Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Products

Nexus 6 vs. iPhone 6: How do they measure up?

By

iphone nexus 6
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Google has announced the newest member of the Android family, the Nexus 6. The question on everyone’s lips is, how does it compare to the iPhone 6?

We’ve analyzed the numbers and walked through the various features to help you determine which one wins this fight. Will the victor become your next smartphone?

Recommended Videos

Nexus 6

Nexus 6 Small
Image used with permission by copyright holder

iPhone 6

iPhone 6
Size (HWD) 6.27 x 3.27 x 0.40 inches 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches
Weight 6.49 ounces 4.55 ounces
Screen 5.96-inch AMOLED 4.7-inch IPS LCD
Resolution 1,440 x 2,560 pixels 1,334 x 750 pixels
OS Android 5.0 iOS 8.0.2
Storage 32/64 GB 16/64/128 GB
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Apple A8
RAM 3 GB 1 GB
Connectivity 4G LTE, 802.11ac, HSPA+, NFC 4G LTE, 802.11ac, HSPA+, NFC (limited)
Camera Front 2MP, Rear 13MP Front 2.1MP, Rear 8MP
Video 4K at 30fps 1080p HD at 60fps
Bluetooth Yes, version 4.1 Yes, version 4.0
Sensors GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, compass
Battery 3,220 mAh 1,810 mAh
Charger microUSB Lightning
Marketplace Google Play Store Apple App Store
Avg. Price $650 $200 with 2-year contract
Availability November 2014 on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile
DT Review Coming Soon 4 out of 5 stars

Power

Google has amped up the power of the Nexus 6 with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM. That coupled with a 3,220-mAh battery will keep your phone working for 300 hours of standby or 24 hours of talk time, the company claims — something we haven’t tested yet, but it certainly sounds impressive. To compare, the iPhone 6 is powered by an Apple A8 processor, which is 25 percent faster, 50 percent more energy efficient, and has 50 perfect faster graphics performance than Apple’s former model. The battery can last for up to 14 hours of talk time and it supports LTE and the new Voice Over LTE spec.

Design and Screen

The Nexus 6 looks sleek with an aluminum chassis and body. It comes in 32GB and 64GB versions and you can choose from white or blue. It has the same curved body as the Nexus 5. The screen is large and sharp for sure: a 5.96-inch QHD AMOLED at 1,440 × 2,560 pixels. It measures in at 6.27 × .3.27 × 0.40 inches and is fairly light for its size at only 6.49 ounces. The iPhone 6 comes in silver, gold, or space-gray, and it has the same streamlined look as the 5S. It’s a little bit smaller — the screen is 5.44 × 2.64 × 0.27 — but a bit lighter too, at 4.55 ounces. On paper at least, Google’s resolution blows Apple’s away. But the different display technologies have inherent strengths and weaknesses. OLEDs have deep blacks and perfect contrast ratios,while LCD screens are brighter and more colorful. And both get top marks from expert analysts — though the 6 isn’t nearly as impressive as the screen Apple built into the 6 Plus.

Camera

Apple is pretty stoked about the cameras on the iPhone 6, a 2.1 MP in the front and 8 MP in the rear. That’s not incredibly impressive on its own, but Apple has added some neat features so you can edit photos and video right from the phone and upload them to Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. The first is image stabilization, which makes it easier to shoot videos on the go. It’s just done in software in the iPhone 6, however; the 6 Plus comes with optical image stabilization to stabilize the lens physically, a much higher-quality technique. Still, it’s a neat feature. The iPhone 6 also comes with time lapse and slow-motion features, plus a burst mode that takes many photos at once. It shoots video at 1080p at 60 frames a second.

Though the iPhone 6 brought the heat, the Nexus 6 won’t be outdone. It has a 2MP front camera and 13MP rear camera — Google loves beating Apple when it comes to specs. So when it comes to image stabilization, it should be no surprise that the Nexus 6 features optical image stabilization, not just digital, and an LED flash. It’s features like this that elevate smartphone photography to the level of real photography. And the real treat lies in the fact that it can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second. If that’s not the future, I don’t know what is.

Price

The Nexus 6 will be available in November; the 32GB model will cost $650, while the 64GB is yours for $700, without a contract. A 16GB iPhone 6 is out now at AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile and starts at $200 with a 2-year contract, 64GB for $300, and $400 for the 128GB version.

Conclusion

The screen on the Nexus 6 is a little bigger and the camera can shoot in 4K, but the iPhone 6 is thinner and lighter, and allows for advanced video and photo editing. Throw in the intangibles, such as how easy to use you feel the iOS interface is and how much you want to customize the Android screen, and the comparison quickly comes down to which phone you already feel comfortable with. Both represent improvements on the companies previous phones. It’s up to you to decide whether to go Apple or Google — but you’ll be a winner whichever you choose.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Emily Schiola
Emily Schiola
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily Schiola is an editorial assistant at Digital Trends where she covers mostly social media and how-to pieces. In her…
Best iPhone 14 deals: Unlocked and refurbished
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro's camera module

Some of the best Apple deals and best iPhone deals come from the iPhone 14 lineup. While it has been around a couple of years now, the iPhone 14 is still only one generation old as iPhone releases go. This means it still has a lot to offer, including much of what can be found in the newer iPhone 15, but it will often see some impressive price drops. Many of the best iPhone 14 deals we’re seeing right now are on refurbished models, but both new and refurbished models are out there, and each makes for some of the best phone deals going on at the moment. You’ll find all of the information you need to save on an iPhone 14 below, but if you’d like to land yourself the latest and greatest you should also check out the current iPhone 15 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals.
Apple iPhone 14 -- from $491, was $699

With the Apple iPhone 14 you’re getting what is still one of the most popular smartphones on the market. This is the iPhone 14 model that’s meant for everyone. It holds back a few features you can only get on the Pro model, but it still has an impressive 6.1-inch display, an impressive camera, and dozens of ways to personalize your iOS experience with widgets and fonts. The phone can reach up to 26 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it’s powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. Face ID, emergency SOS via satellite, and super fast 5G cellular connectivity round out the top features of the Apple iPhone 14.
Buy Refurbished at Amazon — from $491

Read more
Here’s how iOS 18 could change the way you use your iPhone
The lock screen on the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

It seems the long-overdue Siri overhaul will finally arrive at WWDC in just over a week from now, and the digital assistant will embrace AI trickery in all its forms. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s planned upgrades for Siri will deeply integrate with on-device functions at the OS level and with the installed apps, too.

“The new system will allow Siri to take command of all the features within apps for the first time,” the report says. The most notable capability is that Siri will only require voice prompts to interact with apps, thanks to a major change in the AI architecture powering it and putting large language models in command, just the way Gemini or ChatGPT draw their own skills from such models.

Read more
iOS 18 may give Siri the upgrade we’ve been waiting for
Hey Siri

Apple isn’t immune from the AI craze sweeping the rest of the industry. Following the likes of Google with Gemini Nano, Apple is set to roll out AI upgrades to the iPhone with iOS 18. Code-named “Project Graymatter,” the iOS 18 update will bring a variety of AI-powered enhancements to the iPhone and Siri in particular.

According to AppleInsider, the features are being tested in advance of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and one of the biggest is called “Graymatter Catch Up.” The feature is tied to Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, which will now allow users to request and receive an AI overview of the most recent notifications.

Read more