OUR VERDICT
Nexus 6 proves that Google's Nexus program is not only far from dead, it's alive and kicking with a powerful 6-inch phablet that runs its latest Android software. It's bigger than the Note 4, but not better.
Nexus 6 is Google's phone that's a year-and-a-half old that was solid, but has since been replaced by the even better Nexus 6P. This review has been updated regarding Motorola's design decisions.
Google Nexus 6 is a supersized version of the Moto X 2014 that has been given a two-handed booster shot and, appropriately, received a post-surgery Lollipop. The results? It was briefly part of our best phones list in 2014 and into 2015.
This phablet-sized smartphone was the first to run Android 5.0 Lollipop and, really, there is no better way to experience all of the changes Google has made to its Android N operating system beta, too.
It parades the colorful Material Design interface on a massive 6-inch display, moves seamlessly between apps thanks to a Snapdragon processor and 3GB of RAM, and lasts one day with a large, Qi-chargeable 3220 mAh battery.
These Nexus 6 specs are enough to edge-to-edge out Apple's mighty iPhone 6 Plus, and it feels better to hold in my hand, and typing is easier thanks to Androids always-superior keyboards options.
Google Now, still one swipe to the left, is more personal than ever, which shows this phone is willing to go the extra .5 inches to please without BendGating over backwards.
The Nexus 6 isn't for everyone, especially one-handed texters who think the 5.2-inch Moto X 2014 pushes the limit, or anyone who can't live without the presence-sensing Moto Active Display. Even Motorola has admitted it only made the phone so big because that's what Google wanted.
It's also not as flashy as the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, as premium feeling as the all-metal HTC One M9, or as resourceful as the newSamsung Galaxy Note 5.
But Google has also now released the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P that are worth checking out before you head straight to buy a Nexus 6.
Google Project Fi
Nexus 6 was the first phone to support the search engine giant's experimentalGoogle Project Fi cellular network.
The previously invite-only program bounces between the signals of third- and fourth-place US carriers T-Mobile and Sprint with more forgiving and far cheaper plans for data usage.
Project Fi could shake-up the overpriced service of traditional US carriers and, hey, Android updates wouldn't be as much of a problem since it's a network operated by Google.
Although Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X now support Project Fi with even better specs, you may find that the Google Nexus 6 is the cheapest means to access the company's burgeoning mobile network.
Design
It takes two hands to properly operate the Nexus 6, but this Android phone feels better in my increasingly ambidextrous grasp for its size.
Motorola's design, borrowed from the Moto X, gives it a sturdy BendGate-free aluminum metal frame and palm-pleasing gently curved back.
It's sloped, so while the contoured sides run as thin as 0.15 in. (3.8mm), the thicker hump is 0.39 in. (10.1mm). The height and width are a normal 6.27 in. (159.3mm) x 3.15 in. (83.0mm).
Nexus 6 pushes an edge-to-edge display with no physical buttons, so the - by comparison - "small" 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus isn't too far off: 6.22 in. (158.1mm) x 3.06 in. (77.8mm).
At 6.49 oz. (184g), it weighs more than the new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy Note 4. But there's a good chance that if you can fit Apple's biggest smartphone in your skinny jeans, you're also going to be able to squeeze this oversized Android into a pocket too. You might not always be able to get it out as easily, especially when driving or sitting down.
The curve feels natural against my hands, and the back, while made of hard plastic, is at least smooth. It doesn't try to mask the material with fake leather stitching or bumpy plastic.
Nexus 6's shell is different from the rubberized Nexus 5, but I found it a lot easier to grip than its "premium," but far-too-slippery competitors that feature an all-metal design from top to bottom. With the aluminum iPhone 6, I felt like I needed a sleek-design-defeating case not to drop it.
This is a familiar Motorola device almost all of the way through, down to the dimpled logo on the back where my finger automatically rested when on a call. But it skips out on the Moto Maker customizations like wood finishes and far-too-supple leather backs.
Nexus 6 colors are limited to two: either Cloud White or Midnight Blue with the advantage of both being compatible with Qi wireless chargers, a feature all of those tricked-out Moto X phones don't support.
