The Nexus 6 has flown off the virtual shelves since Oct. 29, when Google released the smartphone for preorders in its Google Play store.
Many would-be consumers have been frustrated with disappearing stock, but the preorder scramble came to a close early Wednesday, with the Nexus 6 now shipping from Google and steadily becoming available for purchase from U.S. cellular stores.
At 6.27 x 3.27 inches, Google's new phablet is as big as the Apple iPhone 6 Plus (6.22 x 3.06 inches) and slightly thicker because of the classic Motorola curved back, made to fit in your hand. Factor in the aluminum sides, and the body could be mistaken for an oversized Moto X— but the Motorola-manufactured Nexus 6 has a few improved specs.
Most notable of the Nexus 6 specs is its HD display. At 5.96 inches, the screen is larger than the iPhone 6 Plus's 5.5-inch display and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The Nexus 6 tops the 1920 x 1080 resolution and 401ppi of the iPhone 6 Plus, with a pixel density of 493ppi; it matches the resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 at 2560 x 1440 Quad HD.
The 13-megapixel camera on the Nexus 6 is an improvement on previous underperforming Nexus and Motorola cameras. With an f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization, the Nexus 6 camera should perform well in low-light situations. The camera has the ability to shoot 4K UHD video, while the iPhone 6 Plus maxes out at 1080p, but the built-in Nexus 6 camera has no 240fps slow-motion or time-lapse options, as the iPhone 6 Plus does.
Starting at $649 in the Google Play store, the Nexus 6 ships running Android 5.0 Lollipop, with features including new multitasking and notification options and updated power-saving components. The phone comes preloaded with Google apps and six months of Google Play Access.