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Google Nexus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus: specs comparison showdown

posted by Peter K. / Oct 15, 2014, 11:53 AM

Google Nexus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus: specs comparison showdown

The wait is over! The new member of the Nexus line of devices has broken cover at long last – the Google Nexus 6 is here, hot out of the oven, and it is really a beast and each and every aspect. It has not only greatly grown in size with comparison with last year's Nexus 5, it is also packing mind-boggling hardware specs that can easily dwarf almost each and every representative of the current flagship crop you might through at it (except for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, that is).

The latter is poised to land on most of the major markets across the globe in two days' time and is already running circles around the Quad HD competition in terms of battery endurance, camera performance, and sheer hardware prowess. Meanwhile at Cupertino, we have the supersized Apple iPhone 6, which is the largest and most advanced iPhone the world has ever seen. Along with its smaller counterpart, the behemothy iPhone is already breaking records on the market.

Being among the hottest devices on the market at the moment, we couldn't help but put the trio in the ring and sound the gong. Yes, it's time specs comparison time!

Front view
Side view

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page

Google Nexus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Display

Display size

6.0 inches

5.7 inches

5.5 inches

Resolution

1440 x 2560 pixels

1080 x 1920 pixels

Pixel density

493 ppi

515 ppi

401 ppi

Technology

AMOLED

Super AMOLED

IPS LCD

Screen-to-body ratio

74.03 %

74.39 %

67.91 %

Peak brightness

500 cd/m2 (nit)

Camera

Rear

Single camera

Main camera

13 megapixels

16 megapixels

8 megapixels

Hardware Features

Optical image stabilization, Autofocus

Optical image stabilization, Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)

Sapphire crystal lens cover, Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)

Specifications

Aperture size: F2.0

Aperture size: F2.2; Focal length: 31 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.6"; Pixel size: 1.12 μm

Aperture size: F2.2; Focal length: 29 mm; Sensor size: 1/3"; Pixel size: 1.5 μm

Video recording

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (30 fps)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)

1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps)

Recording format

MPEG4, H.264

H.264, MOV

Features

Optical image stabilization, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing

Optical image stabilization, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing

Front

2 megapixels

3.7 megapixels

1.2 megapixels

Video capture

1920x1080 (Full HD)

2560x1440 (QHD) (30 fps)

1280x720 (HD)

Design

Dimensions

6.27 x 3.27 x 0.40 inches (159.26 x 82.98 x 10.06 mm)

6.04 x 3.09 x 0.33 inches (153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm)

6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches (158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm)

Weight

6.49 oz (184 g)

6.21 oz (176 g)

6.07 oz (172 g)

Materials

Back: Plastic; Frame: Aluminum

Back: Aluminum

Resistance

Splash

Biometrics

Fingerprint (swipe)

Fingerprint (touch)

Features

Touch sensitive control keys, Notification light

Hardware & Performance

System chip

Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 APQ8084

Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 5433

Apple A8

Processor

Quad-core, 2700 MHz, Krait 450

Octa-core, 1900 MHz, ARM Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit, 20 nm

Dual-core, 1400 MHz, Cyclone ARMv8-A 2nd gen., 64-bit

GPU

Adreno 420

Mali-T760 MP6

PowerVR GX6450

RAM

3 GB LPDDR3

1 GB LPDDR3

OS

Android (7.1 Nougat, 7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop)

Android (6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop, 4.4), Samsung TouchWiz UI

iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x)

Battery

Capacity

3220 mAh

2915 mAh

Charging

Yes

Talk time

24.00 hours

Stand-by time

13.8 days (330 hours)

16.0 days (384 hours)

Talk time (3G)

20.00 hours

24.00 hours

Internet use

3G: 12 hours; LTE: 12 hours; Wi-Fi: 12 hours

Music playback

82.00 hours

80.00 hours

Video playback

10.00 hours

14.00 hours

Shopping information

MSRP price

$ 949

Google Nexus 6

View more + 1 image

Related phones

View Full specs

PhoneArena Rating:

9.0

Read Full Review

User Rating:

9.6

Based on 20 Reviews

Display 6.0" 1440 x 2560 pixels

Camera 13 MP / 2 MP front

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, Quad-core, 2700 MHz

Storage 64 GB

Battery 3220 mAh(24h talk time)

FEATURED VIDEO

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38 Comments

1. ciprian.ruse

Posts: 320; Member since: May 13, 2014

I love nexus and nexus 6 has amazing specs but it's huge !!!!

