Nexus 6

http://www.google.com/nexus/6/

by myko • 12 years ago

1005 681 12 years ago

google.com

PhrosTT• 12 years ago

The fact that this has a thunderbolt resolution display shows how lame it is most desktops haven't adopted 4k yet.

romanovcode2• 12 years ago

4k monitors are not that rare/pricy. You can get pretty cheap 60hz ones from Asus and the best ones from DELL.

Problem is that most consumers who would buy those monitors would expect every application to run on it without problem, that includes games and for that you need to spend a lot of money on GPUs.

Coding_Cat3• 12 years ago

I'd say the real problem is the fact that the affordable ones you mention, tend to have terrible specs apart from resolution (and latency). Low contrast, bleeding, terrible colour representation. At least that was my experience.

wlesieutre11• 12 years ago

Before anyone goes jumping on the "best ones" from Dell, take a read through this 35 page support discussion about their UP2414Q:

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/peripherals/f/35...

Anecdotal, but a friend and I both have problems with ours, and he got lucky with the 1.1 firmware revision (Dell won't let you upgrade it, you have to go through support for a replacement, and they'll send you a refurb that might have the newer firmware because they decided it would cost too much to update their existing inventory). And even then it might not work. He's waiting on Dell Support for his 3rd unit.

Do yourself a favor and wait until DisplayPort 1.3 is widespread and can drive a 4k screen without using Multi-stream Transport. It's not worth the headache.

Right now my computer is convinced that the left and right halves of my screen are separate displays and nothing will convince it otherwise. Other times MST will fail to connect and it only picks up 1/2 the resolution in the middle, with 1/4 width black bars on the left and right. From what I remember reading, Dell botched the DisplayPort handshake, and the workarounds that AMD/Nvidia have put into their drivers to try and fix it aren't 100%.

I need to return mine for backlight flicker too. But I'll write that off an an excusable manufacturing flaw that's going to pop up occasionally on some number of any model.

EDIT: Just for perspective, this is a screen with an MSRP around $1100, though we both bought ours on sale. The amount of shit we're dealing with for a screen that expensive is not reasonable.

mkhalil3• 12 years ago

Just got up a Seiki 39" from Walmart.com for $329. After some flashing and calibration, its a beast! Highly recommended for day to day/dev use. Gaming, too, but not in 4k. It can do 1080p 120hz.

tanderson92• 12 years ago

Can you elaborate on the flashing/calibration? Is that to get better than 30Hz at native 4K resolutions?

For coding / web browsing, how good is the screen (i.e. can you notice lag for those use cases). I have heard mixed things about the Seki 39" but it looks like it could be a great development monitor

wmf3• 12 years ago

I've seen no evidence that 490 DPI has any advantage over ~300 DPI; it sounds like spec wanking. And there are rumors of a 5K retina iMac tomorrow (4K tends to be a downgrade from 2560x1600).

chongli• 12 years ago

Downgrade? 4K is 4096x2160! Sounds like an upgrade from 2560x1600.

aroch• 12 years ago

It's significantly harder to produce large, 4K panels without imperfections when compared to small panels.

WatchDog• 12 years ago

What on earth is a "thunderbolt resolution display"?

metabrew• 12 years ago

I've bought every nexus phone when they were released, but I'm not sure about this one. The nexus 5 is already a bit oversized IMO. This thing is ridiculous.

romanovcode2• 12 years ago

For me it was pretty disappointing that iPhone jumped the size bandwagon with their latest phone as well.

Bigger != Better

phaus• 12 years ago

I'm glad they released a 4.7" phone, but the plus is just ridiculous.

Pxtl4• 12 years ago

One of the things I've always respected about Apple (even though I loathe the company) is how they have fought hard against the size thing. Apple's largest laptops are the same size as many company's smallest devices. I love me a little 11" laptop device but so few companies make good ones.

I hope Google will resurrect the Nexus 4 brand as a budget device and release a non-phone wifi-only device for kids at some point.

UnoriginalGuy• 12 years ago

It seemed like very many years ago there were no big phones around. When the Note (1) launched it was revolutionary for its size (in 2011). If you compare the Note (1) to phones around today it is "average" at 5.3 inches.

I think the pendulum has swung too far in the stupid direction now. I purchased a Note (1) in 2011 because at that time bigger was better, but even for me now phones are getting too large. That's partly why I skipped the LG G3 (5.5 inch), why I'll skip the Nexus 6, and why I no longer buy the Note range (now up to 5.7 inch).

My sweet spot is 5-5.2 inches, no bigger. Anything larger and when you sit you notice it in your pocket (and I have decently large pockets).

bluedino• 12 years ago

What's funny is the 3 people I know who switched to the 6 from the 4S, they all wanted a bigger phone and are all complaining that the 6 is too big as well as too thin.

wmf3• 12 years ago

Fortunately the Moto X 2 looks like basically a Nexus.

cylinder• 12 years ago

Yes, Nexus 5 is great except for the battery life. I hate that this is so huge, and that it has a physical home button. The larger battery (thanks to larger screen) will be an improvement to battery issues, though.

blocke3• 12 years ago

That isn't a physical button, it's a speaker. Dual front facing speakers.

JeremyNT• 12 years ago

The present obsession with "bigger is better" is perplexing to me. I know some use cases are facilitated by larger displays, and they are valuable to people with poor eyesight, but I've never once in my life thought "boy, I wish my phone was even larger." A phone I cannot fit in my pocket is virtually useless to me.

Anything larger than my (already too large) Nexus 5 is a complete non-starter for me. I can see a place for these models in a lineup that includes smaller models, but the Nexus series does not seem to operate that way. This will be the first Nexus phone I will never own.

cpncrunch• 12 years ago

It's the exact same width as my Galaxy Note GT-N7000, which fits nicely in my back pocket. I love the large screen, and a slightly larger screen would be awesome.

azernik• 12 years ago

The intended market is people who don't carry their phone in their pockets, e.g. women who don't wear pockets that can fit a standard-size phone anyway. If you're just putting it in your purse, the extra inch isn't ab problem.

ludwigvan• 12 years ago

but I've never once in my life thought "boy, I wish my phone was even larger."

Labeling these "phones" is the wrong thing to do. These are computers that happen to have some lineage with phones. I think the ultimate aim is this: most people don't need computers, they need and want a single device. A phone with a small display is inadequate for that, but a phone with a display this big could be more than enough for a lot of people, for almost all purposes.

dragonwriter3• 12 years ago

A phone I cannot fit in my pocket is virtually useless to me.

Conversely, a pocket that wouldn't fit a Nexus 6 (or Note 3, or iPhone 6, or a decent-size wallet, or...) is virtually useless to me.

pisarzp3• 12 years ago

I used every nexus phone too. When I first heard about Nexus 6 specs I thought they are ridiculous too. Then I was given Nexus 6 couple months ago. At first I thought you have to be crazy to use it. After 30 minutes I thoughts it's actually not that bad. After one day, I loved it...

It feels big sometimes, but I really didn't mind it. There is small dent on the back of Nexus 6 which helps you hold it with one hand. The screen is fantastic and doing anything on this phone is such a pleasure. I type a lot, and I found it much easier to type on larger screen. Sometimes I had to use my Nexus 5, and I really struggled and thought it's too small!

Mikeb856• 12 years ago

The nexus 5 is already a bit oversized IMO.

Really? The physical size is barely bigger than an iPhone 5.

As for the 6, looks a little chunky in photos, but if it's slim with a small enough bezel it could be manageable...

moheeb2• 12 years ago

I think as more of the older crowd has gotten into smart phones the screen size has gotten larger to compensate for their poor eyesight.

I think this point is backed up by the fact that the rendered text size has not changed in any appreciable way.

XorNot4• 12 years ago

And you'd be wrong because resolution has gone up. I can ably read very small text on a 1080p screen which I wouldn't be able to on a lower res one. The larger form factor means I can take advantage of all that extra DPI ably.

wstrange• 12 years ago

Wait until you need reading glasses.

Size matters

The ability to increase the font size and still see the screen at arms length is really nice

ccozan3• 12 years ago

Finally, a Motorola Nexus! A mighty succesor to the Moto X-es.

bsimpson• 12 years ago

The Moto X has been a Nexus-ish device at carrier prices. This is an actual Nexus device, still at carrier prices.

If it was < $400, I might have sold my 5 and given it a go. At $650, I have no incentive to go for this vs. any other device (or to upgrade at all for that matter).

usav• 12 years ago

There's a typo in the spec area where they mixed up front and rear cameras

smackfu• 12 years ago

How do you announce a phone without a price? That is always a terrible idea.

Edit: I guess it's $649.

davb2• 12 years ago

According to http://motorola-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/nexus-6-from-goo..., yes - starting at $649. I wonder how that'll translate to GBP...

Numberwang• 12 years ago

I bet it will be £649..

Siecje3• 12 years ago

Camera
13MP front-facing with optical image stabilization 2MP rear-facing

Is it really 13MP front-facing? Selfie optimization!

Istof2• 12 years ago

hopefully that is a typo (it was, it's been fixed already)

tgcordell• 12 years ago

I caught this too. Must be a typo-switcheroo

tremendo2• 12 years ago

I was confused by that too, seems they switched the definition of front and rear. The new "way" is used consistently also on the Nexus 9 and Nexus 5 tabs.

Istof2• 12 years ago

maybe that is a mistake made on purpose to get more people talking about it...

z02d2• 12 years ago

This is the real new selfie phone ;-)

Must be a typo (also in the German Translation)

Zikes• 12 years ago

It's a typo. If you click the blue <> button next to the specs you get more details, including the corrected version of this.

Cakez0r• 12 years ago

    Display
    5.96” 1440 x 2560 display (493 ppi)

Insane!

jclarkcom• 12 years ago

1440 x 2560 is becoming more common. LG G3 has the same resolution but a higher pixel density (538 ppi). Samsung also has a 1440 x 2560 phone.

louis8989• 12 years ago

Hey jclark, I read some of your comments on another thread and wanted to ask how extensive your knowledge on optics is. We might be interested in looking for someone to help us consult in this subject. If it's something you might be interested in please email me at louis8989 at gmail dot com thanks

kybernetyk• 12 years ago

2560 x 1440 - that's the resolution of my 27" monitor.

z02d2• 12 years ago

http://www.google.com/nexus/9/

omnibrain• 12 years ago

So apparently there is no 7" tablet anymore. I think that makes sense, since the 7" tablets get cannibalized by the ever growing smartphones. After I bought a Nexus 7 I started to carry it around all the time. I used my Galaxy Nexus less and less (only for calls and whatsapp) so after a short time (when the Galaxy Nexus started to show its age) I decided I can live with an even smaller (and not so flexible) phone and bought an 5s. Now, with the Nexus 6 I may be able to retire both and get back to only carrying one device with me.

IkmoIkmo10• 12 years ago

Yup, good point. I think the sweet spot for phones is about 5 inches now (up to about 5.3 with thin bezels) and for tablets it's probably around 8-9 inches.

When I bought my gf a Nexus 7 and she still had her iphone 4 (3.5 inch), the Nexus made a lot of sense. But now that she has a Nexus 5, she doesn't use it nearly as often, and if she had a nexus 6 that effect would be even greater.

blocke3• 12 years ago

7" screen was the perfect size for reading books and comics in my opinion. I'd preferred to have gotten a new 7" with smaller bezels. Might as well skip this Nexus generation.

pjmlp• 12 years ago

I never got into the tablets bandwagon.

For me a phablet makes much more sense. I just want a powerful smartphone, for everything else there is my laptop.

wil421• 12 years ago

Yes but tablets are great for pleasure. I wouldnt use my iPad to do work on but for browsing the internet on the couch or reading emails (usually non-work) it really excels for me.

But I may be changing my mind as soon as my iPhone 6 plus gets here.

fixedd2• 12 years ago

Any news yet on whether Verizon is going to fumble it as badly as they did the Galaxy Nexus?

munchor• 12 years ago

Everything about it looks great except for the 6'' screen. I understand the appeal of big screens, but 6'' is just too much.

Siecje3• 12 years ago

I think they might keep the Nexus 5 around. Maybe in the future they will update it with a bigger battery and better camera.

tremendo2• 12 years ago

they might…

Indeed http://www.google.com/nexus/5/ and http://www.google.com/nexus/9/

ZenoArrow9• 12 years ago

I felt exactly the same way, everything was well thought out (camera, battery, speakers, etc...) apart from the screen size. The consensus seems to be that 5 inches is the absolute maximum for most people (aside from phablet fans). It's such a shame because it's so close to perfect (for this generation at least). I do wonder what kind of market research phone companies do because I could have very easily predicted this negative outcome, and I'm sure plenty of other people could too. At least it should be the first Nexus phone with decent battery life.

dingaling2• 12 years ago

The consensus seems to be that 5 inches is the absolute maximum for most people

Here's the current line-up of flagship phones side-by-side:

http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/1338/2298/o...

Given that ( > 5 inches ) outnumbers smaller by 9:5 I'd say the consensus is that big phones are fine.

Aside: I remember the incredulity when I bought a 5" Dell Streak 5 four years ago. "You're going to make a phone call on that tablet?" Nowadays it would disappear in that line-up.

lmm3• 12 years ago

6" is the perfect size, I've been saying this for years. (It was particularly obvious with the nexus 7 - just too big for a pocket). I'm looking to replace my Galaxy Note 2 this January, so I'm looking forward to a comparison between the Nexus 6 and the Note 4.

sirkneeland6• 12 years ago

6" is the perfect size for me

FTFY

suprgeek• 12 years ago

This thing is a beast in every sense of the word! also with dual front speakers! That can make a huge difference in sound quality.

