Nexus 6 Review

Introduction

Nexus 6 by Motorola marks a shift in market positioning for Google's smartphone lineup. Whereas the duo of LG-made devices that precede it cut back on certain features to stay attractively priced, the Nexus 6 is ready to rub shoulders with the best in the Android realm. It is no longer simply an Android reference phone, but a true Google flagship, both on paper and in person.

Motorola Nexus 6 has a special place in the history of Google's smartphone family. The 6" phablet development took place during Google's ownership of Motorola (the storied manufacturer became a Lenovo company several days ago), so it is as pure in philosophy as it is in terms of OS.

Rumors about a Nexus smartphone by Motorola began to circulate as soon as Google finalized its acquisition of the manufacturer back in 2012. It has been over two years since the deal took place, but, we must admit, it looks like the wait for the handset was well worth it. Motorola Nexus 6 is brimming with the best hardware available for Android today, coupled with a brand new Android version that packs a host of new features.

Performance

Built upon a Snapdragon 805 chipset with a quad-core 2.7GHz Krait 450, 3GB of RAM and the Adreno 420 graphics-processing unit the Motorola Nexus 6 should be a true benchmarks champ. We've found that the new Android version helps too.

In the CPU benchmark section, the Nexus 6 posted the high scores on a consistent basis. It is one of the most capable devices out there in terms of sheer oomph.

13MP OIS camera

Motorola Nexus 6 packs 13MP f/2.0 camera with Sony IMX 214 Image Sensor and optical image stabilization. There's dual-LED flash, which is set in a ring around the sensor. You can activate the snapper via a swiping gesture from the lockscreen or from the homescreen shortcut.

The camera UI is intuitive and requires practically no time to get used to. The image capture button is on the right side. Timer, flash settings, grid view, and the ability to switch to the front-facing camera are available via a menu in the top right corner.

The shooting options are located on the left side. They include regular shots, Panorama, Lens Blur, Photo Sphere, and Video.

HDR+ requires manual activation. We wish that there was an auto option available, though its lack is hardly a deal breaker.

The camera locks up focus rapidly. You can change the focus point via a tap on the screen.

Users can opt to set their image exposure manually via a toggle in the settings menu. Resolution of the photos, as well as the quality of the panoramas can also be tweaked.

The image quality of the Nexus 6 is quite good. There's a great deal of detail in good lighting, though slightly overly aggressive noise reduction in the shadows eradicates much of it. Colors are pleasingly rendered, and contrast is good. Dynamic range is about average.

Final words

Motorola Nexus 6 is the right candidate to carry the Android 5.0 Lollipop flagship banner. It looks good, it's brimming with the latest hardware, and it's solidly put together. Thanks to its massive 6" display and that large Nexus logo on its back, the phablet is not lacking in presence either - just like a flagship should.