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Greetings All,
I'm on a Note 3 right now, and Monday or Tuesday it's time for my upgrade. I'm torn between a Note 4 and the Nexus 6. The last 3 devices I owned were Note 3, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S2. I'm really looking to switch it up here, and step back from Samsung for a little while. The Nexus 6 is my first choice right now, seeing as the Note 3 has me pretty spoiled with the large screen and the s-pen. I guess my question would be, since I've been seeing mixed reviews for Nexus 6 around the web, does anyone here have any regrets buying this device so far? And if so, are any regrets stone cold deal breakers, or just minor issues? I'm really looking at giving "vanilla" android (if that's even such thing on xda) a run, and I've heard that the Nexus devices have had the most and best development as far as that goes. So I guess I'm asking if there's any major problems with the Nexus 6 that is not being mentioned in a standard review, before I go scoop one up in the next day or two. Many thanks in advance...
My only gripe with this device is the poor cell signal. My phone is constantly searching for a signal and it is really impacting my battery life. Other than that I am happy with this device, hopefully T-Mobile pushes the OTA update for WiFi Calling soon.
no regrets here. want unlockable, rootable device that I can do as I want with. this is my first Nexus device. got it from Moto direct. on VZW
have generally had moto devices in the past and like their overall solid construction.
like Samsung devices but they are always a but flimsy IMHO.
None at all, I came from my 2 G3's (D850 and F460) and haven't looked back. My wife liked my Nexus so much (except the size) she wanted a Moto X 2014 so I bought her one. This so hands down my favorite phone so far
If u get the nexus use HDR+ on your camera day and night looks amazing. I thought I would miss Samsung but I don't . I miss the knock on. With the g3 but that's something I can put on the nexus
My only regret was not buying this phone sooner.
I'd only have a regret if something with otherwise the same specs but a smaller screen came out within a month of release; I guess I also regret switching to T-Mobile right before release but that's a different issue.
godsafk said:
My only gripe with this device is the poor cell signal. My phone is constantly searching for a signal and it is really impacting my battery life. Other than that I am happy with this device, hopefully T-Mobile pushes the OTA update for WiFi Calling soon.
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Whoa, no WiFi calling?? I kind of need that for work....
Got it. I think I'm gonna go scoop one up tomorrow. Thanks all
I regret not waiting for the Nexus 6+ with the 6.7" screen.
Do you like to spend time tinkering?
twatts723 said:
Got it. I think I'm gonna go scoop one up tomorrow. Thanks all
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If you have the time to tinker and are willing to wait for things to get fixed or turned into features, this is the phone for you. If you have been using Samsung devices and think you will get anything close to the features Samsung adds, especially to their Note line, forget it. One thing the Nexus will help you see and appreciate is all the care and hard work that goes into their overlay. Things you may have thought were standard user options turn out to be features of branded manufactured phones. I have much respect for the care that Sammy and LG and even HTC puts in their phones now that I'm pure Vanilla. So, yes// there are definitely some trade offs I was unaware of.
would you buy the nexus 6 again today over other phones?
Yes but not direct from Motorola
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Probably not.
bambam126 said:
would you buy the nexus 6 again today over other phones?
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I perhaps would try the LG G4. Prior to switching I had the LG G3 and it was a pretty great phone. Considering you only needed root and the exposed framework to do many cool features. Thought that it was a great concept for moving forward with devices. No longer waiting for that special ROM to come. It was truly a no hassle phone.
I'd go with the Sammy S6 edge except it is very small on screen size. But my number one concern with any phone is support for Android Auto, cause when I'm mobile, I am and want to be hands free mobile. But in my humble opinion, the Nexus is much more of a dedicated ROM, Framework, and Governor type phone which requires constant attention and tweaking by the user to get the most out of.
I love my N6 but I wish the camera was faster. The camera on the G4 is the only thing I covet
Sent from my Benzo'd Google N6 on VZ
Yes, I was not at all impressed with the m9. I must admit the s6 did impress me however only 5 inches and no front facing speakers makes me not want it. I must admit I am anxiously waiting for the note 5 and what ever the next Nexus device is going to be at the end of the year. If the next Nexus is smaller than 5.5 inches I will definitely consider the Note 5.