However it looks like this is heading to $500+ territory so the days of a cheap good Nexus may be coming to an end. Looks like the Moto E etc is filling that niche.

scragg• 12 years ago

The Nexus 5 is still available, which I hope they keep refreshing and maintaining its price point. But yea, Moto G, or E for anything cheaper is the way to go.

davb2• 12 years ago

The Motorola blog post says "starting at $649" http://motorola-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/nexus-6-from-goo...

This was the most disappointing thing for me. While it might be a fantastic device, and I might still choose it, at that price I'll be more carefully considering the alternatives. The Nexus 5, with its specifications and price point, was a no-brainer. This one doesn't make that decision quite to simple.

blocke3• 12 years ago

As someone against having any form of debt other than a mortgage or useless obligation such as a cellular contract:

$649 is where I stop paying attention to the Nexus line.

The hours worked to afford the device and it's needed case and accessories make the 6" screen not worth it.

And trying to hide the cost behind a cellular contract brings that cost over a thousand dollars. Stupid.

hugozap• 12 years ago

I don't understand the appeal of having dual front speakers, whats the point?. This is a feature a very small group of people will find useful, but adds to the price.

pdabbadabba• 12 years ago

I have an HTC One with dual front speakers. Before I bought one (for reasons entirely unrelated to the speakers) I would have agreed. But now that I have them, I frequently find myself casually plopping my phone down for some music while I cook or do other chores. It's one of those things that, for me, inserts itself into your life in unexpected ways.

buster• 12 years ago

Not in public, but ocasionally it's nice to have at least decent sound out of the phone.

portmanteaufu2• 12 years ago

I love to watch Netflix on my phone when I'm doing the dishes. The 90 degree change in going from a backwards-facing speaker to the Nexus 5's downward facing speaker made a huge difference in the sound quality. I'm really looking forward to having stereo, forward-facing audio.

kevincennis• 12 years ago

I've never actually used a phone with dual speakers, but does it really make that big of a difference?

They'd be so close together that it's hard to imagine there's much of an actual, perceptible stereo field.

It'd be interesting to be able to A/B a phone with one nice speaker and a phone with two nice speakers.

notjustanymike• 12 years ago

3220 mAh battery. Wow.

kaahne• 12 years ago

If I scroll to the "Introducing Lollipop, our sweetest release yet" section, there's a google now card for a coffee place I've been to recently (in Portland, OR for that matter ...).

It's uncanny...

meandave• 12 years ago

That was weird for me too, I was just at heart last week.

ejp• 12 years ago

I see that card as well!

I am nowhere near Portland. I suspect you just got lucky. :)

GeorgeMac2• 12 years ago

Another beautiful device and it is only at the cost of your privacy.

bdkauff• 12 years ago

Can you elaborate?

BigBlackCamry4• 12 years ago

I think he's saying he rather use a landline, so they can't pin point his location via GPS

exodust• 12 years ago

It's true. There's no selective control of permissions per app on Android. This is a glaring omission. Eg, granting permission for the app to use the internet, while denying access to your address book. This is important for maintaining control of your private data.

Google needs to do better on this front. Apple introduced selective permissions at least, but Google is way behind.

brianzelip• 12 years ago

(off topic) hey @exodust, don't forget to codepen some examples of ur web approach! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8349825

paulannesley• 12 years ago

iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5" 1920×1080 (401 ppi)

Nexus 6: 5.96" 2560×1440 (493 ppi)

The iPhone 6 Plus is comically enormous. This thing is ridiculous. And the same resolution as the current 27" Apple displays.

2.7 GHz quad core vs iPhone's 1.4 GHz dual core (but 32-bit, vs Apple's 64-bit).

That is some serious hardware.

cromwellian• 12 years ago

The Nexus 6 has smaller bezel on the top and bottom than the iPhone 6+ which has to make space for the TouchID/Home button. Android uses on-screen soft buttons.

boyaka9• 12 years ago

My biggest peeve with the onscreen buttons (using flagship Galaxy Nexus) is accidentally pressing them, primarily when I'm trying to take a selfie with the rear camera. It's insanely frustrating the way the orientation moves them around and trying to find the on-screen shutter button rather than clicking the home button.

rsynnott• 12 years ago

It's a Qualcomm 805, so competitive with the iPhone 6's chip, but certainly not massively faster than it (and in practice somewhat slower in many scenarios). As we should remember from the Pentium 4 age, megahertz are not everything.

zelos• 12 years ago

Anandtech&Wikipedia suggest the Nexus's Krait CPU is 4-instructions wide vs iPhone's 6-instructions wide?

codezero2• 12 years ago

Very nice that all the physical buttons are on one side and also in the middle of the phone. The biggest gripe I have with the iPhone 6 Plus is that every time I try to lock it, I turn up the volume, and vice versa. The buttons are also way too high on the device.

Not that it's particularly important, but the Nexus 6 was the model of the androids in Blade Runner, but I'm not sure if this phone is "more human than human." :)

kldavis4• 12 years ago

I've just switched cases on my Nexus 4 and I am having the exact same problem with the button positions. Very annoying.

leetrout• 12 years ago

I actually dislike that feature on my Lumia 920. It's hard to get it in a holder tight enough to hold it and not mash the power or camera button.

codezero2• 12 years ago

Interesting! I assume that this problem would exist no matter where the keys are placed, assuming the holder doesn't handle the keys gracefully :)

jusben13692• 12 years ago

Yeah I always thought that's why they jumped over 6 to name the tablets. Nexus 6 is a bit of a burn to the legacy it tips its hat to.

auggierose• 12 years ago

One upvote for the Bladerunner mention. That would really be the only reason for me to upgrade from my Nexus 5 to a Nexus 6 :-)

PankajGhosh• 12 years ago

What is the reason for nexus devices to not have fingerprint scanners?

lucian1900• 12 years ago

Possibly because they're pointless.

jarjoura2• 12 years ago

really? I absolutely love it on my iPhone 6!

andrewstuart2• 12 years ago

Nexus 9 as well.

gregwebs• 12 years ago

front-facing speakers

Great! This is why I bought an HTC One M8 instead of a Nexus 5. Great for speakerphone or if you do watch a video on that high resolution display.

It amazes me how the essentials get sacrificed really easily and that consumers often don't demand better when they are purchasing. I would buy a Mac, but I do have to demand a matte screen instead of just getting accustomed to glare.

gurkendoktor3• 12 years ago

The glare has been reduced a lot in recent Macs. I'm not sure if it's as good as the anti-glare screen you could order for some MacBook Pros in the past, though.

bicx• 12 years ago

I'm thinking the real deal-breaker for me will be the camera, which seems to be the same as the mediocre Moto X camera. Otherwise, it looks like a nice device. Nothing particularly amazing, except for stock Lollipop.

dozy• 12 years ago

Actually it seems it's a different camera than the 2014 Moto X, my evidence being primarily the larger aperture size, also OIS.

tatqx• 12 years ago

The nexus font is too big on the back of the phone.

chdir3• 12 years ago

The trend of correlating device number (i.e. Nexus 'X') with screen size is going in the wrong direction. 6 is already too big (and heavy) for some. Next year, there'll be no distinction between phones & tablets.

Edit: Disappointed with the pricing too: $649. Google had set a good trend with Nexus series - Awesome devices at exception price. All that's gone. Kind of against the Android One initiative.

nilkn7• 12 years ago

6 is already too big for some.

Are the actual dimensions of the phone known?

This matters a lot because screen size is only an approximate indicator of device size. For instance, the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5" screen and yet is very noticeably larger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which has a larger 5.7" screen.

chdir3• 12 years ago

Dimensions : 82.98mm x 159.26mm x 10.06mm

Weight : 184g

Source : http://www.google.com/nexus/6/

ccozan3• 12 years ago

From the page : 82,98 mm x 159,26 mm x 10,06 mm.

Ok, 8cm broad, is not that much as I thought.

alex_duf• 12 years ago

I personally think that 5 is already too big...

PButcher93• 12 years ago

Shame they didn't release a new Nexus 7.

Siecje3• 12 years ago

No Wireless charging?

TheQwerty2• 12 years ago

Google's spec don't list it but Motorola's claim it does support Qi: https://www.motorola.com/us/Nexus-6/nexus-6-motorola-us.html...

jordanpg3• 12 years ago

I see an important question looming on the 5-year horizon: how are people going to be carrying these large devices? Clearly carrying large phones in pockets is impossible for many, increasingly impractical for many more, and simply undesirable to the curious.

Will handbags or hip bags become common for all? Will the average size of phones rebound and approach some smaller-screen equilibrium size near 5"?

Everything depends on the adoption of these devices by younger people -- whatever becomes "cool".

My prediction is that phones will become strapped to arms or shirts somehow. I see some sort of arm-hoslter or dedicated shirt pocket that comfortably, securely houses a mini-tablet.

jl6• 12 years ago

Arm holster is the way to go, like a Pip-boy.

robmcm• 12 years ago

Isn't the size of your arm/hand coupled to the size of your pocket? After all a pocket that can't fit a hand isn't a pocket.

eunoia2• 12 years ago

I think the pocket problem is a little over played (at least for men). The 6+ fits fine in the pocket of my hipster skinny jeans.

The strap idea is interesting.

I have a hard time imagining a phone that gets people who aren't already carrying purses to start doing so. In addition to the social awkwardness (man purse?) it's just so much harder to lose something that you keep directly on your person.

freehunter3• 12 years ago

Clearly carrying large phones in pockets is impossible... impractical... and... undesirable.

People keep saying that and time and time again it's proven wrong. It has been wrong for years, and it will keep being wrong. If large phones were impossible, impractical, and undesirable, people would stop buying them. But they're not. They're demanding them in such large numbers that even Apple has put out a massive, massive phone. Even Nokia put out a massive phone. Samsung started matching the size of their flagship to the size of their largest phone years ago.

Every manufacturer has a huge phone, because the majority of the buying public wants a huge phone. But still I hear people say "big phones will never catch on". Guess what? They did catch on, and they're not big phones anymore. After several years of being big phones, they're just called phones now.

jordanpg3• 12 years ago

People keep saying that and time and time again it's proven wrong.

Surely you agree there is an upper bound, though?

enraged_camel2• 12 years ago

>If large phones were impossible, impractical, and undesirable, people would stop buying them.

I think you're conflating several different things here. Something can be impractical but still desirable. For example, big SUVs are a pain in the ass -- they are inefficient, difficult to maneuver and hard to park. Yet people still buy them because of a simplistic "bigger is better" mindset. How many people with big SUVs actually use all the space in the vehicle? How many people with half-trucks actually use it to haul big and heavy equipment that would not fit in a smaller car?

Yes, big phones are impractical. This is simply common sense: they are difficult to fit inside pockets and impossible to use productively with one hand except maybe by Hafþór Björnsson. And yet they are desirable because "Big" is a status symbol.

jack-r-abbit• 12 years ago

I don't hear people saying "big phones will never catch on" but I do hear people saying "these bigger phones are too big for me."

imaginenore2• 12 years ago

how are people going to be carrying these large devices?

There's your startup idea: pants and shirts with large pockets.

Steko• 12 years ago

Long term you'll have a radio with a battery in your pocket/bag, a wireless bluetooth headset that you issue voice commands to for a lot of things and then another small display either on your wrist and/or in front of your face. You might have a larger dumb display as well; I'd expect eventually those would be flexible, activating some sort of electromagnetic skeleton tentpoles to hold the shape when needed.

sytelus5• 12 years ago

Lot of people with big phones carry them on upper shirt pocket. Another option is belt clip. Nokia did research on this here: http://research.nokia.com/sites/default/files/45590483.pdf

ccozan3• 12 years ago

Pricing and more info here: http://motorola-blog.blogspot.de/2014/10/nexus-6-from-google...

dferlemann• 12 years ago

Feel more like marketing data collecting, to see how size the phone relates the sales... I'm interested to know the result. Personally, it's definitely too big.

dmix• 12 years ago

Was the Nexus 5 refreshed at all? I can't tell by the website.

1a2a3a4a• 12 years ago

I do not think it was (yet).

gohrt2• 12 years ago

Last year, the N4 got a price cut before the N5 launched. This year, no such. The Nexus 6 is so hugely expensive that the line may just sit and stagnate on the "price:performance" frontier. :-(

lmedinas4• 12 years ago

In my opinion as a owner of a N5 there is no need for a refresh now. The hardware (except battery and camera) are still on top of the tree.

All the snapdragon 801 and 805 are "minor" upgrades to the snapdragon 800 shipped by the N5.

4k2• 12 years ago

Why the storage on all high end phones is stuck at 64gb? I honestly would like to have more storage space.

leftnode• 12 years ago

Help drive adoption of Google cloud storage would be my guess.

4k2• 12 years ago

For Google/Apple it makes sense, but this is the case with all the handset manufacturers. Like, what does HTC, LG etc have to gain by limiting storage size?

bobbyi_settv• 12 years ago

SD card support would be even better.

I recently got a 128 GB SD card for my phone and it's great to finally have as much storage for music as I used to have on my iPod Classic (I use Google Play Music All Access, which allows saving as much as you want to local storage).

boyaka9• 12 years ago

It has always been standard for Nexus phones to not have SD card expansion [1]. Whether it is justifiable is up for debate. I've always assumed the main reason is so they can sell people overpriced storage upgrades and push people into buying a new device.

[1] http://www.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-c...

joliss• 12 years ago

Full specs: https://i.imgur.com/S0ifg2B.png

Of note: Nano SIM, 493 ppi display, 4K video recording.

(The specs on the Google page have a button to expand them. It's a bit hidden and not linkable, hence the screenshot.)

natmaster4• 12 years ago

But how much volatile memory does it have?

final5• 12 years ago

At least 4 thousand words IMHO.

natmaster4• 12 years ago

3GB FYI ^^

Coding_Cat3• 12 years ago

With a large 3220 mAh battery, you get over 24 hours of use from a full charge.

