iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6: 5 Things Buyers Need to Know

The iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 comparison offers an in-depth look at the fiercest competition between Apple and Google in the smartphone space with two big screen smartphones that pack in higher resolutions, new features and higher price tags.

We’re taking a look at the most important details that buyers need to know about the iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 so that shoppers can make a smart buying decision.

Many of the small things that Android did better are now easy to do on the iPhone and the same goes with many of the small wins that the iPhone used to offer over an Android smartphone. If you haven’t compared devices since you bought your last phone, this will help you pick the right device for your needs.

Unlike earlier Nexus devices the Nexus 6 is more expensive and it is available on more carriers. You can buy the Nexus 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular. There is also an unlocked version of each phone direct from the company.

The Nexus 6 price starts at $649 off contract and the iPhone 6 Plus at $749 off contract. The Nexus 6 is available in 32GB and 64GB storage options offering more storage for a lower price. The iPhone 6 Plus includes 16GB, 64GB and 128GB Storage options.

Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus release date arrived last month, but it is still tough to find in stores. The Nexus 6 release date arrives on November 12th, and pre-orders start later this month.

Here’s a look at the iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 comparison with a goal of helping you pick the right phone.

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Display

The Nexus 6 features a larger display with a higher resolution, but we are still waiting to see how good it looks in person. The iPhone 6 Plus offers the largest iPhone display yet and looks better than previous iPhones.

The Nexus 6 display is a half inch larger and packs in more pixels per inch. If it is at the same quality as the LG G3 and Galaxy Note 4 2k displays users could be in for a very big treat.

• iPhone 6 Plus – 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 – 401 pixels per inch
• Nexus 6 – 5.96-inch 2,560 x 1,440 – 493 pixels per inch

After using the iPhone 6 Plus for a month the display looks very nice, but there is still something to be said about the details that a 2k display can show, especially in photographs.

Apple includes Reachability, an option to make using the iPhone 6 Plus with one hand easier, but so far there is nothing about a similar one-hand Nexus 6 mode.

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Size & Design

The Nexus 6 is taller, wider, thicker and heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus. All around it is a bigger device, but thankfully it’s not a huge difference in size. The overall design of both phones includes a metal frame, but the Nexus 6 features a curved back not found on the iPhone 6 Plus. This explains part of the thickness of the Nexus 6 compared to the iPhone 6 Plus.

As you can see the Nexus 6 is slightly larger all around, but not incredibly so. The thickness is not as bad as it may seem due to the curved back of the Nexus 6.

• iPhone 6 Plus – 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm – 172 grams
• Nexus 6 – 159.26 x 82.98 x 10.06 mm – 145 grams

Both of these phones us a metal design, but the Nexus 6 includes antenna breaks in the metal frame that are not nearly as visible as those on the iPhone 6 Plus. There are big white lines on the back of the iPhone 6 Plus that allow the antennas inside to work.

The Nexus 6 design borrows heavily from the Moto X 2014 design that is easy to hold thanks to a curved back. The photo above shows the iPhone 6 Plus and the Moto X 2014, which illustrates the overall differences in design.

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Features

Features are one area where these similar phones can start to show some separation, but they also share a fair number of interesting features. Here’s a rundown of how these two phones compare when it comes to important features.

Security – The iPhone 6 Plus includes Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor that can unlock the phone, make purchases and plays a role in mobile payments. The Nexus 6 does not include a fingerprint reader.

Trusted Devices – The Nexus 6 knows when it is connected to a trusted device like a smart watch or a bluetooth headset and it will not lock on you.

Mobile Payments – The iPhone 6 Plus supports Apple Pay which will arrive later this month with support for many big banks, but few small banks. The Nexus 6 supports Google Wallet which delivers mobile payments for practically any credit or debit card.

Users – There is an option on Android 5.0 for the Nexus 6 to set up another profile on the phone so your kid can’t use all of your apps and access your email and contacts. There is no option for this on the iPhone 6 Plus or iOS 8.

