Google Nexus 6 release date, price and specs UK: Finally on sale but in limted supply
Just a day before Apple announced new iPads, Google unveiled a range of new devices to go with Android 5.0 Lollipop including the Nexus 9 and Nexus Player.
See also: Nexus 5 vs Nexus 6 comparison: why Google's latest smartphone isn't necessarily a natural upgrade.
Google Nexus 6: Release date and price UK
Update: Although Google initially announced that the Nexus 6 will be available to pre-order in the UK in November and go on sale the same month, this has simply not happened. The device is now on the Google Play store priced at £499 for 32 GB and £549 for 64 GB but the only model available (as of 11/12) is the 32 GB blue and it will leave the warhouse in 3-4 weeks!
O2 has contacted us to announce the Nexus 6 is now available. Although O2 was the first to put the device on sale (4 December), launch woes continue elsewhere - see below. Read: Where to buy the Nexus 6 in the UK.
We heard from various retailers that the phone would go on sale on 1 December but that day has arrived and thing appear to have only got worse.
Big high street name Carphone Warehouse now has the 32 GB blue model and although it claims to have an exclusive on the white model, it is available for pre-order and expected on 29 December.
Meanwhile, Clove has pre-sold all its stock which it is expecting on 22 December with a second batch set to arrive 'late December' and there is limited stock available to order now.
Mobilefun says the nexus 6 is due in a whopping two months on the blue model and Expansys doesn't even state when it is expecting the device. Mobiles.co.uk also gave a release date of 1 December but currently expects delivery on 15 December.
With Christmas fast approaching the Nexus 6 launch situation isn't good and Google has been all too quiet on the subject. We've reached out for comment and will update you as soon as we can.
Google Nexus 6: Specs and features
The Nexus 6 has been built by Motorola for Google and looks very similar to the Moto X. It has a 'contoured aluminium frame' which houses a 5.96in Quad HD screen (493ppi). Google's tag line for the phone is "more room to explore".
Along with the Nexus 9, it is the launch product for a new version of Android which we now know is 5.0 Lollipop. This will also be available for the Nexus 7, Nexus 6 and Nexus 10 in the 'coming weeks'.
Back to the Nexus 6 and it features a 13Mp rear facing camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), front facing stereo speakers and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor which is clocked at 2.7 GHz. It includes the Adreno 420 GPU.
The Nexus 6 will come in 32- or 64 GB capacities but there's still no microSD card slot. Inside is a 3220mAh and Google touts over 24 hours of use. The firm also touts up to 6 hours of use from only 15 minutes of charging (if the battery is substantially depleted).
OS: Android 5.0 LollipopDisplay: 5.96in 1440 x 2560 display (493 ppi)Battery: 3220 mAhCamera: 13 Mp rear-facing with optical image stabilisation, 2 Mp rear-facingProcessor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, 32-bit Quad Core 2.7 GHz, Adreno 420Memory: 32/64GB
See our original Nexus 6 rumour round-up on the next page
The new Nexus smartphone, the Nexus X or Nexus 6 (codenamed Motorola Shamu), is thought to be the next flagship Android smartphone from Google which could launch this afternoon with Android L. So here we take a look at the possible Nexus X release date along with rumoured price, specs, performance and features UK. Also see: Android L release date and new features and Nexus 9 release date, price and specs.
Although tech sites have been referring to the new Nexus smartphone 2014 as the Nexus 6, it's more likely that Google will call it the Nexus X or Nexus 5 2014. It didn't change the name of the Nexus 7 with its follow-up model, plus the replicants in Blade Runner go by the name Nexus 6. See also: The 28 best smartphones of 2014.
Nexus 6: Leaks and images look like huge Moto X
As you can see above via 9to5Google, we have an idea of what the Nexus 6 smartphone will look like. The mock-up is based on the Moto X as the Nexus 6 will reportedly be a bigger version of Motorola's flagship handset. It's going to look almost identical according to the site and apart from being made larger, will have the volume and power buttons moved downwards. The leak also includes detailed information on specs which we'll outline below.
Below are two more images of the Nexus 6 putting more weight on the device being firmly in a phablet category of the market and a similar size to the iPhone 6 Plus. Via Android Police and XDA Developers.
Nexus X (Nexus 6): Release date in UK
We've all heard the phrase 'history repeats itself' and, when it comes to smartphone launches, it really is true - most of the time. Many of the big tech firms have just the one flagship smartphone launch per year, and Google is no different with its Nexus range. See iPhone 6 release date, news and rumours.