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 11:56 AM 3

33. janno

Posts: 144; Member since: Aug 19, 2014

Phonearena for some reason is making it seem A LOT bigger than it is in the first picture. The second one shows a more real size comparison.

posted on Oct 16, 2014, 3:16 AM 0

2. CanYouSeeTheLight

Posts: 1122; Member since: Jul 05, 2012

Can someone explain to me how can a phone with a 5.5" display can be only 1mm shorter than one with a 6" display and dual front speakers? They should patent the iBezel.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 11:57 AM 12

12. BLUEBLASTER

Posts: 933; Member since: Feb 23, 2014

On screen buttons!

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:24 PM 1

19. Philipand96

Posts: 103; Member since: Jul 12, 2014

Both the IPhone 6 Plus and the LG G3 have 5.5 inch displays, The LG G3 specs are also "current" ie 2014 so it would be a comparison of phone all from the same era. "Meanwhile at Cupertino, we have the supersized Apple iPhone 6, which is the largest and most advanced iPhone the world has ever seen" The iPhone 6 is NOT the most advanced iPhone the world has ever seen The iPhone 6 is the iphone5 with a larger display. The iPhone 6 adds the non-phone related "Apple Pay", ( which by the way will earn Apple 15c per transaction, and that is the ONLY purpose a NFC profile was added.) Apple pay to work needs a credit card and an NFC terminal, if one is missing “alternative arrangements” are needed In 2012 the iPhone5 was the most advanced iPhone the world has ever seen In 2014 the iPhone6 is a larger version of the most advanced iPhone the world had ever seen. View "differences" in the comparison of the specs Anyone who started a 2 year contract with the iPhone5 in 2012 and up?grades to the iPhone 6 is in 2014 is using the same phone http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Apple-iPhone-5,Apple-iPhone-6/phones/7378,8346 It really should be called the iphone5S S for Snap When I upgrade on contract after 2 years the changes in specifications havealways been significant, not minor as the iPhone 5 / iPhone 6 comparison shows My point instead of can article when ALL three phones are competing in the same era, LG G3 would have made for a fairer and more balanced piece.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 1:14 PM 0

27. tedkord

Posts: 17365; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

15¢ per $100, not per transaction.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 4:59 PM 0

32. PeterK.

Posts: 314; Member since: Nov 13, 2013

Well, okay, so let's just put the rose glasses on and forget about the better chipset (http://www.phonearena.com/news/Technology-explained-heres-how-the-A8-chip-makes-the-Apple-iPhone-6-click-and-tick_id60641 ) and the better pixel density of the iPhone 6 Plus (http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-iPhone-6-vs-Apple-iPhone-6-Plus-vs-Apple-iPhone-5s-specs-comparison_id60476 ). These are just two of the more noticeable improvements the 6 Plus has over the 5s.

posted on Oct 16, 2014, 1:20 AM 0

36. fortizboriqua

Posts: 1; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

To say that the 6 or 6 Plus is exactly like the iPhone 5 is extremely laughable and shows how clueless you are when it comes to iPhones. I had an iPhone 5 for the last 2 years and upgraded to a 6 Plus. I can assure you that the improvements are so drastic that it makes the 5 look like a phone that was released 5 years ago instead of 2. The most obvious change is the screen size which there is no need to go into. The following are the drastic improvements from the 5 to the 6 Plus: Resolution in both screen and camera Power Camera Format of email and text. Battery life (1 1/2 days until a charge needed) Speaker Volume Fingerprint works flawlessly Now lets talk about NFC. What is every major corporations including Google goal? To make money. One of the main reasons why GooglePay didn't excel is because they were losing money after every transaction. Why would you not add a major function if it wasn't going to make money? To say that the only reason why NFC was added was to make money is also laughable. Apple tries to make things as simple as possible for its users in almost every way. There is another reason why NFC was added. I understand if you don't like Apple and what they stand for, but please know your facts before you post.

