iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6 – Early Specifications, Features, Release Date and Price Showdown

Two heavily rumoured upcoming smartphones, the iPhone 6 and the Nexus 6 are rumour mill's favourite topic this year. There is no dearth of leaked specifications, features, images and videos showcasing how these 2014 flagship phones might look and fare among the already existing top-sellers.

Meanwhile, there is no confirmation on whether LG or HTC is making Google's Nexus 6. Also, the Nexus 6 release date is set for October or November 2014. Apple iPhone 6, on the other hand, is slated for September 19 release. Unlike Nexus 6, the iPhone 6 will arrive in 2 models with 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches display.

Google was expected to announce the Nexus 6 smartphone in the Google I/O 2014 conference, but there has been no news on the device thus far. It is worth noting that, Google unveiled the successor of Android KitKat OS, the Android L Lollipop (also known as Android 5.0) in the event. Recently, a leaked video showcased an iPhone 6 back cover from production line, which suggested that the company logo will be removed from the back, pointing to a likelihood of wireless charging and an IR blaster in the device.

Also, it is time to pit the super smartphones against each other to ascertain their worth. Here is a specification, and feature comparison between the upcoming Nexus 6 and the iPhone 6.

Google Nexus 6 will feature a gigantic 5.5 inches display with an ultimate screen resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (2K display). The only real competition to Nexus 6 with respect to display is the LG G3 with 5.5 inches screen. In addition, the unique 2K screen resolution guarantees a phenomenal viewing experience for users and none of the top-sellers boast this display.

Also the current top-selling favourites like the Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8 come with 5.1 inches, 5.2 inches and 5.0 inches display respectively. The iPhone 6, on the other hand, will come with a relatively smaller 4.7 inches full HD display with a standard 1,080 x 1,920 pixels screen resolution. The pixel strength of the iPhone 6 is expected to be 416 ppi, while the upcoming Nexus 6 is expected to come with a superior 534 ppi of pixel density.

The iPhone 6 will house an anodised aluminium body and hence the premium look is guaranteed. According to Expert Reviews, to add extra protection to upcoming Apple devices, sapphire glass will be used to cover the camera lenses and the fingerprint scanner. The advantage of sapphire glass when compared to other glass materials is its durability and robustness; hence it is difficult to break the device.

It is worth noting that the same glass can be utilised to make scratch resistant glass covers for devices, but Apple may not be using the glass for that purpose. Google Nexus 6, meanwhile, is expected to feature aluminium edges with thin bezel, a much-required change from the plain plastic exterior of its predecessor.

The Nexus 6 will reportedly be powered by a quad core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805) Krait 450 processor clocked at 2.7 GHz, whereas the iPhone 6 will be powered by a quad-core Apple A8 chipset, clocked at 2.6 GHz. The Nexus 6 is expected to run on either Android 5.0 (Android L) or Android 4.5 OS, while the iPhone 6 will run on Apple's latest iOS 8.

The Nexus 6 will house a solid 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage capacity. The iPhone 6 is expected to house a 2 GB of RAM and it will support 32 GB and 64 GB of internal storage capacity with no microSD card support. According to recent reports, 128 GB of internal storage is being rumoured to be part of iPhone 6 and 16 GB seems to be out of the upcoming device. If rumors were true, both the devices might support microSD card for memory expansion.

Both the phones will be supporting Near Field Communication (NFC) and fingerprint scanners. Also, the Nexus 6 features a water and dust resistant exterior and hence the device is IP67 certified, says PC Advisor. However, there is no confirmation on the water/dust resistant exterior in iPhone 6.

According to reports, the Nexus 6 could house the following 3100 mAh battery, 13 MP and 5 MP rear and front-facing cameras. While the iPhone 6 is expected to house a battery unit between 1,700 mAh and 2,000 mAh, and 8 MP iSight camera.

An Indian mobile retailer 91Mobiles says the upcoming Nexus 6 could be priced at Rs.40000 (roughly translates to US$655 and AU$706). It is worth noting that, the aforementioned price details should be taken with a grain of salt because none of the details are confirmed thus far. Apple, on the other hand, will be launching the 32 GB and 64 GB variants of 4.7 inches iPhone 6 for 5,288 Yuan (US$846) and 6,288 Yuan (US$1008). Hence there is a possibility that the company may not launch the iPhone 6 16 GB variant, according to MacRumors.

Which device do you think will rule the roost upon release? Feel free to leave a comment.