Inside the iMac with Retina 5K Display

The techies at iFixit have gotten their mitts on the all-new iMac with Retina 5K display. In usual fashion, they didn’t assign it its own desk and workspace. Rather, they sent it sprawling across a table to reveal its inner workings.

iFixit is famous for performing rigorous teardown analysis of high-end electronics. The new Retina 5K iMac was an obvious candidate. Today, we’re being offered a sneak peek inside its chassis.

5K brilliance

iFixit begins the analysis with their typical introduction. “Think of the most colorful and radiant display you’ve ever seen. Now, discard that memory and stare at Apple’s newest iMac Intel 27” with Retina 5K Display. We're not talking 1080p or 4K, we're talking about 5K—millions and millions of pixels on a 27-inch display. Will the addition of a high-resolution display affect the repairability of the newest iMac Intel 27”? Let’s find out!” Despite making it sound like a review of the crisp display, the repair show doesn’t dwell on the picture quality. Instead, they delve right inside using their specialized tools. Removing the 5K panel is an easy task, according to the firm, but not something you’d want to do if you haven’t pried open computers before.

 Easily accessible and replaceable RAM, CPU and storage. One thing that has conveyed over from the older generation of iMacs is the removable RAM. According to the repair shop, “The iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display retains the familiar, easily accessible RAM upgrade slot from iMacs of yore.” The photos reveal that once you pop open the pod bay doors, an instruction schematic appears showing users how to properly handle the two 4 GB DDR3 RAM modules. Further down inside, this time on the other side of the device, the system holds a 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.9 GHz, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory, a 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 wireless card, and the hybrid drive comprising PCIe-based SSD and SATA storage. Most of this stuff is easy to access and replace with some steady hands and the appropriate tools to work with.

“Just like last year, the CPU is not soldered to the logic board, and can be easily replaced,” says iFixit.

I/O and other small stuff

As far as the ports are concerned, the iMac is equipped with: headphone jack / Optical digital audio output, the same SDXC card slot as seen on previous iMacs, four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, and one Gigabit ethernet port. To support the extra pixels, the Retina 5K's display data cable is slightly wider than the one found in older iMacs. Full teardown and more closeups of the insides over at iFixit. The tech-savvy group gave the computer a repairability score of 5 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. While the grade may seem small, it's actually pretty decent for an Apple product.

Removing the 5K panel of the new Retina iMac

A look inside the new Retina iMac

Easily accessible RAM

SanDisk PCIe SSD module

A familiar logic board
Images credits to iFixit

Read more »

Sony Xperia Z4 Specs Leak Ahead of March 2015 Unveil: 5.5-Inch QHD Display, 4G RAM

There’s no doubt about it, Sony Xperia Z4 will be officially unveiled in Q1 2015. However, the Xperia Z5 may not be announced next year as well.

Although it’s common for the Japanese company to launch two flagship smartphones per year, it appears that Sony may not be content with the sales, so beginning 2015 the handset maker will revert its smartphone production to only one top-tier handset yearly. According to AndroidOrigin, the information comes from a reliable source familiar with Sony’s plans for next year. Even though the same person got the Xperia Z3 Compact rumor right, we recommend our reader to take this with a grain of salt until more details on the matter surface online. Anyway, aside from the fact that Sony has decided to drop the bi-annual flagship smartphones beginning next year, the cited source also claims to know some of the most important specs that should be packed inside the Xperia Z4.

Many of you probably already know that Sony usually unveils the first flagship smartphone each year during Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade fair, which is scheduled for late February – early March. The same goes for the Xperia Z4, which is expected to be announced in Q1 2015. While we do know this, details on the phone’s possible specs sheet are a bit scarce for the moment. Well, not anymore, as AndroidOrigin reports Sony Xperia Z4 will be the first smartphone launched by the Japanese company that will pack a QHD display. In fact, the upcoming flagship handset will sport a large 5.5-inch QHD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution display, though it will have a similar design as the previous Xperia Z high-end smartphones.

