Closer Look of The Nexus 6 and its Competitors

The biggest surprise found in the Nexus 6 is its size, but it isn’t exactly the only big handset currently out in the market.  If your one of those who don’t mind a big handset, here’s a review of the Nexus 6 compared to other big handsets.

Size

• The Nexus 6 is the biggest handset in the market right now with dimensions of 159.3 x 83 x 10mm. For comparison purposes:
  • Desire 820 (157.7 x 81 x 7.9mm) and Ascend Mate 7 (157.7 x 78.7 x77mm) are the second and third largest.
  • Galaxy Note 4 is 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5
• The Nexus 6 weights 184 g
  • Desire 820 weighs 155g, the Ascend Mate 7 is 185g
  • The Galaxy Note 4 is 176 g
• Size-wise the Nexus 6 is one of the bulkiest handsets on the market. It might not fit in your pocket or be easy to operate one-handed.  If this is your concern, the LG G3 at 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm for a weight of 149 g is a better bet.

Design

• The Nexus 6 has a stylish metal frame but other than that, the handset is relatively basic looking.
• The Galaxy Note 4 looks more premium

Specs

• The specs of the Nexus 6 are very high end.
• The size of both the Nexus 6 and the Ascend Mate 7 is due to their larger display sizes.
• The Nexus 6 has a 5.96 AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. Meanwhile, the Ascend Mate 7 has a 6.0 IPS-LCD screen.
• The Nexus 6 display can give you some of the best image quality in the market. Other comparable handsets would be the LG G3 and the Galaxy Note 4 which have  QHD displays.
• The processor of the Nexus 6 is a Snapdragon 805 with an Adreno 420 GPU and 3 GB of RAM.
• The processor of the Nexus 6 is a good reason for serious gamers to choose it. Comparable phones for gaming would be the Galaxy Note 4 which uses the Adreno 420.
• Because of its CPU and RAM, the performance of the Nexus 6 is good when multitasking. Of the similar handsets, the mi-range Desire 820 has a good performance but not as good as the Nexus 6.
• As Nexus 6 uses stock Android, you will have plenty of memory to work with usually.
• The Nexus 6 can give you either 32 or 64 GB of storage. There is no MicroSD option with the Nexus 6.
• The Nexus 6’s OIS camera is good and at par to those of similar handsets.

Software

• The Nexus 6 has stock-OS Android Lollipop with no extra features or bloat.
• An advantage of Android Lollipop is that it has improved features for multitasking as well as a better notification system and a nicer new design.
• Another advantage is that it will automatically be made aware of software updates from Google.
• The OnePlusOne offers a comparable, bloat-free experience with its use of the GyanogenMod Rom.

Price

• The high-end specs of the Nexus 6 means that it has a rather high price tag
• The LG G3 is cheaper even if it has similar specs. So is the OnePlus One.
• The Desire 820 is also a good option for those on a smaller budget. The downside would be in its 720p display as well as it’s slow performing Adreno 405 GPU.
• The Ascend Mate 7 is also priced a bit lower than the Nexus 6 but it has a good display and a long battery life. The downside would be its weak GPU.  Playing games on the Ascend Mate 7 will not be as good an experience as with the Nexus 6.

Other features

• For heavy multitaskers, they will like the Note 4’s multi-window. A comparable experience is available with the Galaxy 3’s QSlide functionality.
• For those who like customization, the OnePlus One and Mate 7 have easily tweaked UI’s
• The Note 4 and Mate 7 have fingerprint scanners that should appeal to the security conscious.
• The Nexus 6 offers the best audio experience with its dual front facing speakers.
• The Galaxy Note 4 still offers the user favorite Stylus.

Should I get a Nexus 6?

While the Nexus line has a history of offering high-end devices for a cost-effective price point, the Nexus 6 departs a bit from what is expected from the line.

The high-end specs and additional build features mean that the price was pushed a little up, but this was to be expected.  Bottom line is that the Nexus 6 still offers users a bloat-free and fast updating Android experience.  This should suit developers and Android fans well.

However, some users expect a little more from a UI and this might make the Nexus 6 seem a bit basic and not worth the price tag.  Also, as there most flagships released in the last two years will be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop soon, there’s no pressing need to get a Nexus 6 because you want the new Google OS.

While the Nexus 6 is a great, cutting-edge piece of technology that sets a high bar for next year’s smartphones, it will cost you more than some of the other phones currently out there.

What do you think? Does the Nexus 6 seem worth it for you?

JR

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