Google Nexus 6 release date rumored for October 31st

[Transcendence]

 

“Trick or treat!†You’ve heard this statement hundreds of times in life. Perhaps it was your phrase this past Halloween as you arrived at a neighbor’s door to ask for candy and sugar goodies. In any case, we’ve got another “sweet†treat you can expect this Halloween – a Motorola Nexus 6.

 

Yes, we’ve seen our share of commenters all across the Web, who’ve got signature statements when they post comments, such as “Motorola Nexus,†“Moto Nexus,†or “the HTC Nexusâ€,etc. Even though you may think we’re one of you, we’re always keeping our eyes open for what consumers say and do, and what they say they want out of the mobile industry. For those who’ve left their comment trails on the Internet with the words “Motorola†and “Nexus,†you’re more likely than not to get your wish this year.

 

We already knew that LG wasn’t making the Nexus 6; in fact, the company so much as said so from the horse’s mouth. We were a little stunned at the time, considering that LG had been responsible for both the Nexus 4 and 5. We already knew that HTC would be crafting the next Nexus tablet (an 8.9-incher), and some even speculated that HTC would create a new phone.

 

Fortunately for many a Moto X lover, Motorola’s been selected as the lucky manufacturer this time around. We had some idea of this in recent weeks, once we discovered the codename for the device (Shamu). The Motorola rumor came out around the same time as the codename and display size for the Nexus 6.

Now, we still can’t say with assurance that Motorola is manufacturing the device, seeing that we don’t yet have an official confirmation from Google, but what we do know is that a Nexus 6 unveil date is now in the wild: October 31, 2014.

 

The date itself isn’t surprising, considering that Google announced the Nexus 5 on October 31, 2013 (the same day last year). What we do know at the moment, however, is that we’ve seen nothing that makes us believe this is true. We’ve no document, however; that’s revealed the new Nexus 6 announcement date.

 

We do, however, have some recent tidbits of juicy info for Moto Nexus fans who’re dying to see if a Moto Nexus 6 is on the way. The credit for this information comes from tech site TKTechNews, who recently revealed some images regarding the on-screen information for the Nexus 6 “Shamu†device.

 

First, let’s get into the specs of the Nexus 6. According to legitimate photos, the Nexus 6 looks to have a 5.9-inch display with a 2K or Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440p) screen resolution. The Nexus 6 will have a Snapdragon 805 processor, keeping in-step with high-end smartphones that’ll be released later this year, and will have an Adreno 420 GPU (the highest GPU to date in the US) graphics. There is no device in the US with Adreno 420 graphics at the moment. The device will run Android L, as can be seen in the screenshots.

 

Apart from these specs, the Nexus 6 will feature a 2.1MP front-facing camera and a 13MP back camera, placing the Nexus lineup in the sights of other high-end smartphones on the market. There is no root access for the device, however – so this is a dead giveaway as to where this phone’s headed. The only major carrier in the US that doesn’t allow root access is Verizon Wireless. Interestingly enough, the device number shows that it’s destined for – you guessed it! – Verizon Wireless!

 

What makes the device even more interesting is that it’s a “Google†device, codenamed Shamu that’s headed to Verizon. Google’s not had such a good track record with its devices on Verizon’s network, but the company’s launch to have a Nexus at Verizon can only spell one thing: Android Silver is real, and not something that was scrapped in favor of the international Android One program for developing markets. Android Engineering Head Dave Burke confirmed that Google’s not finished with the Nexus line, but by so doing, he implicitly confirmed that Google would be doing something different this year. Android Silver is alive and well, folks – and this Verizon device looks to be it.

 

With that said, you can expect this device to hit store shelves this Fall, around the same time that the Nexus 6 goes up on the Google Play Store for sale. Google’s prepping its device for both contract customers and off-contract customers. We’re glad to see Google and the Nexus line finally coming around. Well done, Google!