Google just ninja-kicked us all in the face by revealing the Nexus 6.
One minute we’re Nexus 6-less, and the next minute – bam – there it is, right there on Google’s own site, alongside a new Nexus 9 tablet, and Nexus Player.
Surprise!
Right. Deep breaths, count to three. This is everything you need to know about the newest Android poster boy.
1. It’s a giant Moto X
The Nexus 6 as stayed true to the rumours. Manufactured by Motorola, it’s essentially a giant Moto X. It has the same rounded design, along with the same rear ‘M’ dimple, which sits above the nexus logo.
Why a giant Moto X we hear you cry? Well…
2. It’s got a 6in, 2K screen
Well, 5.96 inches to be exact, but we like round numbers. So yes. The newest Nexus is in fact, a phablet, dwarfing the 5.5in G3 and the 5.7in Galaxy Note 4.
Will that alienate the majority of the Android faithful? We’ll have to wait and see.
As for resolution, we’re looking at a G3 and Note 4-matching 2560 x 1440, serving up highly respectable 493 ppi count.
Take that, Full HD.
3. It’s got a 13MP camera
Like the Moto X, the Nexus 6 has a 13MP camera, with the same sexy LED circle flash surrounding the lens. It’s got optical image stabilisation too, matching the Note 4, G3 and iPhone 6 Plus.
That means that we should theoretically see low-light performance improve, as the lens can stay open for longer, guzzling more light without increasing blur.
4. It’s powerful
The Nexus 6 is packing in the mighty new Snapdragon 805 quad-core 2.7GHz processor along with 3GB of RAM, matching the processing might of the Galaxy Note 4.
That should slice through Android 5.0 Lollipop like a lightsaber through a buttered-up Wookiee. Speaking of which:
5. It’s running the latest version of Android
Android 5.0 Lollipop, to be exact. Yes, that is what L stood for all along. Case closed.
Check out our Android Lollipop list for everything you need to know about the latest iteration of Google’s mobile OS in detail, but rest assured, you’ve got plenty of slick UI changes, performance improvements, enhanced security and much much more to look forward to.
6. It’s got a 3220mAh battery
Thankfully the Nexus 6 is packing a rather large battery to cope with that huge, pixel-packed display.
There’s no way of knowing just how much you’ll be able to squeeze out of it until we review it properly, but with Android 5.0 Lollipop’s battery life optimisations, we’re staying tentatively optimistic for the time being.
7. Price and release date
According to Motorola’s official press release, the Nexus 6 will be available to pre-order in late October, for an as-of-yet undisclosed price.
The US price has been reported to be $650 SIM-free, although price tags are very rarely directly converted into other currencies.
Stay tuned for more info, as and when we get it.
