Two high-end smartphones are taking hold of the industry this fall: Apple's iPhone 6 and Google's Nexus 6. The iPhone 6, and slightly larger iPhone 6 Plus, both come from a long line of products that have enjoyed impressive sales numbers and a dedicated fanbase. But Google's Nexus line is nothing to scoff at. So we took a look at the iPhone 6 Plus and the Nexus 6 in a head-to-head comparison to help you find the right phone for you.
Display
While the Nexus 6 has 5.9 inches of screen space, the iPhone 6 Plus isn't far behind with 5.5 inches. But the Nexus especially shines when it comes to resolution at 2560x1440 and a 493ppi pixel density compared with Apple's 1920x1080 and 401ppi. The Nexus also features an AMOLED display, which means that it can show bolder colors and richer blacks than the standard LCD screen found on the 6 Plus.
Hardware
This comparison isn't so close as the Nexus' quad-core 2.7HGz Snapdragon 805 processor blows away the iPhone's dual-core 1.4GHz Apple A8 processor. But don't let the numbers fool you. The A8 is still a powerful 64-bit chip on its own. The Google product also packs 3 GB of RAM in, while the iPhone only has 1GB. But it's important to note that the Android OS found in the Nexus uses RAM less efficiently than the iPhone's iOS 8.
Storage
This is one category where the Apple product beats out Google. The Nexus 6 has a 32GB and a 64GB version, while the iPhone 6 Plus offers 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB of storage. Neither phone has microSD capability for expansion.
Battery
The iPhone's 2915mAh is smaller than the Nexus 6's 3220mAh battery on paper, but the iPhone offers 2.5 more hours of internet use (on wi-fi) than the Nexus. Apple also wins out on video playback time with 14 hours compared to the Nexus' 10 hours.
But while we're comparing straight battery life, it's important to note that Google has built wireless charging into the Nexus, as well as the new Turbo Charging technology that grants a reported six hours of battery life with only 15 minutes of charging. That can certainly make a difference.
Camera
The iPhone sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front camera for FaceTime and selfies. The Nexus, on the other hand, has a 13MP rear camera and a 2MP in the front. While megapixels aren't everything, that's a big difference in straight pixel quality.
Design
The Nexus phone features an aluminum case in an age where just about everyone is turning to metal for their high-end devices, so that's a definite improvement over previous Nexus models. The iPhone 6 Plus' single-aluminum-block design oozes style and makes it a whole 55g lighter than the Nexus.
Price
While several of these comparisons need explanation and may depend on your own personal preference, you can't argue with dollar signs. The Nexus 6 weighs in at $649 while the iPhone 6 Plus will cost you $749 starting out (and up to $949 for the 128GB version).
The iPhone 6 Plus isn't as popular with Apple fans as the smaller iPhone 6, but both have so far outsold any other modern smartphone in the market. Apple fans love their new iPhones, but the gap is narrowing as competition heats up from Samsung, Sony, Motorola, and Google.
