Google Inc. is tight-lipped on the release date of its recently unveiled flagship device, the Nexus 6 but several reports have claimed that it would be launched on Wednesday, 12 November.
The search giant announced at the unveiling event of the Nexus 6 that it would be released a few weeks later but didn't reveal the exact date, giving room for speculations. The device was announced along with the Nexus 9 and Android 5.0 Lollipop on 15 October. The Nexus tablet was released on 3 November and the new software is expected to be rolled out for update on the day the Nexus 6 is launched.
There were reports that shipping of the Nexus 6 would begin this week, and a Reddit user went a step further by claiming that he/she had spoken to T-Mobile stores on the release of the device.
"I decided to call up all of the T-Mobile stores in my area to see if they had any info. The first 3 declined having any information. The next one I called said it would be released on the 12th. I asked if they would have it in the store and he said that if not they would ship it," wrote a user on Reddit.
It is still not confirmed whether Google will release the Nexus 6 on Wednesday but several reports claimed that it would be launched on the day.
Google has the tradition of promoting the Nexus devices on its Google Play store but it is set to break that practice by making the Nexus 6 available at all five major US carriers - Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular, according to CNet.
"We are selling the Nexus 6 in a way most people are used to buying it," the website quoted Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android at Google, as saying.
It may be mentioned that pre-order for the Nexus 6 was opened on 29 October. Several reports claimed it went out of stock a few hours after it was up for booking. Both the 32GB and 64GB variants of the device are not available on Google Play store at the time of filing this story and the notice: "We are out of inventory. Please check back soon" is up on the website.
Owing to huge jump in the price of the device over its predecessor, the Nexus 5, Google is said to be working with the carriers to sell the Nexus 6 at $199 with a two-year contract. The unlocked version of 32GB Nexus 6 is priced at $649, while the 64GB variant costs $699.
The Nexus 6 sports a 5.96-inch QHD with 2560x1440 pixels (493 ppi pixels per inch) and AMOLED capacitive touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by 805 series Snapdragon CPU and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. It houses a 32/64GB storage capacity and 3GB RAM, and a 13MP main camera with Dual-LED flash, f2.0 aperture, 4K video recording, and 2MP front camera with HD video conferencing feature. The device also has a 3220 mAh battery with talk time up to 24 hours, standby time close to 250 hours (with ambient display on) and 330 hours (with ambient display off).
Meanwhile, the Nexus 5 is still in demand despite the unveiling of its successor, the Nexus 6. Google hasn't reduced its price though the smartphone maker has the tradition of coming up with new business deal ahead of the release of its flagship device. The original price tag of the Nexus 5 - $350 for the 32GB version and $400 for the 16GB variant still stands on Google Play though a few online retailers are offering the device at a discounted price.
Interestingly, readers' survey conducted by AndroidPit has found out that people are ready to pay more for a re-released Nexus 5 with updated specifications. 18% of the participants says the Nexus 5 still works for them, while 20% voted for the Nexus 5 (2014) with better CPU, GPU and RAM only for same price, and 24% willing to pay more for the device with better battery and camera. Full Nexus 6 specifications in a Nexus 5 body got 19% vote.
The Nexus 5 sports a 4.95-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixels (445 ppi pixel density), and has True HD IPS+ capacitive touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 chipset and runs on Android OS v4.4 KitKat (upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop). It comes packed with 16/32 GB internal memory and 2GB RAM, Li-Po 2300 mAh battery, and an 8MP main camera with autofocus, optical image stabilization, LED flash and a 1.3MP front snapper.