Xperia Z4 will be the first Sony smartphone to support LTE Cat.6

On the inside, Sony Xperia Z4 is rumored to feature a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset that accommodates an octa-core 64bit processor clocked at 2.8GHz, an Adreno 430 graphics processing unit and no less than 4GB of RAM. Furthermore, the smartphone will feature double the storage of the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z2, so Xperia Z4 should have 32GB of internal memory at their disposal. Of course, actual free space will be much less, probably around 24GB. Another improvement over the previous Xperia flagship smartphones would be the addition of a curved Exmor RS CMOS sensor with a 20.7-megapixel resolution. Current models use an IMX220 sensor which is one generation older than what the Xperia Z4 will include.

Last but not least, the Xperia Z4 is said to be first smartphone launched by Sony to support LTE Cat.6 (300Mbps download / 50Mbps upload), as well as Bluetooth 4.1. Hopefully, more details on Sony’s next flagship smartphone will emerge sooner rather than later.

Sony Xperia Z3
Image credits to Sony Mobile

Read more »

Eurocom M4 Notebook Launched with Quad HD Display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M

Gaming notebook solution specialist Eurocom, launched new laptops taking advantage of NVIDIA’s latest set of GPUs, the GeForce GTX 980M / 970M not so long ago.

The company updated its existing line of X3, X5, X7 and X8 gaming laptops with the two graphics cards, but it also rolled out the all-new M5 Pro “little” monster which can take advantage of a 4K display and either of the two new cards. But if the latest NVIDIA GPUs are a bit too expensive for you and you don’t mind settling for the previous-generations graphic cards, while putting an emphasis on display, you might be interested in Eurocom’s new offering.

Eurocom launches new laptop with previous-gen GPU

The company has just unveiled the M4 gaming notebook, which arrives with a 13.3-inch display and is now offered with an extra new option. Customers can choose the either 1920 x 1080 full HD, but if this is not enough for you, you can bump things up to 2560 x 1440 (with 1000:1 contrast ratio), and ultimately if you have more money to spare, you can go as high as 3200 x 1800 (quad HD+). Eurocom highlights that the 1000:1 in the second (new) option can provide extreme levels of sharpness and clarity, which contribute to rendering crisp, beautiful images. In the computing department, the M4 takes advantage of a plethora of Intel Core i7 processors up to i7-4940MX Extreme fitted with up to 16GB DD3-1600 memory. As for storage, customers can opt for 3.5TB with 2 mSATA SSD and one 9.5 mm storage drive bay configurations.

In the GPU department, we have the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M which is the previous generation and is not the top of the line (the 880M is). However, the implementation of this card will ensure prices are kept lower, so you can concentrate on getting a better display instead. Like always, Eurocom places an emphasis on security of the data onboard, so it integrates the Trusted Platform Module 1.2 from Infineon Technologies to help safely store certificates, passwords and keys. TPM can also be used to access remotely to pay online or communicate without worrying about software attacks or theft.

Saving up a little bit might be worth it

The M4 base model with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution starts at $1054 / €823, but comparing it to the standard configuration of the Eurocom M5 Pro with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, we see the difference isn’t that big, because the laptop will set you back with $1375 / €1078.

Eurocom M4 launches with multiple display options
Images credits to Eurocom

Read more »

Sony Confirms Android 5.0 Lollipop Arrives on All Premium Z Series Beginning Early 2015

Japanese company Sony Mobile is the third handset maker that announces its upgrade roadmap plans for Android 5.0 Lollipop, after Motorola and, partially, HTC.

Sony fans, or mobile phone users who simply happen to own an Xperia smartphone without necessarily having to like it, will be pleased to know that Android 5.0 Lollipop will arrive on all premium Z series handsets beginning early 2015. Although many have been wondering whether or not Sony will bring the next version of Android to some of its mid-range smartphone, the Japanese company did not share any details on the matter until recently. According to the list of smartphones eligible for an Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade that has just been published by Sony, the handset maker does not seem to have any immediate plans to offer the update to mid-range devices.

In this regard, Sony confirmed Lollipop should be available at some point next year for the following smartphone and tablets: Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. Sony Mobile also announced that the first device to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop update would be the Xperia Z Ultra Google edition, but did not provide any ETA for the moment. However, Google confirmed a few days ago that all Google Play Edition devices would be upgraded to Lollipop “in the coming weeks.”

