Everything you need to know about the Nexus 6

Google finally made the oft-rumored Nexus 6 official. This device will go head-to-head against successful tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus. There has been a lot of discussion about the size and price of the Nexus 6, which makes it a very interesting device. Later this month the “Nex-six” will go up for pre-order and ship out in early November. Before you grab that credit card, this is everything you need to know about the Nexus 6.

Nexus 6 Specs

Android fans love specs, and the Nexus line attracts the most passionate Android fans. That makes the specs of the Nexus 6 all the more important. Motorola has absolutely decked out the Nexus 6 with every high-end spec you could want. It has a big, beautiful high-resolution display, the newest and most powerful processor on the market, a big camera, and a juicy battery. Here’s a quick rundown of the important specs.

• 5.9-inch 2560×1440 QHD AMOLED display (493 ppi)
• 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
• Adreno 420 GPU
• 3GB RAM
• 32/64 GB of storage
• 13MP rear, 2MP front-facing cameras
• Dual front-facing speakers
• 3220mAh battery

The other hardware to consider is the overall design of the device. If you liked the look of the new Moto X you will like the look of the Nexus 6, and vice versa. Around the edges of the phone is a metal band, while the back is a dark blue or white plastic. Yes, it only comes in blue or white, but the blue is very dark. It’s a fairly boring design, like most of the Nexus devices.

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli

The Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 are the first two devices to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop. The biggest feature of Lollipop is the brand new Material Design language. This is the first time since Ice Cream Sandwich that Android has received a major face-lift. All the last remnants of the Tron-esque design have been removed in favor of a flatter “material” look. Lollipop also introduces tons of gorgeous new animations.

Material Design is the most easily noticeable feature of Lollipop, but there is a lot more going on. Other big changes include a brand new way to deal with notifications, redesigned multi-tasking, battery saver mode, Android Smart Lock for connected devices, user profiles, guest mode, new quick settings, and much more. Check out the full changelog here.

The other thing to consider about Lollipop and the Nexus 6 is timely updates. Since this is a Nexus device you can expect to get the latest and greatest from Google before anyone else. Nexus devices get the latest version of Android immediately. No waiting around for carrier approval (hopefully) or OEM tinkering. If being on the latest version of Android is important to you the Nexus 6 is a must-have device.

Size Matters

The Nexus 6 is a large phone. I don’t need to tell you that. The size of the Nexus 6 has been a topic of much debate, and for good reason. Everything I’ve mentioned up to this point in the article doesn’t mean much if the phone is too big for you. The only way for you to know that is to hold it in your hands, but since you can’t get one right now we have to explore other options.

Here is the Nexus 6 compared to some devices that you may have at your disposal. Is it too big for you? See for yourself.Configuration Options & Pricing

Now that you know everything about the Nexus 6 it’s time to decide if you should buy one. The Nexus 6 will be available to pre-order on October 29th for $650 or $700 from the Google Play Store. It will also be available from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon. Carrier pricing is unknown at this point, but we expect something around $200 with a new contract. The Nexus 6 comes in two colors: Midnight Blue and Cloud White. You’ll be able to choose 32 or 64GB storage options.