NEW YORK — Google has long relied on its Nexus brand to showcase the latest Android has to offer. The new Nexus 6 smartphone that I've been testing for more than a week is something worth showing off.
Android fans are apparently licking their chops to get one, since the handset is already out of stock in the Google Play store. (Google began taking preorders late last month.)
To be more precise, those people are licking lollipops, given that the official name for this tasty new version of Google's mobile operating system is Android 5.0 Lollipop. While Lollipop will eventually turn up — slowly in many instances — on other Android devices, it is preloaded on the new Motorola-made Nexus 6 phone and for that matter the handsomely slim Nexus 9 tablet that recently went on sale.
The presence of the fresh Lollipop design on the Nexus 6 is indeed a major selling point. But I like the new phone a lot for other reasons, even if I found myself lamenting one absent feature that I've become addicted to on the latest iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models, that being a fingerprint scanner to unlock the screen. Not that it's hard to unlock the Nexus 6 by dragging your finger against the screen in a predetermined pattern.
What's more, there's a clever smart lock feature that lets you unlock the device (without a passcode) when you pair it with a "trusted device," in my testing a Moto 360smartwatch. You can also unlock the phone with your trusted "face" though that proved less reliable in my tests.
This is handsome well-built hardware, with an aluminum chassis that's a first for Nexus. The phone feels good in the hand and has dimensions similar to but slightly larger and (at 6.49-ounces) heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus or Galaxy Note 4. So this is one really big mother of a device that isn't ideal for folks who favor a more compact design or prefer using a phone one handed.
Google and Motorola take advantage of the size with a beautiful near 6-inch Quad HDdisplay that is splendid for watching movies or playing games. Such activities are enhanced by the loud, clear sounding front facing stereo speakers built into the device, which rival the best I've heard on a phone.
Everything feels fluid and snappy. Though I didn't conduct a formal test, the battery appears to be excellent, and if you do get low on juice, you can plug in a "turbo" charger that promises up to 6 hours of power in only 15 minutes. Inside the Lollipop settings you can get an approximation of how many hours you have left before the device poops out and get details on which apps and services are sucking power. You can turn on a battery saving feature that Google says can extend battery life by an hour and a half.
The 13-megapixel rear-facing camera (with optical image stabilization) represents a big improvement over earlier Nexus phones. It's not quite up to the standard set by the iPhone 6 Plus camera, but I was nonetheless generally pleased with the pictures and videos I shot under all sorts of lighting conditions.
But Lollipop is the real treat here and a highlight is the "material design" user interface that Google previewed at its I/O conference last June, which makes good use of color, lighting, shadows and smooth animations that sometimes slide on top of one another.
Switching tasks is as easy as flipping through a "Rolodex" of running apps. I like the gentle use of geometric shapes as the buttons on the bottom of the display. The calendar app is dressed up with visual touches such as illustrations of plates and silverware for a lunchtime meeting and ticket stubs for a hockey game.
You now get detailed notifications from the lock screen, which you can respond to from there. Sensitive information can be hidden.
You also get more control on the type of "priority" notifications that can interrupt you at certain times, and determine who can call or send your messages during those designated downtimes — all your contacts, say, or only some of them.
A new guest user mode lets you hand your phone to a friend or family member without worrying that they'll see or muck with your own stuff. If you leave your own phone behind, you can log into another device with Lollipop to get access to your pictures or messages.
As with other premium Android phones, you can initiate a voice search with an "OK Google" command, and access Google Now cards that deliver weather, travel times, stock information, sports scores and access to other articles that may be of interest.Of course, Google's usual properties — Search, YouTube, Chrome, Maps, Gmail, Drive and Hangouts are readily available.
About my only negative note came when the phone once restarted on its own, but that's an issue I've also encountered here and there on the iPhone 6 Plus.
Nexus 6 comes in white or blue and in one of two memory configurations, 32GB or 64GB. Google is selling it unlocked for $649 or $699. All the major U.S. carriers will sell the device with their own plan offerings.
The Lollipop/Nexus combination represents a flavorful step forward for Google and Android. I expect buyers to be delighted.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Google Nexus 6
Play.google.com
$649 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB (unlocked prices)
Pro. Snappy hardware, Android Lollipop design and software enhancements. Strong battery life. Excellent display and sound.
Con. Large phone isn't for everyone. No fingerprint scanner.
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