I would hope so, call me old-fashioned but I would say that once a day is the absolute limit on how many times I'd accept having to charge my phone.

Of course, you don't use your phone 24 hours in a day (at least I hope you don't) however, marketing being what it is they generally mean "very very light usage" when they quote battery-life.

maccard• 12 years ago

I'm at a desk in work, so I have my (3 year old iPhone) phone plugged in all day.

Coding_Cat3• 12 years ago

I tend to do so to, my phone has it's own spot on my desk, where I keep the charger. So charging it daily would not be a problem for me _most days_.

However, say I'm doing some travelling for example I will tend to use my phone a lot throughout the day. Be it listening to music, playing a game while waiting on $MODE_OF_TRANSPORTATION or browsing the web. That would be one of the days were I would pretty pissed if my phone would not last throughout the day, or I would have to make constant considerations like "If I watch this movie now, will I have enough battery life left to make a call if my flight gets delayed".

nilkn7• 12 years ago

That's slightly larger than the 3200 mAh battery that my Note 3 has and I have no issues with battery life.

Granted, the Nexus 6 has a larger and higher resolution screen. But it also runs a cleaner version of Android which I expect would be less power hungry.

whizzkid3• 12 years ago

Come on, stop with making bigger and bigger phones.

I do not think, this is how technology should evolve.

fataliss• 12 years ago

I don't see any details on the body anywhere. I'm assuming the sides are in aluminium, but what about the back? I always hated the cheap android phone for their glossy cheap plastic feel. (Also the reason why I can't stand any case on my iPhone) But with a price point around 650$ I'm expecting some more premium feel.

joshmn• 12 years ago

The one thing I've waited for is the DSP support so I can just say "OK Google" and go instead of having to do a long-press.

51Cards• 12 years ago

Sadly this will bring the Nexus buying streak for me to an end. 6" is too large... the price is too high. Too bad though, that battery and camera would have been nice. I think the Nexus 5 will hold for another year.

arenaninja• 12 years ago

I agree with all your points and also own a Nexus 5, but I'll keep it until it dies. I kept an LG Optimus for 3 years, to the point that I replaced it when I couldn't reliably make a phone call. My one gripe with the Nexus 5 is that the camera is pretty bad, and I find the controls pretty awful too

Hopefully there'll be some refresh on hardware for the 5" phone

IkmoIkmo10• 12 years ago

Can anyone explain to me what the fetish is with pushing the same amount of pixels as a freaking 27 inch display (which, by the way, I've always considered gorgeous)?

I mean, does anyone actually notice the difference? Because if that difference means I'm paying $100-200 extra for a better screen, a better graphics chip etc, and it means my battery life is reduced, I really just don't get it.

I elaborated a bit on this question here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8459761

Anyway... my biggest gripe is really price point. The Nexus 4, 5, 7 weren't any more interesting than devices coming out from Samsung or HTC. What made them unique was a sick performance/price ratio, the best mid-level entry device range for people who aren't interested in $500 a year fees for their phone+plan, yet like running the latest android on a nice device.

Now we seem to get another high-range flagship-type phone and tablet. I kinda get it, you want a benchmark device and you've got moto filling the lower-mid range quite nicely, but I really wish they'd have kept the Nexus series below the $500 range.

Love the thickness by the way. 10mm or so is great. Not a thick slab, but it's got some real grip to it. iPhone 6's thickness really sucks for me. (although it's a slightly different story when you add a case, I did like the thickness of the iphone 6 with a case when I tried it)

toyg2• 12 years ago

does anyone actually notice the difference

Yes.

IkmoIkmo10• 12 years ago

You notice pixel density between 400 and 450, or 450 and 500 when holding the phone normally (at say a bit less than an arm's length usually)

I mean, I notice FPS changes from 60 to 90, but I wouldn't pay even a dollar extra for it.

I'm not actually wondering if you can notice, I'm wondering if it makes an actual impact on your viewing experience.

And if so, if that impact (however big or small, feel free to elaborate) is worth the extra money we can all assume it costs to buy hardware capable of pushing a lot of extra pixels smoothly.

And lastly, if that different not only is worth the price, but also the hit to battery life we can all assume exists.

That, to me, just seems like a really tall order. (if anyone has some insights as to how big the impact is on viewing experience, cost and battery, feel free to add! I've got no real clue).

the_mitsuhiko• 12 years ago

I mean, does anyone actually notice the difference?

Absolutely.

StavrosK5• 12 years ago

Really? Your eye can resolve the difference between 300 ppi and 500 ppi at arm's length?

Also, don't be a stranger.

asdflkjasdflkj• 12 years ago

The pixels become obvious under the magnification of Cardboard.

sytelus5• 12 years ago

"Noticing" is one thing and being proportionally useful is quite another. After 350dpi, the marginal utility of further increase has diminishing returns. Very likely apps you are using isn't even taking advantage of that resolution. Even if it does, you are very likely not going to notice the difference when lighting and your environment itself produces so much noise.

jp5552• 12 years ago

Did your gorgeous 27" display cost more than $500? I'm not quite clear why you think $500 for a very decent computer that fits into a (big) pocket is unreasonable.

StavrosK5• 12 years ago

He's asking why not just keep the same screen, which looks perfect anyway, and make it cheaper/last longer.

I have exactly the same question, that's why I ordered a Sony Z3.

yid• 12 years ago

OP has a reasonable point, not sure what yours is.

Did your gorgeous 27" display cost more than $500?

Actually, they're going for about $300 on NewEgg, and are currently on sale for $200 at Best Buy.

icebraining2• 12 years ago

IkmoIkmo didn't say $500 was unreasonable, but that (s)he preferred it was cheaper (supposedly by using cheaper components).

experimental-• 12 years ago

Correction: a piss poor 27 inch display. "Quad HD" is way too little for that size; you need to at least quadruple the amount of pixels to get anything resembling print quality.

And I don't understand why we shouldn't strive for that. After all, (for me at least), much what I do on a computer is reading, and that benefits from a higher-resolution display up to a point much more than images.

harshreality2• 12 years ago

Defect rates are per unit area, aren't they?

If you're trying to make a 6" screen and a 27" screen at the same dpi and aspect ratio, and the 6" have unacceptable defects 1% of the time, the 27" screens will be defective at 4.5^2 times that rate, or about 20%.

chrisBob3• 12 years ago

I am not sure if I would notice if a pixel count changed by a factor of 1.2, but when you double the resolution (4x the pixels) the difference is dramatic. The screens on my iPad2 and iPad4 are very different, and while I didn't mind it when it was new, the iPad2 now has painfully low resolution.

IkmoIkmo10• 12 years ago

he screens on my iPad2 and iPad4 are very different, and while I didn't mind it when it was new, the iPad2 now has painfully low resolution.

Absolutely! But that's going from 132 PPI to 264 PPI.

Obviously there's diminishing returns at play here. The difference between 1000 million PPI and 2000 PPI, I'd wager, isn't going to make an actual impact on someone's viewing experience.

And I really wonder if a change from 350 up to near 500 would. Surely there's a change, but I'd say a minor one, and given you're pushing way more pixels, the cost to battery / hardware might not be so trivial.

If anyone can substantiate this last point with some numbers, I'd be very curious to hear.

untog6• 12 years ago

I'm all for pushing as many pixels as we can, but not at the expense of battery life. I'll happily take a 720p screen if it buys me even a mediocre improvement in battery life.

Mikeb856• 12 years ago

Brightness and total screen size matter more for battery life than resolution...

MichaelGG• 12 years ago

The Huawei Mate 2 has a 6" screen, 720p, and gets about 2 days (almost 40 hours) of battery. Unfortunately, they have a screwed up copy of 4.3, and it is really terrible and Huawei doesn't release enough info to make Cyanogen work on it.

DCKing9• 12 years ago

Is there any evidence that lower resolution screens imply an increase in battery life?

You'll find people saying this all the time, but you'll also find that it's mostly based on armchair reasoning. I'm willing to accept that higher resolution => higher GPU usage => battery usage increase, but I'm not willing to accept that this has a significant impact, not on face value. Not considering that the GPU is only heavily used in short bursts for all tasks that are not gaming, and considering that its power drain is likely still insignificant when compared to the power usage of the backlight.

A year or two ago you could compare the HTC One M7 and the Nexus 4. Two phones with very similar internals and screen size, but the HTC has a 1080p screen and was usually reviewed to have a slightly longer battery life.

pessimizer• 12 years ago

Luxury technology shares a lot of characteristics with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_Quest

It's easier to see how you compare to other people with a quantitative measurement. All you can do with a qualitative measurement is try to relate it to the mean MSRP of devices that share that quality, which is a bit too much math for conspicuous consumption. It also sounds like an app dev opportunity.

imaginenore2• 12 years ago

Thin about printers. Even the cheap ones print at 600dpi. The good ones go 2400dpi, 4800dpi.

Resolution does make a difference.

MiguelHudnandez2• 12 years ago

Density isn't everything. A good 4800dpi printer probably prints at 300 or 600dpi most of the time, unless specifically tell it to do a high quality print. In any case, it's not often that one digs through their printouts with a magnifying glass to be able to tell the difference.

For a phone or tablet, I would trade pixel density above 300ppi for a higher framerate or better battery life. My Nexus 4 has choppy animations, and that is much more annoying than being able to see pixels.

IkmoIkmo10• 12 years ago

Resolution does make a difference.

I'm not arguing that resolution inherently makes absolutely no difference. Yes, 100 PPI is markedly different from 400 PPI.

As for your comment on printers, it's apples and oranges. For example, you can print a 150 PPI image at 600 DPI, and each pixel will be 16 dots.

Secondly, dots aren't a uniform unit, you can have many different type of dots for different printers.

Lastly, it really, really depends what you're printing. Newspapers go below 90 DPI and billboards even below 45 DPI. In short, any number is extremely dependent on context. Your numbers are kind of meaningless.

But as for my actual question, it's not whether resolution matters. Of course it does. Battery life matters, too, but having 1 century of battery life on your phone that you replace every few years, or 2 centuries, doesn't really matter, you'll agree. There's diminishing returns. And there's a cost factor.

So what I'm wondering: does the difference between 400 to 450 to 500 PPI create such an improvement to viewing experience, that it's worth the hit to battery life and the more expensive hardware you inevitably end up with when trying to push almost a million extra pixels. I'm not so sure, I'd much rather get a 720p display that's cheaper and lasts longer.

mahyarm• 12 years ago

You should be dividing those numbers by some number, because those dots are equivalent to subpixels. You could say a 300dpi is like 900 printer dpi.

higherpurpose• 12 years ago

It's a real drag on both battery life and performance. Maybe not at first, but benchmarks showing "performance degradation" can show how quickly the 1440p phones get a penalty in performance.

mesozoic• 12 years ago

Basically you can see more pixels because you hold it closer to your face than a monitor typically. That said they may be getting beyond the point of visual perception for most reasonable distances now.

eswat• 12 years ago

Didn’t Apple claim they had already hit that limit at 326ppi with iPhone 4? Seems we’re enter ludicrous ranges now…

noazark• 12 years ago

My guess is that the industry is in a rush to get some where in regards to screen size, who ever gets their first can then work on battery life. Its still all about spec wars.

tracker13• 12 years ago

Honestly, for a lower price point, you're better off looking into a Moto e/g/x which seem to be the better options for the lower price points.

I'm a little shocked that they're breaking the $400 mark at the lower end, which seemed to be where the past few phones started... and that the n9 will be more than a bit pricier than the n7 was. I may actually be considering just getting nVidia's tablet this generation.

My last n7 was stolen, as was the one before it... So paying so much more than the $200 price really isn't something that appeals to me.

Pxtl4• 12 years ago

Moto G is not sold directly through Motorola here in Canada, which means dealing with the terrible support provided by phone companies if you want an unlocked handset.

I would happily by a 2014 Moto G direct from Motorola if they would let me. I would not go through buying one from Koodo and dealing with their weaker warranty.

DCKing9• 12 years ago

Can anyone explain to me what the fetish is with pushing the same amount of pixels as a freaking 27 inch display (which, by the way, I've always considered gorgeous)? I mean, does anyone actually notice the difference? Because if that difference means I'm paying $100-200 extra for a better screen, a better graphics chip etc, and it means my battery life is reduced, I really just don't get it.

There are several reasons:

1. Display quality is very important to (high end) phone users. People use these things for a lot of text-heavy, image-heavy and video-heavy stuff. And the higher resolution makes a lot of difference, particularly for text. I'm not saying resolution and display quality are the same thing, but resolution is definitely a contributing factor.

2. Because they can. Display manufacturing price scales with surface area, but much less so with resolution. Although higher res phone screens are more expensive, they are not that much more expensive. You don't pay $100-200 extra for a better screen, the manufacturer pays maybe $30-50 more when compared to a 1080p screen.

3. Because people can still see the difference. People still claim Apple made the end-all solution when with the retina displays "you couldn't see the pixels". As it turns out, not being able to make out individual pixels does not mean higher PPI stops adding value. Returns are diminishing, sure, but I sure as hell prefer my text rendered on 500ppi devices compared to 300ppi devices.

4. There is in fact a resolution arms race going on mobile phones. That much is true. I don't think it will continue much longer, though.

Raphael• 12 years ago

When considering displays, it would be best to figure out the pixel density per angle of view, which depends on the expected distance between your eyes and the screen. So if a screen is 1800px wide and you position it such that it takes up 90 degrees of view, then it is 20px per degree, or 0.05 degrees per pixel.

