautiful display but Exynos stands for a very complicated third-party development theatre and Samsung has a ******ng horrible policy regarding upgrade cycles, screwing everyone and their pooch in the process.
As for the M9, while a fine device, it isn't Quad HD and I'm really hankering for one of those, Plus... It does have that shiny new 64bit SoC inside...
Do you guys still think that the 805 can hold it's own against this new breed of SoC's?
TIA.
baseline01 said:
Hi guys and gals,
Looking for some advice from more experienced and wiser users such as yourselves.
My Z1 has just crapped out on me, meaning it took a huge fall and crapped itself all over the pavement.. Sigh...
As such, I'm in need of a new phone. As we all know the S6 and the M9 are up for grabs and in my country, the unlocked price between these and the Nexus 6 is pretty much the same.
So the question is, do I buy one of these or is the Nexus still a valid option?
I mean, the S6 has a beautiful display but Exynos stands for a very complicated third-party development theatre and Samsung has a ******ng horrible policy regarding upgrade cycles, screwing everyone and their pooch in the process.
As for the M9, while a fine device, it isn't Quad HD and I'm really hankering for one of those, Plus... It does have that shiny new 64bit SoC inside...
Do you guys still think that the 805 can hold it's own against this new breed of Qualcomm SoC's?
TIA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, a bit of advice if I may. If you're waiting for something better, then you'll always be waiting. In my opinion, the Nexus is an amazing device but not in the same category as the other two you mentioned. This is a "phablet", meaning it is large. Much larger than either of the other phones you're considering. So take that as a factor in your decision. Also, the Nexus will get updates faster and probably for longer than those two. Just look at the likes of the Nexus 4 and 5. As for performance this device will continue to hold its own as it is pure, unskinned Android. Good luck with your choice but I recommend trying to get some " hands on" time with any device you're considering.
I just got the Nexus last Friday and I'm thrilled! N6 all day long :good:
Also just ordered this 64gb blue bad boy!
galaxys said:
Also just ordered this 64gb blue bad boy!
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Click to collapse
I have been a Samsung Note user, the 2, 3, and recently the 4. Great phones, but i was on ATT and the 4 is totally locked. I just couldn't stand touchwiz anymore. Not that it was bad, but i was tired of not having the ability to install or delete whatever i wanted on my phone.
I gave up the Note 4 for the N6. The N6 doesn't have quite as nice of a screen, and it doesn't get as bright for direct sun, or as low in complete darkness. Other then that i couldn't be happier. I find that having the flexibility to do what i want is far better then being locked into a device and it's software.
I think for each person it's very personal choice about what they want to do with the device they are buying.
Got my N6 9 days ago, unlocked bootloader, updated to Android 5.1, and rooted the phone right away.
N6 is great.
My previous phone was HTC Vivid (4.7 inches) -- now the 4.7 inch phone looks too small.
Edit: I always wanted to have a Nexus device, since it is very easy to unlock its bootloader, and root the device.
I bought my Nexus 6 from amazon.com, so no AT&T traces anywhere on the phone No, AT&T bloatware either.
You can install android updates (it you need to) without any delay.
Also, by the end of my day, N6 battery shows 67% residual charge.
Thanks for all the input guys.
Pulled the trigger today and it's quite an imposing device.
Fiddled around with the S6 on the store and I must say that I walked away thoroughly unimpressed. The screen and feel of the device are difficult to fault but man... That touchwiz is really urghh!
In conclusion, the N6 was certainly a great choice.
Cheers.
Good morning all,
I purchased my next new device over the weekend- white 32gb Galaxy S6. I absolutely love the phone. It is beautiful on the outside, and MOST of what is inside it, I love as well. My issue is with battery life. Now I know there have already been tons of reports of bad battery life leading up to the actual release. I had written these off as people who didn't know how to properly manage battery life. I knew battery life wouldn't be as good as what I am used to, but I never thought it would be as bad as it is. I am having to leave all the usuals turned of (wifi, bluetooth, location, ect.). No biggie. I am also having to go as far as using the app that turns off pixels in the display to conserve battery life. Even with this, I am getting less than 4 hours of screen on time. Just browsing the net, I can watch my percentage drop rather quickly.
