Giant Phone Showdown: Xperia Ultra vs Nexus 6

I've been using an Xperia Ultra (Play Edition) for a few months and I have to say - other than the fact that it's about the size of a dinner plate, it's a pretty great phone (interesting to note - you could actually use it as a dinner plate and then wash it, since it's waterproof).  Sure, everybody makes fun of it for its giant size pretty much all the time, but hell - I like the attention and I'll take any attention I can get.  I spend a LOT more time browsing the web or reading & writing email than I do talking, and the large form factor is really effective for that.  The battery life is great, performance is good, and the screen is large enough to do just about anything you need.

The Xperia Ultra has lots of upsides:

1. Nice, big screen.
2. Long battery life - I can get 2 days, easy.
3. Great processor / memory.
4. It's super thin.

That being said, my 3 biggest complaints about the Xperia Ultra:

1. No stereo speakers.
2. My kids have one of these and it takes much better pictures.
3. It is just a bit too big.

I started using a Nexus 6 recently and I've found it to be a pretty great phone.  The screen is gorgeous.  The performance is outstanding.  It sounds stupid, but the rounded corners make it a lot easier to put it into your pocket, and the curved back makes it a lot easier to hold.  Android 4.4 seems to run much better on it than it did on the Xperia Ultra.  It also has stereo speakers which make listening to music or watching a movie a bit better.

So the Nexus 6 has a few points in its favor:

1. Nice, big screen, but not quite as big as the Xperia Ultra.
2. Amazing resolution.  The screen looks less like pixels and more like reality.  It's actually a bit weird until you get used to it.
3. Stereo speakers.
4. Better physical feel.
5. Great processor / memory.
6. The camera is pretty great (I mean, for a phone).

I just have a few minor complaints:

1. Vibration intensity.  Every time I get a new message it registers on the Richter scale.  It's intense.
2. Battery life - it makes it through the day, but just barely... a little too close for comfort.

All of that being said, you can pick up an Xperia Ultra for a little more than $300, and the Nexus 6 seems to be approximately $600 (off-contract).  The specs for the Xperia Ultra and Nexus 6 aren't exactly the same - the edge goes to the Nexus 6 - but the Xperia Ultra isn't too far off.  The Xperia Ultra is a pretty great deal at $300, if you can handle its massive size.  The Nexus 6 is a wonderful phone, but it's expensive.  If you can handle the lack of stereo speakers and the horrible camera, the Xperia Ultra might be a good alternative.

That Nexus 6 screen sure is amazing, though.