We expect more details about timings to be available soon after Android 5.0 Lollipop gets officially released on the market, which might happen in early November.

Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 series will be the first to get the update next year

Given Google’s statement there’s a high chance that Xperia Z Ultra Google Play owners to receive the highly anticipated update by the end of the year, though we can’t vouch for that yet. In the same piece of news, Sony confirmed that beginning early 2015, it will start upgrading the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z2 series, continuing thereafter for all remaining devices mentioned earlier. If you are the lucky owner of any of the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z2 smartphone, then you should be among the first to get the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade next year.

Let’s just hope that most of these updates will be released ahead of the Xperia Z4 flagship smartphone, which is expected to be unveiled next year in February. Stay tuned for more info on the matter.

Sony Xperia logo
Image credits to Sony Mobile

Read more »

Nexus 9 Gets Benchmarked, Tegra K1 Processor Towers over Apple’s iPhone 6 A8 Chip

Yesterday, Google finally debuted the highly anticipated Nexus 9 tablet, which turned out to be a pretty interesting device especially for two reasons.

The tablet is the first device of its kind to arrive with Android 5.0 Lollipop and it’s also the first Nexus product to take advantage of a 64-bit processor. The chip inside is actually an NVIDIA Tegra K1, a dual-core processor with two large NVIDIA Denver CPU cores plus Kepler GPU with 192 shader cores.

The Nexus 9 is the third Tegra K1 tablet

The Tegra K1 platform hasn’t made an appearance in that many tablets so far, and except the Xiaomi MiPad and NVIDIA Shield Tablet, this is the third product to bundle the architecture. Last month at IFA 2014, we managed to track down the first two Chromebooks with Tegra K1, which proved to deliver apt levels of performance. But how will the Tegra K1 deliver in tablets? Well, the folks over at PhoneArena have managed to get ahold of the first benchmark scores having the Nexus 9 at their core. The results were produced using the Geekbench, CPU and memory-testing app. Note that graphics performance was not tested in this session. The outcome of the tests is quite spectacular, as the Nexus 9 with Denver chip burns through the completion, surpassing with ease every major Android device including the high-end Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip and Sony Xperia Z3 with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 801.

Nexus 9 surpasses the iPhone 6 performance-wise

What’s more, the Nexus 9 chip manages to top the Apple A8 chip inside the iPhone and iPhone Plus too. And we’d probably get the same results if we slipped in the recently unveiled iPad Air 2. However, we should highlight one interesting aspect. The benchmarks reveal the Tegra K1 running at a clock speed of 2.5GHz, but Google announced the Nexus 9 coming with a 2.3GHz clock speed instead. This might be an error on behalf of Google or just an indication you should take these preliminary results with a grain of salt. Google intents to market the new tablet with a focus on productivity, that’s why having an ultra-speedy processor on the inside will certainly help the Nexus’ cause when it comes to the market.

The tablet arrives with an 8.9-inch display with 2047 x 1535 pixel resolution and 4:3 display ratio. Google also bundled the slate with 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. Sadly, the tech giant fails to offer more spacious storage solutions. But hey, nothing is perfect in the world.

Nexus 9 is now an official product
Image credits to Google

Geekbench single-core results

Geekbench multi-core results

Floating points results

Integer perfromance

Memory perfromance

System info on HTC Volantis aka Nexus 9
Images credits to Phone Arena

Read more »

Google Inadvertently Reveals the Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition

Samsung’s previous flagships smartphones and the most powerful handset in the Galaxy S family, the Galaxy S5 did not reach the level of popularity of any of the previous models.

That was probably one of the reasons Samsung did not bother to launch a Google Play Edition of the Galaxy S5, even though there were quite a few rumors pointing to this possibility. As it stands, Samsung would probably be better off with a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 GPE rather than a Galaxy S5 version. All in all, it looks like the previously rumored Google Play Edition of Galaxy S5 has just appeared at Google’s official Android website. However, don’t get your hopes high, as the smartphone merely appears in a picture that shows many other Android devices, including smartwatches and tablets.

