In this article, we’re going to consider how the biggest phablets of the year stack up. We’ll be looking at three Android smartphones – the Nexus 6, Note 4 and OnePlus One – in addition to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. Let’s begin!
Display
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.96 inches | 5.7 inches | 5.5 inches | 5.5 inches |
| 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| 493 ppi | 515 ppi | 401 ppi | 401 ppi |
It seems only natural to start with the defining feature of these phones: their displays. Each one comes with a display greater than 5.5 inches across the diagonal, putting them firmly in phablet (phone / tablet hybrid) territory. The One and 6 Plus are the smaller pair, while the Note 4 and Nexus 6 are closer to the tablet end of the scale. Despite their greater size, the higher resolution 1440p displays of the Note and Nexus grant them denser screens, which should make text and images appear more crisply.
Display technologies are also important; the Nexus 6 and Note 4 use AMOLED while the OnePlus One and iPhone 6 Plus are using IPS LCD displays. AMOLED is traditionally more power-efficient and has more vibrant colours, while IPS LCD tends to be more colour accurate with better viewing angles. Each display used here is high-end though, and so these differences are minimised.
Ultimately, there’s little here to differentiate these phones from each other; rather it depends what size you’re most comfortable with. We’ll get more into that with our next item – dimensions.
Winner: Tied
Dimensions, Weight and Materials
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 159 x 83 x 10.1mm | 154 x 79 x 8.5mm | 153 x 76 x 8.9mm | 158 x 78 x 7.1mm |
| 184 grams | 176 grams | 162 grams | 172 grams |
| Metal-framed plastic | Metal-framed plastic | Metal-framed plastic | Metal |
Given the differing screen sizes, we have surprisingly close results when it comes to dimensions. The Note 4 comes out barely ahead, thanks to fitting a 5.7-inch screen in dimensions close to the 5.5-inch OnePlus One. The iPhone 6 Plus is the outlier here, with a very wide and tall body for its screen size. Despite this, it pulls something back with a svelte 7.1mm thickness.
Each phone is constructed better than many of its peers and predecessors; the Note 4’s metal frame is a big improvement over the all-plastic body of the Note 3, for instance. When it comes to durability and in-hand feel, the sandstone back and metal frame of the OnePlus One give it the edge in the my eyes, with the iPhone 6 Plus’ fragile but gorgeous metal body close behind.
Winner: OnePlus One
Internals: CPU, RAM, Storage
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 805 quad-core 2.7GHz |
Snapdragon 805 quad-core 2.7GHz |
Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.5GHz |
Apple A8 dual-core 1.4GHz |
| 3GB RAM | 3GB RAM | 3GB RAM | 1GB RAM |
| 32/64GB | 32GB + microSD | 16/64GB | 16/64/128GB |
When it comes to raw power, the two most recent Android phones – the Nexus 6 and Note 4 – have the edge. Their Snapdragon 805 chipsets provide an excess of CPU and GPU horsepower, just ahead of the OnePlus One’s older Snapdragon 801 chip. The iPhone 6 Plus seems outgunned here, but the Apple A8 chipset is surprisingly good for its clock speed, and offers similar performance to the 801 in many benchmarks.
Where the Apple handset really falls behind is in RAM, offering only 1GB compared to the 3GB of its rivals. This has a very noticeable effect, as you can only keep a couple of apps open at a time. Go back to an app you had open a few minutes ago, and you’ll have to launch it from scratch. Having to reload tabs in Safari every time you go back to the app gets old really fast. Conversely, these Android handsets can keep apps ready to go in the background for ages, saving your position in the app and saving you time and data.
When it comes to storage, the 6 Plus’ default 16GB loadout is quite limiting, and the jump to 64GB is expensive. The OnePlus One avoids this with a cheap jump to 64GB, while the Note 4 and Nexus 6 start with 32GB of storage onboard (and the Note 4 can add more storage cheaply with microSD).
Winners: Nexus 6 and Note 4
Battery Life
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3220 mAh | 3220 mAh | 3100 mAh | 2915 mAh |
| 24hr talk-time | 20hr talk-time | 20hr talk-time | 24hr talk-time |
One advantage to going with a phablet is that you can fit a giant battery inside. These phones’ batteries average over 3,000 mAh, granting the ability to talk for nearly a full day. Using the giant display reduces these figures somewhat, but with mixed usage you’re still looking at one or two full days of use between recharges. The iPhone 6 Plus is particularly impressive, with 24 hours of talk time from the smallest battery in the field.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Camera
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13-megapixel OIS, dual-LED flash |
16-megapixel OIS, LED flash |
13-megapixel dual-LED flash |
8-megapixel OIS, dual-LED flash |
| 2160p30 1080p60 |
2160p30 1080p60 |
2160p30 1080p60 720p120 |
1080p60 720p240 |
| 2-megapixel | 3.7-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 1.2-megapixel |
While Android manufacturers have been chasing the spec sheets with higher megapixel counts, Apple has been focusing on image quality. The 6 Plus is their best effort yet, and takes fantastic pictures compared to other smartphones. Still, the higher megapixel counts of these Android phones do allow for better results in well-lit conditions like landscape shots. Ultimately though, the 6 Plus takes better pictures. The only disappointment is the front-facing camera, which at 1.2-megapixels is behind the competition.
