The Apple iPhone 6 and Google Nexus 6 are both good phones, with great specs, impressive features and brand new system software. In doing a review and comparison, turns out it mostly comes down to which company you want to dominate your future.

The idea of device and software ecosystems creating "vendor lock-in" has been in the technology lexicon for a while. But only now, in 2014 -- with the iPhone 6 and Nexus 6 and the iOS 8, OS X Yosemite, and Android 5.0 operating systems -- we're staring to understand how big an impact these technology ecosystems will have.

Great Specs for Both

Both "sixes" are the new flagships for Apple and Google in 2014 (technically, the Nexus 6 was made by Motorola).

Screen & Camera

Both devices sport nice, shatter-resistant screens, though the Nexus 6 wins with 1440 x 2560p resolution on its nearly 6-inch display. The iPhone 6 has an adequate 750 x 1334p resolution on a 4.7-inch screen, yielding a conventional 326 pixels per inch. If you want a bigger HD screen, go with the iPhone 6 plus.

Both have nice cameras, too. And while the Nexus 6's 13-megapixel shooter beats out the iPhone in pure brawn, the iPhone's 8-megapixel camera has a bigger pixel size for better low-light photography, and its photo software is of course famous for making it easy to snap nice pictures.

Data

Both are highly connected and connectable, with options for nearly every GSM wireless signal, though the new iPhone edges the Nexus 6 out on nearly universal CDMA compatibility.

Both also support all high speed LTE and EDGE networks and have the latest dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth LE capabilities, and now both have NFC as well, though the iPhone 6's is only currently enabled for Apple Pay.

Processor, RAM & Speed 

Both devices will be blisteringly fast for the foreseeable future, with the Nexus 6 sporting the latest Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz with 3GB of RAM and the iPhone 6 using the new Apple A8.

Apple's chip will probably be more future proof, since it's got true 64-bit architecture, which the Snapdragon 805 lacks (even though the new Android 5.0 Lollipop, which comes with the Nexus 6, is optimized for 64 bits).

Storage & Battery

Perhaps the only major spec that Apple continues to disappoint customers with is the battery.

The iPhone 6 is rated to last up to 14 hours on 3G talk time, but its non-removable 1810 mAh battery doesn't do the job other 2014 flagship smartphones can do -- no matter what battery-saving software tricks Apple employs.

Meanwhile, the 3220 mAh battery of the Nexus 6 (also non-removable, unfortunately) will last nearly twice as long in the same metric.

The Nexus 6, however, joins the iPhone 6 in not having a micro SD card slot for expandable memory, and, unlike Apple's device, storage size tops out at 64GB.

Release Date, Availability, & Price

The iPhone 6 is already available for $200 on contract ($650 minimum unlocked), while the Nexus 6 is coming out within the next two weeks or so, with a similar unlocked price of $650. On contract prices haven't been revealed yet, but it's likely to be around $200 as well. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Sprint all carry, or will carry, these flagships. 

Android Everywhere vs. Apple's Walled Garden

Those spec comparisons matter, but you know you'll get a top-of-the-line experience with either sixth generation device. What is really important now (and will only become more important as we go forward) is the ecosystem you're buying into.

That's because both of these devices represent the launch of ambitious software and multi-device compatibility ecosystems, which are each company's foundations for the super-connected "Internet of things" to come. And the exclusivity between major aspects of Apple and Google's ecosystems is becoming apparent.

Google: Android On Your Wrist, In the Car, & On the TV

The Mountain View giant has already got a leg up on Apple when it comes to its invasion of every aspect of your life, having already launched the Android Wear smartwatch OS for already-available devices from LG, Samsung and Motorola. Apple is a little behind Google on this one, but the Apple-exclusive Watch is on its way soon.

And with the launch of the Nexus Player running the new Android TV platform, Google is catching up on the consumer-friendly television set-top entertainment system (Google's Chromecast already exists, of course, but many consumers prefer the ease of a box with a remote and a home screen, a la Apple TV).

Google is also working with car manufacturers for future Android-compatible infotainment systems. (So is Apple.)

Apple: Fusing OS X and iOS, Taking Over Your Wallet, & Laying the Groundwork to Invade Your Health and Home

Apple's latest move is to make the Mac and iPhone work more seamlessly together than ever before, with AirDrop functionality, more and easier iCloud sharing, and text messaging and phone call abilities on your computer, through the iPhone.

Meanwhile, Apple Pay finally launched, so Apple and your iPhone 6 can take over your digital financial security -- both online and in the real world.

Finally, with the HealthKit and HomeKit software development kits, Apple is enabling developers to create apps that will tie directly into your mobile devices from around your house. Google is also laying that groundwork, having bought smart thermostat maker Nest, for example.

The Future: Pick Google, Apple, Microsoft (or Amazon?)

Of course, we're only at the start of these trends, and with every new device or OS update, expect more inter-compatibility within the walls of your chosen company and less outside.

There will be exceptions. Back in the '90s, both Apple and Microsoft, sporting a similar exclusive -- though restricted only within the realm of your desktop computer at the time -- rivalry, eventually discovered that it pays to make some stuff for the other guy.

But now the exclusivity rivalry isn't binary and Apple is no underdog this time. Microsoft still has a dog in the fight with the multi-screen Windows 8 (though less successfully), and Amazon has shown interest in doing the same -- first with bundled services like Prime and more recently with its comically self-promotionally designed Fire Phone.

The future is coming and, in it, an amazing number of aspects of your life will be interconnected, automated and streamlined. The question is, "By whom?"

You'll have to choose sooner or later.