Introduction

Whoa!  What a comparison this will be – the king of the phablets…the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the new comer…the new Google Nexus 6.  I know that loyal Nexus fans will immediately dismiss the Note 4 and its TouchWiz and declare the Nexus 6 the winner…well hold on just a bit and let us take a good look at these two devices, up close and personal.  Samsung has really defined what a true phablet is – and it is more than a big screen…it is using the device and display to get the most productivity out of the phablet. Let’s see just what the new Nexus 6 brings to the table.

Both devices are nice looking – they both have metal trim around the edges and the Nexus 6 has a plastic back and the Note 4 has a soft, pliable faux leather looking back.  Both feel great and have a quality and well-built look about them, although the Note 4 does stand out a little more with its contoured and sculpted metal edges.

There are actually many similarities between these two devices – they are practically the same size, both use the AMOLED display technology…the Note 4’s is Samsung’s own Super AMOLED model…rated the best display as tested by DisplayMate technologies.  Both use the exact same processor, have the same 3GB of RAM and both have a minimum of 32GB of internal memory – the Nexus has a 64GB model and no additional expansion and the Note 4 has a microSD card slot to add an additional 128GB of storage…even the battery in both devices is the same 3220mAh size!

I did not go into detail about the individual software features as BOTH devices have their pluses and minuses and each tweaked just a little bit different.  It will be interesting to see just how much carrier bloat is added to the Nexus 6…but that is for another article.

Please take a look below at the detailed specifications and then we will look at each individual device to bring out their pros and cons and then try and pick the winner in this comparison.

Specifications

Nexus 6

The new Nexus 6 was announced today and the internet is still buzzing about the larger and more expensive Nexus device.  It seems that Google had to make a decision and chose to go BIG – they bumped up the display by an inch and the dimensions by the same and by selecting the most premium of technology, they were also force to bump up the price.  It is as if they decided that they would compete one-on-one directly with the iPhone Plus, and in many ways succeeded.  The Nexus 6 is made by Motorola and it shows in the design and build quality…not that the Nexus 5 was cheapish in any way, but the Nexus 6 does away with the minimalistic approach and is going with a full-blown premium look this time around.

The new Nexus 6 leaves the old Full HD LCD display behind for a new AMOLED QHD display with 493 pixels-per-inch (PPI).  Like the Note 4, the Nexus 6 uses the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz.  It also has the 3GB of RAM and either a 32GB or 64GB internal storage option, although there is no room for expansion like the Note 4.  The main camera was certainly upgraded over the old 8MP in the Nexus 5 – 13MP with auto focus, OIS and a dual LED flash ring around the lens.  The front-facing camera (FFC) is only 2MP, but should be fine for selfies or an occasional video chat.  The Nexus 6 is a large device measuring 159.3 x 83 x 10mm and weighs in at 184 grams.

It too, has the usual Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 (Note 4 has 4.0) and a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.  As far as extra features, the Nexus 6 has dual front facing stereo speakers, built-in Nexus wireless charger, and the optional Motorola Turbo Charger, capable of giving you up to 8 hours of service on a 15-minute charge.  Perhaps the greatest gift in the eyes of Nexus lovers is the new Android 5.0 Lollipop, and for the first time it will be available on all major carriers in the U.S. at a price of $649 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model – off contract, of course.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is arriving in a few days and Samsung took a winner and improved it in just about every area – from the outside look with a full metal sculpted frame to the faux soft-touch leather on the back.  they added 2.5D Gorilla glass to take away much of the reflection and from the moment you pick it up, it feels solid and well made.

Both devices use the AMOLED display technology – Samsung uses their own version called Super AMOLED and it was rated as the best display to date.  The QHD display is alive with color and 515 PPI, but not as over saturated as previous versions.  The Note 4 does not have a 64GB memory option, but it does have a microSD card slot to add an additional 128GB of storage.  The camera was a real upgrade this year with 16MP versus the 13MP used on the Nexus 6 – but it also has Samsung’s ISOCELL technology for better low-light shots, auto focus, LED Flash and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).  It also has a larger FFC, 3.7MP versus 2MP on the Nexus 6 – not only is it larger, but it is also a wide angle lens, allowing you to fit more people in either your video chat – as in conference room – or for a group selfie.

The Note 4 is slightly thinner at only 8.5mm and weighs about 8 grams less.  They both have the usual suspects – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Nexus 6 has 4.1), NFC, microUSB port for charging and data transfer.  The Note 4 adds to that list an IR Blaster, Quick Charge, fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor, UV and Oxygen sensors, and of course, the S-Pen and all of its accompanying software.  It comes with Android 4.4.4 KitKat and TouchWiz, it is available on all major networks, and will cost you about $700 – $800 off contract and $299 on a two-year contract.

…And the Winner is…

Summary

Yes, it was very close, and I could have just as easily picked the Nexus 6 and not been upset with myself – but taken as a whole, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the phablet category nailed down at this point.  The S-Pen and dedicated applications make it the most productive smartphone on the market.  It looks a little more premium, the attention to detail, such as the 2.5D Gorilla glass, the raised metal edges to protect against drops – and features like the fingerprint scanner, the heart rate sensor, the VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling capabilities, the IR Blaster, the better camera, the best multitasking available and the plevy of applications for the S-Pen and more, just make it the winner in this tight race…certainly the Android 5.0 makes the Nexus 6 attractive, but not enough to win this comparison.

Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which device is the winner in your mind…and WHY…as always, we would love to hear from you.