Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus Review: Fabulous Phablets Fight

The stars have aligned. One year ago this comparison made no sense. The Nexus 5 was vastly bigger than the iPhone 5S and half the price. It was also meant primarily as a reference device to inspire Android handset makers. How things have changed.
The iPhone 6 Plus sees Apple charge into the large screen/phablet sector for the first time and the Nexus 6 has grown in both size and price to match it. Google also isn’t playing anymore. The Nexus 6 is being sold through most major carriers and is as much a rival to other Android handset makers as an inspiration.
So whose debut phablet comes out on top? Having used both for some time here are my thoughts.
Design – Curves Are Essential
As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat and Apple and Google have taken completely different approaches in building their phablets.

iPhone 6 Plus (left) and Nexus 6 (right) – image credit Gordon Kelly

The iPhone 6 Plus has the greater Wow Factor thanks to its aluminium unibody and beautifully bevelled buttons and edges. It also has a jaw droppingly thin form factor which the Nexus 6 cannot touch.
But Apple hasn’t built a phablet, it has built a supersized iPhone 6 and this is a problem. The flat back doesn’t lend itself well to the increased size making it hard to grip and the slippy finish borders on ludicrous for such a large device. The iPhone 6 Plus is therefore a pretty horrible device to hold and you’ll need a case to use it with any confidence. A problem for a device that is already huge.
Read more – iPhone 6 Plus Long Term Review: Beautiful Freak Is iPhone’s Future
The strengths and weaknesses of the Nexus 6 are the exact opposite. This year designed by Motorola, the Nexus 6 is also essentially a blown up version of a smaller phone: the brilliant 2014 Moto X. The difference is the Moto X at 5.2-inches is also a big phone and therefore Motorola has taken more interest in ergonomics than Apple with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6 Plus is thinner, but the Nexus 6 has superior ergonomics – image credit Gordon Kelly

Consequently the Nexus 6 has a heavily curved back which sits beautifully in hand and, while thicker than the iPhone 6 Plus, the tapered edges are more comfortable and the tiny bezels mean it squeezes a 6-inch display into virtually the same footprint.
The plastic finish is somewhat disappointing, particularly as it loses the grippier soft touch finish of the Moto X, but it still has more texture than the iPhone 6 Plus. A crucial aspect for such large phones.
Ultimately therefore I’ve grown to prefer the design of the Nexus 6. Both have aspects that could be improved, but Apple simply hasn’t thought about how a phablet is held and used. Just making a big iPhone 6 doesn’t cut it.
Read more – Nexus 6 Review

Nexus 6 has the bigger screen, but both are phenomenal – image credit Gordon Kelly

Displays – Bigger Is Better
It is best to get this out the way earlier, as the primary reason for buying either of these massive phones regularly comes down to one thing: screen size.
At 6-inches and with a 2560 x 1440 pixel (2k) resolution, the Nexus 6’s AMOLED display comes out better on paper than the iPhone 6 Plus’ 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS display. But not so fast.
While the Nexus 6 has the fractionally sharper screen courtesy of its extra pixel density (493 vs 401 ppi) and its extra 0.5-inches do make a noticeable difference in general use, the iPhone 6 Plus strikes some blows of its own. Brightness on the iPhone 6 Plus is noticeably better than the Nexus 6 and it has slightly better colour accuracy and viewing angles.

iPhone 6 Plus has better colours, but the Nexus 6 is sharper – image credit Gordon Kelly

That said these pros and cons need to be put in a real world context because no Nexus 6 or iPhone 6 Plus owner is going to be disappointed by either display. The pair are among the very best mobile screens ever made with only the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and LG G3 sit above them in my opinion.
Read more – iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4: 2014’s Biggest Phones
So if you’re after the biggest screen possible then the Nexus 6 has a tangible edge, but otherwise both are glorious.