Google Announces Motorola-Made Nexus 6 and HTC-Made Nexus 9

An anonymous reader writes In addition to Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google today also announced the first devices running the new version of its mobile operating system: the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9. The former is a phablet built by Motorola, and the latter is a tablet built by HTC. The Nexus 6 is going up for pre-order on October 29, starting at $649. The Nexus 9 meanwhile is going up for pre-order this Friday (October 17), and you'll also be able to get it in stores on November 3.

Comments

Meh

[blackomegax]

Wake me up when there's a small one for $350 again.

Re:Meh

[stdarg]

Google has arranged a release with 5 major US carriers simultaneously -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular. They will be available under contract at a big discount (up front cost $50 or so instead of $650). The carriers probably put pressure on Google to keep the unlocked price high so we perceive a value to the contract.

Re:Meh

[Amnenth]

The page that the Nexus 6 is presented on still has a link to the Nexus 5. My personal theory at this time (unproven) is that they're keeping the Nexus 5 around as their lower-end model, since they don't have anything to replace its price point with. Hell, the Nexus 5 page now shows the device running Android L (Lollipop.)

Re:Meh

[erice]

The page that the Nexus 6 is presented on still has a link to the Nexus 5. My personal theory at this time (unproven) is that they're keeping the Nexus 5 around as their lower-end model, since they don't have anything to replace its price point with. Hell, the Nexus 5 page now shows the device running Android L (Lollipop.)

While the Nexus 5 is not as enormous as the Nexus 6, it is anything but small.

Which is the chief problem with the various "mini" models available today. Not a one is actually a small, well featured phone. They are simply old and/or reduced spec phones every bit as big as the first wave of large phones.

Re:Meh

[Scot Seese]

Why couldn't they have hit the sweet spot - 5", 1080p, and focused on camera quality & battery life?

Google doesn't understand hardware.

Re:Meh

[sasparillascott]

You are correct, except the Sony Z3 compact (they put the high end stuff in a smaller design):

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets...

We just have to wait and see if we can actually buy it.

Re:Meh

[Nemyst]

Yeah, they totally aren't seeing a successful trend and following it.

Re:Meh

[swillden]

Why couldn't they have hit the sweet spot - 5", 1080p, and focused on camera quality & battery life?

Google doesn't understand what I want in hardware.

FTFY.

Re:Meh

[DougDot]

Here ya go: http://oneplus.net/

Re:Meh

[Miamicanes]

In other words, AT&T and Verizon will sell crippled, ruined, defective-by-design phones with locked bootloaders masquerading as real "Nexus" devices, tainting the brand name as badly as Verizon's Galaxy Nexus did. :-(

Re:Meh

[Miamicanes]

Huge warning about the Z3 -- Sony implemented a chunk of the camera firmware in a way that causes it to be crippled forever if you unlock the bootloader... and as of at least a few days ago, there was no root exploit that didn't depend upon having an unlocked bootloader. There probably will be one eventually... but you might be waiting a LONG time to get it. Ask yourself whether you'll still be happy with the phone if you end up not being able to root it for months (or ever), and if you'll still be satisfied with it if the low-light performance goes to hell as a consequence of unlocking the bootloader.

Put another way, don't buy a Z3 unless you know beyond doubt there's a working root exploit for it that doesn't require an unlocked bootloader, and make equally sure that the phone you're buying has a ROM that hasn't slammed the door and locked out that root method. You'll still lose a chunk of the camera's functionality for the duration of your use of a custom ROM, but at least you'll preserve the ability to restore the phone back to stock at some future time if desired.

Re:The amazing part

[Stewie241]

It's amazing how companies can manage to survive when they are owned by Google.

Nexus 6

[Krymzn]

I though Tyrell made the Nexus 6?

Also announced Nexus player

[vivek7006]

And it is powered by an Intel chip. Interesting that Google decided to go with Intel 64-bit SoC instead of ARM. This is a big win for Intel

Re: The amazing part

[StarWreck]

I think its amazing that you don't know Google still owns Motorola. The Lenovo deal isn't finalized or approved yet.

Re: The amazing part

[Tumbleweed]

It's amazing I was wrong. Dammit! :)

Re:No SD card, non-removable battery

[Kielistic]

Nexus devices no longer offer those features. With the high price-point on this phone it really does seem that Google has abandoned everything that made the Nexus line so much better than the iPhones. I guess they think their OS is prime time enough they no longer have to offer those frills.

As for an accessory port: It's called USB. Bluetooth is also available.

Re:Pass - Had major issues with Nexus 5 (from LG)

[Nemyst]

Huh? The Nexus 7, both variants, was manufactured by Asus.

Re:Wireless charging gone?

[jigamo]

Google's page for the Nexus 6 doesn't list charging info, but it's really sparse with the spec information. Motorola's page has a lot more details, which include under the Battery information, "Qi Wireless charging support."

Re: The amazing part

[ArmoredDragon]

Hmm...have to say I didn't find any points in this conversation to be amazing.

Re: The amazing part

[Dragon Bait]

It's amazing I was wrong. Dammit! :)

It's amazing that someone admitted they were wrong. Consider +2 to your credibility.