It's hard to believe that the Nexus 6 is the Nexus 5's successor. There's a huge difference
between these two devices in almost every department, but this year you'll pay for those
changes. Hey what's up everyone, this is Dom and today we're comparing the Motorola-made
Google Nexus 6 to the LG-made Nexus 5. Does the Nexus 6 bring enough to the table to justify
the difference in price? Well, let's get right into the comparison and find out.
The Nexus 5 was a steal of a deal when it was first released. In fact it's still a great
device. For the money, it's hard to find a comparable smartphone with the same software
experience. The Nexus 5 is loaded up with Android 5.0 Lollipop and even after being
outdated by better specifications and other smartphones on the market, it still runs like
a boss.
With the Nexus 6, you're getting the latest and greatest that this industry has to offer.
It's also running Android 5.0 Lollipop and overall will offer the same exact software
interface and features as its predecessor. With both of these devices, you're getting
a pure Android experience, just as Google intended it to be.
As for specifications, Google's Nexus 5 features a 4.95-inch IPS display with a resolution
of 1,920 x 1,080 coming in at 445 ppi. We also have a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor
clocked at 2.3GHz, an Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 2,300 mAh battery. These specs
may seem a little behind the times, but don't underestimate the optimized power of Lollipop.
The Nexus 5 is still buttery smooth.
This year, Google and Motorola have teamed up to bring us the Nexus 6 and there's quite
a lot happening with it. While the software experience is similar when compared to the
Nexus 5, everything else has been revamped to stay up-to-date with the demands of consumers
and the high-end specifications available on the market.
Google's Nexus 6 features a 5.96-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440
and provides 493 ppi. Inside we have a a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor clocked at 2.7GHz,
3GB of RAM, the Adreno 420 GPU, and a 3,220 mAh battery. In terms of specifications alone,
the Nexus 6 is going to live up to today's standards and hold its own against flagships
like the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus.
As mentioned before, there's a big difference between these two smartphones. If you haven't
noticed by now, the display is 1-inch larger. Now this doesn't mean much in terms of actual
software functionality, but in certain situations you will be able to see more at once.
The Nexus 6 is basically a refined and blown up version of Motorola's 2014 Moto X, but
that's not a bad thing in any way. We have a curved aluminum frame and a hard plastic
back side with the Nexus and Motorola branding. It feels great in the hand and is easily one
of the best constructed Android devices in 2014.
With the Nexus 6 layout, you'll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and Nano SIM card tray on the
top, while the bottom makes room for the Micro USB charging port and a small microphone.
Around the right side we have the volume rocker, lock button, and a secondary microphone and
jumping around to the front we have a 2-megapixel camera, sensors, an earpiece, and dual front-facing
stereo speakers.
There's no LED notification light on the Nexus 6, but it features "Ambient Display" mode
which will light up the screen using only white pixels to show notifications when they
arrive or when picking up the device. Finally, on the back we have a 13-megapixel shooter
with optical image stabilization that's capable of capturing up to UHD quality video, and
a dual-LED flash in a ring diffuser setup.
Moving over to the Nexus 5, you'll find a soft-touch plastic finish all around. There's
nothing bad about the Nexus 5's design, but there's also nothing superior about it. It
still feel comparable with the smartphones of its time, but overall the Nexus 6 wins
in the build and durability department.
As for the Nexus 5's layout, on the top we have a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microphone,
while the bottom is home to a speaker, microphone, and Micro USB charging port. On the left side
we have our volume rocker and moving along to the right side you'll find the lock button
and Micro SIM card tray. On the front, you'll find an earpiece. a 1.3-megapixel camera,
and the LED notification light and finally, on the back side we have Nexus and LG branding
present along with an 8-megapixel camera and LED flash.
It's also important to note that both of these devices feature wireless Qi charging, but
the Nexus 6 also comes packed with a special Turbo Charger from Motorola that will provide
up to 6 additional hours of battery life from a single 15 minute charge session.
When it comes to the software experience, you won't find much different between these
devices. They are both running Android 5.0 Lollipop and offer a smooth and snappy interface
with animations and fluid transitions.
I was actually quite surprised how well the Nexus 5 performed when compared to the Nexus
6. As mentioned, there's a big difference in specifications between the two, but it's
clear that you're mostly paying for the build quality and what's on the inside, if you choose
to go with the Nexus 6. I'm a big fan of Lollipop, but at the end of the day Lollipop is still
Lollipop and a Nexus is still a Nexus. Whether you're using a Nexus 5 or a Nexus 6, you'll
still get the same smooth unadulterated Android experience from Google.
Don't get me wrong, the Nexus 6 is a very quick device, but that doesn't mean the Nexus
5 will be left in the dust. It's still a great smartphone and if you'd like to check out
my Nexus 5 or Nexus 6 review, I'll leave those links below.
As for camera performance, the Nexus 6 offers some improvements over its predecessor. Depending
on the lighting, there can be a noticeable difference between these two cameras. The
Nexus 6 offers a better 13-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization and colors
seem to be more accurate than the Nexus 5's 8-megapixel shooter.
Daylight photos are very close in quality under certain conditions, but low-light seems
to break up the clarity on both devices. Be sure to let me know which one you think is
better with a comment below.
For video, the Nexus 6 shoots up to UHD quality and its stabilization is definitely a welcomed
addition. High resolution video may not be for everyone, but it's always nice to have
the extra pixels to work with.
On the Nexus 5 we have up to 1080p video recording but it's nothing to brag about. At the end
of the day, it's just okay. There's nothing too special happening here with the video
quality, but leave me your thoughts below.
So if you're on the fence about upgrading, well the Nexus 6 is a fantastic device all
around. There's no denying that most of its flagship characteristics outweigh those found
on the Nexus 5, but you'll also pay for those changes. Google's Nexus 5 has been known as
one of the best budget Android devices money can buy. Coming in at just $349 for the 16GB
model, it's a hard it to pass up.
If quality is what you're looking for, the Nexus 6 offers best in class design and performance.
On the inside and outside, it's a much better device, but it's also very large and will
set you back $300 more than its predecessor. It's clear that the Nexus 6 is a 2014 flagship
and Google has priced it accordingly. Like it or not, there's nothing "budget" about
it.
If you're looking to save a few bills and crave a smooth Lollipop experience, the Nexus
5 is for you. If screen size, build quality, and specifications are at the top of your
"need-to-have" list, the clear winner will be Google's Nexus 6. I can't make this decision
for you, but hopefully this comparison has provided enough facts and detail to make it
a bit easier. What do you think? Let me know which device is your favorite down in the
comments section.
I hope you enjoyed this comparison and if you did, please feel free to leave it a thumbs
up as it does help out the channel a lot. Also if you're not already, feel free to subscribe
for more comparisons like this in the future. Thanks again for watching everyone, this is
Dom and have a great day!