Google’s Nexus 6 smartphone is many things, but despite appearances one thing it’s not: an over-sized Moto X (2014). It’s understandable why some might think that the second gen Moto X is more similar to the Nexus 6 than it actually is. Size difference aside, many of the cosmetic ques are identical, from the aluminum mid-plate to the curved chassis, from the cameras ring flash to the front facing speakers right down to the signature Motorola Logo on the back. In the hand, they do feel similar, again with the exception of the Nexus 6’s massive footprint, but those similarities are only skin deep.
That skin is the first major difference here, using Motorola’s Moto Maker Suite. The Moto X (2014) is available in 520 different color combinations, in everything from plastic to wood to 2 types of leather. The customization extends to personalized branding on the back and special greetings up-front, all coming together to make the Moto X feel more personal.
By contrast the Nexus 6 is available in just 2 shades of somewhat slippery matte plastic. Even the parts of the hardware that seem identical, aren’t. And here is where the Nexus 6 gains some ground. The Nexus comes with duo front-firing speakers instead of the Moto X’s single one, and its camera bears optical image stabilization where as the X’s does not. The Nexus 6 includes a bundle turbo charger in the box and wireless charging support, while the Moto X (2014) always requires wires, and if you want to turbo charge it you will need pay extra $35.
Aside from the obvious differences in display size and pixel density, the Nexus 6 also brings a nice touch with its panel with the ability to go super dim for night time readers. You can accomplish a similar effect with Screen Dimmer app on the Moto X, but it’s nice to have this out of the box on the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6, being a Google smartphone, promises faster Android updates than any other smartphone, so you can count that as an extra point for the Nexus 6. Motorola is pretty fast to push updates to its X line too (due to the fact that Motorola like to keep its personalized UI as close to raw Android as possible), but the Nexus is a clear winner here. Owning a Nexus device still feels like being part of somewhat an exclusive club, while there’s a certain fun-factor in owning a Moto X.
Let’s talk about optics and cameras. Though they offer identical resolutions, the Sony camera sensors used in these two flagships are not the same. The Nexus 6 packs the newer sensor (Sony IMX 214) with a wider aperture of F/2.0 and is power by the Google Camera finder. The Moto X packs the Sony IMX 135 with F/2.25. Neither have the best software for shooting, but the Nexus’ is probably the easier one to adapt to. The Nexus 6 camera is the one I prefer overall, and is the one that generally provides better results, especially in the hands of a user not particularly fascinated by photography.
The Nexus 6 also brings practical superiority over the Moto X (2014) in a few ways. First of all, 2 speakers on the front are much better than 1, and a bigger/newer phone means bigger storage, newer specs and a bigger battery. With neither of these offering microSD expansion, you will want all the storage you can get. The Nexus 6 goes up to 64 GB while the Motorola Moto X maxes out at 32 GB (although there are limited editions that come with 64 GB, however, these are not commonly available outside specific regions and carriers). In terms of internal hardware, the Nexus 6 brings the Snapdragon 805 versus the Moto X’s Snapdragon 801 and 3 GB of RAM versus 2 GB. You might think that the Nexus 6 is better in some high-end games and you might think it is snappier than the Moto X, but the Moto X actually runs smoother in most scenarios. Surprising, but it is what it is.
Overall the Moto X is more comfortably sized for one handed use and yet stills packs a display that is large enough for most tastes and needs. Between the Nexus 6 and the Moto X (2014), I would recommend the Moto X, however, both smartphones are solid choices and stomp many competitors into the ground. Ultimately, it also comes down to pricing, with a standard 16 GB Moto X (2nd gen) costing $399 carrier-free, while the Nexus 6 is considerably more expensive at $649 for the 32 GB model. There’s quite a gap in pricing there, one that the Nexus 6 simply can’t justify, so unless you have money to throw away, do yourself a favor and opt for a Moto X. Heck, you can even get the biggest available storage and best trims for the phone and still walk away with a better deal.