So a phone may end up needing a higher resolution than a larger monitor because you hold it closer. Although I haven't run the actual numbers.

seanmcdirmid2• 12 years ago

Not to mention that red lining (aligning to pixel boundaries to eliminate anti-aliasing artifacts) becomes less of an issue the more pixels you have, which makes it easier for developers to build decent looking apps.

petersellers• 12 years ago

3. Because people can still see the difference. People still claim Apple made the end-all solution when with the retina displays "you couldn't see the pixels". As it turns out, not being able to make out individual pixels does not mean higher PPI stops adding value. Returns are diminishing, sure, but I sure as hell prefer my text rendered on 500ppi devices compared to 300ppi devices.

I agree with you if the comparison is between 500ppi and 300ppi, but anything higher than 400ppi seems like a waste. I could easily distinguish pixels at 300ppi if I looked close enough, but I cannot distinguish individual pixels on an iPhone 6+ screen no matter how hard I try.

munificent• 12 years ago

Users are increasingly using their phones for looking at photos (which are themselves being taken at increasing resolution). Bumping the display resolution makes those photos seems sharper, richer, and more "there", which is a huge part of the user experience. It really does matter.

sirkneeland6• 12 years ago

And yet, a photo is more "there" on a working 720p screen than it is on a 1080p screen with a dead battery...

revelation• 12 years ago

Actually, photos are taken at increasingly smaller resolutions, or rather the market is consolidating away from the megapixel craze.

For good reason, because most photos don't actually deserve their resolution..

interpol_p• 12 years ago

I don't know if I agree with you on photos. I can't really see a difference in photos displayed on an iPhone 6 and 6+. Definitely not in general use, they might as well be the same display to me for viewing photos.

I can notice a difference on the thin 1-pixel line around the battery indicator. That's the most obvious thing.

lvillani• 12 years ago

Can anyone explain to me what the fetish is with pushing the same amount of pixels as a freaking 27 inch display.

I agree. I can barely discern pixels on my rMBP (227 dpi) and find little difference between that and the iPhone (~300 dpi), or even the Nexus 5 (445 dpi) and I am quite sensitive to fuzzy text.

400 dpi looks better on the spec sheet but I believe it is just wasteful and puts unnecessary (or, at least, with marginal returns) strain on the hardware to push all those pixels to screen.

radley3• 12 years ago

Two words: "print resolution". 300dpi is common, but for line art you want 600dpi (like laser printers).

wmf3• 12 years ago

You can't directly compare dots per inch on a printer to pixels per inch on a screen.

nradov2• 12 years ago

Does it have a removable battery or is it another sealed device? That's not clear from the web page. Everything else looks great about this device but if it lacks a swappable battery then that's a deal breaker for me and I'll have to get a Samsung Note 4 instead. Even a 3220 mAh battery is insufficient and external battery packs are just too much hassle to deal with.

techsupporter• 12 years ago

Looks like a sealed case, based on an unboxing video on Boy Genius Report. That's disappointing, though wholly expected. It seems like only Samsung and Nokia make phones with removable batteries and storage card slots...

q2• 12 years ago

Without going into specifics, Apple's event(whatever they reveal) is scheduled for tomorrow and so today is Google's day.

Today, some startup/enterprise somewhere in the valley may be making final touches to a press release on some bad/shocking news such as layoffs...etc tomorrow so that little attention will be paid to that, since most tech press may be glued to Apple's event.

Life repeats on and on as before.

bcohen50552• 12 years ago

Can anyone confirm what is driving this larger screen war? I know when LTE was rolling out manufacturers needed space for larger batteries but couldn't make the phones thicker due to market backlash so bigger screens began to trend. Now I can't help but think it is completely consumer driven but if that is so what are the larger screens enabling users to do? Is it the resolution? The multitasking? This just doesn't look like a valuable tradeoff for less portability and 1 handed use.

izacus2• 12 years ago

I think the loop goes something like:

- few people yell loudly about wanting a big phone - manufacturer makes a big phone which can have better hardware due to easier heating and larger battery - the big phone sells well because it's the only decent phone manufacturer made that quarter - manufacturer builds a bigger phone ;)

slantedview• 12 years ago

Exactly - I don't know many personally who like the big phones, but you are exactly right that they sell anyways because nowadays there are few other options.

nilkn7• 12 years ago

I know a lot of people whose smartphones have become their primary computing devices. A big phone offers much better battery life, much more usability across countless apps, and it makes watching videos a tremendously better experience.

I think it is a real possibility that many folks legitimately like bigger phones.

Keep in mind that the Nexus 5 is still around and is still a perfectly viable phone. It will also receive the Android L update. It's not like the Nexus 5 is being killed and replaced with a 6" phone. Rather, a 6" phone is being added to the lineup.

There's also the 2014 Moto X, which is effectively a Nexus but with a 5.2" screen.

natmaster4• 12 years ago

Many of us are not 5' tall and want to get things done on our phones.

bcohen50552• 12 years ago

True but 75% are under 6' [0]

[0]http://www.wolframalpha.com/share/clip?f=d41d8cd98f00b204e98...

personZ2• 12 years ago

It's a portable computer. The "phone" in smartphone is an anachronism of a bygone era, and actually seeing people using one as a phone is rare now.

People browse. View media. Post pictures. Read Facebook posts. They do things where the attributes that make a small smartphone good for one handed use conspire against usability with two hands (browsing Reddit on a 4" screen iPhone, for instance, is an exercise in precision. Many downvotes were accidentally dished out on HN courtesy of small screens). If 95% of your use is as a landscape portable computer, that 5% use of "one handed through a parking lot" should rightly suffer.

Of course some people really do prefer smaller devices, and those options need to stay around (the Nexus 5, for instance, is still a premiere Nexus device). But a lot of people really do like "phablets".

aikah• 12 years ago

The "phone" in smartphone is an anachronism of a bygone era, and actually seeing people using one as a phone is rare now.

That's absolutely not true. I can assure you people actually buy phones to phone.Or they would be buying ipod touch en masse without phone/data plans.

browsing Reddit on a 4" screen iPhone, for instance, is an exercise in precision. Many downvotes were accidentally dished out on HN courtesy of small screens

Well,it's HN business to make its interface usable on my 320*480 (yes,I have a 3.5" screen phone).If HN doesnt,then HN doesnt care about smartphone users...

If 95% of your use is as a landscape portable computer, that 5% use of "one handed through a parking lot" should rightly suffer.

... No it just means they didnt go mobile-first which is a mistake today. HN layout isnt even responsive. Responsive == Future proof. It's a simple as that.

lmm3• 12 years ago

I've been wanting 6" for years; it's the sweet spot where it's large enough to watch videos comfortably but small enough to fit in a pocket. A better question is why it took so long to get here.

rkuykendall-com• 12 years ago

I realize this is probably only the case for me, but I've been looking for a 6-7" phone for reading comics on. A tablet is nice, but I find it a hassle to carry around in my bag. A 6-7" phone will fit in my pocket and I can easily pull it out in an elevator or waiting in line somewhere and read a page of my comic.

Maybe that's just me though.

dspillett• 12 years ago

Can anyone confirm what is driving this larger screen war?

A lot of people use them as portable web and game devices first, phones second - the big screen is more of an advantage when you think about it that way around as it saves people carrying around both a phone and a tablet. Many people (like myself and presumably you) don't think that way around, and want a smartphone in a smaller form, but I think we are less likely than that other market segment to buy a new phone every year which is skewing the market away from our preferred direction.

I need to replace my Lumia 920 (after many drops I've finally manage to crack part of the screen, and the flash stopped working a short while ago) and the size thing is annoying. The 920 itself is already bigger than I'd prefer and all the current models with the really good camera are even bigger (you can still get the 925, I might have to go with that unless someone can recommend a ~4.5"-or-smaller device, Android or Windows, with camera capabilities similar or better?).

benmorris4• 12 years ago

I bought the Nexus 5 as soon as it was released and have really liked it, however, I'm not sure I'll be buying this one. The biggest issue I have is the screen size. I just think 6" is over my threshold. At $649 I can basically buy any other phone off contract. One of the original appeals of the Nexus 5 was the low price.

No wireless charging either? Not a dealbreaker, but I did use it on my 5.

TheQwerty2• 12 years ago

I'm feeling exactly the same, but since they appear to be keeping around the N5 I have my hopes up that next year there will be a new similarly sized Nexus.

Also, while Google's specs don't list wireless charging Motorola does: https://www.motorola.com/us/Nexus-6/nexus-6-motorola-us.html...

Haven't been able to find info on whether the Nexus 9 supports Qi as well - but again I'm disappointed with the increased size over the Nexus 7 there.

benmorris4• 12 years ago

I'd like to see them keep the 7" tablet size also. I bought my wife a 7 and it is a great size to pack away for flights and traveling. Just generally a lot easier to pack around.

fumar• 12 years ago

http://www.motorola.com/us/Nexus-6/nexus-6-motorola-us.html

very bottom: Battery 3220 mAh Mixed usage up to 24 hours* Qi Wireless charging support

MrQuincle• 12 years ago

Good catch.

OT: I hope wireless charging is there to stay. Being in robotics this is one technology that would benefit robots tremendously when it becomes more mainstream.

benmorris4• 12 years ago

My mistake, glad to see it has that still

TillE• 12 years ago

I've been planning to ditch my aging Galaxy Nexus in the coming months, hoping that the Nexus 6 would be a great option. But the size and the price really are deal breakers.

Guess I'll just have to look and see which current phones are well supported by Cyanogen.

benmorris4• 12 years ago

I had that phone before my Nexus 5. The 5 is still a great phone a year later and will feel like a big improvement still over your Galaxy Nexus. Even better if the price drops on it.

Pxtl4• 12 years ago

Hope we'll see a price drop on the N5 since it looks like they'll be continuing to sell it in this new generation of devices.

chjj• 12 years ago

Size really gets to me. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Nexus 5, but I'm sick of phones that are borderline tablets.

I ended up buying a Sony Xperia Z1 Compact (amami). It's damn near the same specs of a Nexus 5 except it actually fits in my hand (5.0"x2.56"x0.37"). Works flawlessly with Cyanogenmod. Best purchase I ever made. I bought two of them I liked it so much. Good on Sony for making an excellent smartphone.

If I have to use two hands to handle it, it's not a phone, it's a tablet.

emir_• 12 years ago

I'm thinking of getting one too but it's still too expensive compared to the price of last year's Nexus 5.

boyaka9• 12 years ago

I'm one of those people that questioned the need for having something called a "tablet" from the day the iPad came out. I'm certainly not wealthy though so I don't have money to throw away, but if I'm browsing the net around the house, a laptop is perfectly fine for me still. I prefer having a comfortable keyboard and trackpad.

I suppose there is still a market for people like me to have a single touchscreen device and not worrying about it being redundant to some other device category that I haven't even acknowledged.

soylentcola• 12 years ago

I'm in the same boat. On one hand, I have no need to upgrade my Nexus 5 yet because it still runs everything without any issues and will be getting the latest version of the OS. It's more about having an "upgrade path" in the event that I break my phone or it gets stolen. I also bought mine for $350 at launch and at that price, I wouldn't feel terrible if I had to buy a similarly priced (but modestly updated) device after a year or two if I had to replace it.

The other thing that disappoints me is that it does away with one of the (arguably) biggest benefits of the more affordable models: a highly-specced (if perhaps missing a few unnecessary bells and whistles) device that's priced low enough to offer some real incentive to people who might consider leaving the subsidy/contract model behind. At least in the US, there isn't much challenge to this model because most people will pick a contract over no contract if it means paying $100-200 up front instead of the cost of a new laptop. As a result, carriers have less incentive to compete on price and terms because most everyone is either stuck in a contract or assumes they might as well sign one because the alternative is shelling out a lot of money up front.

I had kicked around ditching contracts for a while but usually ended up in the same boat. My options were a flagship phone for $200 up front on a contract, the same phone for $700 without a contract, or some crap phone for who knows how much on prepaid. Getting a flagship-level device for $350 up front gave me the push I needed to move to prepaid and it's been great. If they ever piss me off I can just go get a SIM from somewhere else. No carrier BS and no $700+ device costs.

Right now I'm just glad to be getting 5.0 on my N5. It's been a great device and while a spec bump may have convinced me to spend another $350 this year, at least I'll get that new-phone feel from the new OS.

e402• 12 years ago

It's more about having an "upgrade path" in the event that I break my phone

They still sell the N5. If you like the one you have, you could just buy another one.

It is so frustrating to see all this "oh no, it's too big, what will I do" when the Nexus 5 is still in stock and shipping.

chrisBob3• 12 years ago

I wanted an iPhone, and bought a 5s shortly after they announced the 6 and 6+. I am sure I am not alone in wanting a smaller phone. Just because the newest one has a big screen doesn't mean you have to buy a phone with a big screen. I will be interested to hear how the iPhone 5s/c and the Nexus 5 sell now that their larger replacements are out.

chimeracoder• 12 years ago

For me, the biggest surprise here is that it will be available on Verizon.

I thought that Verizon and Google parted ways permanently for the Nexus line after Verizon botched the Galaxy Nexus so badly in 2011 - this is the first Nexus available on Verizon since then.

cryptoz4• 12 years ago

Yes! Google continues to add barometers to phones!

Although, it's disappointing that the Nexus 9 does not also include a barometer. I suppose they've decided that the use case for fast GPS and altitude works better in a phone than a tablet - that, or, since the 9 is built by HTC it would be their first time adding one. Oddly, though, Motorola put its first barometer in a tablet (the Xoom) before they tried any phones.

coldpie2• 12 years ago

Just curious, what do you use it for? :)

cryptoz4• 12 years ago

I make a platform that automatically collects the atmospheric pressure sensor reading on a schedule, and sends it to scientists for analysis. The idea is to build the best weather forecast (higher accuracy, hyperlocal) by using this dramatically denser data source as inputs to models.

We make an open source app called PressureNet: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.cumulonimbu...