posted on Oct 16, 2014, 3:57 AM 0

21. SemperFiV12

Posts: 949; Member since: Nov 09, 2010

I agree with the Blueblaster and side with iPhone on this specific comment... Height for iPhones are more for the inclusion of a button. Android on screen buttons allow for A LOT of space saving, and take away from TRUE screen real estate.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 1:21 PM 0

3. gaara6775

Posts: 738; Member since: May 20, 2014

Nexus 6 184gms :/ . why so heavy? I wish it had 3900 mah battery though.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 11:58 AM 1

4. CanYouSeeTheLight

Posts: 1122; Member since: Jul 05, 2012

Heavy? This is 1 gram lighter than the Lumia 920 that has a 4.5" screen.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:01 PM 2

6. gaara6775

Posts: 738; Member since: May 20, 2014

Heavy as in android device.Technically this should be lighter than note4 but it isn't and also not a huge battery. Lumias are exceptions as most of them are heavy. But android phones are not much heavy.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:07 PM 2

34. janno

Posts: 144; Member since: Aug 19, 2014

Why should it be lighter? It has a metal frame and bigger screen.

posted on Oct 16, 2014, 3:17 AM 0

7. Phonedingo

Posts: 399; Member since: Aug 16, 2014

This.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:08 PM 0

18. Bjray

Posts: 199; Member since: May 29, 2014

Here's hoping "Project Volta" will actually extend battery life ~ 30% from a normal 3220 mAh pack.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:58 PM 0

5. Lememurilo

Posts: 50; Member since: Oct 13, 2014

Note 4 have a better front and back câmera, better design, removabel battery, Expandable memory and probably better battery life.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:06 PM 6

10. Lememurilo

Posts: 50; Member since: Oct 13, 2014

Also S Pen with Wacom digitalizer and 3 mics with better quality

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:18 PM 6

22. Bjray

Posts: 199; Member since: May 29, 2014

Front & back cameras: True Better design: Subjective, I personally prefer the clean minimalist design. Removable battery: Only a pro if you plan to use it. All I have is Samsung smartphones and I've never needed / wanted change out battery packs. Expandable storage: Once again, only useful if don't / can't utilize the cloud (which is what this device is all about). Battery life: Considering the Nexus 6 will have stock Android and like I said earlier "Project Volta" I would give this to the Nexus. The Note 4 doesn't really have anything going for it except for a 0.23 smaller display. Both devices are beasts and they both have they're own exclusive features from each other. There really is no clear winner here, just what's best for your personal wants / needs. And don't forget the Note 4 is $100 more.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 1:24 PM 0

28. tedkord

Posts: 17365; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

I'm just going to disagree about the expandable storage. With carriers trying to impose data caps, the cloud isn't viable long term.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 5:01 PM 0

23. Bjray

Posts: 199; Member since: May 29, 2014

Also, didn't notice but the 64 GB Nexus 6 is only $699. So now the Nexus could be $50 cheaper with 2x the storage. One more thing to think about.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 1:38 PM 0

26. bur60

Posts: 981; Member since: Jul 07, 2014

Before Dbags come complain about external SD, dont forget that you have to pay a great price for that. I payed f-in 55 euros for my highspeed 64gb microsd from samsung to be able to film in 4k.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 4:28 PM 1

35. janno

Posts: 144; Member since: Aug 19, 2014

And is $200/euro more.

posted on Oct 16, 2014, 3:17 AM 0

8. darkoman4

Posts: 183; Member since: May 30, 2014

IPhone 6+ has an OIS.

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:09 PM 0

29. sameer1807

Posts: 5; Member since: Apr 16, 2013

so does the new nexus 6 and note 4

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 6:09 PM 0

9. mawhob2222

Posts: 219; Member since: Mar 22, 2014

Nexus6 the best

posted on Oct 15, 2014, 12:17 PM 0

11. simplepink

Posts: 19; Member since: Nov 26, 2012

Nexus 6 is meant for the ladies since men have issues with the size! I would consider the Nexus BC of the size. I dont think phone cameras make that big of a difference. Hope the nexus has 3GB of RAM!