It's also missing the Moto Active Display functionality. Waving my hand above the three IR sensors of the Moto X triggered a mostly unlit screen with just the current time and notification icons. Pressing down on these icons revealed more information like email teasers.
Active Display is nowhere to be found here, even though it was a great a battery-saving idea that made notifications very glanceable. Instead, there's the less reliable Ambient Display mode that provides a greyed-out lockscreen whenever you lift the phone up suddenly. This doesn't always work.
Nexus 6 misses the boat when it comes to a fingerprint scanner to rival Apple's Touch ID. Apparently, the iPhone-maker is inadvertently responsible for killingMotorola's biometric design plans because it bought supplier AuthenTec.
You won't find a working LED light indicator here either. Recently, a developer discovered that the phone does emit one of these notifications pulses, but it's disabled. Turning it on requires a rooted phone.
Also missing, or at least inconsistent, is the Nexus 9 tablet's knock-to-wake feature. It actually works sometimes and turns on that greyed-out screen, but other times I get no response at all. "Hello, is anyone home?," I keep asking. Maybe a firmware update can resolve this in the future but that hasn't arrived in the months since the original launch.
Nexus 6 does, thankfully, inherit the Moto X's ridge-filled power button. This helped me differentiate between the right-side located power and volume buttons in the dark. More phone manufacturers need to steal this design idea. I won't tell.
Phablet manufacturers also need to take note of these front-facing speakers. The stereo sound is almost as good as BoomSound technology found in theHTC One M9 because it points the sound in the right direction. I'm tired of backward-facing speaker grills.
At the top of the Nexus 6, at its frame's thickest point, is a 3.5mm headphone jack along with the nanoSIM card slot. Sadly, there's no MicroSD slot to speak of, which means you're locked into 32GB or 64GB configurations.
It's also not waterproof like other IP67-certified Androids. It's merely "water resistant" and has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the 6-inch AMOLED display that I'll peer at next.
Nexus 6 pushes my fingertips to the limit with a 5.96" AMOLED display that is as big as it is gorgeous. You won't find a globally-available Android that matches its size.
Sure, it's only an inch bigger than 2013's Nexus 5 and half an inch larger than 2014's biggest iPhone 6 Plus, but its meant for two hands and therefore makes it seem extra large.
Google fills all of that space with a bright picture and a 1440x2560 resolution, which equates to 493 pixels per inch on the nearly 6-inch screen.
Buy Google Nexus 6 (32 GB) at for $ 254.77
Buy Google Nexus 6 (32 GB) at for $ 254.77
Its quad HD and doubles down on Apple's "full HD" screen, though the LG G4and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have higher pixel densities care of their smaller display sizes. But not by much.
Watching videos on the Nexus 6 made me skip pulling out the Nexus 9 more than once. The phone is just three inches shy of Google's new tablet and has a more video-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio.
This is Google and Motorola's first quad HD smartphone and it's a head-turning sight to see.
Beefier specs
At the heart of the Nexus 6 is a 2.7Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor that has an Adreno 420 GPU. It's a top-of-the-line, though now showing its age, chip for Google's largest Android phone yet.
Backing that up is 3GB of RAM and a reasonable 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Notice, there's no silly 16GB model to cheapen the value.
All of these Nexus 6 specs aren't overkill. It's important for the lightweight, but feature-filled Android Lollipop update that's pre-installed on the phone.
Android does more things than ever in the background: it runs multiple apps, receives notifications that hit the new lockscreen non-stop and makes the instantly accessible Google Now available with one swipe to the left. Voice searches are also on demand whenever I say the "Okay Google" prompt.
13-megapixel camera
Around back, there's a 13-megapixel camera that seems to be on par, on paper at least, with the 13-megapixel Moto X 2014 snapper. It's not, as the Nexus 6's camera has a better Sony IMX214 CMOS sensor with a wider f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization.
This trumps the Moto X camera specs that comprise of an older sensor and lacked OIS. It's not perfect, but it's far superior to what we got with the 8-megapixel Nexus 5 camera in 2013.
Android 5.0 Lollipop
The LG G3 has beaten the Nexus 6 to the punchy colors with a sooner-than-expected update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, but Google's phablet was still the first with it pre-installed.