We also build an SDK and API so that you can integrate this into your own apps, and also access the live+archive data feed: http://pressurenet.io

werdnapk• 12 years ago

I paraglide and a barometer sensor allows me to use my phone as a variometer (measures altitude changes while flying amongst other functions).

pjg• 12 years ago

What will the screen resolution default to ? The resolution mentioned i.e. 2560×1440 (493 ppi) is too high for human eye to decipher on 6" frame. MacBook Pro's with retina displays have 2560x1440 resolution available however the highest viewable is 1920x1200 (unless you use 3rd party software like SwitchresX to override the maximum )

boyaka9• 12 years ago

Doesn't it depend on how close the device is to your eyes? Also just because the individual pixels aren't visible doesn't mean there's a noticeable difference in picture or animation quality. Just because Apple claims that "retina displays" use the smallest pixel size noticeable doesn't mean it's true.

Edit: Google search on the topic: http://mostly-tech.com/2013/11/08/debunking-the-retina-displ...

primo37• 12 years ago

"Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order through the Google Play Store in late October starting at $649."

This is from Motorola http://motorola-blog.blogspot.fr/2014/10/nexus-6-from-google...

final5• 12 years ago

Didn't Google sell the Motorala cell phone business to Lenovo?

untog6• 12 years ago

I had a Nexus 5, but I bought a Sony Z3 Compact a few weeks ago, and I don't regret doing so. This phone is simply too big.

For anyone interested, I would highly recommend the Z3C. It's a fantastic phone and a really great size.

rogerbinns2• 12 years ago

If only Sony would acknowledge the existence of wireless charging (Qi). It has been great having many recent Nexus devices use it.

untog6• 12 years ago

True, but the Sony magnetic chargers are actually pretty great. I got a dock that essentially does exactly what my wireless pad did.

sirkneeland6• 12 years ago

Glad to hear, I'm getting one for sure.

ck22• 12 years ago

I guess all icons are going to have to be SVG to scale on these new devices, otherwise they are going to be impossible to see.

fixedd2• 12 years ago

Yet, Android doesn't support SVG.

ck22• 12 years ago

How does it support icon sizes - multiple resolutions stored in a single format?

mohap• 12 years ago

that is one thick phone.

HNaTTY• 12 years ago

Likely due to the larger 3200mAh battery, compared to 1800mAh for the iPhone 6.

Methusalah• 12 years ago

I've been dying for a thicker phone in exchange for better battery life for quite a while now. Seems like this phone might negate a lot of that benefit with the much larger screen, but I wish more phones were willing to make that trade-off.

hbhakhra• 12 years ago

Looks like they took the design that was widely praised with the Moto X and used it for the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 looks like just a bigger version of the X (obviously better specs).

pshinghal• 12 years ago

I don't see how a 6" phone is convenient at all. I can only assume that the reason major brands are making oversized phones is because there hasn't been enough technical innovation in the past year to create an adequately exciting "update" to an existing phone (the Nexus 5, for example). Is this the case, or am I missing something?

hayksaakian• 12 years ago

I agree this is exaclty it.

They can't innovate, so they take the lazy route of packing more of the same old battery tech, display tech, and CPU tech in a container that simply holds more stuff.

follower• 12 years ago

I remember being mocked when talking on my Treo 180 due to its size when fully open...I find the increased dimensions of new phones amusing in this light.

I'm still looking for a replacement for my Nexus One that matches three criteria: metal case, stock Android, not stupidly large. With the noticeable exception of the tiny amount of app storage the N1 still holds up well for my purposes.

Touche• 12 years ago

Going to wait and see the reviews about the camera. The Nexus 5 had the absolute worst camera I've used in a smartphone. It takes 3 or 4 seconds to focus and gets unfocused super easily. I have so many terrible pictures and am embarrassed giving my phone to someone else to take a picture with.

boyaka9• 12 years ago

Although I can't speak for all Android phones, in my opinion this is absolutely what the manufacturers need to focus on (hurhur) to compete with Apple.

lmedinas4• 12 years ago

It's true that it's hard to focus and it's by far not the best camera in the market but i take really nice pictures with it. I would say it's on pair of my wife S5.

crucialfelix2• 12 years ago

Ah, but the Nexus 6 only has a 4 year lifespan. Then .. time to die.

I thought that Google decided not to release a phone named Nexus-6 out of deference to Blade Runner and Phillip K Dick's family who were annoyed that they used the name.

gohrt2• 12 years ago

If Google could produce a phone that lasted 4 years, that would be incredible.

crucialfelix2• 12 years ago

and then it would grab you by the throat, give an incredible speech that makes you realize the true splendor of life and then it would shut itself off.

madaxe_again• 12 years ago

Yeah, they did say that, but what [google|insert corporation name here] say and what they do are two entirely different things.

mladenkovacevic• 12 years ago

With the increase in price and out-of-the-gate contract subsidies, the Nexus line has now transitioned from a developer-targeted effort to a full-fledged mass-consumer brand.

Having said that, this transition demands that they compete with the iPhones and Samsungs. Taking that into account they should've released an additional 4.5" phone, along with the 6". This could steal away the people who hesitated in getting the 4.7" iPhone 6 due to the size, and if someone is into getting a humongous 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus, they'd be even more into getting a 6" device with not much larger physical dimensions. The goal should be find the perfect two offers to cover the whole spectrum of buyers.

blisterpeanuts3• 12 years ago

Probably the Nexus 5 will remain in production as the smaller alternative. It's going to run Android L so the user experience should be similar.

pisarzp3• 12 years ago

Many people here complain that phone is too big without ever using phablet. I was in this camp too until I started to use N6. I was testing this phone for last couple months. It's an amazing device, and even though sometimes it does feel big, on day to day basis it was never an issue for me. Consuming any type of content was much easier and more pleasurable. I noticed the difference especially when I sometimes moved back to Nexus 5 which I thought was perfect size. Well, it turns out I changed my mind now:)

If you can, try to use phablet at least for 1-2 days before discarding it.

One thing that might have helped is that I'm also using a smartwatch now and I take out my phone less frequently, but I don't think this change anything much.

ryanpardieck• 12 years ago

That's exciting to hear. My gut reaction is that this is far too large. However, the idea of always carrying with me something that is nearly as big as my Nexus 7 is enticing. I love reading on my N7, but I never seem to have it on me when I want it.

The smartwatch + phablet combo is not something I had thought about. Which watch are you using?

pisarzp3• 12 years ago

I have Samsung Galaxy Gear Live. It's a really convenient to check your notifications on the wrist and not have to take out the big phone ;)

blisterpeanuts3• 12 years ago

I feel the same way; once you go big you don't go back!

However the $649 price tag (and possibly higher outside the U.S.) will deter a lot of people who otherwise would have almost automatically upgraded to the next Nexus. I'm such a person. The $349 Nexus 5 is suddenly very attractive, it's big enough and fast enough.

I wish Google would provide memory expansion but for $349 I'm willing to live without it. For $649 I'm not willing to live without microSD, however.

pierrec• 12 years ago

Slightly off topic, but is it just me or does this page brutally ignore your browser's language settings? (as well as those of your google account.)

Apparently it guesses a language based on your IP address and serves you an inappropriately localized version. Kind of a noob-ish mistake to make for such a campaign. Too bad for you if you're abroad! There's a language drop-down in the "help" section, but it's not stored in the session and it's completely ignored by the other pages. So you simply cannot view the landing page in your own language!

final5• 12 years ago

> Too bad for you if you're abroad!

You should use a VPN anyway :)

72deluxe2• 12 years ago

Does this have a flash? I can't see one, unless I am being dumb?

72deluxe2• 12 years ago

Not sure why the downvotes, but I can't see a flash at all on the back of that thing.

eva19842• 12 years ago

This one is huge...And seems like Google didn't upgrade their Nexus 5 model?

Mikeb856• 12 years ago

As a Nexus 5 owner, I can see why. It's by no means obsolete (runs the newest games still, very smooth and fast, great screen), and easily has the nicest 'feel' of any phone I've ever used...

eva19842• 12 years ago

I still thinks a better camera is necessary.

However I agree even without any upgrade, nexus 5 will still be one of the most cost-effective phones out there, only a little bit disappointed.

julianpye3• 12 years ago

What keeps me off buying another Playstore device is Google's terrible customer support, especially before they can command such a premium price. I have an unresponsive Nexus 4. I cannot just send it in for warranty repair. In order to return it, I have to go through a list of steps on their website, then get on a phoneline on which they state I have to wait for 45 minute to get a customer rep. Often the line is interrupted. I haven't been able to get my number for two weeks now.

Eric Schmidt recently said in Germany that Amazon is their biggest competitor. For that to be true, they need to seriously up their support.

andybak• 12 years ago

Weird. I returned a Nexus 4 last year and got faultless support. I was gobsmacked.

twism• 12 years ago

Same here. Google's support phone line has been second to none.

richbradshaw2• 12 years ago

Same, between me and my parents, we've replaced three Nexus 4s, all really easily without issue.

Kalium4• 12 years ago

Really? I had the mic go out on my N5 at one point. Support was perfect. They sent me a new phone, I sent mine in, and everything was beautiful.

julianpye3• 12 years ago

I am sure they will exchange it, but the key problem is the support system which requires me to speak to them in person to initiate the exchange process. The waiting time is never less than 35 minutes. I have a few dev devices and always have to go through this. There is no alternative system in place. And I always have to go through a lengthy process to even get the phone number. On Amazon I can do everything online in a number of ways and get called by their customer rep.

jusben13692• 12 years ago

The pricing is really high. Seems like Google is now no longer interested in forcing great phones out of Samsung/HTC etc. Now that great phones exist they raise the prices and no longer upset the hardware chain.

computerjunkie2• 12 years ago

5.96” - A phone just under 6". This is possibly the biggest disappointment about the phone. Its simply too large for the average user. The nexus 5 was already quite difficult to reach the top corners with one hand in my opinion with its 4.95”.

you get over 24 hours of use from a full charge. - too many times I have heard this phrase from other smartphone manufacturers and its never true. Since this phone is made by Motorola(which I think is a great company that builds good products)there is hope but that screen is going to be a battery drainer. Motorola had their [0] Motorola Droid Maxx which held a 3,500mAh battery and its at least kind of true for that statement above.

If they had put the 3220 mAh battery (or larger) in a 4.7" - 4.9" phone, I would gladly pay for that. Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

All the goodie features like Google Now and other location hungry services completely drain your battery in a short time. All I want is a smartphone that can last for at least one day on one charge.

Lastly the price. The nexus line is known for the competitive price/performance being greatly competitive. If this phone asks for more than £350, does it really have the nexus characteristics anymore?

I hope there will be android phones still produced with 5" or less screen size in the next 4 years. A significant portion of the population don't have unimaginably big hands (or pockets) to carry these so called "mobile" phones.

0. http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/16/motorola-droid-maxx-revie...

Kalium4• 12 years ago

If they had put the 3220 mAh battery (or larger) in a 4.7" - 4.9" phone, I would gladly pay for that. Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

Because consumers reliably shell out more for larger screens and thinner phones than they do for bigger batteries?

CedarMadness• 12 years ago

Have a look at the Xperia Z3 Compact. Sony seem to be the only ones that care about battery life at this point.

MAGZine• 12 years ago

The nexus 5 will continue to be produced. It was a part of their Nexus 6/9/Player landing page this morning, and it was showing running android L.

They're introducing this to appeal to a broader market. Also, Nexus phones more recently track "value" rather than "price". That is to say that they always deliver solid value, and probably will still continue to in relation to the much more expensive Galaxy Note and iPhone 6+.

radley3• 12 years ago

I also think Google's been DYING to release a "Nexus 6" since day one...

nly3• 12 years ago

Indeed. People need to remember the number refers roughly to the size. It's entirely possible we'll see a Nexus 5 2015 edition with updated specs, once they've milked the Christmas market with the 6.

boyaka9• 12 years ago

Apps that are running have a significant effect on battery life. One of the big problems with Android (vs iPhones) is that manufacturers and ISPs still have some control over messing with stock Apps. Also people might expect to be able to install any App they want and still get the same battery life.

Many of these Apps require ridiculous permissions and are obviously collecting information about you and your usage. As if that isn't bad enough it is obviously horrible for your battery life! My recommendation would be to only install necessary Apps (uninstall the ones you tried out but are not interested in) and try disabling unnecessary stock Apps/services (browse to the App in your settings and click "Disable"). The latter might have a negative effect on your user experience, but might also reduce power consumption; or it might have no noticeable effect whatsoever. Worth a shot though.

lstamour6• 12 years ago

Have a look at your Battery Usage settings for which apps are prime candidates to remove. But I think you'll also find L does a good enough job at extending battery life for many Android handsets. Don't get me wrong, I still think my iPhone uses less juice, but given the slightly larger battery in the Nexus 5 compared to the iPhone 6, it can hold its own under L.

nilkn7• 12 years ago

Re: battery, I have a Note 3 with approximately the same size battery and have no issues with battery life. It easily lasts a full day unless I'm using it very heavily.

I have Google Now notifications enabled and I also use Google's stock home screen/launcher with the Google Now integration.

DCKing9• 12 years ago

Its simply too large for the average user.
Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

I think it's quite bold to speak in such factual terms when talking about the "average" consumer or the market. Your opinion does not necessarily apply to everyone, or even the majority of the users. Not that I disagree with you, mind.

It seems to me that these manufacturers are a lot better at knowing what their market wants. I'm saying that because these companies employ a lot of people to figure out what people want to buy. You might be tempted to project your own opinion and common sense onto how the market should behave, but I think these companies are doing a better job at figuring it out. They have to.

I don't think these companies are either stupid or not listening. It really seems to be the case that a large screen increases sales, and longer battery life doesn't. That might seem mystifying to you and me, but that really seems to be the case.

