Note 4 vs Nexus 6 review Performance

The Nexus 6 and Galaxy Note 4 are both powered by a quad-core 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor. 
However, the Nexus 6 scored higher than the Note 4 when benchmarked on Antutu - 48,198 compared with 44,825 - probably owing to the Nexus 6's vanilla Android 5.0 Lollipop software. These numbers don't often mean much, but we did find the Nexus 6 slightly smoother and nippier to use, again thanks to Lollipop.
This could also be credited to the software's switch to the Dalvik virtual machine, and the sheer amount of bloatware loaded onto the Galaxy Note 4.
Winner: Nexus 6
SoftwareAs previously mentioned, the Nexus 6 runs a stock version of Lollipop, while the Galaxy Note 4 runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz skin.
Samsung has hinted that the Galaxy Note 4 will be updated to Lollipop, but has yet to say when.
This means that the Nexus 6 comes with all the latest features Google has to offer, including the new Material design which has a cleaner look and smoother animations and is a huge improvement on KitKat.
There are also other features such as improved multitasking, enhanced security and a battery saving mode.

The Galaxy Note 4, on the other hand, comes with the TouchWiz interface, which has a reputation for being one of the heaviest Android skins.
This rings true on the Note 4, which is stuffed full of custom features, such as a Flipboard homescreen overlay, a bunch of Samsung's own apps and a handful of apps that you're not likely to look at, including Pizza.de and HRS Hotels.
Not all the added features are unwanted, however. Samsung's Multi Window lets you easily use two apps at once, for example, while Smart Select lets you choose several pieces of content in a row and simultaneously share them as attachments in messages.
However, given its clean interface, design overhaul and all-round smoothness, the Nexus 6 comes out on top when it comes to software.

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Note 4 vs Nexus 6 review

Those in the market for a phablet are currently spoilt for choice, with smartphone screens continuing to grow bigger and bigger.
However, the Nexus 6 and Galaxy Note 4 arguably stand out as the most notable contenders.
Samsung's Galaxy Note range has long held a reputation for being among the biggest smartphones on the market, and often the go-to phablet for many, but Google's Nexus 6, with its 6in screen and large dimensions, makes the Galaxy Note 4 look almost petite.
DesignThe Nexus 6 and Galaxy Note 4 are largely similar when it comes to design. Both are crafted from plastic, Samsung's with a faux leather effect rear and Google's with a soft-touch plastic back reminiscent of that found on the Moto X.
Both also come with a metal trim, suggesting that Samsung and Google are looking to give their latest flagship smartphones a high-end flair.

While there's little in it when it comes to design, the Nexus 6 is the more bulky of the two, measuring 159x83x10.1mm and tipping the scales at 184g.
In comparison, the Galaxy Note 4, while still large, measures a slightly more manageable 154x79x8.5mm and weighs 176g.
Unfortunately, while Samsung's Galaxy S5 comes with IP67 certification, the Galaxy Note 4 does not, meaning that it's not resistant to dust and water. The Nexus 6, on the other hand, comes with limited waterproofing.
Still, given its more manageable size, and the inclusion of a baked-in home button, fingerprint sensor and heart-rate monitor, this round goes to the Galaxy Note 4.
Winner: Galaxy Note 4
DisplayMuch like in the design department, the Nexus 6 and Galaxy Note 4 are fairly evenly matched when it comes to displays, sporting 6in 1440x2560 Amoled and 5.7in 1440x2560 Amoled screens respectively.
Given its smaller screen size, the Galaxy Note 4 has the higher pixel density, which comes in at 515ppi compared with the Nexus 6's 493ppi.
However, in terms of quality, it's hard to judge a winner between the two. Both offer great brightness, sharpness levels and viewing angles, but we did notice that both suffer from slight colour distortion probably owing to the Amoled technology.
Getting one up on the Nexus 6, the Galaxy Note 4 has the added bonus of stylus input, allowing users to doodle and make notes on the display.
Thanks to this, and the fact that the Nexus 6 is extremely difficult to use with one hand, the Galaxy Note 4 wins another round.

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iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 review Battery

Battery performance hampers most smartphones. Despite advances in other areas, most handsets still struggle to offer more than two days of moderate use from one charge.

The iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6 don't radically change this, but they are both fairly impressive by today's standards.
Our test involved burning the iPhone 6 Plus 2915mAh battery and Nexus 6 3220mAh battery by constantly looping a video file stored on the handsets. Both performed fairly well, but the Apple phone had a definite lead.
The iPhone 6 Plus lasted an average of nine hours before dying, while the Nexus 6 made it to a still reasonable eight hours.
The burn scores rang true when we gave the iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6 power intensive tasks like 3D gaming.
For example, when playing Grand Theft Auto 3 the iPhone 6 Plus generally lost 12 to 15 percent of its charge for every hour played. The Nexus 6 lost 20 percent every hour.
The Nexus 6 doesn't last as long as the iPhone 6 Plus, but it's important to note that it charges significantly faster than the Apple phone thanks to the inclusion of Motorola's Turbo Charger.
Turbo Charger is based on Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 technology and can load the Nexus 6 with six hours of power from a 15-minute charge.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Storage
The iPhone 6 Plus features a more storage options than the Nexus and is currently being sold with 16GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal space. Google is currently offering the Nexus 6 with 32GB or 64GB.
We'd like to have seen a 128GB option for the Nexus 6, but the wealth of cloud storage services for both devices mean that space shouldn't be much of a problem for either handset.
Disappointingly, neither smartphone features microSD card slots, meaning that buyers will not be able to upgrade the physical storage after purchase.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Price
The Nexus 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are not cheap. However, the Nexus 6 is the less expensive option, starting at £500 for the 32GB model and £550 for the 64GB.
The basic 16GB iPhone 6 Plus is currently retailing for a hefty £620, while the 64GB and 128GB models will set you back a whopping £700 and £790.

Winner: Nexus 6
Overall winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Offering a sleeker design, better performance, longer battery life and sharper display, the iPhone 6 Plus is currently the ruler of the phablet market, and the Apple device wins six of our rounds compared to two for the Nexus 6.
However, with the most basic 16GB model costing £120 more than the Nexus 6, which features a superior camera, the iPhone 6 Plus' perks come at a premium.
We'd wholeheartedly recommend the iPhone 6 Plus to anyone with a surplus of income, but we'd also recommend the Nexus 6 to those outside Apple's ecosystem unwilling to shell out more than £500 for a smartphone.

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iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 review Performance

Performance
Performance is a key factor on most buyers' minds when comparing smartphones. As a result, an important question is how the iPhone 6 Plus A8 chip with 64-bit architecture and M8 motion coprocessor compares with the Nexus 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, 2.7GHz quad-core processor.
To answer this we used the Geekbench and Sunspider benchmark tools. Geekbench tests integer, floating point and memory performance to create single-core and multi-core performance scores.
Sunspider uses JavaScript to run a number of browser-based tests several times to determine the speed of the browser and processor. With Geekbench a higher score is better, while with Sunspider a lower score is better.
In our tests the iPhone 6 Plus had an impressive 1,619 single-core and 2,920 multi-core score on Geekbench and 350.0ms on Sunspider.
The Nexus 6 had 1,053 single-core and 3,178 multi-core scores on Geekbench and a 794.2ms on Sunspider.
With real world use we found that, for general purposes, both phones are very fast and will meet most users' needs. However, with prolonged use there are a few factors that tip the performance section in the iPhone's favour.
With extended use we noticed that the iPhone 6 was at times faster when it came to web browsing, and definitely performed better with demanding tasks such as 3D gaming. In these situations the Nexus 6 can begin to slow down and heat up.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Camera
Imaging performance is one area in which Apple and Google have failed to impress in recent years, and both companies have attempted to rectify the situation with their latest offerings.
Apple has loaded the iPhone 6 Plus with an advanced 8MP with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) rear and 1.2 Facetime front camera. Google has equipped the Nexus 6 with 13MP with dual LED ring flash and OIS rear and 2MP front cameras.
Testing the two rear cameras we found that both had their strengths and weaknesses.
In regular lighting conditions - when viewed on a display other than the Nexus 6's oversaturated screen - images shot on the Google-phone were crisper and generally featured more realistic colours than those on the iPhone 6 Plus.
White balance levels on the Nexus 6 were also more realistic, and the Google phone's ring flash component performed better than the iPhone 6 Plus dual-LED flash.

Taken on the Nexus 6

Ring flash modules are designed to create more constant lighting and contrast levels in photos by removing strong shadows. They can also be used when shooting up close to create a halo effect around the subject.
Dual-LED flash is designed to apply exactly the right colour combination to your photo's subject to create more consistent levels.
The Nexus 6 ring flash created more consistent shots when shooting in low light for a more diverse collection of subject matter than the iPhone 6 Plus could produce.
The combination of factors mean that, for general purposes, the Nexus 6 camera has a lead on that of the iPhone 6 Plus.
That said, turning the flash components off we found that the iPhone 6 Plus performed better in dim conditions. This is interesting as both handsets come with OIS components.
OIS reduces light alterations and degradations on images captured in low light
by compensating in real time for shaking and vibrating while shooting.

Taken on the iPhone 6 Plus

Shots taken in low light on the iPhone 6 Plus, while still far from perfect, were noticeably less noisy and pixelated than those taken on the Nexus 6.
The iPhone 6 Plus also boasts slightly faster shutter speeds than the Nexus 6, and is able to capture images a fraction of a second faster than its Google competitor.

