Google Announces Nexus 6, 9, and Player, Alongside Android 5.0 Lollipop

[Antimony]

Folks, the day that we Android fans across the globe have been waiting for is finally here! Google has just now formally announced the highly anticipated (and heavily rumored) Google Nexus 6 and Google Nexus 9, as well as the official name of Android 5.0 “Lollipop” and the new Nexus Player device.

 

Google Nexus 6

First up, we have Google’s new phlagship flagship smartphone, the Google Nexus 6. This phablet features pretty much everything we expected from past rumors such as a 6-inch Quad-HD AMOLED display (2560×1440 at 493 ppi), a 13 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and 4k video capture at 30 fps, 3 gigs of RAM, 32 or 64 gigs of internal storage, and a 2.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 CPU. All this will be packed into a frame that comes in at 82.98mm wide x 159.26mm tall x 10.06mm thick and weighing just 184g.

 

 

In addition to sheer specs, the device also packs stereo speakers and a rather ginormous 3220 mAh battery and a new Turbo Charging mode that will charge your device with 6 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes when using the provided charger.

The Google Nexus 6, which will be sold alongside the existing Nexus 5, will be available in Midnight Blue and Cloud White. According to Motorola, it will be available for $649 later this month (preorder on the 17th) via the Google Play Store, Motorola.com, and through regional carriers in 28 countries.

 

Google Nexus 9

Next, we have Google’s newest tablet, the Google Nexus 9. Similar to the Nexus 6, the HTC-built Google Nexus 9 remains quite true to the previous rumors. The Google Nexus 9 will feature an 8.9″ QXGA (2048×1536) display with a 4:3 aspect ratio and double-tap to wake, the 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor (Kepler GPU) running at a yet unknown speed, 2 gigs of RAM, 16 or 32 gigs of internal storage, an 8 MP rear camera, and a 1.6 MP front camera.

 

 

All this horsepower will be packed into a shell with design aesthetics similar to the outgoing Nexus 7-2013, but with HTC-inspired flair such as brushed metal sides. The shell will come in at 153.68mm wide x 228.25mm tall x 7.95mm thick. It will weigh 425g for the WiFi-only variant and 436g for the LTE model.

Unlike the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 will not live alongside its predecessor. Rather, the Nexus 9 will replace both the Nexus 7-2013 and the Nexus 10. The device will  launch in three colors: Indigo Black, Lunar White, and Sand, but availability and pricing is not yet known. However, preorders will open on the 17th.

 

 

Google Nexus Player

Finally, we have the new Google Nexus Player. This device is Google’s newest attempt at conquering your living room. Building upon the success of the Chromecast, the Google Nexus Player is billed as an easy and convienient way of getting apps, games, and media content to your TV. It comes in the form of a sleek and streamlined console unit, a remote with voice search, and a precision gamepad with dual-analog thumbsticks (available separately) for gaming fun.

 

 

The device’s modified Android interface will feature personalized content recommendations, will support Google Cast, and it will respond to voice searches with the press of a button. Those wondering about the device’s gaming capabilities will be glad to learn that it features a 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom CPU with an Imagination PowerVR Series 6 GPU. It only packs 1 gig of RAM and 8 gigs of internal storage, but perhaps the lightweight games geared to the console don’t require much in the way of memory demands.

 

The console itself will come in at just 120 mm x 120 mm x 20 mm thick, and it will weigh just 235g. Availability and pricing are not yet known, but preorders, like for the Nexus 6 and 9, will open up on the 17th.

 

Android 5.0 Lollipop

While new devices are cool–and the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player are certainly quite exciting–the real star of the show here is Android 5.0 Lollipop. As we’ve seen in the two developer previews released thus far, Android L is a massive departure from what we saw in KitKat. And now, we’re on the verge of its final release.

 

 

As expected, Lollipop will premiere first on the new Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player. But as stated by Google, Android 5.0 will also make its way to older Google Play edition and Nexus devices such as the Nexus 4, 5, 7 (presumably both models), and 10.

 

Finally, developers can rejoice as well, as the full Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK will be available in two days, alongside the release of updated Android L Developer Preview images for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. You can learn more and read the full announcement over on the official Android blog and Android Developers G+ post.

 

via:

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/google-nexus-6-9-player-android-5-lollipop/