The very nature of Android means that there are options. And as more companies pop up selling their devices online, contract-free, those options keep expanding. There has never been a better time to be a fan of Google’s mobile operating system, as the software has a ton of features for the end user, and there are some truly high-end, impressive smartphones out there to sift through.
Virtual assistants have been a big part of smartphone culture for about 4 years now. Apple’s introduction of Siri in the iPhone 4s back in 2011 raised the bar for all smartphones to include something similar. After all, she was the most advanced voice activation system that we had ever seen on a smartphone at the time, and it was somewhat of a marvel (even as a loyal Android user at the time).
Nexus 6P Challenge is back with an interesting topic. The move from iPhone to Android. Why is it still so difficult when Google has allowed Apple to publish their Move to iOS App on the Play Store?
J.K. Shin has been involved with Samsung’s mobile business for years now, but today it was revealed that he’s ceding much of the day-to-day of the business to someone else.
J.K. Shin has been involved with Samsung’s mobile business for years now, but today it was revealed that he’s ceding much of the day-to-day of the business to someone else.
When AT&T originally launched the Samsung Galaxy S6 active back in June, the phone only came with 32GB of storage. Fast-forward nearly six months, though, and a more capacious version of the S6 active has been released.
Cyber Monday is officially here, and companies are taking the opportunity to tempt you to spend any money that you may have leftover after Black Friday.
Motorola has slashed the prices of a few of its devices for Cyber Monday. The 64GB Moto X (2nd Gen.) is available for $299.99, 25 percent off its regular asking price. You can also customize that model with Moto Maker, though adding a wood or leather back will cost an extra $25.
Following Verizon’s decision to raise the cost of its grandfathered unlimited data plan, AT&T has confirmed that it will do the same.
As smartphone cameras become more powerful, more and more folks are relying on them for all of their photo and video needs. And while there’s no shortage of video editing apps on the market, Adobe today threw its hat into the Android video editing ring with Premiere Clip.
Update: Now that Tenplay is on the Telstra TV, the lineup of supported streaming services is almost complete, so we've updated the review accordingly.
The biggest promise of the Telstra TV is a unified big-screen platform for all of Australia's video streaming services. Since the arrival of Presto, Netflix and Stan, users have had to cobble together a variety of streaming and beaming solutions to watch all three services on a television.
While Netflix is available on everything and Stan has slowly made its way to both the Apple TV and now Sony's PS4 and PS3 consoles, Presto has been stuck on web browsers, tablets and phones since it launched last year.
Some may argue that Foxtel's 50% stake in the streaming service is one of the main reasons the service has taken so long to both introduce HD streams and develop a dedicated TV app.
But whether that's true or not, Telstra has managed to get the platform on board for the launch of its rebranded Roku 2 device, the Telstra TV (it probably helps that Telstra owns part of Foxtel, I guess).
That combination of the holy trinity of Australian SVOD services is undoubtedly the platform's biggest selling point, but it has come at a cost.
While the Telstra TV is essentially a rebranded Roku 2, Telstra has taken a virtual hacksaw to the software in order to make it a truly Telstra device.
And make no mistake, that plays a big part in our final verdict of the platform. In a market that has Apple opening its successful (and historically closed) Apple TV platform up to developers, Telstra's decision to essentially lock down what is a fairly open platform in its natural state is a definite frustration. But more on that later.
Given that the Telstra TV is essentially a rebadged Roku 2, the hardware is anything but a surprise. It's still a small squarish box with a weird purple clothing tag coming out the side, plus USB, ethernet, SD card and HDMI ports around the back (and side).
But this time around, instead of saying Roku on the front and remote, it says Telstra TV, and those little cloth tags read "Roku powered".
The puck is deceptively lightweight - not that you'll notice once it's tethered to your TV – and at 88.9 x 88.9 x 25.4mm it's small enough that it can comfortably rest underneath a TV on a stand.
It's quiet, and doesn't seem to generate a huge amount of heat, so you could potentially stack it next to a games console without fear of burning the house down.
There are no physical buttons on the device to speak of – the Telstra TV instead sits in standby mode while waiting for a signal from your remote.
Integrated Wireless N means you can comfortably rely on a wireless connection to stream your favourite shows, but if you really want the best possible connection you're going to take advantage of that ethernet port in the back.
The remote itself is a compact, no frills affair. The shortcut buttons to your favourite streaming services found on the Roku 2 are gone – not replaced with local services, simply removed from action.
This is a shame, really. While the selection is obviously different over here, having shortcut buttons to Australia's SVOD platforms would be a keen differentiator for the Telstra TV.
