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If last year’s sudden Nexus 5 launch wasn’t a big enough clue for you, we’d say we’re not too far off from Google announcing a followup sometime this month as well. They didn’t give a specific date, but according to 3 sources out of The Wall Street Journal, Google is planning just that, with the Nexus 6 — Google’s new phablet — being made official any day now.
Running with Google’s recent naming scheme, the Nexus 6 is fixin’ to be an exceptionally large smartphone that will help Google compete in the phablet market, one currently dominated by the likes of Samsung and soon, Apple (if they can keep up with demand). There was no mention of pricing, but it’s interesting that recent Nexus 6 leaks show a phone identical to Motorola’s Moto X (2nd Gen), only larger and with the Nexus name on the back. Typically, Google contracts an OEM to build an entirely separate model (usually with cheaper parts to help keep costs down). It’ll be interesting to see if any corners were cut and if not, what the unlocked pricing will look like.
Apple is planning an October 16th event and with rumors of Google also announcing a Nexus 9 tablet along with the Nexus 6, it would make sense for Google to try and get a jump on Apple by announcing their new product portfolio a day before (or the day of?) the event. But that date is closing in fast and without hide or hair of any invites being sent out to press, expect another lowkey blog post for the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 like Google did with last year’s Nexus 5.
I will be first in line for the N6 granted its not too similar to the LG G3 or Moto X 2014 really google should go with either lg or Sony not motorola
Sucks that Google Play Edition devices are all but dead. At one point, I would have been holding out hope for a Google Play Edition Sony Xperia Z3 (or Z3 Compact).
My fails for the year:
1. No SGS5 or Sony Z3 GPE
2. Moto X 2014 battery
3. iPhone 6+ bendgate
So I’m really hoping the Nexus 6 is a slam dunk…
So damn true.
I get a pretty good charge on my motox 2014. with the snapdragon battery app thing, its even better. Do you have a moto X to even see how the battery life is?
I think that was mainly due to people not wanting to plunk down all that cash up-front.
Perhaps the Android Silver program,administered by the carriers (bloat-free please) is still in the works & is meant as a replacement for the GPE program
Yeah actually I wouldn’t mind a gpe lg g3 just not as nexus 6 Sony has it nice with the z3 but that series goes by too quick gpe is great if there was a discount of at least $100 it is so expensive
Was Android silver just a rumor?
Besides the fact this will (presumably) be a huge device…it does sound like it will be expensive….
CiX ain’t spending no more then $500 for this phone. So get your price straight Google!
Did you refer to yourself in the third person? And you’re named CIX?
CiX. Lower case I in the middle bud.
:|
None of that. I’m a regular person like .
..Like what?
Like u
Lololz, thinkn same
No, I am not! I don’t have the cash! :D
I’m jonesing for a new phone to replace my n5 I would love a n6.But on the other hand I really like the note edge
The note edge definitely has my attention too! Got a brand new gsm galaxy s5, I’m selling it on Craigslist&either getting note 4 or note edge. ..nexus 6, mayyyybe depending on ….feel in hand, battery life (cmon P volta! _!), screen , etc. Note edge I like for sure thou!
Probably going with the moto x anyway. But I’m waiting to see what the Nexus 6 brings to the table!
Goodbye OPO! It was a nice 2.5 months (my quickest swap)!
Gonna sell?
I wish. I have a long line of relatives always awaiting my pristine condition devices. It’s the hefty price I pay to be on the leading edge of tech.
You’re too kind.
I don’t think a asking for a couple hundred or so for it would be out of line,or offer the standard family discount: MSRP + 20%…….. ;-)
Not the 6in one
Bye bye Samsung and your stupid rear speaker!
It’s too big. I hope they refresh or at least continue to sell the Nexus 5.
They should do two sizes & they should promote it to the general market now that more people are no longer getting subsidized phones. Promote the price, features, hopefully better camera, more storage, and a new OS with a promised update (although a lame 18 month policy)
They will do two sizes. They will continue to sell the nexus 5. Still a great phone and will easily continue to be for the next year.
Nexus devices should receive updates for 24 months. My Nexus 10 is receiving Android L, and it’ll be 24 months since I purchased it this coming December.
