Google's next phone rumoured to be a phablet: Nexus 6 will rival the iPhone 6 Plus

It’s been almost a year since Google released its Nexus 5, and rumours about the next model have been ramping up in recent weeks.

The latest reports claim the device, dubbed the Nexus 6, has a 5.9-inch screen and will run Android L - the firm’s next-generation operating system.

This would put the device in direct competition with Apple’s phablet 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.

It would also put it on par with Samsung's flagship Galaxy Note 4, which has a 5.7-inch display.

Other rumoured specifications include a 2MP front-facing camera, and camera on the rear that could range between 8MP and 13MP.

Based on last year’s Nexus 5, prices for the Nexus 6 are rumoured to be around the £300 ($400) mark.

By comparison, the Samsung Note 4 costs £629 in the UK, and $825.99 in the US. 

And the Nexus 6 may go on sale as early as 1 November, which would follow suit with the release schedule of its predecessor and release it in time for Christmas.

The Nexus 6 will be Google’s first foray into phablets. It currently sells the smaller 4.95-inch Nexus 5 and the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet.