The second half of 2014 will see the launch of flagship devices from major smartphone makers and the competition is going to be stiff. Google hasn't announced the release date of its next-generation smartphone dubbed as Nexus 6, but going by the reports, it is estimated to take on the likes of iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 in the smartphone market.
Nexus 6 is expected to be released in October and iPhone 6 is reportedly unveiling on 19 September, while Samsung Galaxy S5 is already available in the market. Galaxy Note 4, which might launch in the first week of September, belongs to the big screen category, but it could also compete with Google's flagship smartphone.
The competition is going to be stiff with the products from major smartphone makers competing against each other. Samsung Galaxy S5 is still going strong despite hitting the stores a couple of months ago. Both iPhone 6 and Nexus 6 may come with the latest technology, but it looks like price factor will help the latter in terms of sales.
Nexus 6 is very likely to be way cheaper than iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5, going by the price of their predecessors. Apple hasn't revealed the price of its device but it is expected to be costlier than iPhone 5s, which was priced $649 for the 16GB variant (unlocked), while Galaxy S5 costs $660.
However, 16GB variant of Nexus 5 has a price tag of $349, which is almost half the price of iPhone 5s and Galaxy S5. The price of its successor is also expected to be not very different. This factor may ensure good sales, especially in emerging price-sensitive markets like India.
Moreover, Google's Nexus series have earned praises from various quarters. Besides coming with attractive features, it has one advantage over other Android products, as it is usually the first device to receive new software updates.
Nexus 6 will sport a 5.2-inch display with 1080x1920 pixel screen resolution, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, according to reports. It may have a curved LCD display with lightweight, polycarbonate body, and come packed with 32GB internal memory and 3GB RAM. Tech Cocktail reported that the device may feature a 20MP camera with HDR mode, while 91mobiles website claimed that it would have a 13MP main camera and a 5MP front snapper.
The device will come with Android L and house a 3,100 mAh Li-Polymer battery. In terms of connectivity, it may boast of Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and micro-USB slot, according to 91mobiles.
There are contradictory reports on the processor of the device. Taiwan's Economic Daily reported that the device might be powered by MediaTek 64-bit SoC processor, while G4Games reported that it might be powered by either a "quad-core MT6732 64-bit chip that clocked at 1.5GHz, or the octa-core MT6752 SoC running at a frequency of 2.0GHz."
Google is yet to announce the release date of Nexus 6 but it is most likely to have an October release. Sundar Pichai, VP at Google, had said at the Mobile World Congress 2014 (MWC 2014) that the device would be announced in October.