Give me your thoughts on pricing, I hope the 64GB is 450$ or 500$ .
I would be very surprised if any model exceeds $399 price. Don’t forget less than two years ago Google gave us a $299 Nexus 4. Yes a 64GB nexus 6 is a huge upgrade but cost of all smartphone components have come down since then.
College student , I don’t wanna break the bank, but if its less than 450$ I’m getting as soon at it launch. If it’s more Christmas it is
I’m not bothered by the Nexus 6 reported size, since it’s smaller than the iPhone 6 plus and almost the same size as the Note 3, but with a bigger screen. I’ve been eyeing phablets for a while so I may jump at the Nexus 6.
My body is ready.
http://i.imgur.com/IMeQaJc.jpg
same here, i’ve been tempted by the note, but touchwiz isn’t my cup of tea
It is shorter than the 6+, but wider it seems. For those with small hands, that could be a problem. For those more concerned about pockets, the length is what matters.
We don’t know if this is coming to VZW, right?
Hey Steven! Didn’t know you were Phandroid staff. I recognize your name and picture from spending countless hours in the G-Nex android forums (though now I guess I should have known you were affiliated with phandroid….) Crazy how much of an impact that experience had on me :) Now, if only Hans Olo would make an appearance….
I bet a Motorola Something makes it to VZW, might not be called a google nexus, but will have the same specs, but will have bloatware due to Verizon’s extra software policy. But either or, whatever. :D
Expect to find a device you want without delays on Verizon, you should not.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised, if the new Nexus 6 was 399 with 64 GB storage space. I have this feeling the Nexus 6 won’t be some crazy price due to the fact they want to stick to apple hard, and I can’t blame them, with all the apple disasters going on. #Bendgate2014 .
Stick it to Apple? Google doesnt even advertise Nexus to the general market. The only people who know about it are developers and Android faithful. I dont see a single iPhone user switching to this, esp now that the 6 plus exists. Unless you read tech blogs, you won’t even know its outbthere… And you can bet it’s not going to get the media hype the iPhone got on the network morning & evening news & talk shows whose hosts all bragged about their new iPhones
You’re kidding me right? I don’t expect any apple user to switch over currently… even with bendgate and the rest, cause they for the most part will let apple do what they want their their money. But, the nexus never really needs much media hype to sell. The Nexus 5 sold out pretty quick when it was released if I remember correctly. I think there were only 3 commercials for it as well, and they all were playing on youtube way before they hit tv. But, I think a lot more people know of the Nexus line than you are giving credit to, I mean, someone has to be buying these phones or they’d be long gone by now, right?
I remembered Nexus 5 sold out with in hours
It wasn’t actually sold out. I called and got a replacement within a week of it’s release. They had plenty on hand. They just wanted to create the illusion that they were selling like hotcakes.
‘Selling out’ means nothing. Surface pros have sold out. All that means is that few were shipped to resellers. In some cases, it means few were manufactured as they waited to see what the demand would be.
The Nexus 6 is my final hope for 2014 phones. Note 4 didn’t blow me away and every thing else is too old in terms of technology lifespan. Really want to play with the Note Edge before dismissing it.
tooo big for me!
Nope, bought a Mate2 in July to replace my Note1 for $300 bucks. Best 300 bucks I ever spent! Could care less on “specs”, it’s fast, no lag, nice screen and a HUGE battery.
Either note 4, edge (depending on the intangibles, like feel in hand, is the “edge”gimmicky or useful, etc ….but if the base model n6 is $399, that’s guna be hard to resist.
I’m good with my current phone. I’d take a fatter phone with a bigger battery over these huge screen monstrosities.
6 inches is way too big. I swore I’d only get Nexus phones. Now I have no more options. That is too big to put in a jeans
Nexus 5 is still a great phone. No reason to get a new phone for the sake of getting a new phone.
My sentiments exactly! I rock the N5 and IMHO it’s 5″ or whatever it comes out to be is just right for me! Throw in (hopefully) 2 more updates and I’m good! But to keep it real,I may buy the N6 “if” and only if its below $399 for the 32gb-64gb?…but anything above that price AIN’T HAPPENING!
