Credit cards at the ready — Google’s all-new Nexus 6 goes up for pre-order

Google’s new Nexus 6 smartphone is now ready for pre-order through the Google Play online store, starting at $650. Announced in mid-October, the phone has been built by Motorola, and is based on the existing, second generation Moto X smartphone. The main difference is, the Nexus 6 comes with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop software installed.

If you haven’t realized already just from the pictures, the Nexus is a monster. It has a 5.96-inch touchscreen with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, making it not only the largest Nexus smartphone, but also the model with the highest resolution display yet. It’s powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, has 3GB of RAM, and a choice of either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage space.

A 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization sits on the back, and the lens is surrounded by a funky ring-style flash unit. On the front is a basic 2-megapixel selfie cam. A massive 3220mAh battery is inside the Nexus 6, and Motorola’s special fast-charging tech means it’ll provide six hours use on a 15-minute charge.

The big draw for many will be Android 5.0 Lollipop. The new OS brings with it a brand new look and design, which cuts down on clutter and goes for a more minimalist style. There are several new features, including an improved notification system, phone unlocking using Android Wear devices, a new set of pro photographic tools, and plenty more.

If the Nexus 6 sounds like the phone for you, you’re going to have to splash out a little more than you may expect, because it’s not the bargain previous Nexus phones have been. The 32GB Nexus 6 is $650, and the 64GB model is $700.

Nexus 6 units purchased through Google Play come without a network contract, but most major carriers will be stocking the phone soon, so just have patience if you’d prefer to pay a subsidized price. You can pre-order the Nexus 6 now on the Google Play Store.