I am still very happy with my Nexus 6
I tend not to buy phones that are 6 months old. If it was 3 months ago, then yes.
There is nothing now that I feel would be any better either though. I'd probably be waiting until Autumn unless I had a desperate requirement
Yes, mostly because root is more and more elusive. There's so much less to worry about with a Nexus device: no need for exploits nor bootloader codes, no worries about bricking, and no lack of dev support.
That said, there are areas I would like to see improvement. Between Google and all the dev support, we don't have to wait long to see and implement them.
Coming from a S4 to this phone is like night and day. Boot loader, root, general flashing all much easier with a great forum to provide support.... whats not to love?? If none of those things matter to you then any phone would do but if you like to live a little on the edge and try new stuff.... this type of phone is a good choice.
Yes. Tired of waiting for ROMs and bootloader hacks and root access for other phones. Google gives you access to everything right out the box.
I would buy my Nexus 6 today in a heartbeat. Even though it's now an "older" device, there are many points that I love and haven't really seen in other devices. Top 5 reasons:
1. Aftermarket/community support
2. Build materials and quality (I like the plastic back with the metal frame. Might not be as "pretty" but the back is less likely to show abrasions and won't dent)
3. Lollipop/"Pure" Android (no bloat, cutting-edge software, timely updates)
4. The amazing hardware package (although we all agree the camera could be better on a device in this class)
a. awesome processors
b. lots o' RAM
c. fantastic radios (cell, GPS, BT, WiFi)
d. wonderful front stereo speakers
e. dat screen, doh
f. etc...
5. Size and shape
As others have said, I cannot go without an rooted and unlocked device. My heart would sink if i had an unmodable phone. The dev and community support is great. Other phones may have nice features here and there or higher benchmarks but if it cannot rooted and unlocked I'll pass. The manufacturers may have a their own idea of how a phone should be setup, but I don't prefer it. I want to tweak it to my liking, especially since this is primarily what in use to communicate with the world.
Just as in the plethora of ROMs available here: some are stock+ while others have a ton of features. I, fortunately, have the ability to choose which user-interface best pleases my needs.
If all phones were unlocked and rootable I would have to rethink my answer.
I would absolutely buy it again.
I did just purchase mine. Had the s6 and had to return it because of display issues and the battery life was terrible. At the store they gave me a replacement with the same display issue (pink tint on bottom 1/3 of the display, very noticable next to the display model). Looked at the g flex 2 and m9 and decided I wanted to go with this. I had been saying I was gonna get a nexus anyway but the s6's hardware was very appealing. I am not disappointed with my decision at all. I did think the battery life would be a little better on this and it does get uncomfortably toasty at times but I do love this phone.
Definitely would buy again.
1) Unlockable bootloader with so little hassle
2) Dev community
At the same time I have been putting up with a slow camera ;(
Edit: good solution for camera just found: open camera (in the GPS: Dev mark Harman)
glenny buster said:
I did just purchase mine. Had the s6 and had to return it because of display issues and the battery life was terrible. At the store they gave me a replacement with the same display issue (pink tint on bottom 1/3 of the display, very noticable next to the display model). Looked at the g flex 2 and m9 and decided I wanted to go with this. I had been saying I was gonna get a nexus anyway but the s6's hardware was very appealing. I am not disappointed with my decision at all. I did think the battery life would be a little better on this and it does get uncomfortably toasty at times but I do love this phone.