Only reason to get a Nexus 6 is to have bigger screen and better battery life. 5″ is perfect size for a phone for me, but its less than ideal for certain types of games like Clash of Clans. That’s where the Nexus 9 comes in for me.
there is the one problem. Fitting in pants. Of course, the iPhone 6+ is even taller, so the problem is even more pronounced. A 6+ would require me to add like an inch to my pockets in my jeans. At least the Note 4 is shorter. It looks like Shamu is also shorter based on picks.
That’s what she said.
Just in case I do decide to get this phone, I locked in my N5 trade in price for $172 at Buy Back World. It averages out to $227 for almost a full year of the N5. Not a bad deal at all.
What a ripoff. Why not just sell it yourself, even if $227 is reasonable for a year of a Nexus 5.
Because I don’t trust people on Craigslist or eBay.
Why not Swappa or Glyde?
I’ve never heard of either. I’ll check them out.
I sold my OnePlus One on Swappa. Two scammers tried it on before I managed to get a real buyer. I would use Swappa again because there’s hardly any fees, but you need to be careful. Best off doing a face to face deal.
A 6 inch Nexus is too big. I think Google may have just pushed me to iPhone. Surprised they didn’t do two sizes like Apple.
Isn’t the new icrap 5 7″?
5.5″
One way or the other we need to wait for the official size of the n6
Except that the 5.5″ iPhone is likely going to be the same size as the 5.9″ Nexus 6 because Apple refuses to reduce their massive bezel. If the 6+ has the demand everyone claims, then it can be easily assuned there is even more demand for a similar sized Nexus wether it fits your personal needs or not.
That may have been the overstatement of the year. The general public craves anything apple. That same public doesnt even know that nexus exists and you think a Nexus 6 will outsell the iphone 6 plus? Spoken like a true fanboy living the dream
Clearly you’re the only fanboi here – hugely misconstruing my comment. My comment was purely in regard to size as should have been abundently clear by my comment and the comment I was replying to. If a company like Apple, who has until last month sold only tiny phones with tiny phone fans, can generate as much demand for their 6+ as they have, surely this means a greater demand exists for android phones of a similar size. (Just by androids dominance in the market) Obviously that doesn’t mean for one android phone and obviously that doesn’t mean for just a Nexus. Hope I held your hand through that enough that you can understand what I’m saying.
There would have been a demand for iphones of any size. Iphone sales are not indicative of comparable success of similar size android phones. The nexus has a huge problem. it is being released during a firestorm of Flagship phones releases. Note 4, Z3, Iphone 6, Moto X. All of which will be heavily marketed. So where does the nexus 6 fit in? Little to no marketing. Usually not distributed through normal channels. Accessories that are released months after the phone release. It doesn’t stand a chance. Especially since nexus enthusiasts are generally on the frugal side and want a top of the line for mid level pricing.
Then why is there so much demand for the larger iPhone 6+?? It’s pretty clear the average user across the board wants bigger phones. Google has released this *developer* device at the exact same time every year. Nobody cares about sales numbers. Certainly not Google.
Of course there is a demand for bigger phones. I dont dispute that. I’ll probably buy the nexus 6 myself because I love big phones. I took issue with your original post :
“If a company like Apple, who has until last month sold only tiny phones with tiny phone fans, can generate as much demand for their 6+ as they have, surely this means a greater demand exists for android phones of a similar size.”
High 6 Plus sales mean nothing except apple fans craved bigger phones. The nexus 6 will get lost among the many great offerings available now . I’m quite sure apple sold more iphone 6 in the first weekend (10 million) than the Nexus 6 will sell in its lifespan. Dont take it personal, its still a great phone that almost no one will know exists
You just don’t get it do you? This is a developer device intended to be sold to developers to develop apps. Obviously Google needs to sell a device representative of consumer demand. Which is clearly a big phone. Why aren’t you getting that? Are you intending to be uselessly confrontational? Why on earth do you keep taking about Nexus sales numbers? Nobody cares. Certainly not I. Buy it or don’t. Nobody gives a crap.
I have never bought a Nexus phone before, but I want the 6″ screen. Not of the flagships have that. It sets it apart.
