The Android fanatics, myself included, love every single morsel of Nexus news or rumours they can get their hands on. Lately we have seen quite a bit of rumours hitting the interwebs regarding the make and size of the sixth Nexus device. We have heard the rumour that the device will have a 5.9in display and last week we saw via XDA an image of the supposed Nexus “Shamu” next to a LG G3. Today Android Police are reporting, with a confidence level of 9/10 that that the Shamu is in fact the next Nexus phone.
Android Police have received new information that sheds light on the next Nexus phone which will in fact be called the Nexus 6. How they are getting that around Bladerunner royalties and copyrights is anyone’s guess but I’m sure someone at Google is on top of it. Their information states that the Nexus 6 is a giant Moto X (2014), or Moto X+ if you will. It has black front-facing stereo speakers, unlike the Moto X which does not have stereo speakers on the front (the Moto G does though). As with most phablets, the power and volume buttons are down towards the middle of the side of the phone, allowing for ease of use. Using the information they received Android Police have put together a render of what they believe the Nexus 6 will look like.
The back of the Nexus 6, while not pictured, will have the same camera module as the Moto X, a 13MP camera with OIS, and the dual flash ring around the lens. The front facing camera will only be a 2MP camera, not ideal for those selfie-shooters out there. As expected the display will be a QHD display and the battery will be 3200+ mAh and will be compatible with the Moto X’s turbo charging that allows for 8 hours of usage after only 15 minutes of charging. There is no word on the processor running it but personally I would expect a 64bit processor as Google are bringing support for that into Android L so it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch that they would include it in their reference device.
The software icons seem to have changed a bit as well with a few different icons as well as an entirely new icon which is possibly the new combined messaging icon (next to the phone icon in the image above).
Analysing this is difficult for me as I have no need for a phablet of this size. My OnePlus One is nearly too big for me and I already have a Nexus 7. We have apparently seen the size of the Nexus 6 in relation to the LG G3 so for me the Nexus 6 is too big for everyday usage. Some may say that you get used to it, but I’m at a point where it is too big for pockets and too big for many things. Will Google release a smaller phone to appease those who dislike the idea of a phone as big as Maxwell Smart’s shoe-phone? We can only hope so, especially with Google apparently ceasing production of the Nexus 5.
The other option if the 5.9in Nexus 6 is too big for you is the Moto X, which runs very close to stock Google Android and as such receives updates nearly as fast, and sometimes faster, than some Nexus devices. The Nexus 6 may be the first Nexus device I pass on (the Nexus Q doesn’t count Dan) which is sad in itself. Google do not make phones for the masses. They make them as a reference device and as such I can see them releasing this phablet and this phablet only.
Hopefully we do not have to wait too much longer to find out for sure but I would suspect we won’t know the exact details until very late October.
Are you interested in a Nexus 6 phablet of this size? How big is too big for you? Do you think Google will also release a Nexus 6 Mini (mini in relative terms of course)?
I will be getting one , but will wait until the dust settles and there have been a few reports of their battery usage. Would like to psychically handle one to see just how big they are eg. fit into pockets etc..
Stick to 1080p and give it a 4000 Ma battery. Send a signal to the market that 2 days battery life should be the target.
I think this size is not a great hurdle.
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maybe everyone is looking at this wrong and they will have two nexus phones the nexus X the moto X re-banded and the nexus 6 for the ppl that want bigger phones, i really hope there is a smaller option or its going to be a Sony phone next
Absolutely, totally gutted by this news. Have loved and been loyal to the Nexus line for years, but a 5.9″ phone is just too big and unwieldy for me. I might as well get a Nexus 7 2013 4G and carry that around with me. If this is 100% true, and the 5.9″ Nexus 6/X will be the ONLY Nexus to be released, I will be skipping yet another generation of Nexus. Roll on October 2015… Nexus 4, you’ll have to last me another year!
This phone is shaping up to everything I have ever wanted in a nexus phone. Solid build, big battery, potentially great camera, insane screen but it’s. 42 inches too big and @ $499US for the regular moot x I can only assume/suspect this will have an insane price.
A 5.2″ screen would be ideal, but the more I’m using my smartphone instead of my laptop, the more a bigger screen would come in handy.
I’m really enjoying my Xperia Z3 Compact. The size is excellent. I really enjoy vanilla android and the ease of rooting + custom ROMs, but not enough for me to get overly baggy pants just to fit that thing into the pocket. :p
Well, looks like I can mark Ausdroid off as a reliable source for leaks/rumours. Shame too, as I liked this site.
