Nexus 6P Unveiled: Google Android 6.0 Smartphone Features 12.3MP Camera, 5.7-Inch Display, Fast Charging

Maybe bigger isn’t always better when it comes to phablets. Google on Wednesday introduced the Nexus 6P as part of an event in San Francisco that saw the search giant unveil a number of products and services. The Nexus 6P is a slightly slimmed-down version of its predecessor, the 6-inch Motorola Nexus 6, and is the company's latest flagship.

It may not be the largest phone Google has ever launched, but it’s the first smartphone the Android developer has developed in partnership with Chinese handset maker Huawei. The Nexus 6P joins its smaller sibling, the 5.2-inch Nexus 5X.

On the outside, the Nexus 6P departs from its predecessor’s design by trading in the plastic of the Nexus 6 in favor of a metal rear case. At the top of the phone is a 12.3 megapixel Sony image Nexus Camera, which comes with better low-light performance than the 6 due to its larger sensor pixels, Google said. The Nexus 6P also uses a laser system for fast autofocusing. And the camera supports 240 frames-per-second, slow-motion video and 4K video.

The front of the smartphone sports a 5.7-inch QHD display, a slight size decrease from the Nexus 6, which came with a 6-inch display. Screen resolution comes in at 2,540-by-1,440 pixels, similar to last year’s model. Protecting it all is Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 -- a material used for many smartphone display covers, such as those found on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5.

The Nexus 6P also comes with Nexus Imprint, a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone that works with the Android Pay mobile payment system. Systemwide fingerprint reader support is built into the Nexus smartphone through Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

On the inside, the Nexus 6P is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 version 2.1 chip paired with 3 gigabytes of RAM, which should help the smartphone with multitasking and faster app processing. For syncing and charging, the 6P ditches its micro USB plug in favor of a reversible USB type-C port, such as those found on Apple’s MacBook, the OnePlus 2 and Google’s Chromebook. Powering it all is a large 3450mAh battery, which can be charged in half the time it takes to charge Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus.

The Nexus 6P is available in three storage options -- 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. And prices come in at $499.99, $549 and $649, respectively. Customers can choose from three colors -- frost white, aluminum and graphite. The smartphone will come with a 90-day free subscription to Google Play Music and in the U.S. $50 credit to the Play Store. Customers can also shell out $89 for Nexus Protect, a program that will provide two years of coverage for mechanical and accidental damage.

The Nexus 6P will be available for preorder from the Google Store starting Wednesday.