There was no huge release party. We didn’t even get a live-stream event. Instead, Google quietly announced the new Nexus devices and Android 5.0Lollipop on its blog. Based on the hardware we’re seeing, Google didn’t need any hyped up fanfare, the devices speak for themselves. Let’s take a look at the Nexus 6, and see how it just killed most of the competition.
Nexus 6
Finally, after months of speculation, we know that Google’s new smartphone is called the Nexus 6, not the Nexus X or anything else. We know that it’s more of a phablet than a smartphone (some would even argue that it’s a small tablet). It’s made byMotorola, and it’s specs look amazing!
Inside the phone is a Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz processor with an Adreno 420 GPU to power the graphics. It’s going to need all that horsepower, too, thanks to the 6″ Quad HD display – that’s a whole lotta pixels!
But the pixels don’t stop there. On the back of the device is a 13 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and an f2.0 lens that promises to capture “great photos in daylight and low light”. We’ll see if it lives up to that claim once we get our hands on the device and put it through our full review.
Battery Life
One complaint I’ve had with Nexus smartphones has been their battery life. I have two Qi charging pads on my desk at work, and my Nexus 5 sits on one almost all day. I never have a problem with my run time – but it’s because I’m charging it all the time. My wife’s Nexus 4 is constantly warning her that it’s almost out of juice.
The Nexus 6 has a 3220 mAh battery which Google and Motorola promise will net you “over 24 hours of use from a full charge”. Just in case you find yourself running low, plug it in. After 15 minutes you’ll have enough power to get through 6 more hours.
If those figures hold true, that’s reason enough to buy a Nexus 6!
That Screen!
A 6-inch screen running at Quad HD resolution flanked with front firing speakers?! This is the device I’ve been waiting for. No other tablet offers all this in one package.
Google and Motorola are calling the screen “pixel-rich” with “stunning quality”. I can only imagine! Not long ago we were all debating whether or not 720P belonged on a smartphone, then revisited the debate when the jump to 1080P was being made.
I don’t know about you, but after having used smartphones and tablets with 1080P screens, I’m in love. More pixels make everything look better – as long as the hardware pushing those pixels is up to the task, and it looks like this hardware is.
What Competition?!
Looking at the phablets on the market today, I can’t see a single one that stacks up to the Nexus 6, but I may be looking at things through “Android colored glasses”. What devices do you think are competition to the Nexus 6? What features do they have that the Nexus 6 doesn’t – and vice versa? Are those differences enough to to convince you to pass up the Nexus 6 in favor of another device? Why, or why not?
Head down to the comments and let us know your thoughts!