But where the Telstra TV truly differentiates itself from Roku is in the software. Unfortunately, it's not by opening up the Telstra TV to a whole range of content, but by locking it down to a much more restricted collection of apps and services.
The HDMI port on the back will pump out 1080p video streams. While it's not the 4K streams we want (that you can get in the US in the Roku 4), it's still on par with almost every other streaming device in Australia, so we can't mark it down too much.
Setting up the Telstra TV is a relatively straightforward affair, although it's worth noting that you will need a Telstra account ID to get things up and running.
You can probably make your way around this restriction by picking up a cheap Telstra pre-paid SIM, creating an account and then activating the streaming box, although we can't say for certain this will work as we used our own Telstra account to get started.
Once you switch the Telstra TV on, you'll be prompted to connect to a Wi-Fi network (if you're not using that ethernet jack), and the box will then pull down the latest firmware before the installation carries on.
You'll be prompted to add your timezone information, then you have to agree to the device's terms. For those who like to speed through the T&Cs without actually reading what they're agreeing to, you'll hate the fact that scrolling through the terms with the Telstra TV remote takes ages.
Contract signed, the Telstra TV box will download its "pre-installed" apps (Presto, Stan and Netflix, plus a few more), before then requiring you to activate the box with your Telstra account.
To do this, you'll need a web browser and a Telstra account. The Telstra TV will generate a code with a 30 minute refresh rate that you need to enter on a dedicated activation page. It's a slightly roundabout process, but you only have to go through it once, so it's an acceptable compromise.
Once activated, the box will give you three simple control tips, before updating those apps it only just downloaded - or maybe it's the ones that were already there? It's not really clear, but there's definitely more downloading going on before you can start streaming.
The whole process takes about 15 minutes, so it's not a massively laborious process. But it's not fun either.
Telstra has included Presto, Stan and Netflix apps straight out of the box.
This combination - straight out of the gate - means that it's got the best collection of SVOD services available on Australian boxes anywhere.
Catch up TV services are also pretty well catered for – Yahoo!7's Plus 7 app is there, as is SBS On Demand and 9's JumpIn (the first time we've really seen it away from a browser or mobile app).
A recent update saw TenPlay land on the device as well, which gives a fairly complete free-to-air suite of catch up services.
Sadly, there's no ABC iView yet, although comments on Telstra's community forum indicate that it might arrive before the end of the year..
That said, given we still haven't seen an iview app rock up on the Xbox One almost a year after it was promised, it's unlikely we'll see the public broadcaster focus on a Telstra TV app in the immediate future.
Also on the app front, you get BigPond Movies, YouTube, GoPro and RedBull out of the box. But the list of apps is fairly short: Alongside the ones already mentioned, there's the Roku Media Player, Crunchyroll, TuneIn radio, WSJ Video, Vimeo, and AwesomenessTV.
Unfortunately though, anyone hoping to leverage the Telstra TV as a tool to access global streaming services, like the US Netflix catalogue or HBO Now will be entirely out of luck.
One of the biggest restrictions of the Telstra TV is that it locks down any ability to play with the device's settings. So those who like to tweak the DNS to access the US streaming services and their larger libraries.
In and of itself, this probably isn't going to phase too many customers. But when factored in with the fact that Telstra has locked down one of the Roku 2's most endearing features - more than 2,000 niche content channels to choose from.
Instead, everything you get on the Telstra TV has been carefully curated by the telco. Again, for most people having access to Presto, Stan and Netflix will be enough, but for anyone hoping for the Australian Roku, this probably isn't it.
Like the Roku box that it's based on, the Telstra TV is incredibly easy to control. The remote has a simple, minimal button layout that is easy to come to terms with for even the most novice user.
At the top, home and back buttons prove to be key navigational tools. The four-way D-pad is next, with the OK button conveniently located in the centre.
Below the D-pad is the Roku's two distinct buttons – a short rewind button that allows users to jump back 30 seconds to let you quickly catch up on missed bits of a show, while the asterisks button offers contextual menu options in certain situations.
Unfortunately, the remote isn't the most responsive unit we've ever wrapped our hands around, especially when compared to the quick touchpad-unit paired with the new Apple TV. Trying to cycle quickly through a list of programs, or even type out your login details to Presto takes time, especially when not every press is recognised.
However, the bigger challenge isn't in the remote itself, but in some of the local apps. While the Netflix app shows all the polish you'd expect from the global streaming service, some of the local offerings are comparatively archaic.