Fast Charge – The Nexus 6 can fast charge 6 hours of use in 15 minutes using the included Turbo Charger. There is no option for this on the iPhone 6 Plus.

https://youtu.be/wk-PY2dBKaA

One-Hand Mode – There is an option to double tap the home button on the iPhone 6 Plus to use Reachability which drops the top part of the screen into reach. We don’t know about an option like this for the Nexus 6.

Water Resistant – The iPhone 6 Plus is not water-resistant according to Apple’s specs, and even though some tests show it can survive a brief dip it’s not listed as an official spec. The Nexus 6 is water-resistant, but there are no specific details so you shouldn’t take it swimming, but it should survive a drop into the sink or a puddle.

Wireless Charging – The Nexus 6 includes wireless charging with a Qi charger like the one sold by Google for the Nexus 5 and many others. You need to charge the iPhone 6 Plus with a cable.

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Cameras

The iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6 both feature optical image stabilization which helps deliver better looking photos in low light, as long as the subject isn’t also moving. We won’t know exactly how the cameras compare until we try the Nexus 6 out, but if it is similar to the 13MP camera in the Moto X 2014 the iPhone 6 Plus will likely come out ahead.

The Nexus 6 can record 4k video, while the iPhone 6 Plus caps out 1080P. Both devices feature a dual LED flash to help take better looking photos when flash is needed. The iPhone 6 Plus is capable of recording 240 frames per second slow motion and time-lapse videos with the built-in camera app.

Android 5.0 brings interesting photography features to Android like the ability to plug-in a USB microphone, support for raw formats, capture of meta data like noise and optical information and user control over capture settings for the sensor, lens and flash.

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Specs

The features offer a better look at what the devices are capable of, but if you want to compare specs, here’s a look at how they stack up.

iPhone 6 Plus Specs

• Apple A8 64-bit Processor
• iOS 8
• 5.5-inch display – 1920 x 1080  – 401 pixels per inch
• 16GB / 64GB / 128GB storage options
• 1.2MP front-facing camera
• 8MP rear-facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization
• 2915 mAh battery
• 4G LTE
• 802.11ac WiFi
• Bluetooth
• Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor
• NFC

Nexus 6 Specs

• Snapdragon 805 Quad-Core w/ Adreno 420
• Android 5.0
• 5.96-inch display – 2,560 x 1,440 – 493 pixels per inch
• 32GB / 64GB storage options
• 2MP front-facing camera
• 13MP rear-facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization
• 3,220 mAh battery
• 4G LTE
• 802.11ac WiFi
• Bluetooth
• NFC

iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 Software

Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus runs iOS 8 with an iOS 8.1 update rumored for mid October to fix a lot of bugs and add support for Apple Pay. The Nexus 6 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop that Google revealed in full today. Both of these phones can run many of the same essential apps and perform the same tasks, but there are some differences.

Android 5.0 on the Nexus 6 is a new look for Android smartphones and it packs in an incredible number of new features. We’ve already covered some of the camera an security options, but there is also a battery saver mode that adds an extra 90 minutes of battery life and much more. Other interesting Android 5.0 features include;

• Always on access to Google Now
• A new Design
• Smart Notifications
• Lock Screen responses for notifications
• Multiple profiles and more.

The iPhone 6 Plus includes a number of new iOS 8 features that let you connect the iPhone to your Mac for calls and texts and the addition of many Android features like third-party keyboards, more access to sharing options and even widgets in the Notification Center. Check out the iOS 8 features below for a look at the iPhone 6 Plus software.

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

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We start our iOS 8 vs iOS 7 walkthrough with the iPhone home screen, which is where you'll start your iOS 8 experience after an update this fall.  These screens are incredibly important as you see them anytime you turn on the iPhone or need to choose an app to launch. There is no way around using them, so Apple needs to make sure they work just right.  As you can see in the iOS 8 vs iOS 7 comparison above, there is no change between the home screen in the new iPhone software. Apple changed the status bar and some other small visual changes in iOS 7, but there are no updates for iOS 8.   We could see Apple change the home screen slightly for iOS 8 for the iPhone 6. The new iPhone will feature a larger 4.7-inch display with a higher resolution. This is something Apple may use to add more icons to the screen. Or they could stick with the current layout, it's tough to tell.

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