Within a month at the end of 2014, two major smartphone competitors launched their newest models, entering the growing phablet market themselves. In September, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus was launched, and in October, Google reacted with its Nexus 6. We compared the key features of both smartphones to help consumers make decisions about which device from the manufacturer to choose.
Design and build quality
The Nexus 6 measures 6.27 x 3.27 x 0.40 inches with a 6.0-inch screen. It’s bigger than the iPhone 6 Plus, which is 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches smaller and thinner, with a 4.7-inch screen. Naturally, the Nexus 6 weighs more than the iPhone by about 10 grams. The iPhone case is made entirely of aluminum, giving it a sleek, premium design, while the Nexus 6 has a contoured aluminum front but a more economical plastic back.
Display quality
The Nexus 6 has a larger screen and boasts a much higher 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution than its competitor, displaying only 1920 x 1080 pixels per inch. If you can accept some plastic inside the Nexus build, then you get a bigger screen in the least amount of space possible. The screen-to-body ratio of the Nexus 6 is 74.03%, while the iPhone offers 65% lower.
Performance
The Nexus 6 includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor that offers 2.7 GHz with 3 GB of very high RAM. The iPhone 6 Plus has a lower 1GB of RAM, but it has a custom A8 64-bit processor and an M8 motion coprocessor that performs extremely well in tests against the Nexus 6. A key feature of the Google Nexus 6 is the double front speakers, which allow clear sound directed at the user instead of the lower iPhone speakers next to the charger port.
Photography
Smartphone users are increasingly abandoning their separate cameras and using their phone instead, emphasizing the importance of internal cameras. While the Nexus 6 offers a 13-megapixel camera, which is tall compared to the iPhone’s 8-megapixel lens, both devices deliver similar results in final image quality. Those obsessed with selfie photos will be more drawn to Google’s 2 megapixel front camera compared to Apple’s lower 1.2 megapixel front lens.
Battery duration
One of our most important measures is the ability of a smartphone to adapt its capabilities to its power source. A beast of a device is useless unless it can feed itself efficiently. The Google Nexus 6 wins with a higher standby time of 13.8 days compared to the iPhone 6 Plus’ poor standby time of 10.4 days. Since both models are strenuous on their batteries, don’t be surprised if your device lives longer next to a wall socket than it does in your hand.
Final verdict
The Nexus 6 outshines the iPhone 6 Plus with its more advanced capabilities and higher standards of features commonly used by consumers. A better screen and camera sheds light on your advancement in the media-obsessed market. But it can’t beat the quality and elegance of Apple’s overall design, which fits well in the hand and maintains build strength with its all-aluminum casing.