When will this crazy merry-go-round existence ever end? First we thought it was the Nexus 6, then we were assured it was the Nexus X, and now we’ve gone full circle and Google’s next Nexus device is once again being dubbed the Nexus 6 ahead of its impending launch.
The word comes via Android Police, which claims to have “been provided with new information” confirming that the handset will still be made by Motorola, will be a 5.9in phablet, and will be called...the Nexus 6.
If you're worried about the Nexus 6 being a phablet and potentially becoming too unweildy then you may be pleased by what we have to report. A Reddit user has gone to the rather impressive effort of using leaked details of the Nexus 6's dimensions to fashion a physical mockup of the forthcoming device...out of wood.
Whatever you might think of that approach, it has actually proven quite useful in giving us an idea of what the phone will look like, how it might handle, and how it compares to the competition. The user subsequently put the Nexus 6 mockup next to a Nexus 4 and Nexus 7, and while the handset is big, it's not too big - you can even reach the top with your thumb!
But the biggest takeaway is what emerged from the fella's thread - someone else went away and used the same method and same measurements digitally to put the Nexus 6 alongside virtual mockups of the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4.
Happily, this reveals that the Nexus 6 is similar in size to the Note 4 and a wee bit smaller than Apple's phablet. We can state with some certainty that the Note 4 is not an unweildy device by any means (being much the same size as the Note 3, which we've used extensively and can say is not a burden at all).
The Nexus 6's screen might be bigger than the Galaxy Note 4's but it seems Motorola has managed to squeeze it in to a similarly sized body with the use of skinny bezels.
Android Police's Liam Spradlin composed a mockup image based on the new info, which as per leaked images we’ve seen in recent weeks, looks a lot like a bigger Moto X (2014). One feature Spradlin pointed out which may not have been so obvious on previously leaked fuzzy photos is the presence of front-facing stereo speakers, in the render they are difficult to see as they are the same colour as the bodywork.
he controls (power and volume) have indeed been moved down the side of the handset to help with reach, as previously reported by 9to5Google). Although the render doesn’t show it, AP confirmed the presence of a Moto X style aluminium surround and the same 13MP camera sensor, with optical stabilisation and dual-LED flash, found on Moto’s own-brand device.
The report goes on to state that anyone hoping for a smaller clone for those who aren’t fans of phablets may be in for a bit of disappointment:
“With this new confirmation, we are at a 9/10 confidence level that Shamu - the Nexus 6 - will be the new Nexus phone at 5.9",” the report said, “We've seen a ton of evidence from multiple sources (and other outlets) to suggest this, while we've heard absolutely nothing credible about a smaller Nexus phone this year.”
Images emerged allegedly showing what the Nexus 6 or Nexus X will look like. The pictures were mocked up by 9To5Google and are said to be based on the real device and information from the site's sources. The general gist of the information is that the Nexus 6, being built by Motorola, will look like an enlarged Moto X (2014). It's not entirely suprising considering the LG and Samsung made Nexus phones took a lot of styling cues from their respective manufacturer's flagships.
"We can now corroborate previous rumors that its screen size nudges it out of smartphone territory," reports 9To5Google. The screen is reportedly a 5.92in panel and the body is "just a bit larger than that," so perhaps not quite bezel-less.
The report states that although the phone will be a "scaled up" Moto X, there are some modifications to make the larger size more manageable. These include moving the volume and power keys moved down the side of the device so they are roughly in the centre. The camera position and aluminium bezel design are pretty much identical to the Moto X.
It's worth pointing out that the design is not completely finalised, so there is room for change. Most notably, there isn't currently any branding on the mockup - no Nexus logos and such just yet, and although there's a small dimple as found on Moto devices it doesn't currently house an "M" logo.
“The device appears to have the same overall shape we saw in yesterday’s image with the characteristic corner curves of the Moto X (and other leaked devices), and a big giant screen (note the nav buttons),” writes Android Police. “Front facing speakers aren’t immediately apparent (unless that gray line right below the screen is a speaker and not a prototype marking), but it goes without saying that it’s almost impossible to tease out any detail from this photo.”
As of September 26 a new leaked snap has emerged showing what does appear to be the Nexus 6/X aka the "Shamu". The image was posted in the comments section by users on articles covering the Nexus 6 at
Android Police and
Droid Life. It shows what appears to be the Moto X (2014), at first glance, but then you realise what it's sitting next to is a rather sizeable LG G3.