Will you be back to eat your words if it turns out the Nexus 6 is a 5.9″ Moto based phone?
No, why would I be? This isn’t their article, they’re just reporting a story from Android Police.
How does the fact that the rumour originated at AP suddenly make Ausdroid become a less reputable source for leaks?
If you were a regular here you would know that Scott seems to have some connection with AP.
You wrote Ausdroid off based on speculation. If the future proves you incorrect it would only be decent to come back. Expecting decent human beings in a comment section was my mistake I guess.
Because Ausdroid posted an article in June saying that they’ve had word from their ‘source’ that the Nexus 6 would be a 5.5″ screen: ausdroid . net /2014/06/21/new-nexus-phone-definitely-works-5-5-screen-onboard/ Remove the spaces and have a look. It was posted not from Scott, but from Daniel Tyson, who appears to be an even more senior editor of Ausdroid. So they’ve posted articles with seemingly bogus information and now all the evidence is completely against what they’ve posted (rumours of a 5.9″ phone), suddenly Ausdroid have gone mum on their own article. I like the part on the bottom of the article: “rest… Read more »
The number of sites that also posted that 5.5″ rumour a quarter of a year ago was a lot from memory. Guess you won’t be reading any android news if you boycott every site that has posted one rumour and then later posted a different rumour.
How is this a boycott?
I’m just saying Ausdroid posted an article which seems to have false information, so I won’t take Ausdroid’s articles with their sources seriously anymore.
Don’t know why you’re so offended by that thought. It’s got nothing to do with you.
It isn’t a boycott. I mistakenly thought you said in your OP that you weren’t visiting the site anymore.
I’m not offended by your thought just pointing out that if you applied that logic to every site you’d find they all failed at one time or another by posting a rumour that turns out to be false.
Hi Andrew,
If you’ve ever worked in a large organisation, you know that companies change their plans all the time. This is what happened with the 5.5″ screen Nexus. We base our tips off reliable sources and the source for that rumour IS reliable. We get dozens of tips per day but only publish stuff we find reliable.
Why are you marking them off as a reliable source?
The information was from AP initially. Ausdroid, as with many other websites, are simply republishing the findings.
I don’t understand what you’re so upset about?
Because Ausdroid previously reported an article from their own ‘source’ that the Nexus 6 was going to be a 5.5″ screened phone. Seems there’s more and more evidence growing that it’ll actually be a 5.9″ screen. That makes Ausdroid not reliable with their source and with their decision-making in deciding to post info they get from their source. But hey, if the Nexus 6 ends up being a 5.5″ screen, I’m happy to eat crow and write a formal apology to Ausdroid. The least Ausdroid could do would be to make an article or at least edit the original and… Read more »
I must have missed that article.
Personally, AP is the only place I go to for the majority of Android news, especially when it comes to leaks. They just seem to do a bit more homework first and produce quality articles, loaded with details, rather than just posting for the clicks/traffic.
It looks to be that way. AP seem to be quite reliable, and they don’t post something unless they’re quite certain of it. And as you mention, they usually have a bunch of info about it that they’ve dug around for. Mockups/renders etc.
And even when they do post something, they usually grade how confident they are with their info eg; 7/10 or something. Today’s Nexus 6 info they rate a 9/10 so they seem pretty certain about it.
That seems either petulant or trollish. Rumors that far out from release are just speculation. At that time there may have been 2 prototypes. Android Silver was in the works and is now dead. Let’s crucify someone. Maybe you should pick up your ball and go home. And remember the purpose of such sirs while you are sitting alone.
I hate big phones, but I’d be more likely to buy a 5.5″ – 6″ Nexus tabone than the current trend of 5 – 5.5″ smartphones. Anything bigger than approx 4.5″ is too big for one handed use for me so if you’re going to go bigger you might as well go as big as you can make it while still fitting in pant’s pockets.
Way TOO BIG!!!
Bring it on! Not too big for me, but I can understand most people thinking so. It’s a shame Google don’t do something along the lines of Apple and release a 4.7″ and 5.9″ version, that apart from screen resolution are otherwise the same (although I guess the new MotoX is kind of the smaller 1080p option already).
My 6.3 galaxy mega fits in all my pockets, so this size should be fine for me. I’m happy to sacrifice one handed use for a big screen. I know this won’t suit everyones needs though. There are lots of busy people that may only have one hand free a lot of the time that this size may not suit
Nope. The LG G3 is as big as I’ll ever go and that’s a 5.5″ phone with barely-there bezels.