It’s either Google using an older marketing material that shows the Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition, which might have been cut from Samsung’s roadmap, or the South Korean company indeed plans to launch the device after all. Unfortunately, the chance of Galaxy S5 getting a Google Play Edition version in the following months is slim, to say the least, especially considering the first rumors pointing to this possibility emerged back in the spring. Samsung is probably thinking how to tackle this drop in sales for its Galaxy S series and how to make Galaxy S6 more appealing to customers.

Google may have used old marketing material that include this unreleased product

The South Korean company released one Google Play Edition before and that’s the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition, which made it to market last year. Curios enough, the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition may receive the highly-anticipated Android 5.0 Lollipop update long before the Galaxy S5 might get it. Speaking of which, Google has just confirmed that all Google Play Edition smartphones that meet the necessary hardware requirement should be upgraded to Android 5.0 in the coming months. Considering Lollipop will be officially released on the market the moment Nexus 6 goes on sale in early November, Android users who own GPE smartphones should prepare for a nice surprise in about a month from now.

Although we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Samsung launching the Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition in the not so distant future, we doubt that will be the case. Here is hoping that Samsung will announce its Android 5.0 Lollipop update plans sooner rather than later. Motorola and HTC have already done it, even if partially, so a short statement from the South Korean handset maker would bode well in the eyes of consumers.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition
Image credits to Google

Read more »

Google Confirms Android 5.0 Lollipop for Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and GPE Smartphones

According to Google’s 18-month upgrade rule, devices older than that will not receive another major OS upgrade, or at least they are not guaranteed to get one.

All devices that are newer than 18 months are guaranteed to receive major OS upgrades assuming they meet the hardware requirements. Obviously, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to handset makers and carriers, but Google is doing a good job keeping the Nexus lineup up to date as quickly as possible. The same goes for all the Google Play Edition devices, which are also among the first to receive software updates courtesy to the search giant. Before Google announced the new Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system yesterday, Nexus 4 owners were scared that their smartphones won’t get the new update. Considering the Nexus 4 was launched almost two years ago, there were slim chances that Google will bother to offer a Lollipop upgrade for this old device.

Well, it looks like the impossible has just happened, as Google confirmed that Nexus 4 still qualified for a major OS upgrade, which means it will get Android 5.0 Lollipop as soon as the new OS gets released on the market. Along with the Nexus 4, Google also announced that the Nexus 5 would also receive the update, and so would the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets.

The last preview build of Android 5.0 for Nexus 5 will be released on October 17

Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system right out of the box, but they will only be available on the market in a few weeks. According to Google, Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order via Google Play Store beginning October 29 and the first shipments should start heading to customers in early November. That being said, Android 5.0 Lollipop may arrive on Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 after the newest member of the family gets released on the market, so we’re probably looking at a few days window between the moment Nexus 6 becomes available for purchase and the Lollipop update for the previous model.

It’s also worth mentioning that all Google Play Edition smartphones have been confirmed for an Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade, though Google only stated that the update would be available “in the coming weeks.” In the same piece of news, Google unveiled that the final preview build of Android 5.0 Lollipop for Nexus 5 would be launched on October 17. The factory image will be available for download via Android Developer website.

Android 5.0 Lollipop
Image credits to Google

Read more »

The Real-Life Nexus 9 Looks Really Beautiful and Sleek

If you follow the tech industry, you are probably aware that Google has just launched the highly anticipated Nexus 9 tablet.

The slate was unveiled alongside the Nexus 6 smartphone and Android 5.0 Lollipop, but albeit this being quite the roll-out, Google refrained from making the announcement during a big-fancy event, supposedly because it still has some tweaking to do on Android 5.0.

The Nexus 9 shown in real-life

So the Nexus 9 got launched by virtue of a pretty bland blog post on the search giant’s official layer. We got to see a few press renders of the device, but we all know the real-life product could turn out to look quite different. We have to recognize we are quite curios to see what the new tablet actually looks like and we can wager so are you. Well, the folks over at Tinthe were luckier than most of us, because they already managed to get their hands on two Nexus 9 models, one in white and the other one in black. Judging by the images, the Nexus 9 is quite sleek, having a pretty anorexic profile that is actually comparable with the iPad Air (we don’t know about the upcoming iPad Air 2). Visible in the photographs is the metal frame and matte plastic back cover bringing Nexus 5 vibes. You can also take a look at the Nexus’ origami keyboard folio which can be folded into two different angles and see how it interacts with the tablet per-se.