This brings me to the reason for my post. I had originally wanted the Nexus 6. I had been waiting for it to drop on Big Red, so I didn't have to shave down a SIM card, or go through the hassle of explaining to Verizon, "Yes you will allow me to use this device on your network, even though you do not currently offer it." Well right around the time I was ready to make the N6 purchase, I found myself in Best Buy and saw they had a display of the new S6. I went over to check it out, fully thinking I am going to think this device is a joke. Well it wasn't a joke, and that is how I ended up with it.
All this being said, should I go ahead and pick up the N6, or wait for the next flagship to launch? The main thing that has me unsure at the moment is the outdated 32 bit Snapdragon 805 chipset. Now I know this is still a very capable chip, but am I being dumb for blowing $650 on a phone that is already one generation behind in the processor world? I always buy my phone at full retail to avoid losing my unlimited data with Big Red.
Am I making a mistake or should I get it and never look back, while enjoying the pure Android bliss?
How do you figure that 805 is "outdated" or "one generation behind"? 805 is the CURRENT STATE OF THE ART and won't be passed until you start to see the 820 come to market. No, 810 is not a new generation, its just a stopgap to satisfy everybody too dumb to realize that 64bit doesn't do anything useful for a cellphone. Its actually a crappy chip that sucks up way too much power.
The 820 is *actually* the next generation of mobile chip, which improves performance and power consumption compared to the 805.
jonmike13 said:
Good morning all,
I purchased my next new device over the weekend- white 32gb Galaxy S6. I absolutely love the phone. It is beautiful on the outside, and MOST of what is inside it, I love as well. My issue is with battery life. Now I know there have already been tons of reports of bad battery life leading up to the actual release. I had written these off as people who didn't know how to properly manage battery life. I knew battery life wouldn't be as good as what I am used to, but I never thought it would be as bad as it is. I am having to leave all the usuals turned of (wifi, bluetooth, location, ect.). No biggie. I am also having to go as far as using the app that turns off pixels in the display to conserve battery life. Even with this, I am getting less than 4 hours of screen on time. Just browsing the net, I can watch my percentage drop rather quickly.
This brings me to the reason for my post. I had originally wanted the Nexus 6. I had been waiting for it to drop on Big Red, so I didn't have to shave down a SIM card, or go through the hassle of explaining to Verizon, "Yes you will allow me to use this device on your network, even though you do not currently offer it." Well right around the time I was ready to make the N6 purchase, I found myself in Best Buy and saw they had a display of the new S6. I went over to check it out, fully thinking I am going to think this device is a joke. Well it wasn't a joke, and that is how I ended up with it.
All this being said, should I go ahead and pick up the N6, or wait for the next flagship to launch? The main thing that has me unsure at the moment is the outdated 32 bit Snapdragon 805 chipset. Now I know this is still a very capable chip, but am I being dumb for blowing $650 on a phone that is already one generation behind in the processor world? I always buy my phone at full retail to avoid losing my unlimited data with Big Red.
Am I making a mistake or should I get it and never look back, while enjoying the pure Android bliss?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both are very good phones but very different. The Galaxy has the best screen and a good cpu and the Nexus has better speakers and no bloatware. If you like to tinker the nexus is the one for you and if you don`t the S6 is your phone. Mind that KNOX registers the rooting process and it may void warranty dependent on where you live.
The Nexus is overall a great phone with good batterylife (user dependable) a good screen, good speakers and its very snappy and fluid. You can`t go wrong with either phones but it all depends on how you use the phone and what you want to do with it.
gee2012 said:
Both are very good phones but very different. The Galaxy has the best screen and a good cpu and the Nexus has better speakers and no bloatware. If you like to tinker the nexus is the one for you and if you don`t the S6 is your phone. Mind that KNOX registers the rooting process and it may void warranty dependent on where you live.
The Nexus is overall a great phone with a good screen, good speakers and its very snappy and fluid. You can`t go wrong with either phones but it all depends on how you use the phone and what you want to do with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. You can't go wrong with most phones these days it just depends on what you want. Other than the camera, ignore the specs and ask yourself do you want a larger phone with pure android? Or do you want a smaller one with TouchWiz? Also, considering you're on Verizon, the S6 bootloader most likely won't be unlocked and root will be a challenge.
With that being said, I switched from the Note 4 to the Nexus 6. The Note screen and camera were much better than the Nexus 6, but I prefer stock Android and being able to unlock the bootloader and root. After waiting months hoping for someone to obtain root I finally gave up and switched and don't plan on going back.
