Google’s new Nexus 6 is to go on sale before the end of October
This is what you can expect the Nexus 6 to look like. Mockup: Android Police
We’ve been hearing for some time that Google will show of its new Nexus 9 tablet this month, but a launch date for its next-generation Nexus smartphone has remained a mystery. Now a number of sources familiar with the search giant’s plans say you’ll be able to buy a Nexus 6 before the end of October.
Google’s Nexus smartphones have long delivered the purest Android experience with high-end specifications and affordable price tags. But the upcoming Nexus 6, codenamed “Shamu” internally, is expected to be by far its best yet, featuring a super-sized, 5.9-inch display that’ll allow it to compete with today’s best phablets.
“Google this month expects to release its largest smartphone, intensifying competition in the fast-growing market for super-sized mobile devices known as phablets, according to three people familiar with the situation,” reports The Wall Street Journal.
Google wants its device to go head-to-head with larger handsets like the Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6 Plus, which are becoming increasingly popular — particularly among tech-savvy consumers, who traditionally turn out to be the most interested in Google’s Nexus devices.
The sources added that Motorola, which Google sold to Lenovo back in January, will manufacture the device, taking the reigns from LG — which produced the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. In addition to its 5.9-inch Quad HD display, the Nexus 6 is expected to offer a Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, and front-facing stereo speakers.
It will also be one of the first devices to run Android L, Google’s next-generation mobile operating system, which was announced at Google I/O back in June, and is currently being tested by Android app developers in preview form.
Recent rumors from various sources have claimed that Google will announce its much-anticipated Nexus 9 tablet at an event on October 16 — the same day Apple is set to unveil its new iPads — so we could well see the Nexus 6 alongside it. However, Google is still to confirm this, so that could well change.
- SourceThe Wall Street Journal
