Everything you need to know about the Nexus 6
The Nexus 6 release date is official, with Google’s latest flagship phone set to launch in the UK on December 1.
With the handset having taking its first official bow as part of a Google Blog post in early October, the search giant continues to keep us waiting for the Nexus 5 follow-on. Built by Moto G-makers Motorola, the Nexus 6 didn’t even have the understated launch stage to itself. It was unveiled alongside the company’s latest tablet offering, the HTC-built Nexus 9 tablet and a Google TV set-top box, the Nexus Player.
What’s more, Google also used the opportunity to formally name its new mobile operating system. With Android 5.0 formally dubbed ‘Lollipop’, the search turn tech giant has confirmed the Nexus 6 will become the first smartphone to run the updated software straight from the box.
Given the handset’s size and serious specs sheet, the Nexus 6 lines up as a direct rival to the likes of the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the 6-inch Huawei Ascend Mate 7. With Apple having also entered the phablet market recently, the Nexus 6 will also be going head-to-head with the iPhone 6 Plus when it hits retailers in the coming weeks.
We will continue to update this page with all the latest on the Nexus 6 release date and price as new details emerge. Bookmark it now to be kept up to date with all things Nexue 6.
Watch the Nexus 6 official announcement video
SEE ALSO: Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus
Nexus 6 Release Date: When will it come out?
Finally a precise Nexus 6 release date has been confirmed, and the handset will be with us in a matter of weeks.
While both the Nexus 9 and Nexus Player went on sale back on November 3, the official Nexus 6 release date has been scheduled for almost exactly one month later.
Already available in the US, the Nexus 6 UK release date has been confirmed for December 1. This Monday release will see the year’s final flagship phone make it to market before attention turns to 2015 and the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the LG G4.
For those who just can’t wait to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S5 rival, Nexus 6 pre-orders have already opened up.
Carphone Warehouse is currently letting you secure both the blue and the white Nexus 6 offerings in either 32GB or 64GB storage capacities.
As has been the case with past Nexus handsets, day-one Nexus 6 stock sold out within a matter of minutes in the US. Hopefully stock restrictions will be resolved by the time the handset makes it to British shores next month.
Read More: Sony Xperia Z4 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
Nexus 6 News: All the latest on the new Nexus
The Nexus 6 has further pushed the boundaries of what consumers can expect – size wise – from their flagship devices. Where ‘phablets’ used to be a sub-sector of the smartphone space, with the likes of the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, they are now becoming a firm first choice for many consumers.
Google, however, isn’t concerned by any lack of interest in this oversized form factor. In fact, Brian Rakowski, Google’s vice president of product management, believes the Nexus 6 will help convert many to the larger form.
“If you gave them [the public] a phablet for a week, 50 per cent of those would say they like it and not go back,” he said in a recent interview.
In other news, the Nexus 6 has been formally approved for sale in the US. The Motorola-made phone was spotted passing through the FCC – the American regulatory body – days before pre-orders opened up stateside.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
Nexus 6 Specs: What’s under the hood
Running the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop out of
the box, the Nexus 6 packs an array of high-end components. The phone comes with a huge 5.96-inch display which features a stunning 2560 x
1440 pixel QHD display and 493ppi image density. That whopping great screen
is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and features a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Stunning visuals can be made as well as viewed with the Nexus 6. The device comes with a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera which has optical image stabilisation in tow to further boost shots. A dual LED ring flash, f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording
capabilities further enhance image capturing. This impressive primary snapper is paired with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera with
HD video recording.
Weighing just 184g, the Nexus 6 measures up at 82.96 x
159.26 x 10.06mm, making it quite a bit bigger than the Samsung Galaxy
Note 4 – it’s phablet rival.
Under the hood, you’ll find a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 CPU clocked at 2.7GHz and Adreno 240 GPU. This is identical to the Note 4, which will make deciding between the two phones come down more to appearance and preference than power.
The Nexus 6 specs sheet is rounded off by dual front-facing speakers – like those on the HTC One M8 – and you get the option of 32GB or 64GB of
internal storage.
It comes with NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, Wi-Fi, 4G LTE and accelerometer compatibility.
Nexus 6 Price: How much will new Nexus smartphone cost?
Price has been the key to the success of the most recent Nexus smartphones. Offering excellent value for money, the Nexus 6’s predecessors have paired high-end specs sheets with a wallet-friendly price tag.
When the Nexus 5 originally went on sale it cost £300 making it cheaper than leading smartphones from HTC, Samsung and Sony. It even dropped down to £240 at one point making it even more of a steal.
Google has since confirmed official Nexus 6 UK pricing and it’s certainly not as cheap as its predecessor. The 32GB Nexus 6 will cost £499 with the 64GB model costing a more expensive £549.
To put that into perspective, the 32GB Nexus 6 is cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 6 (£539) and the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus (£619). That’s roughly the same price as the Samsung Galaxy S5 (£499) but less than the Xperia Z3 (£525).
Even if you opt for the 64GB version, it’s still cheaper than the same capacity iPhone 6 (£619) and the 6 Plus (£699). While it’s not as budget-friendly as the Nexus 5, compared to the current flagship phones, you can get more for less.
As a nice little bonus, UK buyers will also get six months of free access to Google Play Music. It’s only available for new subscribers and you’ll need to have bought the handset before the end of 2014 and redeemed the offer before the end of January 2015.
In the US, where it has been available to pre-order since October 23rd, the Nexus 6 is accessible but far from the most affordable device on the market. While the 32GB handset will set wannabe owners back $649 (£406), jumping up to 64GB of internals boosts the handset fee to $699 (£437).
Initial stock Stateside has already sold out, but Google has confirmed for prospective buyers in the US that it will re-stock units every Wednesday to help deal with the demand.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S6 release date
What do you think of the Nexus 6? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