I appreciate all the responses guys. I am coming from a Note 3 and I have always liked the larger phones, and in turn I am used to bigger batteries and longer battery life. I did not know that the Snapdragon 810 wasn't a new generation chip. I appreciate the clarification on that. I definitely prefer what the Nexus 6 has to offer, but I guess I was worried it would be outdated much quicker than the S6. I was lured into the S6 by their in-house chipset that seems to be crushing everything it is put up against in benchmark testing, and the fact that the build quality and design seems to be on par with an iPhone. I kind of thought of it as an iPhone running android because of how much the design has changed over the previous S5.
im sort of in the same boat.. im coming from a GS4 so anything will be an upgrade for me. my phone is pissing me off and im dealing with a stuck power button issue so the phone randomly shuts off and wont turn back on. was debating GS6 vs N6 but knowing on verizon i cant root or unlock the bootloader i think im going N6
jonmike13 said:
I appreciate all the responses guys. I am coming from a Note 3 and I have always liked the larger phones, and in turn I am used to bigger batteries and longer battery life. I did not know that the Snapdragon 810 wasn't a new generation chip. I appreciate the clarification on that. I definitely prefer what the Nexus 6 has to offer, but I guess I was worried it would be outdated much quicker than the S6. I was lured into the S6 by their in-house chipset that seems to be crushing everything it is put up against in benchmark testing, and the fact that the build quality and design seems to be on par with an iPhone. I kind of thought of it as an iPhone running android because of how much the design has changed over the previous S5.
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Click to collapse
One thing of note is that most oems are aware when a benchmark is being run and have background processes (for lack of a proper term) kick in to falsely boost the results. If you google the idea, you will find tons of results from Samsung, HTC, and I'm sure many others.
Cant really go off benchmarks, even though I still run them on any new phone I am considering purchasing lol
pokedroid said:
One thing of note is that most oems are aware when a benchmark is being run and have background processes (for lack of a proper term) kick in to falsely boost the results. If you google the idea, you will find tons of results from Samsung, HTC, and I'm sure many others.
Cant really go off benchmarks, even though I still run them on any new phone I am considering purchasing lol
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Good bit of information to keep in mind. I did not know that.
dansan382 said:
im sort of in the same boat.. im coming from a GS4 so anything will be an upgrade for me. my phone is pissing me off and im dealing with a stuck power button issue so the phone randomly shuts off and wont turn back on. was debating GS6 vs N6 but knowing on verizon i cant root or unlock the bootloader i think im going N6
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Click to collapse
I am not sure how your current battery life is, but this S6 has been far from what I expected. I am using that app to disable pixels, which causes the screen to look bad. This makes me think, what is the point in buying this awesome phone if you have to disable most of its great features in order to get it to last all day. Since you are on Verizon, you will be happy to know that they have the Nexus 6 for $599 as opposed to $649 through the Google Play store. That is if you are okay with having the blue color, since Verizon does not offer the white one.
jonmike13 said:
I am not sure how your current battery life is, but this S6 has been far from what I expected. I am using that app to disable pixels, which causes the screen to look bad. This makes me think, what is the point in buying this awesome phone if you have to disable most of its great features in order to get it to last all day. Since you are on Verizon, you will be happy to know that they have the Nexus 6 for $599 as opposed to $649 through the Google Play store. That is if you are okay with having the blue color, since Verizon does not offer the white one.
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my battery life on my GS4 is not great at all, actually its pretty bad. Im running cm11 roms and this stuff is buggy as heck so thats not helping either. I wasn't impressed with the GS6 when I played with it in the verizon store, just didnt blow me away. plus i hate touchwiz.
I will be buying my nexus 6 from motorola, as I want white. I just really dont like that blue/purpleish tint to the MB version. I really wish they offered black but sadly that isn't happening. I'll probably just get a cool dbrand wrap as well.
for those who have ordered from motorola, from the time you placed the order how long did it take to arrive at your door? Im debating if I should mail it to my house or my job as I know they will need a signature and nobody will be home.