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Check out the disabling services thread in general http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/disabling-google-play-services-guide-t2999821/page22 post 220 talks about disabling receivers, it refers to the google play update receivers they start with system.update. I disabled those 3 and battery life has been pretty good (along with other stuff I don't use... Fit, Kids, and such). Of course you need to be rooted to do this, I am using My Android Tools (I got the paid version but there is also a free version I think) to disable stuff. Just pay close attention to the thread and don't try to experiment.... at a minimum, you will want to have a nandroid backup before you start just incase you disable something by mistake.
in tech, its all about timing. there are 810 phones i can get today.. though i think i might be happier with the 805 than the 810, but the chips in the s6 look pretty good... i might even wait for the 6s-plus to come out if i were shopping today (if the 6 plus had 2 gigs of ram i would have gotten a 6 plus)... the phone i wanted more than anything was the droid turbo when deciding (was between nexus 6, moto x, m8 and droid turbo... so lots of moto). after seeing all the development for the nexus, i dont think i would go to another phone... but an lg nexus with ips display might be nice (dont need 4k, 1080 is fine... want a 4200 mAh battery).
and i have a feeling we are still unlocking new potential with the phone, porting moto features, getting cm implementation ironed out... lollipop is still in growing pains...
I just bought mine a couple weeks ago so I'd say yes. I was just tired of lack of root and delayed updates on the Note 4.
I'm basically wondering how the Nexus 6 is doing? Has the latest update to 5.1.1 worked well for people or does it feel old? Will it most likely keep getting updates through Android M too? My S6 Edge benchmarks amazingly but Touchwiz ultimately sucks even now that it's gone through a VERY cheap lipo surgery.
Constant redraws have made me resort to using Nova Launcher and the RAM management is atrocious, I'm actually in habit now to always open the multi-tasking pane and closing all apps whenever I go to open a new one (on an $850 phone!!)! And don't get me started with the damn backwards capacitive buttons ON THE BEZEL. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally pressed them while holding my phone sideways for games or even just taking pictures. Now I have to make sure to hold the phone awkwardly to not press them...
It's just frustrating not having your expensive phone's stock OS work well (HTC One M8 being a prime example of how to get stock right). I also absolutely love having Stock Android on my Nexus 9 so it'd be sweet having stock on both phone and tablet. My only worry would be if anyone knows if a newer big sized Nexus phone is around the corner or is the Nexus 6 still a legit phone and worth the pricetag?
Thanks in advance!
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Hendrycks said:
I'm basically wondering how the Nexus 6 is doing? Has the latest update to 5.1.1 worked well for people or does it feel old?
My only worry would be if anyone knows if a newer big sized Nexus phone is around the corner or is the Nexus 6 still a legit phone and worth the pricetag?
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Because a smartphone is a personal choice it is not easy to answer your questions. I will tell you what I did with my N6.
1. Rooted and flashed Franco's kernel.
2. Disabled not used Google apps.
3. Used build.prop editor.
Switched to tablet mode by changing the value LCD density from 560 to 384. Font size to huge.
WiFi scan interval from 15 to 200.
4. When available using apps with a black background.
Result is better battery life. And I hardly use my PC anymore. My N7-tablet is no longer needed.
Nexus 6 will get M and who knows after that? Quite possibly the next version. Then when support stops, we'll still get AOSP with a bit of dev work involved.
Samsung RAM management has always been bad. My S3 was terrible at it. They just cant get it right.
Stock = Whatever the phone comes with, so for the first part I assume you are referring to Touchwiz and Sense as Stock on those phones, but by the second part of your post when you say stock, it seems like you really meant Vanilla / Pure Android?
One of the reasons to buy a Google phone is that it is likely to be well-supported both by Google and by the community.
My last phone was a Galaxy S4. It was a very nice phone but I hated TouchWiz and Knox so I jumped ship and I've been very happy with my N6. As long as you are happy with a huge phone, you certainly don't need to worry about support.
Long time Samsung user (prev phone was S3). I looked long and hard at getting an S6, but too many disgruntled users (RAM, battery, and locked bootloader - although Rooting was achieved).
Looked at M9 and LG3 too. Hadn't really considered Nexus 6. Then after reading reviews and user comments, I bought an unlocked 64GB version for $549 ($150 off) on Amazon. Rooted it withing 30 minutes and had AT&T put a SIM in it.