It is nice to see Google pushing boundaries. They have already released Nexus phones with smaller screen sizes. Looking at all the phones out there, I don’t see why anyone needs a Nexus that is just another 5.2″ phone. Better for them to push boundaries or just stop making Nexus phones.
I make the prediction that this will sell less than the Nexus 5. It’s too frikin big!!!
Which is why the Note is so popular. Right?
I see more people with the S5. And the Note is clearly a phablet with a stylus and extra Touchwiz features. This will be just a big phone.
If Google and it’s Nexus OEM partners marketed Nexus devices the way Apple markets it’s devices I’m reasonable certain that many more Nexus devices would be sold than what is sold now. Who doesn’t want a $375-$450 phone that can pretty much do everything an iPhone can at almost half the price?
Maybe, I don’t know. I don’t own an iPhone. My 5″ Android phone is just fine and about at the upper limit of comfortable size for me personally. I don’t see myself ever buying a bigger phone.
I was just answering the question regarding the size of the screen. As far as I am concerned, 5.5″ and up, … is too damn big. 6″ + is definitely WAY too big.
I completely agree. Unfortunately the consumers have spoke and google making a developer device is right to design it to meet current industry demand. It sucks for us but it’s the right move by Google.
As long as they also make a “normal” sized one for everyone else,… if people want to use a laptop that makes phone calls, fine by me, as long as I don’t have to use it, it will just continue to look ridiculous to me personally. To each their own.
Stop complaining, It won’t be that bad. Why not have a larger phone? I
mean larger is better…….right? With the massive amounts of 5″ to
5.5″ phones that keep coming out it’s nice to see some new larger phones
come into the market. The first 6.5 to 7 inch phone that comes
out….I’m snatching it.
7″ phone? you would really want to walk round with a tablet? crazy people.
5.5″-5.7″ is probably the limit, that’s not to say it’s the ideal size but any bigger and things start getting awkward.
Absolutely. I want the largest phone that fits in my pocket. I do a lot of remote desktop and teamviewer sessions which would be much easier with a larger screen. I don’t think it would look awkward being that it’s 2014 and everything is large and in charge these days.
It is meaningless to talk about the screen size being a problem without knowing how big bezels are. For example, the iPhone 6+ is considerably taller than the Note 4, despite having a smaller screen. If you had a bezel-less 7″ screen, how would its size compare to the 5’7″ Note 4?
I went from the Xperia Z Ultra (awesome except for camera) to a Huawei Mediapad X1; great phone, but a bit laggy.
Sony ZX3 is coming out sometime next year; I’ll upgrade to that but I will pick up this Nexus 6 and it will be my first Nexus. Can’t wait.
With all the choices out there, you really have to be pushed to an iPhone?
Have fun in jail.
I’m happy with my att htc one m8 rooted with stock android and updates. I’m looking forward to the nexus 9, because two of my nexus 7s screen cracked in my bookbag…not happy with asus
Am I ready for it? I’m already at the Play Store yelling “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY” and waving my credit card at the screen.
you guys are such babies, crying about bloatware. it was understandable when phones had 512mb of ram, but now you have 3 gigs and you’re still crying about it? bloat ware probably doesn’t even take up a gig
Who knows what will happen this year with the nexus program. Things could be surprising, or disappointing because of next year’s android silver program. I am just waiting for Android L on my n5, and I hope I get the next upgrade after that. Just like the n4 is getting it’s second upgrade.
You know that the Android Silver project is dead, right?
I remember reading that, but for some reason I thought it was reversed. I just looked it up again, and its definitely true. That’s a shame.
This’ll definitely be the first time I’m not hyped about a new nexus.
Love the naming, nexus 6 9
LoL… good catch, Google’s getting freaky.
Technically when you factor in the stupid on-screen navigation the screen is only about 5.6-5.7″.
Don’t much care for THE NEXUS BEZEL myself…let alone the quarter inch nav.button bar when in landscape! Leaks of the N6 look less bezel’fied imo!
What would you rather have? A smaller screen with dedicated buttons or a bigger screen with onscreen buttons that can occasionally be hidden? The functionality is identical but with onscreen buttons you can sometimes have a bigger screen compared to an identically sized phone with physical buttons.