Presto, for example, is a disappointing experience. When you launch the app, you'll see a large splash page suggesting you sign up if you're new. That happens even after you've logged in and are regularly running the program.
That splash page will remain onscreen for about five seconds before a countdown clock appears in the bottom left corner that tells you it is about to start the app. So, 10 seconds after launching Presto from the menu, the app finally begins to launch.
However, it still takes the Telstra TV about another 20 seconds to actually present you with the content selection. 30 seconds to access content is pretty terrible in today's day and age, especially when Netflix will get you to the content in a couple of seconds.
Once you're in Presto, there's no easy way to quickly continue watching something you've been bingeing, either. If you want to find a particular show, you have to press up from the menu, and either search for it manually or browse through the TV or Movie menus.
And when you are trying to binge on Presto, you will need to manually start every episode while watching on the Telstra TV.
The catch up TV services aren't quite as disappointing – they all have the same navigation with a rather clunky on screen font and probably require a press too many to actually access content, but otherwise they are fairly responsive.
Stan's app has gone live, and it's a familiar experience to anyone who has used the PS4 or iOS version of the app. It's also fairly quick to launch and easy to navigate, despite the remote's seeming lethargy.
But overall, the experience wasn't fantastic. It was easy, sure, but it seemed to lack polish and speed, something the new Apple TV delivers in spades.
One other quirk we noticed while reviewing was the fact that when you're playing your own mkv files using the Roku Media Player app, the Roku box doesn't decode a Dolby Digital audio signal.
Instead, it offers support via HDMI pass through, meaning that you need to have the Roku box plugged into a device (like an AV receiver) capable of decoding the format.
Depending on your setup, this could be a massive frustration, or it could be nothing.
Also missing from the Telstra TV is Roku's universal search functionality, which lets you search for your favourite show and have the device tell you where you can watch it across your streaming services.
Apparently this will be released down the track in a firmware update which will help improve the device. But for the moment, it's simply not there, which makes navigating to your favourite program just that little bit more difficult.
Until every streaming service manages to make its way to every smart TV (or Presto gets around to an Apple TV app), the Telstra TV has a unique selling point in being a one-stop SVOD shop for Australians.
That's a pretty enticing offer, given the variety of content between the services (and the fact that a subscription to all three is still cheaper than a decent Foxtel plan).
But having the content available isn't the same as being a good product. And performance -wise, there's still a long way to go for the Telstra TV before it becomes an essential partner to home viewing.
The good news is that almost every issue we have with the Telstra TV can be fixed with a firmware update, so we're keen to see just how far Telstra takes this device in the future.
We Liked
Well, you can't go past the content selection. Telstra's ability to bring Netflix, Presto and Stan, plus the catch up services, onto a single platform is certainly noteworthy.
The controls and setup are fairly simple – easy enough for most punters to get right without calling up the family tech-support member at least.
And once things are streaming - well, the quality is generally pretty good.
We Disliked
The Presto app is, frankly, a disappointment. Despite the fact the platform has plenty of great content, it seems little thought has been given to actual user experience.
Some of the other apps, with the exceptions of the big global apps like Netflix, also suffer on the usability front, although not to the same extent as Presto.
Telstra has also cut back the versatility of the box this is based on, which means the wide variety of channels and custom settings have been locked down. While that probably won't affect most users, it's certain to challenge tech-savvy adopters looking for an Australian Roku product.
Final verdict
Even though externally, the Telstra TV is identical to the Roku 2 box it is based on, Telstra has done enough on the software front to deliver an entirely different product.
Sadly, we don't think that these changes have actually improved the offer for Australian SVOD fans.
Sure, they've managed to collect all the local SVOD platforms in one place, but the truth is that the experience isn't up to scratch, especially compared to the latest Apple TV's UI.
Still, for $109, the Telstra TV is priced well, and does have a unique content offering. With a few firmware updates, it could even become a must-have device. But for now, you're probably better off saving your cash.
Apple today unleashed a new leather case for its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The new leather case is the same as the ones that’ve been available since the new iPhone models launched earlier this year, but with one big difference: its color.
While covering the Apple iPad Pro, we've been quietly testing the Surface 3 from Microsoft. Although there is a lot to love about the iPad Pro, the price point and restricted mobile operating system limits its functionality. The Surface 3 runs a full version of Windows 10 and can be equipped with a well designed Type Cover to essentially turn the tablet into a fully functional laptop.