First, last, whatever - the "Material Design" theme is far more inviting than what I experienced on the Nexus 5. Flat layers of bright colors bring out the best on this 6-inch display.
Android Lollipop is also more functional with lockscreen notifications and a new pulldown quick settings menu. It does go overboard though, adding an unnecessary new Messaging app.
More new features will be arriving any time now, with Android 5.1 set to add support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition voice calls.
You can find more of what TechRadar thinks.
Qi and Turbo Charging
Google and Motorola spared me the embarrassment of toting around the ugly USB 3.0 Micro-B cable employed by past smartphones, but the pair still allow for a faster charging method.
Nexus 6's secret sauce is that it uses a Turbo Charger, a larger-than-normal plug that juices the phone with six additional hours of battery life in just 15 minutes, and it uses a normal micro USB cable to transfer the juice.
This is made possible by the same Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 technology that the Moto X 2nd generation and a handful of other Snapdragon CPU-powered Android phones have.
The difference here is that the Nexus 6 comes with the square-shaped plug, while most other QuickCharge smartphones sell it as an accessory.
Nexus 6 can also be juiced up with the Nexus Wireless Charger or any Qi inductive charger, though the wire-free base station is sold separately in this case. More on how this holds up in the battery life tests page.
Nexus 6 sets new standards for both interface and performance among Androids with few exceptions. It's once again Google's standard bearer for other manufacturers to follow.
It's colorful and bright on the outside thanks to the debut of Android Lollipop, and it's a beast on the inside due to top-of-the-line internal specs.
Sure, skins like Samsung TouchWiz, LG Optimus and HTC Sense look and run better today than they did two years ago, but pure Android is the way to go.
There's no getting around the fact that Nexus devices, like all Google Play Edition devices, receive future Android updates almost immediately without carrier intervention. That matters as much this year as it does next year.
We're gearing up for Google's successor to Android Lollipop, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which will be released later this year.
While it probably won't be as big a leap as Android Lollipop was compared to Android KitKat, it's still set to come with some exciting new features, and it's a good bet that the Nexus 6 will be one of the first handsets to get the update.
Right now though it's all about Android 5.0 Lollipop, last fall's pre-installed version of the operating system. It sports a flat, yet layered theme among its menus and apps.
Google calls this "Material Design," and it sort of lifts 2D layers to the third dimension with a combination of shadows cast by key and ambient lights.
The new look also dials back the visual non-essentials, but punches up the color. Menus aren't as dark as they were on Android 4.4 KitKat, and apps share in this same geometry-focused design and splash of color.
So far this applies to Google's slate of apps like Gmail, Google Play Movies & TV and Google Maps. The company is driving a simplified, unified layout throughout its ecosystem.
There's also a big difference to how Android 5.0 Lollipop functions, and I didn't even have to unlock my Nexus 6 to see the very first change - it was right there on the lockscreen.
Lockscreen notifications bring the hidden notification panel to the forefront with email alerts, text messages exchanges, app updates and so forth. It's all easily glanceable like on iOS 8.
Such a move would normally introduce a privacy problem. Google, however, nipped that issue in the bud within the "Sound & Notifications" settings menu.
With nothing to hide, I can "Show all notification content," keep certain items confidential via "Hide sensitive notification content," or turn everything off with "Don't show notifications at all." Better yet, I can block notifications on an app-by-app basis through this same handy menu.
Priority Mode is Google's more advanced take on Apple's Do Not Disturb feature. It silences the Nexus 6 indefinitely or in intervals ranging from 15 minutes to 8 hours.
Like the lockscreen notifications, certain apps and callers can be allowed or disallowed via whitelisting, and I've since ditched my third-party Silence app for this new, system-wide feature.
Priority Mode isn't part of Quick Settings like I had expected. It's activated by pressing the volume key in either direction and following the on-screen toggles.
Quick Settings does have some new additions, however. The pulldown menu doesn't require two fingers simultaneously. That still works, but now you can do one swipe for notifications, then another swipe to reveal this hidden quick settings menu. It's a lot less awkward.