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iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 review Operating system and software

Operating system and software
The iPhone 6 Plus comes out of the box running iOS 8 but automatically updates to the latest iOS 8.1 version. Similarly, the Nexus 6 comes running Google's Android 5.0 operating system, but has an update to the latest 5.1 version available.
In past reviews we've found iOS slightly more future proof than Android. This is largely down to Apple's closed management of the OS.
Apple blocks developers making changes to the software. This means that Apple can deploy updates much more quickly than Google, as Android handsets usually feature custom skins and software additions.
However, this problem isn't present on the Nexus 6, which features a completely unskinned version of Lollipop.
Devices running unskinned versions of Android are able to receive updates from Google far faster than their skinned counterparts as Google doesn't have to worry about tweaking the skin's custom code to work with the update.
So the answer to which phone is best for you is determined largely by the wider ecosystem in which you, or your office, are already embedded.
For users embedded in Mac OS, or with existing purchases from iTunes and the App Store, the iPhone 6 Plus will be easier to set up and use. This is particularly true with iOS 8, which is full of iCloud and Mac OS X Yosemite synchronisation services.
For example, as well as letting you sync data, files and even open web pages between iOS and Mac OS X devices, the Continuity upgrade means you can answer calls and send texts from the iPhone using a Mac, so long as both are running the latest software versions.
For those embedded in Google's ecosystem, the Nexus 6 features its own set of advanced synchronisation features.
The handset can be instructed to mirror the settings and application portfolio of one of the user's older Android devices, making it equally easy to set up a new device and get all the same apps and settings.
Additionally, the inclusion of key applications such as Google Docs and Drive mean that users can synchronise the Nexus with their PC and do things like edit documents started on the PC using the smartphone.
Winner: Tie
Security
While 2014 was rife with reports of the first iOS malware and attacks on Mac OS, Apple has traditionally had a lead in the security space thanks to its closed management policy.
Looking to build on this from a hardware and software perspective, Apple has loaded the iPhone 6 Plus and iOS 8.1 with a number of hardware and software security services.
One of the biggest of these is the custom Touch ID fingerprint scanner debuted on the iPhone 5S.
The Touch ID sensor locks the iPhone 6 Plus to the owner's fingerprint and allows certain processes, such as NFC payments or in-app purchases, only when it has detected the fingerprint.
iOS 8 also comes with a number of software upgrades designed to improve its enterprise appeal.
Key additions include tighter password security, S/MIME features, VIP threads, support for Exchange out-of-office replies and busy/free notifications in the Calendar app.
Prior to Lollipop we'd have said that the wealth of security features in iOS makes it the clear winner in the security stakes.
However, things are a little closer to call as Google has made a number of key upgrades that radically improve Android's native security.
Three of the most important are Lollipop's enhanced SELinux enforcing mode, Smart Lock and the decision to turn Android's encryption powers on by default.
The SELinux enforcing mode is an anti-malware feature that protects the Nexus 6 from infection by continuously monitoring the phone and installed apps for suspicious behaviour.
Smart Lock is a nifty service that can pair a 'trusted' Android Wear watch with a Lollipop smartphone or tablet. Once linked, the feature lets the Nexus 6 know when it's near its owner and offers an easy entry mode that does not require physically logging in.
The encryption by default is a smart move by Google as it automatically instructs the Nexus 6 to encrypt stored data and offers an added layer of protection against physical and cyber threats such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
While we have to tip our hat to Google for improving Android's security - which means IT managers or users who know what they're doing can make it every bit as safe as iOS - the fact is that iOS remains the safer bet.
Thanks to Google's open management policy, Android is inherently more prone to abuse and makes it easier for criminals to target with malicious applications, a fact demonstrated by the ever increasing number of malware families targeting Google's ecosystem.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus

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Microsoft aims to keep the PC relevant with Windows 10