Galaxy phones use capacitive but still manage to have thin bezels. It doesn’t have to have any physical buttons.
Just because they did it that way doesn’t mean every other phone’s bezel is wasted space rather than an area where something exists behind the screen.
But the phone could still be designed to accommodate capacitive buttons. They take up very little space inside. I’ve opened up my S3 before.
Even a couple mm can make a huge difference in the design. No designated buttons could possibly save money and/or help reliablity by allowing other parts to be bigger or wires/traces to be straighter. It could make the cooling difference between passing or failing certain harsh environment tests. It could allow just enough deflection to pass impact tests.
Sure, some phones have been made with the buttons but don’t think for a minute that the only consideration is whether there is left over room.
What google needs to do with this version of Android is allow the ability to hide the on screen keys on the fly… kind of like what the LG G3 does, allowing u to hide on-screen keys with certain apps.
I totally agree with you. I have my Windows taskbar on the left side of the screen and it’s on auto-hide. This setup maximizes my widescreen 100%. It would be awesome if we could do this on Android.
Actually, this option already exists. The well developed applications hide the screen keys when you don’t need them. Some games have this option and the Google apps. Now, it’s up to the developers…
I know about immersive mode for certains apps and games, but they should really take it up a notch. Why can’t I (the user) dictate which app uses this? This has been around for a while now and yet so many applications still don’t take advantage. Why don’t we have immersive mode for Chrome Browser already? Just give me the option to toggle it on and off and I’d be completely fine
There is an app I have (Power Toggles) that actually does force Immersive mode. Some apps aren’t ready for Immersive mode and crash when I have it on.
This is the app I use. It’s a widget. It’s pretty legit. One of the toggles is Immersive Mode” it forces it. Use this and see what happens with your apps. If everything functions okay, then continue to use it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc
Thanks so much man… I’m going to try it out and report back
OK So I downloaded it… does as it describes, sort of. I just wish I had the ability to choose which apps I can use immersive mode with, rather than it being a toggle I have to jump back to my homescreen to use
Yea. I get what you mean. I tried it with some of the games I play and touch controls within the games didn’t work correctly. Turning it on was messing things up within some apps. I just decided not to use it. I was using the M8 running a custom 4.4.2 ROM.
If you use gestures you swipe from the side of your screen, you can make a shortcut to the widget. That way it’ll be easier to turn on and off. I think SwipePad offers something like that.
The buttons go away on full screen apps written to use that space. I have multiple games that use the entire screen and require you to swipe an edge to get the buttons back.
Still robs you of viewable space throughout the OS and the majority of apps that don’t utilize immersive mode.
I love the fact that it will be around six inches. The on screen buttons suck though, I don’t understand why they couldn’t have put hardware or capacitive buttons on it. This phone should be a beast though and I will probably trade in my G Flex for this and hang on to my Note 3 until next year and pay it off.
Hardware and even capacitive buttons would add more physical space that has to be accounted for somewhere.
Not necessarily. I’m staring at my G Flex as I’m writing this and there is more than enough space to add physical or capacitive buttons.
Are you basing that on knowledge of hollow space inside vs size of button hardware or are you just assuming there’s space because a bezel is there?
My Nexus 5 has a ton of wasted bezel space at the bottom. They could have placed capacitive buttons in that area.
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/FETUQwRrQSxGBXOG.huge
Doesn’t look like wasted space to me, it looks like some kind of speaker vent or cooling passage?
Maybe. But like I stated, the phone could be designed to accommodate all the features and still have capacitive. I highly doubt a thin strip would interfere with other internal parts.
On my G Flex I use pie controls so at least it gets rid of the nav bar and replaces it with virtual buttons when you swipe up. But it would have been nice with at least capacitive buttons like a lot of people would prefer. This is similar to all these new laptops with no physical mouse buttons. The buttons are built into the trackpad which I hate. They need to stop trying to save ten dollars and put them back in.
My OnePlus One has BOTH capacitive and on-screen buttons to choose from. I prefer the on-screen buttons.
Can you explain how Samsung does it and still manage to have thin phones with better sound quality and superior cameras? And don’t get me started on micro sd slots. But I’m not advocating Samsung because Touchwiz is awful.