It's still impossible to add to or rearrange the quick settings. What you see is what you get. Thankfully, new buttons alongside Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Airplane Mode include Flashlight and the Chromecast "Cast Screen" button.
A brightness slider, while not necessarily new, is no longer hidden behind its own submenu. One less step is what quick settings is all about.
New features are already on the way too, with Android 5.1 set to roll out any moment at time of writing. That brings support for multiple SIM cards and high definition voice calls to the Nexus 6, as well as a new Device Protection mode, which keeps a lost or stolen handset locked until you sign in with your Google account.
Performance
Nexus 6 running Android 5.0 Lollipop clears all but one rival smartphone when it comes to benchmarks: the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
It's awful close, and that's no surprise. Google's specs mirror it chip-for-chip with a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor, Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM.
Nexus 6 aces Geekbench 3 benchmarking tests with an average multi-core score of 3294. It's significantly faster than the smaller iPhone 6 Plus (2911) andSamsung Galaxy S5 (2905).
Alas, the Galaxy Note 4 eeks out a win with a benchmarking score of 3,352. A real overachieving nerd with a pocket-protected S-Pen in its frame, if that's what you want. The recently released Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 also upstage the Nexus 6, with scores of 4,846 and 3,803, respectively.
Despite the newer handsets scoring higher, these numbers translate into stellar performance from the Nexus 6. Google's phablet is venturing into tablet territory, and the recent Nexus 9 slate averaged 3,492 in the same tests.
It's pushing the boundaries of more than just physical size. The one and only slowdown I saw was during the boot-up process. It took 1 minute 33 seconds to start this thing up.
At first slow start times seemed more like a glitch that can be addressed in a post-launch firmware update, however a year after launch and the Nexus 6 still takes its sweet time when booting up. Right now, streaming movies and playing CPU-intensive games hasn't slowed this phone down one bit.
That's a good sign if you're going to hold onto this smartphone for two whole years.
Nexus 6 is obviously a multimedia powerhouse given its phablet-sized display, but there's speakers that backs up those good looks.
That has a significant impact on the 6-inch movie-watching, game-playing and music-listening experience, one area in which the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 doesn't quite compare.
Video
I actually prefer watching movies on my Nexus 6 over the Nexus 9 tablet due to the fact that Google's new flagship smartphone boasts a more video-friendly screen.
It's in the proper 16:9 aspect ratio, so all of the widescreen movies I watch are formatted sans letterboxing or at least kept at a minimum. The black void is strong with the Nexus 9, sadly.
When streaming movies via Netflix I found that the Nexus 9 has slightly darker tones, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was slightly brighter for the full 107 minutes.
The same was true when I watched Gravity, which I downloaded from the redesigned Google Play Movies & TV section, with the sci-fi flick demoing Nexus 6's excellent contrast ratio.
There's hardly a winner in this side-by-side quad HD movie comparison. Samsung's amped up screen made is easy to see darker objects, while Google's didn't blow out sunlight scenes.
It's the front-facing dual speakers that hand the Nexus 6 a victory among phablets.
Music
Songs, of course, play well through these stereo speakers that rest at the top and bottom of the Nexus 6. It's a big step up from Motorola's mono-speaker Moto X from two months ago.
Running through my Google Music playlist, I could not only hear all of the music, I could see what was playing on the screen without having to face my phone in an awkward direction.
That's just not the case with some phablets like the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus in which the speaker grill is facing the back or the bottom.
It didn't quite match the larger sound produced by the HTC One M9 and its patented BoomSound speaker tech, but the Nexus 6 makes the most sense and noise among phablets.
Games
The Nexus 6 didn't flinch when it came to game apps, typically the most intensive media form for a jack-of-all-trade phone like this, and it handled everything with flying, fluidly animated colors.
The free-to-play Asphalt 8: Airborne proved that Google's current Nexus is no slouch in 3D gaming performance. Simpler apps like the isometric Game of War did the same for 2D.
In fact, the Game of War overworld was easier to navigate thanks to 6-inch display and 2560 x 1440 resolution. It didn't feel stretched from my days playing it on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
This is important for mobile gamers to take into consideration when thinking about purchasing a phabet. Touchscreen size matters just as much as internal specs sometimes.
