The future of the Nexus family has been up in the air for a while now, and it was once believed that the program would even be canned altogether. Thankfully, this turned out to be nothing more than a rumor, and now after all the gossip and speculation, the latest members of the Nexus family have arrived! The successor to the Nexus 5 sees the manufacturing gauntlet turned over to Motorola, making this not only the first Motorola Nexus but the first Nexus ‘phablet’ as well.

The Nexus 6 retains the overall design of the Moto X (2014) but packs a supersized 5.9-inch display and has a few tweaks to the aesthetics that make it a bit more Nexus-exy (yes, I made that word up..). With a metallic frame, the Nexus 6 is also a bit more ‘premium’ than past generations of the Nexus phone family. Whether the looks are better or worse will largely be a matter of opinion.

As for the specs? The Nexus 6 is a monster in every way imaginable, featuring a beefy processor package, a QHD display and a camera that is much more impressive, at least on paper, than the semi-mediocre shooter found on the Nexus 5.

Nexus 6 Specs

CPU/GPU Snapdragon 805, Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 450 / Adreno 420 Display 5.96-inch, 2560 x 1440 RAM 3GB Memory 32/64GB Battery 3220 mAh, Wireless charging, Turbo Charge: 15 minutes for 6 hours of power Camera rear 13MP OIS, Dual LED flash, f 2.0, front 2MP Connectivity WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS / GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth® v 4.0 (LE) Network North America GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHznCDMA Band Class: 0/1/10nWCDMA Bands: 1/2/4/5/8nLTE Bands: 2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/29/41nCA DL Bands: B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-29, B4-B5, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29n Network International GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHznWCDMA Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/9/19nLTE Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/9/19/20/28/41nCA DL: B3-B5, B3-B8n Sensors Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer OS Android 5.0 Lollipop Dimensions and Weight 82.98 mm x 159.26 mm x 10.06 mm, 184 grams

While the Nexus 5 wasn’t a slouch by any means and is still a very capable handset even today, the Nexus 6 offers the latest processor available: a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 805 CPU. There’s also 3GB RAM, a 13MP rear cam, 2MP front cam, 32 or 64GB storage, a 5.9-inch QHD display, and a hefty 3200mAh battery. While the large QHD display and powerful CPU are going to certainly gulp down battery life, the large size means that you will get over 24 hours of use from a full charge — at least according to Google. In addition to improving the battery life, it’s also worth noting that the phone supports turbo charging, letting you get 6 hours of battery use in just 15 minutes.

At least on paper, the Nexus 6 certainly holds its own against or exceeds any existing Android flagship, and the addition of pure Android 5.o Lollipop means that this phone should perform like a dream. While it may be too big for some folks, the Nexus 6 could be the perfect device for those that like big-screen phones and having been wishing for a pure Android experience.

Software features

The Nexus 6 will be the first handset to ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop, which brings quite a few improvements to the table. While many of us have already played with the developer preview of Android L, the final release brings several coats of polish.

Some of the biggest changes in Android 5.0 include the new Material Design interface changes, improvements to the notifications including lockscreen notifications, improved security and business features, and even battery optimization software. There’s also plenty of small tweaks and improvements such as revised quick settings, searchable settings and the list goes on.

Pricing and availability

The Nexus 6 will go on sale in the Play Store from the beginning of the November. The device will be available in black and white at launch, in 16GB and 32GB configurations. Pre-orders for the Nexus 6 will open on October 29.

All major carriers will be carrying the Nexus 6, including Verizon!

The Nexus 6 32GB will cost $649, while the 64GB model will cost $699, making the Nexus 6 the most expensive Nexus phone to date.

More Coverage

While the above gives you a good idea of what to expect from the handset, we have plenty more coverage related to Android 5.0 and the Nexus 6 coming down the pipeline — including a on-paper “VS” showing how the phone stacks up when directly compared to other Android flagships.

Also be sure to check out the Nexus 6’s official page!