Can you remember the first time that you used multitouch? The first time that you picked up a smartphone with a capacitive touchscreen display and used two fingers to pinch-to-zoom? You might, but I sure don’t. The feature has been around long enough now, and become such a staple of how we use our phones and tablets every day, that it’s just common practice. There’s nothing all that exciting about multitouch anymore, and that’s a good thing.
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 among the best phones in 2014 and into 2015, despite its age.
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 Marshmallow 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. It's also not as flashy as the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, as premium feeling as the all-metal HTC One M9, or as resourceful as the new Samsung 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 Nexus 6 is available worldwide on every major carrier following its initial early November 2014 release date in the US, and the upgrade to Android 5.1 is underway.
At first, the phone was limited to AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, but Verizon began selling the Android phone with VoLTE enabled on March 12, four months later. In the UK, Vodafone and O2 were first to launch it.
In the UK, the price drop has been even more substantial, with the 32GB version now going for £369 from the Google Play Store, with the 64GB version dropping to £419.
At first, it was $649, £499 unlocked (AU$869), and much pricier than past Nexus phones. And that was just for the 32GB model. Google was selling the 64GB version for $699 in the US, £549 in the UK and AU$929 in Australia.
On-contract, it's now $149 through AT&T, down from the $249 upfront in the US, and in the UK plans started at as low as £32.50 a month with a free phone upfront.
Nexus 6 is the first - and so far only - phone to support the search engine giant's experimental Google Project Fi cellular network, currently in beta with a number of invites sent out.
The 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.
It 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. Stay tuned for more on Project Fi.
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 killing Motorola'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 the HTC 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.
Its quad HD and doubles down on Apple's "full HD" screen, though the LG G4 and 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.
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.
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.
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 of it in our Android 5.0 Lollipop review.
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.
Of course, even Google's new champion for the better part of 2015 has its challengers. The once fragmented competition is coming together to raise the stakes, and of course the new Nexus 6 2015 device is just around the corner.
Stock Android remains one of the best reasons to own a Nexus device. Its software is void of the often unnecessary third-party overlays and pre-installed apps that simply get in my way.
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.
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) and Samsung 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's camera certainly bests the flawed photos of 2013's Nexus 5 snapper and it's way more accurate than the rest of Motorola's oversaturated lineup.
The improvements are care of the Sony IMX214 CMOS sensor, a wider f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization, all attributes that aren't a part of the new Moto X.
It's a 13-megapixels - the same as the OnePlus One camera - and holds its own next to the 21-megapixel Droid Turbo for two reasons: it has better shot-for-shot color accuracy and OIS.
Both the Moto X and Droid Turbo have tried to impress with vibrant, Instagram-like colors for each shot. It works in some cases like photos of the sky or buildings, but when it occasionally turns your skin different hues, it's unfortunate.
That's why I appreciate the fact that the Nexus 6 is closer to reality. It's still a bit warm in natural light and grainier than it should be in low-light situations, but a marked improvement.
The problems are only abundantly clear when comparisons are drawn between its camera and the Galaxy Note 4 camera. Samsung's color accuracy and post-processing skills can't be beat.
All of this is true of the front-facing camera too. It's a bit redder and grainier in low light when using that 2 megapixels. The Note 4 and the front-flash-equipped HTC Desire Eye do a better job if you're looking for selfies in your local pub.
I found the Nexus 6 autofocus to be comparable and even snappier in some instances, but the Note 4's camera is just chock-full of options not in Google's very straightforward default.
Sure, Photosphere is a neat camera trick that works on Google+, but its an overall bare bones camera app that's easily overpowered by third-party alternatives in the Play Store. And sadly, Motorola hasn't brought over the camera twist shortcut that launches the Moto X app.
Video is a little more straightforward. It shoots 4K video at 30 frames per second, but if you're not playing it back on a 4K TV, it's hard to justify the space on a quad HD smartphone. That's where the 1080p video recording option is much more relevant.
You can find camera samples on the next page and I'll be adding more of my photo-snapping results throughout the week with additional analysis.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
People I spoke with said that I was coming in clearly using the handset normally and switching over to the speakerphone. It's loud through that top speaker and easy to hear everything.
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.
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.
The Nexus 6 is bigger and newer than its competition, but it's not a clear cut victory. If new and big always won the tech race, Samsung would have the best smartwatch every 3 months.
Here's how Google's new trend-setting Android stacks up to existing iOS 8 and Android KitKat devices in the phablet category.
Google's latest Nexus has a similar screen size as the Nexus 6, but there have been some big changes everywhere else. Google chose to employ Huawei as the manufacturer of the latest phablet and it paid off.
