Later this month Google will start shipping a new flagship phone that could be one of Android's best alternatives to the iPhone 6s Plus. Let's compare the Nexus 6P's features and specs to those of Apple's new phablet.
Size
The Nexus 6P is almost exactly the same size as the iPhone 6s Plus.
Weight
The Nexus, though, is 7 percent lighter.
Build
Nothing to worry about here, as both phones have aluminum unibody constructions. The only exception is that glass bar by the Nexus' rear camera.
Colors
Google and Huawei give you three color options to choose from for the 6P, next to four for the iPhone.
Display size
Despite those nearly-identical sizes, the Nexus has a 7 percent bigger screen.
Display resolution
Based on pixel density, the Nexus has a 29 percent sharper screen. Despite that, the 1080p iPhone 6s Plus has one of the best smartphone displays we've seen, with its combination of maximum brightness, white balance, color accuracy and good (though not the best) pixel density.
Display type
It's AMOLED vs. IPS.
Pressure-sensitive display
We wouldn't be surprised to see Android flagships with 3D Touch-like displays start popping up next year (and actually Huawei has already announced one), but right now these pressure-based shortcuts belong to Apple alone.
Fingerprint sensor
Both flagships have fingerprint sensors, but the Nexus' lives on the phone's backside. The iPhone's Touch ID is part of its home button.
Storage
The Nexus has the big advantage of doubling the iPhone's storage on the entry-level tier. You might want to keep this in mind when we get to prices in a minute.
Processor
Don't be fooled by the iPhone's innocent-sounding dual core processor. The A9 is a ferocious beast that will eat you alive (i.e. the iPhone's real-world performance is very fast).
RAM
Multitasking speeds are great on the first iPhones with 2 GB of RAM.
Battery
The Nexus 6P has a 26 percent bigger (higher-capacity) battery, but we'll need to test its uptimes before jumping to any conclusions.
Fast charging
One of the biggest advantages current Android flagships have over today's iPhones is fast-charging tech, which can quickly juice up a nearly-dead handset (or at least quickly get it back to a respectable state).
Wireless charging
Google left wireless charging out of its 2015 flagships.
Camera megapixels
The iPhone 6s Plus has a great camera, but we'll have to wait for our review unit before having anything to say about the Nexus' photography (for what it's worth, Google is making big promises there).
Camera aperture (rear)
The Nexus' rear camera has the wider aperture.
OIS
No Optical Image Stabilization in this year's Nexus; we'll also keep an eye on this in our review.
Software
The Nexus 6P launches with stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow, while the iPhone runs iOS 9.
Release
Nexus 6P pre-orders have been open for a couple of weeks, and will start shipping later this month.
Starting price (full retail)
The Nexus doesn't quite have budget pricing, but considering its build quality and internal hardware, its pricing is going to be tough to beat. If the experience it provides is what we'd expect from its software, specs and feature list, then it could end up being one of the better smartphone buys this holiday season. Stay tuned.
For more you can check out Gizmag's full review of the new iPhones and our Nexus 6P review.