Similarily, you can make phones from plastic, with confusing and slow software on it, sell them for premium price, and own 80% of the Android market in many countries. That is also mystifying to me, but that's what Samsung has accomplished.

EDIT: People are replying to my post as if I said that phones with large screens are a good thing. I didn't.

chrischen3• 12 years ago

Considering Apple's main phone is under 5 inches, I think that statement is at least somewhat true. Sure some people will want phablets, but I'm sure Apple at least did their research for making more iPhone 6s than 6 Pluses.

computerjunkie2• 12 years ago

Good points, I guess I did make a sweeping generalisation on the "average user" part and I guess this is how the market will always work but it just slows down innovation dramatically for the sake of making that extra penny. Sigh.

whizzkid3• 12 years ago

I disagree with you.

Just because a kid wants more chocolate does not mean you should give it to him. It may make him happy at first but is not good for him in long run.

What are people/me saying here is that, we should/can achieve the same functionality with smaller phones. We should.

In hundred years, people will laugh at these phones!

Too big considering what it does and provides to people.

skynetv2• 12 years ago

I moved from a Galaxy Nexus to LG G3, which is smaller than the Nexus 6 and I find it incredibly hard to use. Can barely use it with one hand and it doesnt fit in my shirt pocket, sticks out, cant put it in my pant pockets, because it will break. Its very inconvenient size wise. awesome phone though and excellent battery life.

Galaxy Nexus was so small I could put it anywhere on me and it would be just fine. Awesome to hold in one hand.

Google just excluded itself from a large market and is competing only in phablet space.

I guess with Moto X staying in the more average size space, they want to get in to phablet space, which is fine.

XorNot4• 12 years ago

As the issue with bending phones demonstrates, plastic is hardly a failure of imagination in design and Samsung pretty clearly have that issue well understood.

eloisant• 12 years ago

Or, it's just that battery life is not something you realize when you're in the shop. You see the device, the screen, how responsive it is, but until you've lived a few days with the device you don't really know what the battery life is.

So it's harder to market.

shirro• 12 years ago

I tried to post a point but got deleted by the Apple mafia on HN. The fact is I have seen large number of small handed users (asian females) comfortably carry and use large format phones like Galaxy Notes.

The problem for the male dominated tech media and HN users is that they mostly do not carry a shoulder bag and cannot conceive of a device which does not fit in a pocket being useful.

Add a bejewelled hello kitty pocket book case and carry it in your shoulder bag and a large phone is just fine. It is also great for people who use their phone mainly from their desk and carry a briefcase or backpack. A tradie will not be climbing on roofs with a Nexus 6 in their pocket. But it is a big market and there is room for differentiation.

deciplex• 12 years ago

That might seem mystifying to you and me, but that really seems to be the case.

It's not mystifying. A larger screen looks cooler in the store, and most people won't realize what a pain in the ass it is until they've already bought it and been using it for a few days. And, few people will ever make the connection that that enormous screen is why their phone is dead before they leave work to go home in the evening.

It just means that increasing sales does not necessarily correlate with increased user satisfaction. Too much of a disparity there, for too long, and the market will eventually just collapse - no one will want to buy new phones anymore.

(FWIW, I might be already there - I love my Nexus 4, was waiting for the Nexus 6, but now it looks like I won't be getting it after all.)

prlambert• 12 years ago

This screen size is so, so disappointing. I'm an iphone 5s user and was eagerly awaiting the new Nexus to make the switch to Android. But 6" is a tablet that can make calls, not a phone. I WANT to switch to Android/Nexus for hundreds of reasons but this screen size is a deal break.

I need a phone I can use like... a phone.

I've tried the iphone 6 plus in person and it's a monstrosity to use, definitely not a one hand device. And the Nexus 6 is even larger?...

And I'm a man – I have pretty large hands. I can't imagine how it must feel in my wife (or many other women)'s hands.

This needs to stop.

jarjoura2• 12 years ago

Sony is making a smaller Android device, the "Z3 Compact," exactly for the reasons you list.

cloakandswagger5• 12 years ago

People use their phones for everything but phoning now. Ballooning screen sizes are just a reaction to this.

jotm2• 12 years ago

Xperia Z, HTC One, Huawei Ascend P6/P7 and more - all have everything you need in a smartphone (looks, quality, performance, Android :-)

scep12• 12 years ago

The Nexus 5 is still a really nice phone.

ak217• 12 years ago

Take a look at Nexus 5. It's an extremely nice phone and will remain so for a while.

habith• 12 years ago

I'm an iphone 5s user and was eagerly awaiting the new Nexus to make the switch to Android

I highly recommend that you borrow an Android phone from a friend before making the switch and spending some time with it.

Also, check the permissions on most of the apps on Google Play[1] (scroll down and click view permissions) and ask yourself if they're justified[2].

Once an app is installed there's no controlling of the individual permissions. You do not get prompts asking you to authorize an app to access your contacts, location etc. It's an all or nothing approach.

Some people will tell you to root/flash the phone and install an app to allow you to do what should have been a default OS behavior.

I switched from Android to iOS about 2 years ago, and will never go back until Google fixes up the permissions system.

[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.k...

[2] http://inc42.com/buzz/facebook-wants-read-confidential-user-...

jonnw• 12 years ago

Take a look at the Moto X (1st gen) as it has a 4.7" screen and receives very fast Android updates, unlike most other manufacturer's phones.

mikepurvis• 12 years ago

My wife is very satisfied with the Galaxy S4 Mini. Suggest you check that one out, or import an S5 Mini.

mattmcknight• 12 years ago

Galaxy S5 Mini, 131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1 ?

Yabood• 12 years ago

My recommendation to you would be to get the Moto X 2nd generation. You'll get the second purest android experience after the Nexus 5 and now the 6. Phone size is almost identical to Nexus 5 or iPhone 6 (just about right in my opinion). OS updates are typically available within a month, and the phone build is very solid.

I had Nexus 5 for a little less than a year, then the iPhone 6 came out with its larger screen so I decided to give it a second chance, and kinda wish I didn't. Once you get used to Android, it becomes very difficult to use (or go back to iOS). I put the iPhone on eBay, and currently waiting for my Moto X to arrive on Friday.

e402• 12 years ago

You know, they still sell the Nexus 5. I have it and it's a perfectly fine phone and I feel no need to upgrade.

macspoofing3• 12 years ago

Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

Sony Xperia Z3c is for you.

jotm2• 12 years ago

yep, a 5 inch HD display and 20 real (screen on, 10 apps running + Wifi/3G/GPS) hours of battery life - that would be perfect.

Having held an Xperia Z Ultra in my hand, I'm pretty sure I'll never want more than 5 inches of screen space, and double mega quad resolutions are useless at that size IMO.

dragonwriter3• 12 years ago

A phone just under 6". This is possibly the biggest disappointment about the phone. Its simply too large for the average user.

Quite a large portion of the people I know with phablets like the Galaxy Note series are petite women -- people with smaller hands than "the average user". While the line you present is the exact line that Apple kept trotting out while they were in denial about the market demand for large phones, I don't think there is much support for it. Its true that there are usage patterns that work for small phones and not for larger phones, but I don't think the evidence from actual consumer behavior supports the argument that these are as important to what people are looking for in smartphones as the people who keep trotting out the "too big" argument like to believe.

radley3• 12 years ago

I think it has to do with one-handed use with smaller hands. A phone would have to be really small (i.e. iPhone 3 & under)) to be useful, but you lose screen area.

In contrast, phablets are a convenient mini-mini tablet that can also do calls and 4G data without additional costs of "tablet LTE".

deet• 12 years ago

Regarding size, keep in mind the changes in Android will make it easier to use the phone with one hand despite the larger size.

The floating action button in material design places important, frequently used action within thumb's distance.

Android's use of the back button is also beneficial for larger screens, since back is an extremely common action and keeping at the bottom of the screen reduces reach distance.

There will definitely be cases when it will be inconvenient to have a large screen (in fact personally I'm disappointed it's > 5") but the problems can be alleviated by software.

You can see it today by switching back and forth between Android and iOS. iOS design has not yet adapted to the larger size and is more inconvenient to use one handed (for example, the swipe to go back gesture is not universal and exiting dialogs often requires hitting a "Done" button at the top of the screen.) But as the software changes the size will become more acceptable.

zimpenfish• 12 years ago

The "double soft-tap" on the 6/6p home button will bring those halfway down the screen for you. Not ideal, obviously, but a decent workaround until people get used to the new UI metaphors.

aetherson2• 12 years ago

I have literally never heard anyone ever say, "I like this phone I bought, but after using it for a couple of weeks, the screen is just a little too big for my tastes."

Like, NEVER. In all the complaints I've heard about people's phones, over the seven years that we've had smartphones so far.

What I have heard is a lot of people pooh-poohing 4.7" screens, 4.9" screens, 5.2" screens, etc., and those screen sizes going on to utterly dominate smaller phones.

jackbewley• 12 years ago

I'll say it. Been using the iPhone 6 for several weeks. Love it, but the screen is just a little too big for my tastes. It's awkward and I miss the smaller screen. It's enough of an annoyance I'm looking at other phones for the first time.

nostrademons• 12 years ago

No, because the complaint you get is "I like this phone I bought, it has a great screen, but I can't reach the top half of it when I hold it, and my hand gets so tired, and I'm ending up with tendonitis or carpal tunnel all the time now."

These are all very real complaints - I've heard them from coworkers (who work at Google, so if they have a bias, it's in the other way) and family members, and I suffered from frequent tendonitis while I had my Galaxy Nexus that went away when I "downgraded" (in screen size, at least) to a Moto X.

sbuk• 12 years ago

Anecdata. I've heard plenty of people complain. What does it prove? You and I know different people. That is all.

torgoguys• 12 years ago

This is mostly a selection bias. Given the wide variety of choices on the Android side, and the very obvious effect screen size has on using the phone, you have to be reasonably sure you want a big screen phone to actually bite the bullet. (Other factors are less clear cut and can be harder to decide between.) Since there is a good selection of screen sizes to choose from, you can often find something you want.

Contrast that with the two iPhone 6 people already replying to your post saying they think it is too big. As an Apple user, if you want a current year phone, you may have to go bigger than you want.

Android choice, for the win!

(BTW, I want! I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love the Nexus 6.)

Twirrim• 12 years ago

I hear it all the time, especially from non technical people.

kulkarnic• 12 years ago

Actually, I just returned my iPhone 6 last week, and got a cheapo Moto G with LTE. Yes, it was too big for my hands, and I like using phones with one hand.

serf3• 12 years ago

lots of people carry a bias into their opinion on purchased items. sort of like a buyers' remorse, but with the goal of getting others to make the same mistake in order to achieve some sort of normality with 'the pack'.

orangecat• 12 years ago

I like my Nexus 5, but after using it for many months, it's just a little to big for my tastes. My ideal size would be the 1st gen Moto X.

conradfr• 12 years ago

I do. I have a Nexus 4 and rather small hands and it's really uncomfortable to use with one hand, especially with the bumper on.

facepalm• 12 years ago

"The nexus 5 was already quite difficult to reach the top corners with one hand in my opinion with its 4.95”

Some people have more than just one hand. And maybe you don't need to touch everywhere. If you read an article or watch a movie, there is no need to touch everywhere.

"you get over 24 hours of use from a full charge. - too many times I have heard this phrase from other smartphone manufacturers and its never true"

I'll wait for reviews of the actual device. What is the point of this kind of speculation?

esalman• 12 years ago

I like to know everyone's recommendation for a phone which has high performance-to-size ratio, like Sony Z3 compact etc.

guelo• 12 years ago

Screen size and battery capacity are not a tradeoff. The bigger the screen the bigger the case and the more room for a battery. From the long-lasting tablet batteries we've learned that battery capacity increases faster per increased quadratic[0] volume than the increased battery drain from the bigger screen area.

[0] Battery volume increases only quadratically because the manufactures insist on maintaining thinness. It would be interesting to understand how thickness could affect battery capacity.

eitally2• 12 years ago

I have an HTC One M8, which is really tall because of the dual speakers. I also have large hands. That said, there are a few things I don't or can't use my phone for because the screen is too small, but there is almost nothing I can't do because the phone is too big. Yes, it's more comfortable in a pocket to have a smaller device, and it's better UX to be able to reach the top corner with your thumb, but I have started thinking that phablets are the future of smartphones, small tablets are going to disappear, and we'll end up with three categories of devices: 1) small screen feature phones (which are actually perfectly competent smartphones, just with reduced hardware specs) like the Moto G), 2) 5.5-6.5" high end smartphones/phablets, and 3) large tablets (9"+). There will be outliers, of course (Sony Z3 Compact anyone?), but it seems apparent that with apps & advertising being the primary revenue stream, the bigger the screen the more money to be made.

If I had a 6" phone I'd get rid of my 7" tablet. With a 5" phone I can't say that.

mittortz• 12 years ago

What are the few things you can't/don't use your M8 for because of its "small" screen? I have the original One, with its 4.7" screen, and have never seen the need for more than that. I only see it as cumbersome. The One is still cumbersome at times as it is, but has its benefits. I think that around 5" is the maximum sweet spot of cost/benefit from a usability standpoint though.

Then again, I have never seen the need for tablets in general. My phone is perfect for everything on the go, and if I want to use a larger device for more complex/power tasks, my ultrabook does a much better job than a tablet/phablet on every front.

santosha• 12 years ago

Why is reaching every corner of the phone such a big deal anyway? Speaking for myself, one of the biggest reasons I like large screens is that reading and viewing content is so much easier - I don't have to squint when I'm watching a video, or deal with awkward reflowing. Interface designers don't have to use the new real estate just because it's there, they can design touch areas that are well within reach, while using the new extra space for other visual elements.

kaared• 12 years ago

Why is reaching every corner of the phone such a big deal anyway?