Really happy so far (1 week in). Great battery life, fast, and no AT&T or Samsung bloat.
Also - I was off contract with AT&T, so I have 30 days with Amazon to return it if I want to.
I'm sort of in the same boat. I have about a month to decide if I want to go with this phone, the G4, or something else. Currently on an iPhone and while I like it, I miss Android. My first Android phone was the OG Droid from Motorola, so I'm leaning heavily to the Nexus.
While I'd love to get the 64GB version, it's just not in the cards at the moment to pay full price (just bought my wife a new road bike, and we're trying to save for a move), so I'll be using one of the 2 year upgrades on my AT&T account when it comes up next month.
Just curious to see if anyone is making the jump now that the new nexus' have been released for pre-order. If so what was your main reason? Easy root? More development? Hardware? Software? And if not are you staying with Samsung after the lock down they put on there phones? I myself have owned several nexus phones before and they have always been great, my only issue is there is always some hardware spec I'm missing, usually the camera. Right now with this variation I feel the 5.7 inch screen is a little much for me and know ois for the camera on the nexus p and the nexus x is the right size but way to underwhelming as far as specs go.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
Meant to post this in general if a mod doesn't mind moving...
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I would if I didn't have to pay anything to trade
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app
You could probably sell your edge and recoup most if not all of the cost of the nexus... that or find someone in a few months willing to trade straight up
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
I preordered my nexus 5x. I went from a nexus 5 to this and have regretted it ever since. My main reason is the openess..there's a huge battery problem that could be fixed without having to wait on Samsung if there wasn't a bootlock.
Yeah man after having several nexus devices I switched to the lg g3 then this and I miss the development possible with the nexus. I don't know if anyone from the att forums ever pops in on a nexus development thread but it's a virtual playground of new roms, kernels, and useful mods. Don't get me wrong I'm appreciative of anyone putting in work on the att variants, it's just nowhere near the support a nexus gets! If they would just come out with a soild camera and the premium specs the 6p has, I would've preordered also
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
I am cant wait to get it. I doubt im ever coming back to samsung =(
I'm getting swayed myself. My notifications, device wake don't work unless with CM locker and then it's still not consistent. Then there are the gremlins here and there but there are some that really bothers me.
Plus I'm tired of my Nexus friends getting the new upgrades all the time.
I know how you feel, especially considering if I had a nexus right now I would have the marshmallow update already. Unfortunately I'm still stuck on 5.0.2 because I don't wanna lose root! By the time we see marshmallow it'll be on the SGS7! I sweat if tmobile gets it together with a consistent lte signal Im done done done with AT&T
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
Samsung makes very nice phones but i really want more flexibility. I have already ordered a Nexus 6P and i hope i am going to like it. I am only worried because it is bigger than my edge.
If its your first nexus you will love it, theres almost too much flexibility! Youll find yourself messing with everything lol. The only thing is you dont get the gimmicky stuff as much as you do with manufacturers like samsung and htc. Some people miss that. The size difference, thats another story and partially why I have held off until I can hold one and see in hand the difference. I had the LG G3 and that is about as big as I think I can comfortably go with a phone.
