Nexus 6, Nexus 9 formally announced, bring Android 5.0 Lollipop in tow

New Nexus devices are coming out, and as is typical for Google, a new version of Android is coming along for the ride.

 First up is the Nexus 9, coming to us by way of HTC. It's been quite some time since HTC has touched the tablet market, but that didn't stop the original Nexus maker and manufacturer of the first Android phone from bringing the device to fruition. Quick specs include an 8.9-inch display (likely no less than 1080p), NVIDIA's newest CPU in the form of the Tegra K1 processor (2.3 GHz, 64-bit, Kepler DX1 GPU), 16 or 32 GB solid-state storage, standard cameras for a tablet (8 MP rear, 1.6 MP front), WiFi (including 802.11ac support) (LTE-capable model to be available as well) and a 6700 mAh battery to power it all.

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A little of HTC's secret sauce is baked into the tablet, as it features front-facing speakers with BoomSound (in comparison to the rear-facing stereo speakers on the outgoing Asus Nexus 7), and the overall physical design seems to match well with the emphasis HTC puts on aesthetic (with the requisite Nexus finishing touches that have become part of the line since the Nexus 4). This new Nexus is slated for pre-orders starting October 17th in the U.S., with no details for other regions. Cost? Starting at $399

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Next up is the Nexus 6, a phone that finally provides the Motorola-Google collaboration long expected to occur (even if Lenovo is now Motorola's parent company). Quick specs show the device brings a 5.96-inch 1440p display, Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon CPU in the form of the Snapdragon 805 (clocked at 2.7 GHz, Adreno 420 GPU), 32 or 64 GB solid-state storage, 13 MP rear-facing camera with optical stabilization, 2 MP front-facing camera, all powered by a generous (by today's standards) 3220 mAh battery. Design wise, the device does indeed strongly resemble the 2014 Moto X, just with a little Nexus design implemented (since the Moto X was already very Nexus-y to begin with, and the device seems to not gain the flat appearance/rear camera appearance and placement of other Nexus devices).

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The Nexus 6 is the largest of the Nexus phones & makes no apologies for its status as a true flagship device. Whereas the LG-made Nexus 5 (still listed on Google's site alongside the new devices, though it is currently out of stock) tackled the 4.5" to 5" premium device market, this Nexus aims a little upward with competitors like Samsung's well-received Galaxy Note line, which is sure to please many Android purists but leave others happy to have the Nexus 5. (No stylus support mentioned, unfortunately, so it may not be the ultimate mini tablet-phone hybrid).

The Nexus 6 will see support on the 4 major U.S. carriers, with one model expected to serve them all. (The last Nexus device to come close was the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus in its multiple hardware versions, the experience of which was sub par in terms of getting updates directly from Google). Pre-orders are slated to happen later in October for the U.S. through Google (carriers may or may not follow the same time frame; other regions to likely follow thereafter). Cost? $649 or $699, 32 and 64 GB respectively.

As a bonus, it seems that Google is once again going for a home media player in the form of the Nexus Player, running Android TV (not to be confused with the earlier Google TV). With the tagline "Apps, games and more, now for your TV", the puck-like device seems ready to compete with devices like the Roku 3, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. The new puck comes with a simplified rounded remote (not too different from the aluminum remotes for Apple devices) with voice recognition capabilities (not unlike the remote provided by Sony with one of its earlier Google TV efforts), and not much else, indicating a focus on simplicity this time around (Google TV devices tended to have miniature QWERTY keyboard/navigation/remote combos).

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Unlike the Nexus Q (an earlier round Google media device abandoned quite early in its life), the device connects only via HDMI to the television; unlike the Chromecast streaming device, the Nexus Player connects directly to mains power (through its own power adapted) and can stand as its own Internet-connected device. Also unlike those prior devices, it touts compatibility with applications already on the Google Play store (the earlier Google TV devices started this trend). This ability to download apps does not exclude games....which is why is to be an optional gamepad specifically for the Nexus Player.

This sees Google somewhat officially support Android gaming, similar to the compact Ouya gaming console, Amazon's Fire TV, and NVIDIA's Shield products (though the latter is more of a handheld affair). Should the device prove to be well-implemented, this means yet another tiny streaming multimedia box vying for space in home theater/television setups. The device is slated for pre-order on October 17th directly from Google. Cost? $99 for the device itself, $40 for the optional game controller.

Lollipop Forest

With this, we have the official announcement of the flatter and more colorful Android 5.0 Lollipop. Lemon Meringue Pie is no more! The new OS is said to bring a host of new features, such as the ability to switch from one of your devices to another and resume where you left off (for songs, music, apps, and searches, in addition to the ability in Chrome to view tabs recently open on other devices), the flattened and colorful Material design language, the addition of an estimated run time on battery (as well as a time until charged, and a battery saver option), tweaks under the hood (64-bit processor support, the ART runtime instead of Dalvik, guest user support and enhanced security), improved/tweaked notification support, and countless more additions/changes meant to keep Android competitive and improve the overall user experience.

The OS was already shown off as a preview earlier this year, and you can find more posts on Myce to see what kind of tidbits have led to this final announcement. The Nexus 4, 5, 7, and 10 will be getting the OS soon enough, as will GPe (Google Play edition) devices, and Motorola has committed to updating its 2013 and 2014 lineup with Android 5.0. Other manufacturers will surely announce their update plans in the coming days or weeks...if we are lucky.

For more information: Android 5.0 Lollipop on Google's official Android site, Nexus 6 / Nexus 9 / Nexus Player on Google's official Nexus site, official Android blog.

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