As a 5.5″ device is way too big to effectively use one handed I’m not sure what practical difference there is between a 5.5″ or 5.9″ device?
Because the G3 despite having a 5.5″ screen is within a hair of my last phone, the 4.7″ HTC One M7. It’s right on the border of what I’d tolerate and this hypothetical 6″ nexus isn’t even bothering with the tiny bezels.
Also this one/two handed issue isn’t absolute. There are some phone you can handle one handed, some you absolutely need two hut there’s a big space in between. The G3 I can do plenty, but not most, things one handed.
One/two handed use, I used the word effectively. By admitting that you can’t do everything one handed I’ll stick with my terminology that YOU can’t effectively use it one handed. Let’s not get caught up on semantics. The main point of my post was to try and find out why any device bigger than the G3 becomes a no go for you. From what I can tell it has nothing to do with actual screen size and one or two handed use. Is it the feel in the hand or how it sits in your pocket or bag, or something… Read more »
Because one handed, I can still type on my G3, pull down the notification bar and reach most but not all icons and such. It’s about at the limit of what I’d find tolerable. A 6″ screen coupled with a more generous chin would push it over the edge for me. It’s a sliding scale and I’ve drawn my line in the sand, whether you think it’s arbitrary or not.
I never claimed your decision was arbitrary. I was just seeking to understand it. Thankyou for providing your reasoning.
I feel the same way with the Xperia Z Ultra…I use it a bit one handed because the glass back is flat and grippy. More enjoyable to use two handed though, and for on handed action I talk to my watch.
I feel the same way with the Xperia Z Ultra…I use it a bit one handed because the glass back is flat and grippy. More enjoyable to use two handed though, and for on handed action I talk to my watch…
I believe that almost everything you need to do one handed you can do zero handed now days with how great voice is coming along. But I can use my phone one handed without issue. The difference is really more real estate… Hangouts have a lot more immediately visible history, more space when viewing Web pages and email, a reading pane if you rotate sideways. There is so much hate for “phablets” and it is usually from those who don’t realise it is more than just bigger everything. In fact by default it is mostly the same size for me… Read more »
They need to have size options. 5.9 is just too big
A nexus 5 (2014) would be a nice companion.
it had better not be the only new Nexus phone, as 6″ is too big for me.
This sounds like my perfect phone….excellent.
Yes… I couldn’t agree more. This could be the most defining device I use in my lifetime.
Like you, as a Nexus 7 owner, the 6 is just too big. I like the difference between the 5 and 7. I could handle 5.2″ but anything bigger is starting to get too big.
Too big. I will pass on this nexus device. Sony Xperia z3 compact looking more and more like a winner in my books.
I’m hoping Android Police are wrong. I don’t want this monster phone!
I’m wondering where Google is going with this. My understanding of the Nexus program was that it was a reference device for developing new software and as such was broadly representative of the standard hardware out there. The phablet is really a niche market however and I’m hearing a lot of people say they aren’t interested in a Nexus phone this size. Google might still surprise and release a Nexus-branded Moto X but would that really be worthwhile when the Moto X is pretty close to stock already?
My thought is this: If they were to be realistic then the 5-5.2″ size is about as far as the ‘phone’ can go. There really is no point in going above 1080p resolution at this size, and processing-wise things are thermally throttled anyway. 64bits don’t offer much. They could introduce (and might still do) a Nexus 5 update with better battery/camera etc. – but it would be ‘meh’ as far as launches go – kind like an apple “S” release. Thus a phablet is the only interesting segment in the ‘phone’ line they can take this year. You don’t have… Read more »
Perhaps Google is making a big push into the Asian markets, especially China, where affordable phones with big screens are taking off.
For me though, an even as a developers device, something this size (north of 5.2″) should come with a stylus. It’s about time we started seeing some real competition to the Note series.
If it is a reference device its just a reference for the phablet sector which is growing and growing.
There doesnt need to be a new n5 becuase the difference between the snapdragon 800 and 805 is quite minimal and no need to change the reference point to. I think they might release something first quarter with a new 64bit soc in as the new reference.
I wasn’t aware this was an opinion piece? Why not just stick to facts?
Maybe you’ve not read Scott’s work before. We like his opinions.
Excellent article, pity about the misleading, clickbait-esque title.
Phone sounds good, I’d love it to have a infrared remote and fingerprint reader but even so this will be my 4th Nexus in a row. I want a big screen. It will fit in my pocket somehow!
I think I’ll be selling my LG G Pro 2 but I’m still not sold on the QHD.