It looks great with a fingerprint sensor on the back and a brushed metal premium design all over. Both screens are QHD meaning you're going to get a gorgeous picture across the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 6, but the processor set up is a little better on the latest phone.
The camera on the Nexus 6P is quite improved as well with better shots in low-light. It's a great choice but it's going to cost you quite a bit as well.
Apple went bigger with the iPhone 6 Plus and while its 5.5-inch display is king among iOS 8 devices, its specs don't match what benchmarks set by Google and Samsung.
It still looks incredible with a 1920x1080 resolution display 401 pixels per inch that meets full HD standards. It defines ultra-thin and redefines what an 8-megapixel camera can do.
The big iPhone's best feature is iOS itself. If you're locked into Apple's ecosystem with iMessages and iCloud, and don't want to ditch Touch ID, this is a satisfying phablet. Plus, most of Google's software is available in Apple's App Store.
A lot of people are deciding between the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Nexus 6. Was it worth holding out until Google released its new phone?
There answer comes down to which features you want. The Note 4 comes with a advantages like the S Pen stylus that some people want phone that's a large 5.7 inches.
It also boasts multitasking, a fantastic camera and runs circles around most Androids when it comes to benchmarks. A microSD card slot and replaceable battery are must-haves for a lot of people too.
If you can deal with TouchWiz, the backward-facing speaker and the phablet-sized price, then it's something to consider over the cheaper, pure Android Google Nexus 6.
LG G3 is a little more manageable as a two-handed Android thanks to its 5.5-inch display. I can wrap my hand arounds its chassis without even stretching my fingers.
It's still in the same quad HD resolution category as the Nexus 6 and sports a similar curved backside. But the smaller screen and brush-metal plastic back aren't as striking as Google's 6-inch behemoth.
That's okay. The LG G3's laser autofocus and price more than make up for this. The camera and price out-do the even smaller Galaxy S5.
Since Google has discontinued sales of the Nexus 5 in the lead up to the NExus 6 launch, this is more of a "Do I upgrade early or hold tight for the Nexus 7" - oh wait, that already exists.
You get the point. Again, it depends on what you care about. The Nexus 5 is getting Android 5.0 Lollipop, so the interface is going to match what you see here.
The differences comes down to the size, obviously, the stylish design and the camera. Nexus 5 was rightfully criticized for its less than stellar performance last in 2013.
Nexus 6 passes the camera quality test and every other benchmark we threw at it. If those things are important to you, think about an early upgrade.
Google and Motorola launch Android 5.0 Lollipop with the Nexus 6 and it's a treat that doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste thanks to its favorable design and specs.
It's not as cheap as Google's past flagship phones used, but you get more display for your money and the ability to upgrade to the next version Android without hesitation.
It's also benefited from a number of price drops, and once this year's Nexus 6 (2015) launches, you can be pretty confident that the price will drop once again.
There's a lot to like about Nexus 6. I'm a sucker for Android Lollipop and it looks great on this bright, 6-inch AMOLED display. It's not filled with all of the pre-installed apps I never use.
Going along with the video-friendly 16:9 screen are front-facing speakers that project movie, game and music sound to me instead of away from me. What a concept!
The specs top almost all previous smartphone benchmarks thanks to the Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon chip and 3GB of RAM. An extra-large battery has kept me running for more than a day.
The 13-megapixel camera is more true-to-life than 2013's Nexus 5 and Motorola's other smartphones combined, even if it doesn't quite measure up what Samsung's doing.
It's hard to call the Nexus 6 Android's best phablet. It's big but the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 4 just barely inches out ahead of Google's phone in the benchmarks.
But the perk of having the first smartphone to run Android 5.0 Lollipop is still there, right? No, actually the update it already available for the LG G3. Others are promising to follow soon.
It's also a bummer to see that the Nexus 9 knock-to-wake function and Moto Active Display didn't make the cut. Active Display is one of Motorola's best features, and it's not here despite the fact that the Nexus 6 costs more than the Moto X.
The death of the Google Nexus program has been greatly exaggerated, and 2014's stock Android phone ironically resulted in an exaggerated Moto X. Its tremendous display, premium specs and debut of Android 5.0 Lollipop make one of the best phablets to date.
That's not to say it's the perfect phablet. Without Moto Active Display, customizable voice command features and Moto Maker options, $649, £499 (around AU$700) would normally be a big ask.
Luckily, this just happens to be the best Nexus Google has ever crafted. And, when you think about it, you're not going to need to hold onto your money, as you'll require both hands to grab onto this two-handed monster.
First reviewed: November 2014