When it comes to videos, it’s a little closer. Each Android phone shown here boasts 4K 30fps video recording, while the iPhone 6 Plus has excellent 240fps slow motion video at 720p. The slow motion video seems more useful than 4K, so once again the edge goes to the iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Connectivity
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-band LTE | 9-band LTE | 7-band LTE | 20-band LTE |
| WiFi ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC |
WiFi ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC |
WiFi ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC |
WiFi ac Bluetooth 4.0 NFC (Apple Pay) |
Connectivity is an interesting area. On the one hand, the iPhone 6 Plus has twice as many LTE bands as most of its competitors, making it much more likely you’ll find your favourite carrier is supported. Conversely, the Android phablets have a slightly later version of Bluetooth – 4.1 – which includes better coexistence with LTE signals, smarter connectivity and direct data transfers between Bluetooth accessories. The Android representatives also include NFC, which can be used for a range of purposes like transferring files, reading ads or contactless payments, while the iPhone 6 Plus only uses NFC for Apple’s own contactless payment system.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Software and features
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android 5 Stock |
Android 4.4 TouchWiz |
Android 4.4 CyanogenMod 11S |
iOS 8.1 Stock |
| Water-resistant Wireless charging Stereo front speakers |
S-Pen stylus Removable battery Multi-window Fingerprint sensor |
Tap-to-wake Optional soft buttons |
Touch ID Continuity |
Features are probably the hardest aspect of a phone to reduce down to a simple comparison, but at least you can see the features that each manufacturer wants to highlight (that we haven’t touched on already). Each phone has its strong points: the Nexus 6 has a strong hardware design with water resistance, wireless charging and stereo front-facing speakers, while the OnePlus One focuses more on software features like tap-to-wake and optional soft buttons. The iPhone 6 Plus’ Touch ID is the best implementation of a fingerprint sensor thus far, while Continuity allows the phone to work well with Mac computers. The Note 4 is probably the feature king though, with the S-Pen and some unique multi-tasking / multi-window features that make good use of the large screen.
When it comes to software, it’s a matter of preference. iOS 8.1 lacks the depth and customisation of Android, particularly compared to the CyanogenMod build on the OnePlus One, but does many things well and looks beautiful. iOS also boasts the larger app store, and more apps appear exclusively here than on Android. Conversely, many apps are just off-limits on iOS – you can’t get a torrent client, emulators or any content which Apple finds offensive or overly political.
Winner: Note 4
Accessories
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 products | 140 products | 27 products | 221 products |
When it comes to accessories, Apple have enjoyed a healthy advantage almost since the first iPhone. With only a couple of models to choose from, accessory makers can be assured of a big market for each item they produce. The biggest Android models enjoy similar popularity, but the Nexus 6 and OnePlus One are not as well supported.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Price
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| £529 ($649) – 32GB £569 ($699) – 64GB |
£575 ($749) – 32GB | £229 ($299) – 16GB £269 ($349) – 64GB |
£619 ($749) – 16GB £699 ($849) – 64GB £789 ($949) – 128GB |
When it comes to price, the OnePlus One is the least expensive and the iPhone 6 Plus is the most. The iPhone 6 Plus also puts the highest premium on additional storage, with the next tier costing an extra £80 compared to £40 for the Nexus 6 and OnePlus One. The Note 4 has only one storage option, but does come with a microSD card slot which allows even less expensive storage upgrades.
Nexus 6 prices are based on announced US prices and previous UK conversions, including VAT, and should be reasonably accurate.
Winner: OnePlus One
Overall
| Nexus 6 | Note 4 | OnePlus One | iPhone 6 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 win | 2 wins | 2 wins | 4 wins |
As it stands, the iPhone 6 Plus seems the best phone in more categories than its peers, taking home victories in battery life, camera, connectivity and accessories. The Note 4 won in hardware and features, while the OnePlus got the nod for dimensions / materials and price. The Nexus 6 took only one win in terms of hardware, which it shared with the Note.
Ultimately though, each of these four phones is a viable choice. The Nexus 6 offers bleeding edge specifications with the latest version of stock Android; the Note 4 is the feature-king with an improved design and good hardware; the OnePlus One has a great in-hand feel and is so inexpensive; the iPhone 6 Plus has an awesome camera and battery life, and enjoys a strong app and accessory ecosystem.
I hope this breakdown has made your choice easier. Let us know which one you’d pick in the comments below, or share your questions. Thanks for checking out the article and have a good week!
If you go to the actual manufacturer pages the lists are available (WCDMA and LTE bands are “technically” interchangeable, the radios are the same, it’s only a software change to define the difference in how it’s handled) though you’ll be hard pressed to get Samsung to admit it, most of the time the radios are capable of all bands, but software limited by market/model
Thanks Matt. I was basing this off the GSMArena pages; is there a better source I can use? I believe you, but I don’t want to list the source as ‘Matt, a commenter on this article’ ;)
Just as a point of reference… The iPhone 6, Nexus 6, and the OnePlus have the same radio frequency compatibility, the iPhone actually incorrectly states LTE bands that are WCDMA bands to get to 12, it actually only has 6 LTE bands, and 6 WCDMA, Nexus 6 is the same, and the OnePlus actually has 7 LTE bands, and 5 WCDMA bands.
iPhone 6+? Slow benchmarks with only a 1080P screen and a gig of ram? Yet still the most expensive even for a 16Gb? Stay over there in fantasy land with those iphone votes. Only thing it’s got is all that battery life. Only because it has a measly 1080p-easant screen. The only device it’s capable of competing with is a 350 dollar phone.