Just hours after Google officially announced the eagerly awaited Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9, reports have surfaced saying the devices will soon be made available in India next month.
PTI, citing sources, claims that both Google's devices - Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9 - will be released in India in November, along with some other select regions around the world.
The news comes after Motorola announced that Nexus 6 will hit stores initially in 28 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America later this year (starting November).
The new Google Nexus 6 smartphone - 32GB and 64GB models - will be first put up for pre-order on 29 October for $649 (around €510/₹40,000) and $699 (around €550/₹43,000) respectively.
Nexus 9 (16GB model), on the other hand, is said to cost $399 (around €310/₹24,550), while the 32GB Wi-Fi and LTE models come with a price tag of $479 (around €375/₹29,500) and $599 (around €470/₹36,900) respectively. The new HTC slate will go up for pre-order on 17 October and will be released on 3 November.
If reports of Google releasing the new Nexus devices in India next month do turn true, then it shows how times have changed and how top tier-1 companies are giving importance to India in their scheme of things, especially in smartphone market where the subcontinent is said to be the world's third largest handset business arena (after China and the US).
For instance, Google kickstarted the Android One project in India; an aim to capture a billion more users in to its fold. It released three affordable stock Android smartphones - Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V and Spice Dream UNO - for a price range of $100 (around ₹6,000).
For the uninitiated, Motorola Nexus 6, as rumoured previously, resembles a stretched version of Moto X (Gen 2) but with far superior internal hardware. It sports a mammoth 5.96-inch QHD (2560x1440p) screen and comes packed with the new Android L OS (with material design), 805 series Snapdragon CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB/64GB inbuilt memory, a 13.0-megapixel main camera, a 2.0-megapixel snapper on the front and a 3220 mAh battery.
HTC Nexus 9, on the other hand, flaunts an 8.9-inch QXGA (2048x1536p) IPS LCD screen and comes packed with 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB inbuilt memory, an 8.0-megapixel main camera, a 1.6-megapixel front-camera, and a 6700 mAh battery.
Besides the new Nexus smartphone and slate, Google also unveiled the long rumoured Android TV set-top box - Asus Nexus Player, a streaming media player for movies, music and videos. As of now, there is no word on whether this device will set foot in India any time soon.
Key specifications of Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9:
| Models | Motorola Nexus 6 | HTC Nexus 9 |
| Display | 5.96-inch QHD (2560x1440p) screen with Gorilla Glass 3 shieldPixel density: 493 ppi (pixels per inch) | 8.9" IPS LCD 4:3 aspect ratio QXGA (2048x1536p) Gorilla Glass 3 with 'Double tap to wake' feature |
| OS | Android 5.0 Lollipop | Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Processor | 2.7GHz Quad core Krait 450 CPU (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SOC) | 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor |
| GPU | Adreno 420 | Kepler GPU |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB |
| Storage capacity | 32GB & 64GB | 16GB & 32GB |
| Camera | Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with Dual-LED flash, f2.0 aperture, 4K video recordingFront: 2.0-megapixel camera with HD video conferencing feature | Main: 8.0-megapixel camera with f/2.4 aperture, Auto-focus, LED flashFront:1.6-megapixel camera with f/2.4 aperture |
| Battery | 3220 mAh;Talk time: up to 24 hoursStandby time: close to 250 hours (with ambient display on) and 330 hours (with ambient display off) | 6700 mAh; Wi-Fi Browsing: Up to 9.5 hours LTE Browsing: Up to 8.5 hours Video Playback: Up to 9.5 hours Wi-Fi Standby: Up to 30 days LTE Standby: Up to 30 days |
| Network | 3G & 4G LTE | 3G & 4G-LTE (optional) |
| Add-ons | Nano SIM, water-ristant, Bluetooth v4.1. Wi-Fi (802.11 ac 2x2 dual band; MIMO), NFC,micro-SUB v2.0, dual-front speakers. Turbo Charger technology, lets user get up to six hours of use with only 15 minutes of charge. | 802.11ac 2x2 (MIMO) NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, micro-USB 2.0, Dual front-facing speakers with HTC BoomSound technology and Dual microphones |
| Dimensions | 159.26 x 82.98 x 10.06 mm | 228.25mm x 153.68mm x 7.95mm |
| Weight | 184 g | 425g (Wi-Fi), 436g (LTE) |
| Colours | Midnight Blue and cloud white | Indigo Black, Lunar White, Sand |
| Price | 32GB: $649 (around € 510/ ₹40,000)64GB: $699 (around € 550/ ₹43,000) | 16GB: Wi-Fi only - $399 (around €310/₹24,550);32GB: Wi-Fi only - $479 (around €375/₹29,500);32GB: LTE - $599(around €470/ ₹36,900); |
[Image credit: Google Blog, Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android & Chrome Apps]