Nexus 9 spec round-up

The Nexus 9 paves two roads – for starters, it is the first Nexus device to take advantage of a 64-bit processor; secondly, is the first tab to arrive with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The tablet has an 8.9-inch display which is not too big or too small, so it can be used for productive activities and leisure related ones too. It boasts 2047 x 1536 pixel resolution and offers an atypical 4:3 aspect ratio. The product utilizes an NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor and is actually the third tablet to be launched with this chip platform inside (after the Xiaomi MiPad and NVIDIA Shield Tablet).

Nexus 9 makes use of HTC’s own BoomSound speaker technology and should be able to run up to 9 hours on a single charge. In the wake of the Nexus 9 launch, Apple is preparing to unveil its next-gen iPad Air in a few hours and it will be interesting to see how the two models stack up against each other. Images gallery below, click for larger image.

Nexus 9 in black and white

Nexus 9 top

Nexus 9 frontal camera

Nexus 9 is pretty sleek

Nexus 9 charging port

Nexus 9 new navigation buttons

Nexus 9 shows metal frame

Nexus 9 power button

Nexus 9 in white

Nexus 9 in black

Nexus 9 from the side

Nexus 9 origami cover looks like the Lenovo QuickShot one

Nexus 9 standing

Nexus 9 with stand

Nexus 9 with keyboard

Nexus 9 showing start screen

Nexus 9 in black

Nexus 9 standing

Nexus 9 with keyboard folio

Nexus 9 screen covered

Nexus 9 from the side with stand
Images credits to Tinhte

Read more »

Motorola Nexus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Specs Shootout

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is definitely the most powerful smartphone ever launched by the South Korean company, but is it powerful enough to compete with Google’s latest Nexus 6 handset?

Manufactured by Motorola, the Nexus 6 hasn’t been released on the market yet, but most of the phone’s specs have already been confirmed by the US-based company. This is a great opportunity for Android fans to make up their mind and opt for one or the other. Keep in mind though that each of these flagship smartphones comes with unique features that might or might not suit everyone’s needs.

Each comes with unique features, such as wireless charging and S Pen stylus

One such unique feature is the S Pen stylus that comes with Samsung Galaxy Note 4. On the other hand, the Nexus 6 supports wireless charging, whereas Samsung’s phablet does not. Let’s also not forget that Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a fingerprint sensor and the Nexus 6 features dual stereo speakers in the front. So, it’s each and everyone’s choice whether they want to take advantage of some of the unique features included in the Galaxy Note 4 or Nexus 6. We can only put the two giants’ specs head-to-head for everyone to weigh in which of the phablets would make a better purchase. We’re going to start with size, because when it comes to phablets, it’s important to know how big they are so you know if you will be able to carry them in your front pocket or use them with one hand.

Motorola Nexus 6 weighs 184g (battery included) and measures 159.3 x 83 x 10.1 mm, while the Galaxy Note 4 weighs only 176g and is slightly smaller and much slimmer at 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm. The reasons are pretty obvious, as Nexus 6 comes with a larger, 5.96-inch display, while the Galaxy Note 4 sports a slightly smaller, 5.7-inch display. Even though both displays have similar QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, Galaxy Note 4 benefits from Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology, while Nexus 6 packs an AMOLED screen. Each of the displays are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Both phablets are powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset

Moving on to hardware, both phablets are equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 chipset, which accommodates a 2.7GHz quad-core processor, an Adreno 420 graphics processing unit, and 3GB of RAM. Although they are packed with 32GB of internal memory, the major difference would be the fact that Nexus 6 lacks microSD card slot for memory expansion, while Galaxy Note 4 has one that allows users to further expand storage up to128GB. On the back, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 boasts an enhanced 16-megapixel photo snapper with optical image stabilization, LED flash, autofocus, and 4K video recording. On the other hand, Nexus 6 has a 13-megapixel main camera with OIS, dual-LED flash, autofocus, and 4K video recording.

