Remember when a 4-inch display was considered a nicely sized phone?
With phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note making large screens the norm, even Apple found itself unable to resist the call of the big, bad phablet.
The result? The extra large iPhone 6 Plus, which makes the iPhone 4 look like something that belongs on an appetizer tray. Then again, Google isn't backing down from the domain that its Android phones popularized, releasing its own enormous Nexus 6.
How do both six-shooting smartphones size up against each other? Here's the tale of the tape.
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Google's Nexus 6 features Android Lollipop and a 6-inch display.(Photo: Googlr)
DESIGN
Apple goes for simplicity and thinness for the iPhone 6 Plus, also opting for an aluminum frame to improve lightness. The back material extends all the way to the sides, which are rounded to likely make it easier to handle the phone with one hand, given its size. The Motorola-made Nexus 6 goes for a more two-tone approach, separating its back from the screen with a metal border. Its edge is more squared than the iPhone 6 Plus but its back is also more rounded for easier handling. The Nexus 9 opts for a more centered placement for its camera compared to the iPhone's off-center approach as well.
KEY DIFFERENTIATOR
The iPhone 6 Plus comes with a fingerprint sensor that allows users to easily unlock their phones and verify digital transactions via Touch ID. It also comes with near-field communication functionality but it's limited to Apple Pay purchases for now. The Nexus 6 features front-facing speakers reminiscent of HTC's BoomSound setup and a new fast-charging option that gives 6 hours of use from just a 15 minute charge. NFC is also more fully enabled on the Nexus 6.
ECOSYSTEM & OS
The iPhone 6 Plus runs iOS 8 while the Nexus 9 uses the Android Lollipop operating system. Historically, iOS provides a more unified experience at the expense of a more walled garden while Android is more open and gives tinkerers more leeway to play with the OS. Apple does boast a stronger app ecosystem though Android has made great strides in its app offerings and curation via Google Play.
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Updating the operating system is typically easier with the iPhone but that's only in relation to skinned versions of Android. Since Nexus devices use vanilla Android, users also can get updates regularly. In terms of looks, iOS 8 doesn't represent a big leap from iOS 7 but still adds some neat key features. These include a new digital payment system called Apple Pay that can be used with participating retailers, the HealthKit health suite, Family Sharing of files and media, as well as a "Continuity" system that improves synergy across Apple devices and services. Continuity makes it easier to jump from, say, the iPhone to the iPad or Mac and resume your work. Lollipop's material design interface, meanwhile, provides a more noticeable change in its look. It also allows users to disable the lock screen via Smart Lock when paired with a trusted Bluetooth device, improved synergy across Android devices and Google software, and lets you set up guest and multiple user accounts. It also adds a new battery saving feature and Android Run Time for more efficient battery use by apps. Although Google Wallet has been around before Apple Pay, it remains to be seen which standard sees wider adoption.
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Apple's iPhone 6 line, including the larger iPhone 6 Plus.(Photo: Apple)
SIZE AND WEIGHT
As they say, size matters, and both phones are definitely sizable. The iPhone 6 Plus measures 6.22 inches tall and 3.06 inches wide. Meanwhile, the Nexus 6 is 6.27 inches tall and 3.27 inches wide. The iPhone wins the thinness battle at 7.1 millimeters compared to 10.06 millimeters for the Nexus 6. The iPhone 6 Plus also weighs 6.07 ounces while the Nexus 6 comes in at 6.49 ounces.
BRAINS & BATTERY LIFE
The iPhone 6 Plus uses a 64-bit A8 chip and M8 coprocessor while the Nexus 6 sports a 2.7-gigahertz quad-core Snapdragon Krait processor. Online teardowns reveal 1GB of RAM for the iPhone 6 Plus compared to 3GB of RAM for the Nexus 6.
For internal memory, the Nexus 6 comes in 32GB and 64GB variants while the iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. Unfortunately, both devices do not come with expandable memory, which means you can't easily — and cheaply — boost storage capacity with a microSD card. Battery life provides 10 hours of video viewing for the Nexus 6 and up to 14 hours for the iPhone 6.
DISPLAY
The iPhone 6 Plus is certifiably huge — perhaps too huge for most folks — but the Nexus 6 is even bigger. All I can say is, get bigger pockets if you decide to rock with either. The iPhone 6 Plus uses a 5.5 inch LED Retina HD display with a resolution of 401 pixels per inch. In contrast, the Nexus 6 uses a 5.96-inch QHD AMOLED display with a higher resolution of 493 pixels per inch.
CAMERA
For taking photos or videos, the Nexus 6 comes with a 13 megapixel camera with an aperture of f/2.0 and the ability to capture 4K video at 30 frames per second. The iPhone 6 Plus rear camera is less brawnier at 8 megapixels and up to 1080P video recording but allows more light in with its f/2.2 aperture. For the front, the Nexus 6 sports a 2-megapixel HD camera while the iPhone Plus comes with a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera. Both front cameras take 720P video.
PRICE
The Nexus 6 starts out at $649 for the 32GB version, making it the most expensive Nexus phone to date. Contract pricing has not been released as of this pricing. A contract-free iPhone 6 Plus costs $749 on T-Mobile but starts at $299 under contract for the 16GB version, $399 for the 64GB version and $499 for the 128GB version.