To clarify, the Moto X (2014) has a 5.2in screen inside a 140mmx72mm body, while the LG G3 has a 5.5in screen inside a 146mmx74mm body. The Nexus 6, as per earlier rumours, is thought to look like the Moto X (2014) but will be much larger with a 5.92in display. So, really it seems legit, despite the rather funny handwritten "Shamu" sticker on the back.
Also of note is the Motorola logo inside the back dimple, as previous reports had suggested it may or may not make an appearance with the final launch device - of course, this is still clearly a test model, so the presence of the logo doesn't necessarily mean anything.
So there you have it folks, rumours of a Moto-made phablet Nexus 6 where true after all.
More photos have now emerged (29/09/2014) of the Motorola-made Nexus 6/X aka "Shamu". The images were revealed by
Android Police and show the front of the phone with some of its details displayed from the "About Phone" section of Android. Reports indicate this model features a 5.92in qHD touch display, 13MP and 2MP cameras, and a 3,200mAh battery cell.
Another set of pictures has appeared showing the Nexus 6 "in the wild".
The pictures were given to Android Police by an anonymous tipster, and show a commuter using what appears to be the Nexus 6 wearing a case. It seems to confirm earlier details, including the stereo front-facing speakers and repositioned buttons, as well as the presence of Android L.
According to Android Police's report, the battery will reportedly be a 3,200mAh setup, the display is pegged as a qHD with a pixel density of 496ppi, and there’s a 2MP front-facing secondary camera too. AP also confirmed the Nexus 6 will work with Motorola’s turbo charger – that piece of kit apparently gives an eight hour charge in 15 minutes.
An earlier report emerging on September 25 from 9To5Google reveals some more details about the device's specs.
The report says that earlier spec leaks are partly true, but a model of the real device that the site is "directly familiar with" shows some specs are contrary to these details. The display resolution will be a QHD 2560 x1440 pixel setup - approximately 498ppi. The battery will be 3,200mAh and the camera is a 13MP setup with 4K video recording and dual-LED flash. The front facing camera is exactly the same as the Moto X's 2MP snapper.
The running gear will include a Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB of RAM. A 32GB storage model is known, but the report doesn't rule out the possiblity of other variants.
The Mail Online has also put together this handy break-down of specs which compares the Nexus 6's assumed hardware and spec attributes to current flagship handsets now available on market.
The Mail Online has also put together this handy break-down of specs which compares the Nexus 6's assumed hardware and spec attributes to current flagship handsets now available on market.
So what about Google’s Android Silver Project?
The Android Silver program, which despite conflicting rumours on its intent, almost certainly exists, as Google engineers have gone on record talking about it, was apparently designed to create high-end smartphones, a stock user interface and regular updates to the operating system. These would be made by third part manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, and the rest. It had the potential to call about the end of the Google Play Edition handsets and excited Android fans all over the world.
Now a new report from The Information suggests Google has put the project on hold. Just to warn you, to access the original source of the story you will need to log in or sign up to The Information. The Information was first to break the news of the Android Silver project back in April and reported Google was planning to commit over $1 billion to the project.
Back in July Nikesh Arora, Google’s Chief Business Officer, left the company and it dealt a big blow to the project. Arora oversaw Google’s partnerships between hardware manufacturers and networks, without him it has proven difficult to keep the project ton track.
The report also revealed Google’s partners haven’t been as keen on the idea as potential consumers. Unnamed manufacturers have been unsure how the project would affect business in general. For the time being it seems Google has put the project on ice and will continue on with the Nexus family for the foreseeable future.
Google is currently launching its Android One family of devices in India and is probably drawing attention away from the Silver Program. Google is tapping into a particularly lucrative market with the Android One project as it brings affordable smartphones to a market of over a billion people.
Which is probably why Google changed its official line on the fate of its Nexus products.
The Nexus 5 launched in October and went on sale in Google Play during November. Ditto for the Nexus 4. Meanwhile, Android L is scheduled to get a launch in Q4 and recent leaks suggest it will be rolled out to existing handsets in October. That likely means it will first appear on a Nexus device, so some time between September and the end of October is possible, additionally we've seen leaks suggesting it will arrive before October 9.
With this in mind, it seems fairly likely we’ll see the Nexus 6 follow suit and hit Google Play sometime in November. AND now we have a series of reports that suggest Google will unveil its Motorola-built Nexus 6 on October 31. Google has yet to officially confirm the date, however, so as it stands it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt. News of the October 31 launch comes via the Zee Media Bureau.