I've always had galaxy devices but looked to nexus this time. The only thing that i dislike the phone is no ext sdcard. Once i got over that. I love the n6 and will not go to a galaxy device again. The knox thing made my life hell with the s4. The s5 was a bit easier to deal with roit and all but tw lag was unbearable especially compared to my friends n5. Battery is great on the n6 granted it's bigger than the previous phones i had. Took me awhile to get used to the bigger phone. On 5.1 stock rooted encrypted and the performance is more than satisfying
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
slicknsxy said:
I've always had galaxy devices but looked to nexus this time. The only thing that i dislike the phone is no ext sdcard. Once i got over that. I love the n6 and will not go to a galaxy device again. The knox thing made my life hell with the s4. The s5 was a bit easier to deal with roit and all but tw lag was unbearable especially compared to my friends n5. Battery is great on the n6 granted it's bigger than the previous phones i had. Took me awhile to get used to the bigger phone. On 5.1 stock rooted encrypted and the performance is more than satisfying
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
thanks for your feedback. ive had this GS4 since launch date and thankfully I was able to unlock the bootloader before they plugged that hole up. I dont mind not having an SD card as I had a Galaxy Nexus before the GS4. I also have never swapped batteries so i dont mind losing the removable battery especially since the nexus battery is huge. Also turbo charger and wireless charging is a nice thing to have. I'd probably use it just like you have, root it and unlock the bootloader. I just want stock android without having to use custom roms.
dansan382 said:
thanks for your feedback. ive had this GS4 since launch date and thankfully I was able to unlock the bootloader before they plugged that hole up. I dont mind not having an SD card as I had a Galaxy Nexus before the GS4. I also have never swapped batteries so i dont mind losing the removable battery especially since the nexus battery is huge. Also turbo charger and wireless charging is a nice thing to have. I'd probably use it just like you have, root it and unlock the bootloader. I just want stock android without having to use custom roms.
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Click to collapse
The turbo charger is great. I only use it once in awhile most of the time I'm wireless charging. With my galaxy phones i ended up making it look and run like a nexus device as much as i could. My friend convinced me that i should just get the n6 and try it. So much nicer and easier when it comes to updates too. Definitely don't regret the n6. And I'm very pleased with 5.1
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Just to chime in, I also came from the Note 3. I was in a real pickle as I didn't want to have a phone without a sd card but root was more important as it's beginning to look you'll catch a unicorn before anything Samsung gets rooted on Verizon...:silly: Anyway, rooting this device was the easiest I've ever done and I just bought a Meenova adapter and still use my sd card with that when I need it. I look at it as you have to give to get, if you want root on Big Red you may have to give up something and what I gave up wasn't all that bad in the end for the freedom I now have. Just some thoughts from me.
P.S. - Plus I don't want to have to give up my signature....
Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.
theycallmerayj said:
Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.
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Obviously I cannot help with going from the N6 to the S6, but I will try to report back once I get the N6 and let you know how the two devices compare and if there was anything I preferred on the S6.
All I can say is, an an att retail employee, I still think the N6 is the best overall phone right now. Camera isn't terribly important to me, screen quality, screen size, battery life, and customization is what I look for and N6 wins in all 4 categories. The N6 still has a QHD screen and the size is great for gaming or netflix/YouTube. Just my two cents, I'm either going to get the m9 (half off purchase program for wireless employees with free upgrade every year... No contract) due to bootloader situation, purchase a N6 for my personal device or wait for one-plus-two. S6 is nice, but mostly hype, IMHO.
theycallmerayj said:
Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did for one week then went back to my N6. The S6 is very nice. The N6 is a much better software experience IF you favor stock android. That's what it came down to for me.
Thanks for this thread you guys! Exactly why I love xda! Currently have the Nexus 5 after owning the Galaxy S1, S2 and S4. Couldn't be more happy with the Nexus 5 but battery life is pretty terrible for me on that device. I sneak around the Nexus 6 as I would like the bigger screen, better battery and better speaker but after seeing the Galaxy S6 I was also torn towards that a bit. This thread is really helpful for me and so far I think Nexus 6 is the way to go.
adl said:
Thanks for this thread you guys! Exactly why I love xda! Currently have the Nexus 5 after owning the Galaxy S1, S2 and S4. Couldn't be more happy with the Nexus 5 but battery life is pretty terrible for me on that device. I sneak around the Nexus 6 as I would like the bigger screen, better battery and better speaker but after seeing the Galaxy S6 I was also torn towards that a bit. This thread is really helpful for me and so far I think Nexus 6 is the way to go.
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Go for it and don't look back! Now I am stuck paying a $35 restock fee on this S6, but I think it will be worth it.