It's a big deal because the upper left corner is where Android places notifications and thus you're likely to perform this operation frequently and in a number of contexts. Whenever you get a notification you're very likely to want to evaluate it (and possibly take action) as quickly and reliably as possible. On my Nexus 5 I can easily unlock, swipe down and swipe left or tap with one hand and very quickly as well. On my OnePlus One unlocking is fine, but getting to the top left corner is tricky, slow and unreliable when I'm using one hand, and two hands is not always desirable or practical depending on the context.

cweiss• 12 years ago

Sadly, even though interface designers don't have to use the new real-estate, they still do. Even Google is guilty of this - Google Maps has interface controls at the top and bottom of the screen. This is aggravated by the fact that Maps is one of those apps people tend to use while walking (or driving), specifically when two-handed use is most inconvenient (and just plain unsafe).Folks don't care as much if Facebook or Mail takes two hands because you're far more likely to be sitting down (or at least standing still) operating them.

downandout• 12 years ago

Its simply too large for the average user.

Agreed. iPhone 6 Plus is too big for me at 5.5" and I have big hands. These "phones" are getting out of control in terms of size. The sweet spot seems to be between 4.7" and 5". Apparently usability engineers aren't being utilized very much these days.

monstermonster8• 12 years ago

This will probably sound like a troll as I understand windows phone isn't popular here but my Nokia 630 lasts over 48 hours of medium usage EASILY on a tiny 1830mAh battery, has a perfectly sized 4.5" screen, has navigation that doesn't shit itself in the countryside and costs £99 SIM free off Amazon.

The camera is shit but I tend to lug around a DSLR anyway if there's anything worth taking a photo of, so the phone is used for taking photos of where I parked so I can appeal tickets. Less pixels (480x854) means less power usage and I can't say I notice the difference that much compared to the wife's Moto G.

But everyone goes "fuck windows phone" and walks away from such things...

lstamour6• 12 years ago

If people knew that Google finally works under IE mobile in version 8.1, I think they'd re-consider Windows Phone. But that's not necessarily the HN crowd pleaser here ;-)

psbp• 12 years ago

If I only wanted to use the core functions of the phone (browsing, calls, etc.), I would definitely buy a Windows Phone. It's just lacking a lot of fun, useful apps.

mikelward2• 12 years ago

I considered the Nokia 630, but only having 3G is a deal breaker for me.

I just got the Sony Z3 compact, which is smaller than the 630, has LTE, and a bunch of other advantages (better specs all round, front-facing camera, etc.).

caycep• 12 years ago

i get 1.5 to 2 days sometimes on my 5s...

bane6• 12 years ago

"was already quite difficult to reach the top corners with one hand"

This is such a red herring.

I switched from a smallish phone (a Nexus) to a Note 3 (which is just a fraction smaller than this) and it's absolutely amazing how millions of years of evolution equipped us to do things using both hands and how quickly we can accommodate ourselves to doing what nature intended. We even evolved walking upright just so we could accomplish this amazing feat.

I even have smallish hands and have had zero trouble accommodating what apparently is a freakishly large phone so big I could serve dinner for six on it.

Astonishingly it fits just fine in the front and rear pants pockets of all my pants and shorts, in my shirt pocket fine (if I'm wearing a shirt with a pocket), in my suit jacket pockets just fine, my hoodies are great with it.

Bonus, I can actually read what's on the screen without having to hold it up next to my face. In fact it's smaller to carry around than my old moleskine notebooks which I also kept in my pocket until I got this phone, and now thanks to being big enough to keep a sane size pen and provide a reasonable writing surface has completely replaced. From larger touch targets to larger speaker for the speakerphone to more battery, the tremendous effort of just using two hands is far outweighed by all the benefits of having a larger phone.

It's so useful it's even replaced me dragging along my tablet on trips for reading. I just took two trips and my phone was the only device I needed to bring along with me, large enough to comfortably type on, watch some shows on, battery life for all day hassle free use, I can comfortably read books on it in bed!

It's so compelling a size that just on showing it to my friends and letting them handle it half of them went out and bought a phone in that size range. They "got" it only after using it for a bit.

In practice you just use it like a small tablet that also happens to be a great phone.

If they had put the 3220 mAh battery (or larger) in a 4.7" - 4.9" phone, I would gladly pay for that. Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

Absolutely agree. In fact I'm almost thinking of getting this

http://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Extended-Compatible-Internati...

WizzleKake• 12 years ago

Not everyone wants to use both hands.

Some of us would like to be able to respond to a text message while carrying something, for example.

sliverstorm• 12 years ago

All I want is a smartphone that can last for at least one day on one charge.

My Moto G manages a full 36 hours with light use.

(Many people say "Such and such a phone lasts me a full day!", but that often means 16 hours)

piyush_soni5• 12 years ago

About battery, I get one full day of charge on my Nexus 5 (unless I'm travelling using the GPS navigation and play music along, it finishes in half a day). With the Nexus 6 having AMOLED screen and not LCD, it's supposed to save more battery (with dark pixels not lit at all), plus Android L which is supposed to save up to 36% more battery just by the software (compared to Kitkat), plus the bigger physical battery itself - all three things might save you much more than the Nexus 5.

I agree on the price point though.

de_Selby• 12 years ago

I get one full day of charge
unless I'm travelling using the GPS navigation and play music along ...

Then you don't get one full day charge.

Also, I had an AMOLED screen in my S2 and the battery life wasn't fantastic.

megablast2• 12 years ago

Apple messed this up as well, not releasing a new 4" version of their device. So the people who want a new 4" have to get a year old device without all the new features like Apple pay?

enlightenedfool• 12 years ago

"Its simply too large for the average user". That's what iPhone users told. "Anything over 4-inch is too big". Now every one is happy with 5-inch and more. People just adapt given a choice. I know people with small hands just fine with 5.5 screens. I agree the price is a too much though.

colordrops• 12 years ago

Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

Very true. These companies create some of the most complex products on the planet, and yet can't figure out that it's completely fucking brain-dead dumb that the device can't last through a day of normal usage. These are critical devices in our lives now, and Google et al could probably save millions in health care costs from stress-related problems caused by dead phones.

bulatb• 12 years ago

I've had the Droid Maxx for about a year now. I watch documentaries on YouTube, stream music over LTE and WiFi, and use Facebook/Quora/Imgur/Hacker News throughout the day and never think about the battery. I charge it maybe every other day.

I've never had a phone that actually delivered on its promised battery, but this one comes quite close.

nradov2• 12 years ago

On devices like the Samsung Galaxy series where you can swap the battery quickly, battery life ceases to be a concern.

lstamour6• 12 years ago

Why can't smartphone manufacturers understand that a longer battery life is whats lacking in mobile devices?

I can tell you haven't been using the Android L Preview. I have, and the battery life extension is fantastic. Easily the equal to Nokia's. Basically, when it gets down to low power, it can shift into a mode where only foreground apps and activities are in use, and the battery can last all day easily. iOS, of course, prevents background activities overall and so uses less power continuously to achieve a similar battery life on newer phones. That said, the best way to get all-day battery life continues to be "don't use the phone so much" or the no-compromises "plug it in when you can" which I'm sure we're all familiar with. Phones recharge faster these days too...

Kequc• 12 years ago

"Don't use the phone so much" is good advice.

I have an active social life and my Nexus 4 still lasts a day and a half when I don't plug it in. The people having trouble must be texting all day long. When I chat I use social media or chat programs, both of which are available on my computer. I would assume many users of HN use computers so I don't fully understand where the complaint is coming from.

I, too wish that batteries were better than they are. But currently you just can't expect to use a device which has power unthinkable 50 years ago. The size of 10mm x 6inches, to run all day from off of an internal battery. It's unreasonable.

Shad0w59• 12 years ago

There's a phone for you already released - Sony Xperia Z3 compact.

tammer• 12 years ago

Google and Apple both see the writing on the wall. We (affluent technophiles) will be using our watches as a primary interface and the "phone" category will evolve into mini-tablets for composing longer messages and web browsing.

The largest technical leap in battery life will come from looking at your watch 100+ times per day rather than your phone.

diltonm2• 12 years ago

I don't want some honking monstrosity on my wrist pretending to be a watch. I want my Nexus One back with expandable storage and more than 200 Megs space for apps and a camera as good as in my 5. You know...a phone, smart, one each.

DominikR• 12 years ago

This is just your personal opinion.

You cannot discount the fact that so many customers want buy phablets these days, that even Apple thought it makes sense to deliver a phablet iPhone for these customers.

I had the same beliefs up until I bought the Note 2 a few years ago. Since then every single phone I bought for private use has been a phablet, and now I'm using an iPhone 6 Plus.

And yes, it's not only 24 hours you get, I get 2 days out of phablets, but I'm rarely playing video games.

But here's the good news for you: smaller phones aren't disappearing. If you don't like phablets, there are powerful high end phones with 4.5-5 inches from every manufacturer. So there's really nothing to complain about.

znowi• 12 years ago

A phone just under 6"

This is the only reason why I am not buying this shovel of a phone.

novaleaf• 12 years ago

as an owner of the original galaxy note, I welcome our new phablet overlords

jamespo• 12 years ago

The phone you are looking for is the Sony Z3 Compact

SkyMarshal• 12 years ago

Agreed. WTB a Nexus 4 with smaller screen size, and double thickness all taken up with extra battery. WTB 24 hours of heavy constant use, not just "use" aka 99% standby.

The Nexus 5 is amazingly thin and rigid, the engineers did a great job with it, but I'd be completely happy if it were twice as thick with all the additional room filled with battery only.

jasonkester• 12 years ago

Anybody found a way to force it to display in English? I'm in France at the moment so I can't even read the text on the site. None of the usual tricks (?hl=en, etc.) work. No links on the site to change language or redirect.

Seems silly to have to VPN into a box in the US just to read a website.

final5• 12 years ago

How about /ncr ?

baby2• 12 years ago

same problem here.

chetanahuja• 12 years ago

Well I'm not letting one anywhere near me until someone runs the Voight-Kampff test on them.

blisterpeanuts3• 12 years ago

So it's announced, and the price is a surprising $649, nearly double the price of the Nexus 5 ($349). I suspect the Nexus 5 will continue to fill the "budget development" niche.

In fact, now that I've seen the official N6 specs, I'm going to go ahead and order an N5 to replace my Galaxy Nexus because I need a device that does BLE. In a couple of years, perhaps it will be time to upgrade to a refurb N6 or maybe a less expensive N6.5, if they decide to go back to the loss-leader pricing of the older Nexus models.

I'm disappointed that the N6 doesn't come with memory expansion. A MicroSD slot might have tipped the scales for me.

dschulz• 12 years ago

Using the N5 I already have a problem distinguishing the top from the bottom at a glance. I'm sure with the new design this will be much more than a minor nuisance.

Zigurd• 12 years ago

I've found I flip my phone around less with the N5 compared to other phones. The little white earpiece thing gives both a tactile and visual cue.

notastartup• 12 years ago

i can't fit this phone into my pocket. i guess im gonna wait till nexus 4 or 5 drops in prices and buy that instead.

icelancer2• 12 years ago

The Nexus 6 not having a high-speed camera sensor is really disappointing. I was hoping Apple and Google would eventually break down the high-speed / slow-motion camera market, because industrial applications cost well into the multiple thousands of dollars for cameras not much better than the iPhone 6 with the only exception being that it is PC-controlled via software.

Frustrating.

jdhendrickson• 12 years ago

So if I understand you correctly, the nexus 6 will NOT be able to take slow motion video?

icelancer2• 12 years ago

It is not in the detailed specs that I can find.

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_nexus_6-6604.php

"Video: 2160p@30fps, optical stabilization"

No other frame rates or resolutions listed.

davidw• 12 years ago

1440x2560 leaves my laptop in the dust. That's insane... I want that kind of resolution for my laptop too!

Seems kind of big for a phone though. This Nexus 4 that I have is about as large a phone as I'd want.

balaclava93• 12 years ago

Deckard, I need your magic, I need my old Blade Runner.

balaclava93• 12 years ago

What model are they?

balaclava93• 12 years ago

Nexus 6

chdir3• 12 years ago

Dear Google, Please announce a 'Nexus 6 Mini' someday in the near future. Just trim the screen size to a sub 5" level and price to sub $400. Rest all features are welcome. The reduction in battery size proportionately is acceptable.

- Sincerely, A long time Nexus user !

acadien• 12 years ago

Does this mean they won't be releasing a new 5" nexus this year?

JimmaDaRustla• 12 years ago

Many people don't realize that the Nexus 6 is not the next iteration in the Nexus line. It is Google's entry into the phablet market.

To me, the follow-up to the Nexus 5 is the Moto X. Decent specs, moderate price, stock Android, etc.

zkar• 12 years ago

Nano Sim. Do they really need the space saving from micro to nano? Prepaid carriers charge extra for nano sim. Not sure if it is because it is more expensive to manufacture. Requires more delicate handling for those who swap sims which is more common in Asia.

imacomputer2• 12 years ago

I'm casting my vote for "Screen Size Too Big!" I can't imagine using a device larger than the Nexus 5. I'll test out similar size phones in stores, but it looks like the size is a deal breaker.

baby2• 12 years ago

Anyone knows how I can display this page in english? For some reason it displays in french.

BigBlackCamry4• 12 years ago

for $650, i'll pass...unless nexus 6 can answer my emails for me.

BigBlackCamry4• 12 years ago

$650!!!! for that price, i'll get me two nexus 5.. this way I can talk to myself, never get lonely....

nly3• 12 years ago

This thing has a screen resolution higher than my laptop, and 4x the RAM...

pedrocr• 12 years ago

You're probably misreading the flash space (32 or 64GG) as RAM. Either that or you only have 750MB of RAM.

nly3• 12 years ago

You're right. They list storage as "memory". How much RAM does this thing actually have?

sabmd• 12 years ago

Whatever version it is. NEWS is best. NORTH OR EAST WORLD IS BEST!!!

laacz2• 12 years ago

As I see it, there are tree reasons for ridiculous six inches.

