Google's upcoming flagship smartphone dubbed as Nexus 6, which is expected to be announced in October before releasing into the market a few weeks later, will take on the recently launched Xiaomi Mi4 in the smartphone market.
The search giant hasn't revealed the release date of Nexus 6, but several reports suggested that it might be unveiled in October after Apple's iPhone 6 hits the stores. Sundar Pichai, VP at Google, said at the Mobile World Congress 2014 (MWC 2014) that the device would be announced in October.
Interestingly, top Chinese smartphone-maker, Xiaomi, which released its flagship device Xiaomi Mi4 last month, is likely to be launched in several countries in the coming months. The device is expected to hit Indian stores by the end of the year.
Nexus 6's biggest competitor in the smartphone market, especially in developing countries, will be Xiaomi Mi4 mainly because of the price factor. Going by the price of Nexus 5, which stands at $349 for 16GB and $399 for 32GB, Nexus 6's price tag may not be very different from Xiaomi Mi4, which is priced at ¥1,999RMB ($322 approximately) for 16GB model, and ¥2,499 RMB ($400 approximately) for 32GB model.
Google's device may sport a 5.2-inch full HD with 1080x1920 pixels resolution, while Xiaomi Mi4 has a 5.0-inch full HD screen with 1920x1080p (441 ppi) resolution. According to G4Games, Nexus 6 will be powered by Quad-core MT6732 64-bit chip or the octa-core MT6752 SoC and run on Android L, while Xiaomi's device is powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 series quad-core CPU and runs on Android v4.4 KitKat with MIUI.
Nexus 6 may house either a 20MP camera with HDR mode or a 13MP main camera and a 5MP front snapper, while Xiaomi Mi4 has a 13.0-megapixel Sony IMX214 main camera (with 6 element lens, f1.8 aperture, real-time HDR, 4K video recording) and 8.0-megapixel Sony (IMX219) front camera.
Google's may come packed with 32 GB internal memory, 3GB RAM and 3100 mAh Li-Polymer battery, while Xiaomi Mi4 comes with 16/64GB internal memory and 3GB RAM, and powered by 3080 mAh (Li-Ion Polymer) battery.
Check out feature comparison between Nexus 6 and Xiaomi Mi4:
| Models | Nexus 6 | Xiaomi Mi4 |
| Display | 5.2-inch full HD screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and have 1080x1920 pixels resolution | 5.0-inch full HD screen with 1920x1080p (441 ppi) resolution and Sharp / JDI OGS (One Glass Solution) full lamination |
| Processor | Quad-core MT6732 64-bit chip that clocked at 1.5GHz, or the octa-core MT6752 SoC running at a frequency of 2.0GHz | 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 series quad-core CPU |
| OS | Android L | Android v4.4 KitKat with MIUI |
| Camera | 20MP camera with HDR mode or 13MP main camera and a 5MP front snapper | 13.0-megapixel Sony IMX214 camera with 6 element lens, f1.8 aperture, real-time HDR, 4K video recording; 8.0-megapixel Sony (IMX219) front camera |
| Memory | 32 GB internal memory and 3GB RAM | 16/64GB internal memory and 3GB RAM |
| Battery | 3100 mAh Li-Polymer battery | 3080 mAh (Li-Ion Polymer) |
Nexus is also expected to come with several new features, including a curved LCD display and a light-weight, polycarbonate body. Reports suggested that it may also boast of Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and micro-USB connectivity slot.
On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi4 has several ad-on features like 3G & 4G LTE, water-repellent nano-coating, IR-blaster, stainless-steel frame, Wi-Fi (802.11 ac; dual-band: 2.4/5.0 GHz), Bluetooth v4.0, Bluetooth HID, and other standard connectivity features.