The Nexus 6 is likely to be the first device to carry Google’s Android L update. Tipped to launch inside Q4, Android L is one of the most significant updates Google has ever made to its mobileplatform. Android L represents Google’s attempt to completely unify the Android experience across all platforms –– including PC, Mac and Apple’s iPhone and iPad –– through a holistic new design language that aims to make the “Google Experience” similar on all products and platforms (save for BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone, that is).
he look and feel of the OS has been altered dramatically, thanks to Google’s Material Design, and there’s a raft of new features and software optimisations inside designed to improve battery life and general performance. Below is a break down of all the new, key elements developers now have at their disposal.
- Material Design — In order to evolve Android beyond just smartphones and tablets, Google has developed what it calls “Material Design”. At its core, Material Design is a complete overhaul of how Android looks, how it functions and – importantly – how you, the user, interact with it. “The system is incredibly flexible, allowing your app to express its individual character and brand with bold colors and a variety of responsive UI patterns and themeable elements,” said Google. An example of “themeable elements” is the ability that allows developers to code their applications with brand colours – so, Coke’s app could be red and Spotify’s could be green, for instance. The ability to “theme” elements also applies to notifications as well, which brings us to…
- Enhanced notifications — Android’s always been good with notifications. It set the benchmark for how to do them way back when. But inside the Android L update things are about to get even better with the inclusion of “Visibility Controls” and “Heads up Notifications”. The former lets you manage the types of information shown on your device’s lockscreen, while the latter displays content and actions in a small floating window, sort of like Facebook’s Chat Heads – just not quite as invasive.
- Project Volta — Google wants to make phone and tablet batteries last longer, and one area it’s looking to make some improvements is in how applications and games are optimized. In order to give developers a better idea of how battery-hungry their app is, Google has developed a new tool called “Battery Historian” which lets you visualize power events over time and understand how your app is using battery. A new “job scheduler” API inside Android L also lets developers set the conditions under which background tasks and other jobs should run – like when the device is idle or connected to a charger – in a bid to minimize battery impact.
- BLE Peripheral Mode — Apps can use this capability to broadcast their presence to nearby devices. For instance, you can now build an app for a phone that acts as a pedometer or health monitor and transmit data to another BLE device like LG’s G Watch.
- Advanced camera capabilities — There’s a bunch of new camera-centric APIs in Android L, but perhaps the most interesting is the one that lets developers capture raw sensor data and control parameters such as exposure time, ISO sensitivity, and frame duration, on a per-frame basis. Not too shabby.
- Gaming – support for OpenGL ES 3.1 is here, and it brings with it support for compute shaders, stencil textures, and texture gather for your games. Couple this with Android Extension Pack (AEP), a new set of extensions to OpenGL ES, and what you’re looking at is basically console-grade gaming. Games will be able to take advantage of tessellation and geometry shaders, a la PC and console gaming, and use ASTC texture compression across multiple GPU technologies.
- Android Runtime (ART) — The L Developer Preview introduces the Android Runtime (ART) as the system default. ART offers ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, more efficient garbage collection, and improved development and debugging features. In many cases it improves performance of the device with no action required by the developer.
- 64-bit support — The L Developer Preview adds support for 64-bit ABIs, for additional address space and improved performance with certain compute workloads. Apps written in the Java language can run immediately on 64-bit architectures with no modifications required. To support apps using native code, Google has confirmed it is releasing an updated NDK that includes 64-bit support.
Interestingly Android Police's latest set of images also show the handset running an AOSP (Android open source project) build of Android "on Shamu", with Android version "L". Android Police reports "we can see that it is still running a Google-made kernel built in Mountain View," before adding:
"The kernel is an important thing to note here - while the photo itself doesn't reveal much about the device, we know that Shamu has received an updated kernel built directly by Google, strongly suggesting the device will be a Google product. With the GPE program withering on the vine, we can largely discount the notion of Shamu being a Play Edition device, and with a discreet device (Quark) coming from Motorola with matching specs, the evidence is still hinting at Shamu's Nexus status."
A rendered mockup published by Android Police showcases the device and software design and is based on the site's access to the handset.
The render showcases some interesting features of Android L 5.0, the new software which will debut aboard the handset. Most notable is the presence of restyled icons for the phone dialler, Google Play, Photos, Messages, Play Music, and Drive, according to the report Gmail has also changed.
Further simplifying the Android aesthetic, the notification icons along the top right are now solid white.
Nexus 6 Won't Feature Custom Motorola Software
9To5Google's new report on the Nexus 6, which the site claims to have seen in person, states very explicitly that despite sharing the Moto X 2014's overall design, Motorola's rather interesting custom software, such as Moto Assist and Quick Capture, will not be present on Google's own handset.
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