UPDATED 04:07 EST / SEPTEMBER 30 2015

NEWS

Big-screen shootout: Nexus 6P vs. iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy S6 edge+

Google yesterday unveiled two new pure-Android powered Nexus phones, the 5.2-inch Nexus 5X and the phablet-sized 5.7-inch Nexus 6P, manufactured by South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. and China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. respectively.

The Nexus 5X is a capable but sub-flagship device, while the Nexus 6P stands tall as this year’s flagship Nexus offering from Google.

As a flagship smartphone, the Nexus 6P will compete for attention with similar big-screen offerings from Apple and Samsung, most likely the recently launched 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus and dual-edged 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 edge+.

Below we take a look at how the Nexus 6P stacks up against the competition in the technical specifications department, and then we take a look at some of the standout features of this year’s Google Nexus flagship.

Nexus 6P vs. iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy S6 edge+: Tech specs

Nexus 6P

iPhone 6s Plus

Galaxy S6 edge+

Screen size

5.7-inches

5.5-inches

5.7-inches

Screen resolution

2560 x 1440 (518 ppi)

1920 x 1080 (401 ppi)

2560 x 1440 (518ppi)

Screen type

WQHD AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4

IPS LCD, Retina HD

Quad HD Super AMOLED

Dimensions and weight

159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm, 178g

158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm, 192g

154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm, 153g

Processor

2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1  With Adreno 430 GPU

1.8GHz dual-core 64-bit A9 with M9 motion coprocessor

Exynos 7422 64-bit Octa core chip (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad) with ARM Mali-T760 MP8 GPU

RAM

3GB

2GB

4GB

Storage

32 / 64 / 128GB

16 / 64 / 128GB

32 / 64GB

Battery

3450mAh

2,750mAh

3000mAh

Rear camera

12.3MP, f/2.0, 1.55µm pixel size

12MP iSight, f/2.2, 1.22µm pixel size

16MP, f/1.9, LED flash

Front camera

8MP, f/2.4, 1.4µm pixel size

5MP FaceTime HD, f/2.2

5.0MP, f/1.9

Video capture

4K

4K at 30fps

4K at 30fps

Connectivity

Bluetooth v4.2, Dual band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi

Bluetooth v4.2, Dual band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi

Bluetooth v4.1 LE, Dual band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Operating system

Android 6.0 Marshmallow

iOS 9

Android 5.1 Lollipop

Special features

Nexus Imprint, USB Type-C, Android Pay

3D Touch, 2nd-gen Touch ID, Retina flash, Apple Pay

Dual-edge screen, Apps Edge, Live Broadcast, Samsung Pay, wireless charging, fingerprint sensor

Price

$499 for 32GB, $549 for 64GB, $649 for 128Gb

$749, $849, $949 (off-contract) with range of deals on offer.

64GB at $859.99, 32GB at $779.99 from T-Mobile with no contract.

Manufactured from aeronautical-grade aluminum, the Nexus 6P is the first Nexus phone to sport an all-metal body. The Nexus 6P also sports a USB Type-C port for faster charging and data transfer and a new fingerprint sensor, Nexus Imprint, for device security and to authorize mobile payments via Android Pay.

Fans of Project Fi, Google’s nascent wireless network, will be delighted to know that the Nexus 6P is supported.

The Nexus 6P’s camera brings big improvements over previous Nexus cameras with a 12.3-megapixel Sony sensor combined with laser autofocus and dual LED flash. The front-facing camera is an impressive 8-megapixel unit with HDR+ that automatically detects when high-dynamic-range should be enabled.

Other camera improvements include slow-mo video at up to 240fps with playback slowed down by up to a factor of 5 at 48fps, Smart Burst to capture burst of photos at 30fps when the shutter button is held down, and a new quick launch via a double tap of the power button.

These features aside, on paper there is not much between these three flagship phablet-sized smartphones. They all boast exceptional build quality, powerful components, cameras capable of capturing high-quality images and video and each will find favor with fans of s specific brand or platform.

Now all that’s left to decide is whether you’re an Apple fan, geeky Nexus fan, or middle-of-the-road Samsung fan.

Screenshot: SiliconANGLE via Google Store

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