A
few months ago, it seemed that Google had killed the Nexus line of
devices, and the Nexus 5 was to remain the last one in the series.
Reports from notable bloggers including @evleaks all agreed that Google
was about to not only switch its focus from Nexus to the new Android
Silver program for affordable markets, but
.
Then, we heard that Google’s Chief Business Officer, and the main
proponent of Android Silver within the company, Nikesh Arora had left.
This turned out to mean one thing: the Nexus was back in business.
At
first, we were talking about a Nexus 6, a placeholder name that did the
job done for the time being, but as more evidence started piling up, we
started hearing more about a mysterious
, a device uncovered in the Android Open Source Project’s code-base by Android Police at the end of July.
It
was time to get excited: after all, Shamu is the name of the killer
whale that has survived the most in captivity. Most importantly, it is a
name of fish, and that is exactly what Google traditionally uses for
its Nexus devices: the Nexus 5 was ‘Hammerhead’, the Nexus 4 carried the
‘Mako’ shark codename, and the Galaxy Nexus was developed under the
‘Tuna’ moniker.
The
‘Shamu’ is expected to not disappoint in this regard: it is said to
come with a shockingly large, 5.9-inch display, a true ‘phablet’ size
that could rival the Galaxy Note series.
In the meantime, our own inside sources spoke up, confirming that the 5.9-inch Moto-made Nexus is a go. The name? Nexus X.
Nexus X (aka Nexus 6) specs
The
Nexus series is designed to be a poster child for the newest Android
releases. The Nexus X is therefore here to showcase the best of the new
Android L release, and to do so it needs a powerful hardware. Our
insiders confirm that it won’t disappoint.
Why
the huge 5.9-inch display? Since the Nexus is a device aimed at
developers, it’d give a boost to development for phablets, plus it’s a
perfect vessel for the new, Quad HD resolution, with benefits that could
only be noticed on such a large screen. Since this is a fairly
extravagant screen size, as wild as it sounds, we don't exclude the
possibility to see a second, ~5.2-inch Nexus as well.
Interestingly,
just like the Nexus 5 was a doppelganger of the LG G2, the Nexus X is
also said to be ‘inspired’ by another phone: the yet unreleased Moto S.
The Moto S is rumored to have the same, 5.9-inch display, and we might
see it right before the Nexus X.
So why have two devices?
Basically, it seems like the same Nexus 5 story repeats itself all over
again: some issues with Verizon Wireless and the Nexus program might
result in the Moto S being a Verizon exclusive, while all other carriers
get just a regular Nexus X. Not just that, the Nexus X also goes by its
Motorola XT1100 codename.
One thing we know practically nothing
about the Nexus X, though, is its design. Google has changed the looks
of its Nexus smartphones from the ground up practically every year, and
this year again, we expect a surprise.
Dual speakers, finally
While we don’t know much about the looks and style of the Nexus X, a
simple leak of the screen protector for the Moto S,
the device that the Nexus X will be based upon, reveals an interesting
detail: it has cutout in both the top and bottom parts. The only logical
explanation is dual speakers, so we have all reasons to expect
front-firing dual speakers a la HTC One in the new Nexus. Great news for
lovers of good sound and music junkies.
Motorola-made, all cool Moto features coming to Nexus
The
one crucial turn of events that seems to have made the Motorola-made
Nexus X possible is the sale of Google’s Motorola Mobility unit to
Lenovo. Ever since Google acquired Motorola Mobility for its patents and
more for a whopping $12.5 billion, the company seemed to be afraid to
go on a full-on offensive with Motorola smartphones in fear of being
accused of preferential treatment by other Android vendors. True, it
launched, the Moto X flagship last year with some great software
features, but purposefully or not, the Moto X seemed inferior when
compared to other flagships in pure specs.
This year’s sell-out
of Motorola to Lenovo seems to have untied Google’s hands: it is now
expected to implement all the cool features from the Moto X, like
always-on voice recognition and active notifications, into the Nexus
series.
Android 5.0: the L release, or Lemon Meringue Pie?
Google
unveiled the new Android L release months ahead of its launch to
prepare developers for the huge changes coming in L: 64-bit compiler and
the new ART runtime. It unveiled the new version of the operating
system so early, it seemed even the company itself was not yet decided
on the sweet treat to inspire the L release.
The latest leaks from multiple places reveal that Android L will indeed be a huge release with the following number and name:
Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie (LMP).
We’ve earlier heard from sources that Google had also been considering
names like Lollipop, but LMP seems like the more likely name at the time
of this writing (hey, and Lollipop might sound a bit cheesy to some).
Nexus X (Nexus 6) release date, price and carriers
All
in all, it’s hard not to be excited about the Nexus X: it’s the first
phablet-sized device in the series and it’s immensely powerful, plus it
will run Android L right out the box. Google, however, seems committed
to its politically-correct ways of not overhyping the Nexus series
(trying not to upset other phone makers), and we would not be surprised
if it did not even hold an event to officially unveil the Nexus X. In
fact, that’s exactly what happened with last year’s Nexus 5 - a press
release and a quiet launch on the Google Play Store.
And while
the lack of noise won’t do much to popularize the new Nexus, we expect
Google to make up with immediate availability. Just like last year, we
expect to see the new Nexus arrive right in time for Halloween, on
Friday, October 31st (but hey, it’s not set in stone, so Google might
surprise us!).
In the best Nexus traditions: much more affordable than other flagships
Last,
but not least: the Nexus X will continue on the noble tradition of
being priced very affordably. Leaks show that it will come in a starter,
32GB version going for €419 ($419), and a 64 gig model for €449 ($449).
Those are all full retail, off-contract prices. As we mentioned
earlier, Verizon Wireless might be the only one of the carriers not to
get the Nexus X, but instead have a largely equivalent Moto S. AT&T,
Sprint, and T-Mobile are likely to all have it in stock, but of course,
the first stop for shopping for Nexus would be the Google Play Store.