Last time i had a samsung was the note 2.. i hated that phone so much i traded it for a optimus g pro. loved that phone still have it today. i swore i wouldn't go back to samsung. then the s6 appeared. 64 bit cpu exynos was destroying the benchmarks. smaller more efficient cpu manufacturing, awesome screen, glass, metal. smaller more efficient battery and finally tw had less bloat.damn made me change my mind. i had to pre order....... i have hated this phone since month 3 of owning. i hate this samsung. cant wait to get rid of it. i gave my htc m8 for this crap. m8 never lagged like this pos and battery was better. and the phone seemed faster idk how or why. samsung made me hate samsung. so yeah im getting a nexus just can't decide which. waiting on the reviews. not making the same mistake of pre ordering
Yeah man I know, that's why I skipped the s5. I've owned the sgs2, Samsung galaxy nexus, Sgs3, and sgs4. I got in on the sgs4 while there was still a bootloader exploit, however once i saw they locked it down in a way where the later versions could only use safestrap I was like, no way will I ever come back to Sammy. Skipped the sgs5 and went with the LG G3 but was lured back by the specs on this phone!! Samsung always has the hardware I want in a phone, best cpu, great screen, good camera, couple cool little gimmicks to play with... but this allowing manufacturers to lock down bootloader and essentially kill the dev scene is really pissing me off. I have always bought my wife HTC phones when I upgrade because I can never decide between 2 phones, her m8 still running as smooth as day she got it, I didn't even unlock and rom it like I usually do. I just cannot find the perfect storm of cutting edge specs that I want and development to go with. Sucks!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
The reasons I like Samsung phones is their hardware. Great camera, screens, better memory configurations, and lately the design of the phone. If all that was put into the nexus then it'd be an easy decision. Unfortunately the nexus lacks that. Idk what my next phone is going to be after this debacle.
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Am I the only one considering upgrading to the s7 edge? Only cons for me are going to a smaller screen (I think) and no micro usb c. The main reason I want it is the 3600 mah battery and snapdragon 820. The Nexus 6 has been great and I've had it for over a yr which isn't common for me heh. What are your opinions on the S7 edge?
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Don't think I can go back to a much smaller screen. I'd rather keep using the N6 as daily driver and wait for the 2016 Nexus or Moto X Pure.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
The screen size isn't as much an issue here as dealing with, in order of severity, locked bootloaders, Touchwiz, Knox, and bloatware. Not a good trade, and waiting for the next Nexus is the better option.
It has bloatware (Nova Launcher can hide this)
Locked bootloader, I have not rooted anything in ages.
My biggest pet peeve is that March next year you will be wondering when will you see Android N.
The next biggest pet peeve is the small screen.
Me I can wait 6 or 7 months and see what Nexus 2016 is like, hopefully they bring back Qi Charging.
Yeah 1 can only hope for it getting root, seeing as I have Verizon on top of that. I think it'll be nice not tinkering with my phone everyday. I'll more than likely get bored with it and go crazy not flashing anything. I could just get the S7E and if the new Nexus is worth it and just sell the Edge and pay the difference.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Hi there!
I've had a Nexus 6 for the past few months. In-between I ran a S6 Edge for a few weeks. Here's a few points to look our for on the S7 Edge during my experiences on the S6 Edge.
1. Read up on how the battery lasts. The S6 Edge has (arguably) the most beautiful screen ever put onto a phone. The battery life was awful though, so to get through a day on minimal use I had to have adaptive brightness on down at the 20% mark. It really annoyed me that I had this glorious screen I couldn't use in case my battery was all used before I even made it to work in the morning!
2. Check to see if the Edge apps functionality has improved. I had Lollipop on it when I first purchased it. The Edge apps were completely redundant. I could add callers and extra apps (nothing that a 3rd party browser couldn't add to the home screen), and also there was a swipe function to check weather etc that worked 50% of the time. I joined the beta programme for Marshmallow and the Edge apps hadn't really improved.
3. The lack of an unlocked bootloader, and the squeeze this had on development on the likes of XDA drove me a bit crazy. I use to be a bit of a flash addict, but have now settled down, but I still like to try new things every now and again even though I revert back to my favourites.
4. I missed the N6 screen size.
5. Touchwiz is vastly improved, but considering the spec differences I felt no speed differences between the S6 Edge and N6. (I don't play games on my phone so wouldn't know the difference between the 2 in more demanding tasks.)
6. The camera on the S6 Edge is stunning, and I can imagine will be better on the S7.
To summarise, I can imagine the S7 and S7 Edge being good phones. My advice if you were to choose one would be to go with the S7, as unless the software and functionality is massively improved, the S7 Edge won't justify the extra price.
And I much prefer my N6 over the S6 Edge...
Going to be a great phone. But the snails pace of updates, especially the security updates is a deal killer for me. I could live without mods and root but updates are an issue for me.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs
S7 isn't even an option, screen size would be way too small. And it only has a 3000 mah battery vs the 3600 in the S7E.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
AstroDigital said:
It has bloatware (Nova Launcher can hide this)
Locked bootloader, I have not rooted anything in ages.
My biggest pet peeve is that March next year you will be wondering when will you see Android N.
The next biggest pet peeve is the small screen.
Me I can wait 6 or 7 months and see what Nexus 2016 is like, hopefully they bring back Qi Charging.
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I just read your response .... What do you gain from xda if you aren't rooting your phones and have your purchases guided by the disaster of all disasters --- a locked bootloader !! ???
I....actually wouldn't mind going to a smaller screen. While I greatly, and I mean, greatly enjoy the size of my N6, there are times where I wish that it was a tad smaller. As real life is consuming so much more of my spare time, I spend less time watching videos, rooting, and tinkering, and more time handling stuff for work or home. Specifically, using the camera to take pics of my children will be easier to quickly take out and handle a smaller phone.
However, as far as the S7 goes, it is coming to look like a beast, and I will be getting one for my wife...not me. TouchWiz is my Achilles' Heel. Always has been. I'm waiting for HTC's next iteration to see whether or not I want to take the plunge into a Samsung device for myself, or another Nexus. LG is out of the question. Their UI is just not my style.
Well, depending on your carrier, you likely are not going to be able to do much if you have Verizon or AT&T given that they both lock their bootloaders. I'll fully admit, last fall I WAS going to buy a Note 4, but it was sold out so I got the Nexus 6 instead. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. I remember having to chase down my specific build for my make and carrier, it wasn't just "Shamu" for everyone. Seems like every "non-Nexus" phone is one-misstep from "bricking" the device. No thanks. From accidentally downgrading the bootloader, to flashing the wrong firmware, etc, etc...............
Good experience and less headache with the Nexus. I'll never buy a non-Nexus phone again.
I might consider S7 Edge as well, looks to be perfect piece of hardware. I know i would get late updates with samsung but who cares, i don't remember a single update that brought better daily functions to my nexus 6 from google. For example, they didn't even bring slow motion video capture, no led light, no double tap to wake. There's nothing useful for daily usage in a nexus but instant empty updates. I don't care much if i am patched to february security in day one like if any hackers targeted me.
How long before a Verizon S7 edge gets rooted? Never????
ronaldheld said:
How long before a Verizon S7 edge gets rooted? Never????
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It took forever for the Verizon S5 to get rooted, the Verizon S6 Edge will probably never get rooted and same for the S7 Edge.
KNOX just keeps getting tougher.
All the more reason to avoid Samsung if you want to develop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/bounty-verizon-note-4-root-whos-t2916685
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-att/general/bounty-att-note-4-root-knox-list-pledges-t2946770
AT&T/Verizon Note 4 from early 2014 is still waiting for permanent root. Take a look at the bounties on post #1.
.......have fun
mikeprius said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/bounty-verizon-note-4-root-whos-t2916685
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-att/general/bounty-att-note-4-root-knox-list-pledges-t2946770
AT&T/Verizon Note 4 from early 2014 is still waiting for permanent root. Take a look at the bounties on post #1.
.......have fun
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Good thing I sold mine to move to the Nexus.
I figure if I do get it, Verizon has a trade in promo where I can get 100 for trading in my old bionic. I'll put 300 down on the phone so the payments will be $20. Then I can sell my nexus for $200-300 and sell the free gear s2 for another $200-300. The phones pretty much paid off then. And I can sell my s7 edge need be if the new Nexus it worth it. Decisions decisions
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I would love a 6 edge, I love the design of the galaxy series since the s6 (minus useless home button) I especially love the silver. Now that it has a snapdragon 820 we might get some custom ROMs. Only real drawback is the price and having to increase my phone bill by $30+
Its not really that knox has gotten better but because those that have the knowledge on being able to bypass the locks hae sworn off of ever working on Samsung devices again.