Storage
Nexus 6 takes the phablet crown when it comes to multimedia, but with one caveat. It doesn't have expandable storage.
This Android Lollipop trailblazer comes in 32GB or 64GB flavors. That's the internal storage size you're stuck with for about two years if you don't upgrade soon.
Also keep in mind that my review unit had a smaller-than-advertised 25.98GB of user-storage onboard when it's really the 32GB model. Nearly 7GB is taken up by the OS.
Nexus 6 battery life is excellent, judging from our tests. Behind its 6-inch AMOLED is a mighty 3220mAh capacity battery, the same as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The difference is that Google's new flagship is running Android 5.0 Lollipop with the battery-saving optimizations of "Project Volta" to eek out two extra percentage points.
That translates into a 17% drop in battery life when running TechRadar's 90-minute HD video test. The Note 4 dropped 19%, LG G3 lost 25% and iPhone 6 Plus went down 27%.
The Android System and Android OS can take some of the credit for the improved battery results, as they have been hogging a smaller percentage of battery life, according to the always-useful battery settings menu.
Outside of this looped battery test, my Nexus 6 lasted about a day and a half on travel, again pretty much tied with the Note 4 and more than enough time to seek a power outlet.
I wasn't able to swap out the battery, however. It's sealed inside the Nexus 6, unlike Samsung devices that offer access to batteries so that they are user-replaceable.
The good news with the current Nexus is that it takes advantage of Qualcomm's QuickCharge 2.0 technology that boosts battery life in a jiffy and it comes with the special power adapter.
Motorola calls it a Turbo Charger, Samsung dubs it fast charger and HTC refers to it as rapid charger. Whatever, it's a wonderful addition to devices with recent Snapdragon CPUs.
Officially Nexus 6 is supposed to be able to add six hours of battery in just 15 minutes. That came out to 20% in 15 minutes when my phone started charging in at a critical state.
Those numbers continued to stay true as I left the phone attached to the oversized plug in the outlet. My total charge time for the Nexus 6 from zero to full was about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Added to this fresh convenience is the return of an old (sort of) one. Google once again supports the Qi charging standard for inductive charging.
That makes owning the Nexus Wireless Charger or any Qi charger that much more useful. Motorola has Qi experience with the Moto 360 and its phone works the same wire-free way.
You don't need an accessory for Qi wireless charging, which makes the Nexus 6 battery that much better than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 sans the non-user-replaceable aspect.
Just because Google's Nexus 6 looks all-grown-up doesn't mean it can skip out on its basic chores as a cell phone. Call quality, keyboard functionality and messaging are still important.
Two out of three isn't bad, especially when the last category has been a system-wide Android problem since the very beginning.
I didn't have to repeat anything, but I did discover a weird two or three-second delay following my pressing the speakerphone button. It seems like an unresolved glitch more than anything.
My Nexus 6 didn't become too hot after a very long 40-minute conversation with my mom, and trust me that's not always the case. I found I could easily surf the web and text at the same time. For testing purposes. Not because I was bored. Honest.
The new Android 5.0 Lollipop keyboard takes away the borders between the keys and adds two new themes - lighter and darker in color.
Google's keyboard personalization makes Android's default keyboard leagues ahead of the just-learning Apple iOS 8 QuickType keyboard and it comes with gesture typing out of the gate.
Messaging
Messages is the one area where Android 5.0 Lollipop isn't making incremental improvements. In fact, I think it's actually taking steps backward with additional confusion.
Hangouts is still here, with the ability to route SMS and internet messages through the app. But Google went ahead and introduced a new default "Messaging" app, too.
It sports the lovely Material Design theme, but is solely for text messages, which, as always can't be beamed to a computer or tablet without a bunch of third-party app trickery.
As much as I like MightyText and similar apps that mirror my messages on the device that's occupying my attention, Google needs to be the one to match iMessages' seamless idea.
Hangouts on the computer almost did that last month. Google introduces an SMS tab on the computer-based internet messaging service, but it requires a Google Voice number.
Being able to route calls, texts and Hangouts (both messages and video chats) and ensuring users get is what the essential Google doesn't have a handle on just yet.
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