Given the fact that the number of megapixels doesn’t really count when it comes to camera phones, it remains to be seen how good the pictures captured with these smartphones are the moment they get released on the market. One thing we can confirm though is that Galaxy Note 4 has a better, 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera, which is good enough for taking decent selfies. We can’t say the same thing about the Nexus 6, which packs a 2-megapixel camera in the front. Strangely enough, both smartphones are powered by 3220 mAh batteries, but Nexus 6’s is non-removable and offers 330 hours of standby time or up to 24 hours of use. Samsung has yet to confirm the Galaxy Note 4’s battery standby and talk time numbers.

Connectivity-wise, the former is compatible with HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 bands, whereas the latter lacks support for HSDPA 800 and 1700 networks. The same goes for LTE, where Nexus 6 supports just about any band: 700 / 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 / 850 / 2500. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will work on LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600. It’s also worth mentioning that Nexus 6 and the Exynos-based version of Galaxy Note 4 both come with LTE Cat.6 support, which allows for 300Mbps download speeds and 50Mbps upload speeds. Furthermore, Motorola Nexus 6 offers Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (Near Field Communication), and microUSB 2.0 (SlimPort), while Galaxy Note 4 comes with Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB 2.0 (MHL 3), NFC, and Infrared.

The Nexus 6 is the first smartphone to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop onboard

When it comes to software, the differences are even bigger, as Nexus 6 offers a clean, stock Android experience, while Galaxy Note 4 runs Samsung’s TouchWiz UX. But that’s not all, as Nexus 6 will be the first smartphone to ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system out of the box, while the Galaxy Note 4 is powered by Android 4.4.4 KitKat and is likely to remain on this version for a few months at least. After putting these giants head-to-head, which one do you think is more powerful? Or which one do you think would better fit your needs? Let us know in the comments.

Motorola Nexus 6

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Motorola Nexus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Images credits to Google

Read more »

Google Nexus 6 with Android Lollipop Officially Introduced, on Pre-Order from October 29

Google has finally taken the wraps off its newest Android flagship smartphone, the Nexus 6. As expected, the smartphone will be powered by the latest version of Google's mobile platform, which is called Android Lollipop.

It appears that Google successfully secured the Nexus 6 name after all, even though previous rumors suggested that the company faced some issues on the matter. Along with the Nexus 6 announcement, Google also introduced the new version of Android, namely Lollipop, as well as the Nexus 9 tablet manufactured by HTC. As expected, the Nexus 6 has been especially released by Google to fill a gap in its offering. Until today, the search giant did not have any device that could compete with other flagship phablet launched by other handset makers. Nexus 6 is Google's alternative to Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, as well as other phablets in the same price range.

Google new flagship smartphone boasts a huge 6-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution and 496ppi (pixel per density). On the inside, the device is armed with a powerful 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Krait 450 processor, an Adreno 440 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM.There will be two Nexus 6 variants available for purchase via Google Play Store, 32GB and 64GB. Neither of these versions will come with microSD card slot, but this was to be expected.

Google's phablet seems to be an US affair for the moment

The Nexus 6 also packs an impressive 13-megapixel f/2.0 photo snapper on the back, which features dual-LED flash, autofocus and video recording. There's also a secondary 2-megapixel front facing camera, which indicates that Google isn't too fond of selfie smartphones yet. According to Google, the Nexus 6 will be powered by a 3,220 mAh non-removable battery, which supports Turbo Charging. This will provide users with up to 6 hours of use after only 15 minutes of charging. The company also confirmed that the Nexus 6 should definitely offer 24 hours of usage, though it's unclear under what conditions. Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order in the United States beginning October. All major carriers in the country will offer the smartphone, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular.

The SIM free 32GB variant will be available for purchase via Google Play Store for $649 (€510) outright. Pre-order are scheduled to start on October 29 and shipping should commence in early November. No word on price tag for the 64GB model, but we do know Nexus 6 will come in two different color options: Midnight Blue and Cloud White.

Google Nexus 6

Google Nexus 6 (front)

Google Nexus 6 (left side)

Google Nexus 6 (front camera)

Google Nexus 6 (back camera close-up)

Google Nexus 6 (back side)
Images credits to Google

Read more »