Nexus 6 release date, news, specs and rumors [updated]

The Nexus 6, aka Nexus X, is a slippery little beastie. Long rumored, Google's refresh of the Nexus 5 was supposedly ditched along with the updated Nexus 10 but then Google confirmed that the Nexus line would indeed continue. This article will be updated as new information comes to light, but here's what we know right now. Update: a new leaked image of the Nexus 6 has hit the scene, thanks to leakster (who seems back in the game) Evan Blass aka @evleaks. Read on to check out what we might be expecting tomorrow, October 15th.

A few mock-ups of the Motorola designed Nexus 6. / © Droid Life

Nexus 6 rumors

Update: Evan Blass, also know as @evleaks, is back from a supposed retirement, bringing a new glimpse of the Nexus 6 with him! What we see is a device so similar to the Moto X (2014) it’s uncanny: same rounded back, same size bezels, same speaker and microphone configuration etc. We also get a look at the home screen filled with Android L icons for Google Play Music, the Play Store (which looks a bit different than the recent Google Play update to version 5), Phone, Messenger etc. and of course the same Google Now bar.

Nexus 6 / Nexus X release date and price

The Nexus 5 was unveiled on October 31st last year and we know that the next iteration of Android, quite likely Android 5.0 Lollipop, is only a few weeks away. So it stands to reason that the Nexus 6, if and when we see it made official, will appear around the same time of year along with a new Android version to show off on it.

Last year's Nexus 5 saw a minor increase in price because the two models offered had higher internal memory than the Nexus 4. If the Nexus 6 arrives with 16 GB and 32 GB of storage then we may see the 349/399 USD price point of the Nexus 5, or if the Nexus 6 is offered in 32 GB/64 GB versions, then we can probably expect a 399/449 USD price tag. See below for more leaked details on pricing.

If you still think the Nexus 5 is the duck's nuts, keep an eye on the Play Store. © Google

Fans of the Nexus 5 should keep an eye on the Google Play Store because we're predicting in the weeks to come that the existing Nexus 5, which is apparently no longer being produced for Google, will go on sale to clear up some space over at the Play Store for all the new Nexus 6 boxes that can't be far away.

Though it was rumored to be announced on October 16th, we recently spotted some screenshots from Google's recent Chrome for Android update which show the time of 2:30. Google doesn't do anything for nothing, and though this can't possibly the next version number, since we're looking at seeing Android 4.5 or 5.0, it could mean the date is set for October 23rd.

Nexus 6: rumors evaluated

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Nexus 6 / Nexus X specs

The Nexus 6 will, of course, run Android 5.0, and be the first device to receive Android updates for the next 18 months. Considering Google's recipe of cramming the best possible specs into their reference device, the Nexus 6 will most likely ship with a quad-core Snapdragon 805 SoC clocked at 2.7 GHz, like the recently announced LG G3 Cat.6. The Nexus 6 will also likely ship with 3 GB of RAM and Adreno 420 GPU.

• Android 5.0 L: what you need to know

As Android L is the showcase for Android 64-bit chips and the Snapdragon 805 is not a 64-bit chip, we're interested to see how Google handles having a reference device that can't act like a reference device for the platform.

No matter what else happens, we know the Nexus 6 will be running on the Android Runtime (ART), which pre-compiles apps for faster launches and better responsiveness and will make full use of Project Volta's battery enhancements to hopefully make up for the always unimpressive Nexus battery.

After seeing the new 2014 Moto X and getting some weird answers from Motorola at IFA 2014, we're increasingly thinking the Nexus 6 will be based on the 2014 Moto X with a 2K display and much better specs sheet than that of the Moto X. Again though, the lack of a 64-bit chip has us thinking: has Google magically got its hands on enough Snapdragon 808's to supply its Nexus 6 stocks with? We'll just have to wait and see, but our fingers are crossed.​

• Nexus 5 vs Nexus 6 comparison: will it be worth the upgrade?

The writing is on the wall: the Nexus 6 looks to be a 5.2-inch, Snapdragon 805 powered beastie. / © AnTuTu/GFXBench

Benchmarks on both AnTuTu and GFXBench are both showing Nexus 6 specs that seem to confirm what we've been predicting for a while: a quad-core Snapdragon 805 SoC clocked at 2.65 GHz with 3 GB of RAM, Adreno 420 GPU and Android L (until Android 5.0 appears). The interesting part of the benchmarks are that they show a 5.2-inch QHD screen: a display diagonal and definition we had been hoping for the whole time the 5.9-inch rumors were circulating.

A 2K display with Adreno 420 GPU is good news for the animations in Android 5.0, but the Snapdragon 805 is not 64-bit capable, which is one of the key features of Android 5.0. Other details in the benchmarks show a minor discrepancy in camera resolution: AnTuTu shows a 13 MP main camera with 2.1 MP front camera, and GFXBench shows a 12 MP main cam with 2 MP front-facing shooter. We'll have to wait and see which one proves to be true.

We're yet to discover what the Android Silver project means for the Nexus line. / © Google, AndroidPIT

9to5Google has reaffirmed one of our suspicions about the Nexus 6, claiming that it will indeed be based on the 2nd generation Moto X. Said to be arriving with a 5.92-inch QHD display and Snapdragon 805 processor, the Motorola developed device looks to have been slightly modified from the Moto X (2014) to accommodate the larger screen size, with the volume and power buttons sliding further down the handset for easier access. While it is scant on details about the source of the information, 9to5Google points to the leaked GFX benchmarking test for the specs list, and claims that the image render it has created is based on a real device. Check out the mock-up below.

Is this what the Nexus 6 will actually look like? / © 9TO5Google

As you can see from both the picture at the top of the page, and image above, the handset has a lot in common with the aforementioned Moto X, right down to the camera placement and aluminium bezels. It will be interesting to see how fans react to this design aesthetic, given how divisive the Moto X design already is, and what they think of the size, which dwarfs the already large LG G3.

Android Police has since confirmed a 5.9-inch QHD display (496ppi), 13 MP rear-camera with optical image stabilization, 2 MP front-facing camera, 3,200+ mAh battery, and front-mounted stereo speakers. It also provided us with a mock-up of the device, which can be seen below.

This image render shows what we think the Nexus 6 will look like. / © Android Police

A Geekbench performance test has revealed some fantastic scores for the Nexus 6 in terms of processing power. Check out the results below and head to our Nexus scores high in performance test article for the full story.

Single and multi-core processing stats by Geekbench. / © Phone Arena

Nexus 6 rumors: manufacturer

Motorola has recently been pegged as the most likely manufacturer for this year's Nexus smartphone, with details of a device codenamed Shamu emerging. Originally we thought it was possible that HTC would be producing the Nexus 6, but given the recent arrival of images depicting a Moto X style device, and having learned that HTC is making the Nexus 9, it seems that these rumors are inaccurate.

Just how many Nexus devices will we see added to the Nexus family this year? / © AndroidPIT

Let us know in the comments below what you think of the Nexus 6.

 

Source fromhttp://www.androidpit.com