The official release of Windows 10 is still about six months away, as far as anyone can tell, but it's already shaping up to be one of the most significant events of 2015, at least as far as the IT industry calendar goes.
There are many reasons why this is the case, not least because many industry experts had started openly to question whether Windows could still be relevant in the so-called 'post-PC' era, but also because of the wrong turn that Microsoft seemed to have taken right at the start of the process that led to Windows 8.
But more than two years have passed since Windows 8 was released, and a lot of things have changed since then.
Industry watchers such as Gartner now predict that demand for tablets may have peaked, while common sense has finally led many to realise that a big screen, a keyboard and a mouse are still the best way of interacting with the kind of business applications that most workers use on a daily basis.
For the traditional Windows user base, the Windows 10 reboot is finally starting to look like an interesting proposition, one that many can now foresee themselves upgrading to, even if they may not be in any particular hurry to ditch Windows 7 at the moment.
The user interface plays a major part in this, as Windows 10 puts more emphasis on the traditional desktop and Start menu rather than the 'Metro-style' user interface of Windows 8.
But there is more going on behind the scenes than a cosmetic makeover, which is why Microsoft opted for the Windows 10 label instead of Windows 9.
Those with an eye on Microsoft's activities will have noted that the firm is making more and more use of cloud-based services behind many of its products, and that includes Windows.
Starting in Windows 8.1, users were able to synchronise files to a OneDrive online storage account, making them available across any device they signed into.
With Windows 10, Microsoft is starting to pull its disparate platforms closer together as part of the 'one Windows' strategy.
This doesn't mean there will be a single version of Windows, but that Microsoft is working towards a unified developer platform that should allow the creation of applications that can run across Windows Phones, desktops, laptops and tablets.
Microsoft has already said that there will not be a single version of Windows, nor even a single user interface; the Continuum feature of Windows 10 will dynamically adapt the user interface based on whether the system has a keyboard and mouse attached or is running as a slate-mode tablet with touch-screen input, for example.
However, taken together, these strands deliver a picture of a Windows platform that is adapting to meet the demands of a changing workplace, one where employees are typically relying on more than a single device to get their job done.
If Microsoft can successfully pull all these parts together, organisations will be able to provide workers with the ability to access the applications and data they need across a broad range of devices, allowing them to choose the device that best suits them at that particular moment, and to access company resources from almost any location.
And with tools such as the Office apps available for iPad and coming to Android, this doesn't necessarily mean restricting yourself to a Microsoft device.
For enterprises struggling with the rapidly changing IT landscape, the technologies coming as part of the Windows 10 wave could thus see the old stalwart become more relevant, not less.
But this depends on whether Microsoft can deliver on everything it has promised. We shall have to wait and see.

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iPhone 6 Plus vs Nexus 6 review

2014 was a big year for Apple and Google, as both firms released their first phablets, the iPhone 6 Plus and the Nexus 6.
Even more importantly, unlike past years when Google shied away from directly competing with Apple in the top-end space, the firm chose to go head-to-head with its competitor and priced the Nexus 6 in the post-£500 bracket.
The price led many potential phablet buyers to wonder which plus-sized handset is the best for them, and ignited a fresh grudge match between Apple and Google.
Design and build
Visually the iPhone 6 Plus lives up to its name and looks like a blown up version of its smaller sibling, the iPhone 6.
This is no bad thing. Apple's 2014 smartphone design is one of the best we've seen in recent years.
Featuring a fully metal chassis, with a flat back and round corners and sides, the iPhone 6 Plus is one of the most luxurious feeling smartphones available.
The Nexus 6, which features a polycarbonate back that clips into metal sides, feels slightly less premium and not quite as solidly built.
We also found the Nexus 6's increased 159x83x10mm measurements and 184g weight made it slightly unwieldy compared with the 158x78x7.1mm, 172g iPhone 6 Plus.
That said, with prolonged use we soon found that the Nexus 6's increased size and weight was balanced by its more intelligent button placement.
The Nexus 6 places the power and volume buttons on the bottom side of the phone's right-hand side, while the iPhone 6 separates the controls, placing the power button on the top right side and volume on the top left side.
The placement means that the iPhone 6 Plus was slightly more cumbersome to use when doing basic things like waking the phone up or adjusting the volume of music when using it one handed or on the move.
But this isn't too big an issue as neither device is small enough for any regular sized user to sensibly interact with one-handed.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Display
Screen technology is an increasingly competitive area in the smartphone arena. Originally Apple had a big lead thanks to the Retina display technology.
However, in recent years Apple has gradually been losing its edge here as competitors created their own equally, if not more, impressive display technologies.
As a result, we expected that comparing the iPhone 6 Plus 5.5in 1920x1080, 401ppi Retina HD display with the Nexus 6 6in, 1440x2560, 493ppi quad HD display was going to be tricky.
On paper both displays had their strengths and weaknesses. This is mainly due to the Nexus 6's use of Amoled and the iPhone 6's use of IPS technologies.
Amoled improves screen quality by letting displays produce deeper and richer blacks. It does this by electrically charging each pixel to generate colours, meaning that all the screen has to do is stop charging them to create black.
By comparison, IPS displays create more consistent and realistic colours by organising liquid crystals on a fixed plate that's charged at a consistent rate.
We found that the iPhone 6 Plus display had a definite edge on the Nexus 6. This is largely because, like many Amoled screens, the Nexus 6 display is slightly oversaturated.
The Nexus 6 has a tendency to slightly distort colours, particularly whites, when viewed from the side and can push reds far more than it should. This isn't a problem for general purposes, but it's particularly noticeable when viewing photos or images.
The iPhone 6 Plus also had superior brightness levels and a more reactive Auto setting that was noticeably more efficient in adjusting the screen settings when moving between different lighting conditions.
Winner: The iPhone 6 Plus

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