Well for one thing, they have more in-house development and manufacturing. When you make so many of the components yourself, you have the chance to demand tighter tolerances on the overall design. They’re also enormous so when they DO outsource they can demand tighter tolerances still because they are such a large contract to risk with bickering and haggling.
True but that’s proof it can be done. I’d pay more for a better product. I like my Nexus 5 but I don’t consider it premium by any means.
Samsung phones don’t have front speakers…
Yet the speakers sound better than the Nexus 5. Way better actually.
Lg G3 was almost perfect. Right screen size with excellent screen to bezel ratio. But the overlay stutters too much and that lame navigation bars spoils it to me.
Yeah I have high hopes that this N6 will not have those high res problems since it has the latest CPU and vanilla Android.
Based on those subway photos it looks like it has noticeable bezels.
Buttons are components that take up space beyond what you see on the surface. There are probably other components that you have to move if the buttons moved there.
Also, the bezel is sometimes a design choice because they want people to be able to press the buttons with a thumb while securely holding the phone in one hand.
Again, Galaxy S4 is perfect example of thin bezel and capacitive buttons.
Not basing it off hollow space but capacitive buttons can be done if they chose to do so.
Too big!
nexus 6 sucks due its screen size and I don’t care about 805 because of its the not 64 bit chip and nexus 5 is still good phone shame on KitKat n6’s nd n5 performance will be same somewhat cuz of pure android on paper it difference on real world it won’t And thanks to android l fixes the problem of nexus 5
Not a x64 bit chip? Outta line. Talk about wanting the best of the best. LoL!!
Lol boy
That’s YOUR opinion. The popularity of the Note series proves it is not the majority. Man up.
People should stop focusing on the 6″. They should be comparing phone sizes. If the bezels are narrow enough, Shamu might not be any bigger than the Note, which has sold plenty. It will probably be wider than the iPhone 6+, but probably not as tall, as the 6+ has very large bezels at the top and bottom.
So, as you pointed out, the case might not be any bigger than a phone that has sold well, the Note 3. Similarly, it will likely be shorter than the 6+, another phone that has sold well.
I really don’t see life in 6inch phone
People use their mobile devices differently. I would like a 6″ phone and I suspect I will use it a lot more than I use my smaller phones (S3, M8). I find doing most things on those phones annoying due to their small size.
My only concern is carrying the phone in the summer. 6″ is no problem in the winter when I have a coat on. In the summer, when I am just wearing jeans and a shirt to the office, it will be trickier and may require alterations to my pants pockets.
I’m calling it right here, right now….
Nexus 6 will NOT be 6 inches big…
I have no evidence to prove this…I merely just want to be the one who called it if Google comes out with the phone and it’s not what the leaks have led us to believe (I do believe Google will do this to us one day…)
Do we get to stone you if it is in fact nearly 6 inches big?
No. Sorry…
I’m going to stone you anyway :)
I’m going to get stoned if there is only a 5.9 inch Nexus 6. Can’t handle the disappointment otherwise.
FIrst off, don’t play with my emotions. I want this phone, I agree with RozJC the phone will not be 6″, just do to price constraints or they may pull an apple and come out with 2 models.
You’re setting yourself up for complete and utter disappointment by believing this phone won’t be 6″. There is literally nothing pointing to a smaller phone or two models.
Me thinking about the Nexus 6 and its screen size
http://oi43.tinypic.com/vysh37.jpg
That just means “L” will start being pushed, soon, too. L on my G3 is what I’m most anxious for. Let’s just hope LG and VZW don’t take a year to release it.
They WILL take a year to release it. Sorry.
My body is ready.
I will be ready if it delivers a 13+MP Camera with OIS, Hands Free Controls like the Moto X, a 3000+ mAh battery, and 64GB all for $399 or less. I’ve got to be lured away from my awesome OnePlus One and that’s what it will take.
Too big. I have a Nexus 5 and a OnePlus One. I prefer the size of the Nexus 5 with the specs of the OnePlus One.
The Nexus 6 is even bigger than my One and my One is uncomfortable.
i guess it will be good :)
Seems to be big how to create a pocket for that http://sparrowsurf.com/recommends/hidemyip/