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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.
We liked
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.
We disliked
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.
Final Verdict
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
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