Sunday, March 29, 2015

Nexus 6: the aftermath


My new Nexus 6 'phablet' arrived yesterday and so far I am impressed. These days configuration is a doddle, as Google simply copies all the settings and apps from a back-up image of my Samsung Galaxy S3 (the one I dropped and broke on the summit of British Camp in the Malvern Hills) via WiFi. The new device is also pretty fast and I've gotten used to its size - so much so that the S3 now looks way too small and diminutive ...

One small note: the SIM card is smaller than the S3's so it'll be a trip to the Vodafone shop to burn a new one.

The cover I ordered with it is, however, a disaster. The Ringke MAX is a kind of shell which certainly fits snugly enough round the back of the phone ...

Ringke MAX shell-cover for Nexus 6
... but the power and volume controls are so diminutive on the Nexus 6 that the shell extends far beyond them on the device-edge: they're kind of buried in a long, thin trench. Ringke tried to solve this problem by having some rubber covers shaped to, er, cover these controls. Unfortunately the rubber simply compresses and the controls don't move. Great to have a cover which prevents you controlling the device.

Ringke also provided a screen protector for free. I have tried and tried again, but it always deploys as a simulation of entrapped bubble wrap. Can't get the thing flush - the bubbles stubbornly refuse to slide out to the edge. I applied sellotape and pulled it right off: it's unusable.

So I have spent even more money and await delivery tomorrow of this:

Orzly® - Multi-Function Wallet Case for Motorola NEXUS 6 - BLACK CARBON FIBRE Style Wallet Style Phone Case with Integrated Stand and Built-In Auto Sleep / Wake Sensor Functionality Custom Built for the GOOGLE NEXUS 6 SmartPhone

Can you see that the controls seem to be unencumbered?

Hopefully this will solve the problem of me dropping and breaking stuff, and will also allow the phone to be charged via the wireless charger (reviews seem to be mixed on this point).
---
UPDATE: the Orzly wallet case for the Nexus 6 arrived yesterday and it's perfect. The controls are easily accessible and the case both protects the device and makes it easy to hold. Also, the wireless charger works through it, so it's just a matter of placing the device in its case on top of the charger. Great.

Time will tell if the three credit card slots, and the ability to use the compartment behind to store paper money, are actually useful.