1) To fit a larger battery, better screen, more horsepower, better camera with OIS they just have to make them bigger.

2) Nexus line has gone out of control and people instead of buying other phones are queuing up for nexuses which initially were meant to be just reference devices for new android oses. Instead they became so popular that had an impact on sales of other Android devices.

3) They got focus groups or questions all wrong.

rahilsondhi• 12 years ago

For those looking who were looking for a new Android and disappointed by this release, have you considered the Galaxy Alpha? http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_alpha-6573.php

Datsundere• 12 years ago

Looks like buying the one plus one was the smarter choice.

AsakiIssa• 12 years ago

Although a bit too big for my liking (still using a Galaxy S2) I wonder if that LCD will be in the next Oculus Rift iteration, having 1280x1440px per eye!

ChuckMcM2• 12 years ago

Fascinating arguments about size. It isn't the only phone on the market, so the size question is resolved by market acceptance. Granted there are confounding factors, Lollipop vs Android 4.x, cost, availability. But in general larger screens seem to sell well (compare the iPhone 6+ backlog to the iPhone 6 for example [1]). I get that this might not be a "good" thing for some people, but it is pointless to argue that Apple or Google should take less money by selling phones the market doesn't want (a strategy which is being employed by RIM at the moment)

[1] http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/12/iphone-6-and-6-plus-already-se...

mikelward2• 12 years ago

That link only establishes that the 6+ is sold out, not that more of them were sold. It seems equally likely that fewer 6+s were produced.

ChuckMcM2• 12 years ago

The point was that the 6+ sales exceeded the forecast by a significant margin. This same size debate goes on inside Apple, and Steve Jobs even highlighted the intense scruitiny they put on size when designing the iPhone, and the "Giant" (in Apple's words) Samsung Galaxy and Note phones were outselling them. And Apple released the 5s / 5c which tested some aspects of the equation, and they release the 6 / 6+ which tested the size question. Given those two market tests one might presume that Apple learned 'plastic was not a good material for an expensive phone' (under performed the forecast) and 'larger phones have significant appeal' (over performed the forecast). And as I stated outside Apple's testing this hypothesis there are a bunch of different Android phones in different sizes and they too inform on market acceptance or rejection of various design choices. The age old model of 'buy what you like, they will make more of them' is more true today than it ever has been, manufacturers are so intensely watching and tracking the buying habits of their customers that feedback is immediately implemented in products in the next round (you'll notice neither the 6 or 6+ are 'colorful' :-)

piyush_soni5• 12 years ago

I still have heard no word on whether this will support a Moto X like 'always on listening'. Anyone can comment on that?

piyush_soni5• 12 years ago

Completely off-topic, but I can't help but notice how posting a new-device link gives you a lot more Karma in one day than I earned in a few years. :)

rafaqueque• 12 years ago

Being a long time Android user with fairly large screens (+5"), I'm now using an iPhone 5C for three days and I really love its size. I guess that even the iPhone 6 is way too much for me. Around 4", it's the ideal size for me.

kgarten3• 12 years ago

great ... I'm in Japan (signed into Google/Gmail in English) and the whole page is in Japanese without any obvious way. Great Job Google ...! (sorry for the rant, my Japanese is not so bad now, still it annoys me ...happens very often with google pages)

poglet• 12 years ago

Did you find a solution? I also have the same problem.

kgarten3• 12 years ago

no except using VPN or Tor :S ... great!

hit8run• 12 years ago

Anyone remember the HP Veer? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Veer

This phone was advertised for beeing as small as a credit card. Now Nexus 6 is as tall as a whole opened wallet.

wodenokoto• 12 years ago

I'm visiting Japan, but I don't read Japanese. When I visit this site everything is in Japanese without any button to change local.

Apple and Ikea will redirect you to a url with country code in it (ikea.com/ja/en/bedroom kind of style) making it easy for people on the tech savvy side to manually change locale. But Google? No way in hell am I allowed to read this in English if I'm not physically in an English speaking country.

kgarten3• 12 years ago

yes ... it's frustrating. I actually can read Japanese a bit, still even if you are LOGGED in to Google with preference English, they show you the Japanese page. Well done! VPN or TOR to the rescue ...

gesman• 12 years ago

"Available for pre-order starting late october ..."

Sort of like "you can watch this movie as soon as you'll grow up ..."

vijayboyapati2• 12 years ago

I've owned an EVO, a Note 2 and a Nexus 5. The form factors being small, large and medium-to-large, respectively. I went from small to large, and while I thought the Note 2 had fantastic specs, it was too unwieldy for me and I decided to downsize to the Nexus 5. I still find the Nexus 5 a bit unwieldy with one handed use, but it's at least possible. Which brings me to my current conclusion: I want a smaller phone which doesn't give up too much in the screen resolution. Which brings me to my question: What makes ideal specs for you? Here's what I want, but cannot seem to find (something is always missing):

* Size: 4.9" screen

* Resolution: 1080p (it's really hard to find any phones this size with this resolution, which is disappointing because the PPI is possible, especially given the quad HD resolutions being slapped on phones now).

* SD expansion slot: One thing I really liked about the Note 2 that the Nexus phones don't have. I could upgrade with a 64G SD card which didn't cost much. 32G can fill up pretty quickly with videos and photos and it's annoying Google has a philosophy which shuns SD cards.

* Battery: At least 2600mAmp (should last at least one day).

* Stock android: No bloatware and no touch-wiz. This isn't as important as the other considerations though.

* CPU: This doesn't matter too much to me. 99% of what I do doesn't need a latest generation processor

* Memory: 2G is fine. Memory again isn't the main thing that's bothering me about the current android offerings.

What really bothers me is no-one is catering to this market segment and the trend is increasingly into the phablet market.

FlyingLawnmower• 12 years ago

it's not perfect, but something in between the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 compact sounds like what you're looking for.

Xperia Z3 has 1080P screen, 3Gb ram, 5.2" screen.

Xperia Z3 Compact has 720P screen, 2GB ram, 4.6" screen.

Both have microSD expansion, both have very solid processors and battery life, and sony's android is a very lightweight add-on to stock android.

Maybe a slight compromise in either direction will get you close to what you need?

vijayboyapati2• 12 years ago

Yeah definitely, and thanks for the great recommendation. The Z3 is getting close, but still slightly too big. The Compact is the right size, or even a touch small, but it sacrifices the resolution. It's very cool that it's water proof though. My Note 2 died in a hot tub!

lstamour6• 12 years ago

Upgrade the Nexus 5 to L and all you're missing in this list is the SD Card slot, which, given the 802.11ac support you shouldn't miss. At this point, my wifi speed tests on the Nexus 5 outpace my SD Card slot read tests by 5x or more. ;-)

diltonm2• 12 years ago

It seems like we just got the Nexus 5, the Nexus One is still fun to pull out and mess with. The One was the perfect size. I'm not even sure the 6 would fit in my pants pocket? Seems like it would jab into my groin when driving. Storage isn't even listed or Chrome's Ctrl+F can't find it? Does it have external storage or expandable storage? The 5 messed this up.

jerkywez• 12 years ago

I reckon they should have just gone with HTC for both tablet and phone.. it would have resulted in a much better outcome on the latter.

cooperpellaton• 12 years ago

I find this an interesting departure by the trend which has been set by the previous phones in the Nexus program. Prior phones followed an average lower price that what is most likely to be seen here. Given that the Nexus program has stood as the pinnacle of the Android environment more so than just simply being "reference" hardware it does seem logical to me that Google would want to escalate the quality and produce a true flagship. That being said, this is also atypical and as much as it plays into the trend of higher quality for the entire ecosystem, it also undermines their tenant of simply finding hardware which promotes the qualities that the OS does. In the end it is most likely I will still buy the phone, but still, on morals, I dislike the anticipated pricing.

nstart• 12 years ago

Like many others here, I agree on the screen size issue. I'm actually at a bit of a loss as to what phone to use next. I want something that's future proof for several versions of Android, runs smoothly, runs vanilla android by default, and doesn't exceed the screen size of the galaxy nexus (the one that's currently stuck without a stable upgrade to kit kat due to firmware issues), and has a great resolution. I'd gladly pay good money for a device like that.

darklajid• 12 years ago

As ~always~ with Google sites my Accept-Language header [1] is ignored and I end up being redirected to a different, 'more suitable' site. But yeah, those people can talk about SPDY and HTTP/2 and new standards all day long I guess. I'm sure that makes sense..

1: en-US,en;q=0.5

sytelus5• 12 years ago

After long back and forth I ended up buying iPhone 6 over Nexus 5. So the news of Nexus 6 was exciting but it still seems bit behind on hardware front:

* No 128GB memory option. This is absolutely important for me and it seems Apple is the only one of few company who gets this. I started running out of 64 GB long time ago.

* No TouchID equivalent which is excellent and works flowlessly on iPhones.

* No slow-mo videos at 200+ frames per second.

* From hardware perspective N6 still stuck in 32-bit world. Plus it lacks motion processor that monitors my movements and fitness data all the time without draining batteries.

* 8MP camera is actually better than 12MP and gives better low light performance. Higher MP is actually deal breaking for me (if sensor size remains same).

* At 10mm thickness, that's actually going backwards from 7mm for iPhone 6. Every mm of thickness adds perception of "hugeness" dramatically.

BinaryIdiot• 12 years ago

* At 10mm thickness, that's actually going backwards from 7mm for iPhone 6. Every mm of thickness adds perception of "hugeness" dramatically.

This is the only one I disagree with you one. If I can get more battery life I would GLADLY give up several mm. Battery life is practically the most important thing for my phone and the race to be thinnest is counter to what I desire. It wouldn't kill me if the iPhone 6 was 10mm if that extra 3mm was filled with battery goodness.

mappu• 12 years ago

I agree with many of your points, but

started running out of 64 GB long time ago.

I started running out of 140 characters a long time ago, twitter isn't the place for a novel.

Plus it lacks motion processor that monitors my movements

You're selling this as positive for the iPhone?

r00fus3• 12 years ago

You're seriously questioning why someone would want more storage on their mobile device? Clearly 640kb is enough for anyone.

kosmopolska• 12 years ago

I started running out of 140 characters a long time ago, twitter isn't the place for a novel.

How is that relevant?

scope• 12 years ago

off topic (i think)

for a "phone" that has 493ppi, you expect the site introducing the phone to be retina ready (couple of images and the favicon)

laacz2• 12 years ago

"4 inches in a smartphone? That's too large!" /Everyone, 2008/

Noughmad• 12 years ago

There is a missed opportunity in the tagline. Instead of "More space to explore" it should have said "More space for Activities". Because, you know, the Activity class.

0x006A• 12 years ago

localized version without an option to change the language? really are they smoking crack?

pawelkomarnicki• 12 years ago

The price killed it for me :-(

jeffcaijf• 12 years ago

comparing with N5, obviously it's too expensive.

tgmarks• 12 years ago

The screen is a deal breaker for me too. I was super excited for this phone. It's a Moto X with all the stat bumps I really wanted. Sure the camera and battery are the weak points but both better than what I have in my 1st gen Moto X. But I don't want a phablet, so i'm out of luck.

AlyssaRowan• 12 years ago

Well, I want to see it, and hold it, but I fear the size is probably too big for my small hands, and I know the price is too big. The battery being big is nice, but with a screen that size I don't believe the battery life claims until I see independent reviews.

Given that the battery isn't removable too, this makes for a very shitty development phone. (What do we do if it freezes? How do we hard-remove power?) I think this won't do.

I'm also rather disappointed this isn't the Snapdragon 810 or 808. For a phone this expensive, it doesn't measure up.

Overall this is not what I hoped for from a new Nexus. Perhaps Android Silver will deliver something better, but I doubt the Nexus 6 will be my next phone.

kayone• 12 years ago

Given that the battery isn't removable too, this makes for a very shitty development phone.

When was the last time you pulled a battery on an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch. I think calling a phone 'shitty for development' just because you can't pull a battery is a bit over the top given the current landscape.

evv• 12 years ago

Is RAM not a worthy technical specification to list? I think its pretty critical.

Until somebody corrects me I'll just assume this thing has the 1GB of RAM which is pretty standard these days.. But not enough IMHO

btian• 12 years ago

It has 3GB of RAM. http://www.motorola.com/us/Nexus-6/nexus-6-motorola-us.html#...

bdcs2• 12 years ago

RAM really doesn't matter for most people, IME, at least after Project Svelte. For example, here's a video [0] of the Moto E (not G, but lower-class, 125$ E) outpacing a Samsung S5 at simple tasks like opening Facebook, etc.

With 1GB of RAM, I've noticed the Moto G can multi-task between low-RAM apps (Chrome, SMS, Drive, Dropbox, Twitter, GMail, etc) just as well as a Note III (3GB RAM). The only time I've noticed a difference is context switching with a high-RAM app, like sending messages while gaming. This is actually an excruciating experience on a 1GB phone, because the game needs to reload every time one switches back to it.

>Is RAM not a worthy technical specification to list? I'd say yes, but it is a grossly overvalued spec. With modern RAM compression and multitasking, I suspect very few people will notice the difference between 1GB and 3.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P9vDAY0U0A

timetraveller• 12 years ago

What is this obsession with having to use the phone with one hand? I have big hands and even with iPhone4/Nexus One I found myself using two hands to get things done more quickly.

bonzaipez• 12 years ago

Wasn't Nexus 6 the last model of replicants in Blade Runner? Just sayin'...

mjcohen• 12 years ago

My main gripe is lack of memory. Since it has no sd card, it should have at least 128GB like the iPhone 6.

Nexus 6

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