Google’s Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, which launched a bit over two years ago in October 2014, have basically reached end of life status, with confirmation from Google that neither device will advance beyond Android 7.1.1. While both will continue to receive security updates for now, that’ll be about it. Those security updates should last until at least the end of this year, with Google publicly committing to three years of security updates, allowing owners plenty of time to consider their next upgrade option.
Frankly, neither device was really much good. The Nexus 6 failed comprehensively to take off the way Google hoped it might; we can’t help but feel it was just too big and too poor. The Nexus 9, on the other hand, was even less successful, facing actual problems as well as slow adoption, meaning that it likely only ever sold in very small numbers.
We know of a few people still using these, for whom today’s news is probably both expected and a bit disappointing, but with so much choice across budget, mid-range and premium devices, for those wanting to upgrade, there’s never been a better time.
