It's not always the easiest task to compare an Android device with one running iOS.
Most people choose one platform or another as a personal preference or an investment
into the ecosystem that provides what they need.
Hey what's up everyone, this is Dom and today we're comparing Apple's iPhone 6 Plus to the
Motorola-made Google Nexus 6.
There are benefits to each side, but which one is right for you?
Well let's go ahead and find out.
Today we're going to be comparing the design, specifications, features, and camera performance
between these two flagship phablets.
There may not be a clear winner at the end of the day, but I'll leave that discussion
for the comments section below.
First up, we have Google's Nexus 6.
This is a much larger device than its predecessor and is a step up in nearly every department.
The Nexus 6 features a massive 5.96-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440
coming in at 493 ppi.
As for its internals, it's packing a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor clocked at 2.7GHz,
3GB of RAM, the Adreno 420 GPU, and a 3,220 mAh battery.
It's no surprise that Google's Nexus 6 is loaded up with the best specs available.
Along with that, it's the first smartphone shipping with Android 5.0 Lollipop which offers
new design characteristics, a highly optimized experience, and performs like a winner.
Because there's not a third-party skin running on top of the operating system, it will be
hard to find areas where the Nexus 6 will fail you.
As for the iPhone 6 Plus, we have a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080
(401 ppi), a dual-core Apple A8 chip clocked at 1.4GHz, a quad-core PowerVR GX6450 GPU,
1GB of RAM, and a 2,915 mAh battery.
If you've used iOS before, this device is going to offer a very similar experience.
Apple is known for its software optimization and it will be hard to find any major performance
issues here.
Each device is going to offer a quality build and design, but there's one thing you may
notice about the Nexus 6.
It takes on most all of the design characteristics from Motorola's 2014 Moto X.
Along the outside we have a smooth metal frame that keeps everything together, while the
back side features a hard plastic design.
Don't let the plastic fool you though, this feels like a very solid device.
The iPhone 6 Plus features a unibody aluminum design that lives up to Apple's design standards.
The curved edges do make it a bit harder to grip, but if a full metal build is your cup
of tea, the iPhone 6 Plus may be for you.
As far as layout goes, with the Nexus 6 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.
On the right side we have the volume rocker and a lock button, but that's not where the
fun ends.
Along with a 5.96-inch display, the front side features a 2-megapixel camera, the appropriate
sensors, and dual front-facing stereo speakers.
Finally, on the back side we have a 13-megapixel shooter with optical image stabilization capable
of recording up to UHD video quality, a dual-LED flash in a ring diffuser setup, a small microphone,
and our Nexus branding with the Motorola logo centered in a finger-sized dimple.
Google's Nexus 6 also comes with wireless Qi charging capabilities and Motorola's special
Turbo Charger which will provide up to 6 additional hours of battery life from a single 15 minute
charging session.
Moving over to Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, on the front you'll find an earpiece, the appropriate
sensors, a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera, and the circular home button with a built-in
fingerprint scanner that Apple calls Touch ID.
This will allow you to easily unlock the device, authenticate various apps, or make mobile
payments using Apple Pay.
On the right side of the iPhone 6 Plus we have the sleep/wake power button and its Nano
SIM card tray, while the left side features its volume buttons and a mute switch.
You won't find anything on the top of the iPhone 6 Plus, but the bottom features a microphone,
3.5mm headphone jack, Lightning port for charging, and a small speaker.
Finally, on the back we have an 8-megapixel camera and dual-LED flash with optical image
stabilization capable of shooting up to 1080p video at 30/60 frames per second and up to
240 frames per second at 720p.
While the Nexus 6 features a larger display that the iPhone 6 Plus, they are nearly identical
in size.
Motorola's design keeps the bezels to a minimum, while Apple took an existing design and scaled
it to fit a larger format.
At the end of the day, both of these devices are very large.
Because of this, it's likely that you'll want to use two hands with either of them.
The iPhone 6 Plus offers a feature called Reachability that may prove to be useful in
the one-handed department, but it's not perfect and in most cases it's easier to use two hands.
Unfortunately, you won't find any one-handed features with the Nexus 6, but that may not
a deal breaker for everyone.
The software experience between these two devices is highly based on preference, but
there are aspects about both that lead to a great experience.
The iPhone 6 Plus is running iOS 8 and offers a highly optimized feature set with a very
minimalistic approach.
If you've used iOS before, this device won't be too hard to navigate.
The home screen provides space with multiple pages to store and organize apps and you'll
find most of the device's bells and whistles in the Settings app, Notification Center,
and Control Center.
Overall Apple keeps iOS very simplistic, but that's what most users have grown to expect.
With the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has introduced a landscape mode that works with the home
screen and inside of most compatible apps.
While this is nothing new from an Android perspective, it's definitely a welcomed change
for iOS devices.
There are plenty of other aspects that create iOS 8's user experience, and if you'd like
to know more about them, I'll leave a top features video linked below.
With the Nexus 6, we're running Android 5.0 Lollipop.
This is going to be one of the best Android experiences you'll find, at least from a performance
and design perspective.
It may not include any of the specialized features that you'll get with a Samsung, LG
or HTC device, but it's definitely the cleanest Android experience overall.
Android 5.0 Lollipop brings a lot to the table.
We have a revamped interface that Google calls Material design and everything is put together
with fluid transitions and pleasant animations.
In Google's eyes, this is the best Android experience you can get.
With the fresh design and optimization happening here, it would be hard to argue with them.
The Nexus 6 is Google's baseline for Android devices for the next year or so and it packs
a ton of performance with an enjoyable experience.
While Android may offer more personalization options, the feature set between these two
devices is going to be similar in some ways.
Both mobile operating systems have seen improvements across the board and there's no right or wrong
choice here.
Which device you choose will be dependent on where your loyalty lies and which platform
you've invested in the most.
If you'd like to see my full review of the Nexus 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, be sure to check
out the links below.
Moving along to camera performance, this is going to vary based on the environment and
user.
Both cameras feature optical image stabilization, but the Nexus 6 beats the iPhone 6 Plus on
paper with a 13-megapixel camera.
Don't underestimate the 8-megapixel shooter found on the iPhone 6 Plus though.
Each camera has its strong points and weaknesses, but I'll let you be the judge on this one.
In my experience, the iPhone 6 Plus does win in low-light performance, but in bright environments
it'll be hard to declare either device as the champion.
For video recording the iPhone 6 Plus shoots up to 1080p at 30 or 60 frames per second.
It's definitely solid camera for capturing video and the optical image stabilization
helps to keep photos and videos steady.
Google's Nexus 6 shoots up to UHD video quality and also includes optical image stabilization
to help shaky hands.
Both of these cameras are capable of great things and you won't be disappointed either
way, but let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
So which one should you get?
Well, I'm not here to tell you which of these devices is better.
In fact, it would be hard to declare either one as the clear winner.
Both the iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6 have great builds and offer best in class performance
in their respective areas.
Aside from iOS vs Android, it's going to come down to which device suits you the best.
Thanks to the clean Android install running on the Nexus 6, it's going to be a great phone
for anyone making the switch from iOS.
On the other side, Android users may find iOS to be very simple, but at the same time
deliver performance in an aluminum and glass slab.
I know you'll be happy with either one, but which device do you prefer?
Be sure to let me know down in the comments section.
So I hope you enjoyed this comparison and if you did, be sure to leave this video a
thumbs up as it does help out the channel a lot.
Also if you're not already, subscribe for more videos like this in the future.
Thanks again for watching everybody, this is Dom and have a great day!