Previous Nexus release dates:
Nexus model
Release date
Nexus One
Jan-10
Nexus S
Dec-10
Galaxy Nexus
Nov-11
Nexus 4
Nov-12
Nexus 5
Oct-13
As you can see, for four out of its five Nexus smartphones Google has opted for a Q4 launch. Take a look at the best Android smartphones in the UK.
As yet, the only word from Google about the Nexus X (Nexus 6)'s possible release dates is from the senior vice president, Sundar Pichai, who said that it would not launch in the first half of 2014, adding more weight to the possibility of a Q4 2014 launch.
Realistically we expect to see the device in October or November as the vehicle on which Google launches Android L (aka Lollipop). The launch event for this has been pegged for either 15- or 16 October by Android Authority.
More recently, a report from Bright Side of News states that Google will put the Nexus 9 up for pre-order on 15 October with it set to go on sale 3 November. That's today. And if we see the Nexus 9 this afternoon, we also expect to see the Nexus X today.
Will it launch this year
However, earlier this year, reports suggested that the Nexus line will be discontinued, with a new Android Silver line, according to Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin and The Information.
Anonymous sources have said that Google's Android Silver program will aim to encourage manufacturers to use higher quality build materials and more stylish designs that "closely adhere to Google specifications".
Evleaks said on Twitter in May that "there is no Nexus 6", coming this year, backing up the previous reports, and adding that Android Silver is coming in February 2015 in the form of an LG device.
Following that report, however, Ausdroid claims to have learned from "a source within Google who is close to the project", that the Nexus X (Nexus 6) will be launching this year after all, with a 5.5in display reminiscent of the LG G3. A possible Motorola-made Nexus 6 is touted for November (See below).
See: Google I/O 2014 - What to expect including Android, Nexus, Glass and more.
Nexus X (Nexus 6): Price
According to the website cited by TK Tech News, the Nexus X will cost around 419 Euro.
Nexus X (Nexus 6): Specs
According to the International Business Times the Nexus 6 is expected to be built by LG. The website also suggests that the Nexus X will be largely built on the designs of the 2014 LG flagship smartphone the LG G3.
However, despite being sold to Lenovo, Motorola is thought to be a possible partner for the Nexus X (Nexus 6) - codenamed 'Shamu' - according to Android Police. The site says it will have a phablet sized 5.9in screen and will arrive in November.
This is backed up by the 9to5Google leak which we talked about a the top of the page. The site touts a 5.92in display with a Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 meaning a pixel density of 496 ppi.
Furthermore, the Nexus 6 will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3 GB of RAM. It's a 64-bit chip which matches up to the strong possibility that the smartphone will come with Android L.
Like the Moto X it will have a 13 Mp rear camer and a 2 Mp front camera. There's talk of a 32 GB with other capacities possible. A microSD card slot is an uncertainty.
It's worth noting that various different screen sizes have been touted for the Nexus 6 including 5.5in and 5.2in so it's possible Google will launch two different sized like Apple did with the iPhone 6.
Nexus X (Nexus 6): Performance
GFXBench has leaked some benchmarks for the Motorola Shamu, aka Nexus X or Nexus 6 (via Fonetime), from its Manhattan graphics test. According to GFXBench the Motorola Shamu or Nexus 6 scored 11.5fps, just slightly below the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, but in line with the OnePlus One and faster than the Sony Xperia Z2 and LG G3.
More recently we've seen Antutu benchmarks (via TK Tech News) that refer to the new Nexus smartphone as the Nexus X. As he states, the score seems a little on the low side, but the specs match up.
Nexus X (Nexus 6) features: OS
As mentioned above, Google is expected to include a 64-bit processor and fingerprint sensor on the Nexus 6 to bring it into line with the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5.
We expect other new features in the Nexus 6 to be software-based. Google revealed more information about software and OS advances in its forthcoming Android L (aka Lollipop) OS at it annual I/O developer conference.
The latest leak comes from TK Tech News, which claims the Nexus X will be come running Android 5 Lemon Meringue Pie - not Lollipop, as was previously thought.
Read: Android 4.5 release date and features: When will the next version of Android (Lollipop) come out
Whatever the OS ends up being called, the Nexus 6 will likely be the vehicle on which it arrives.
Nexus 6 features: Smartwatch
There have been some seriously convincing rumours circulating about a Google Gem Smartwatch launching this year so it could launch as a companion device to the Nexus 6. After all, Google has announced Android Wear (the mobile OS tweaked for wearable devices). Whether this will surface or it will simply sell Android Wear-based devices such as the Motorola Moto 360, LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live remains to be seen.
See also: Google Gem smartwatch specs leaked: Set to team up with LG.