Nexus 6 (Nexus X) release date, specs, leaks & rumours

We've always been big fans of Google's Nexus range of smartphones. Running 'pure' Android with no other modifications, they've been a great way to get the full OS and a gateway to the latest updates. That's not even to mention that these handsets have been both extremely well priced and extremely well specced. With the Nexus 5 launching last year, we'd started to get used to having a new Google handset each year. Now, we're halfway through 2014, so where is the Nexus 6 (or Nexus X if the latest rumours are to be believed)? We round up all of the latest news to find out when we can expect the phone and its expected specs.

What have we learned from the 2nd generation Moto X?

Given that Motorola is rumoured to be manufacturing the Nexus 6, there's a good chance that there's some clues to Google's new smartphone in the high-end 2nd generation Moto X. Generally speaking, when a manufacturer is asked to make a Nexus handset, they base it on their current flagship. Taking that logic, the Nexus 6 should be similar in appearance to the new Moto X then.

The Moto X has a 5.2in screen, which the Nexus 6 has been rumoured to have; however, it has a Full HD resolution, where as the Nexus 6 may be upgraded to have a QHD (2,560x1,440) screen. We'd also expect the processor to be upgraded, as the new Moto X has a Snapdragon 801 inside. While not that old, it's not 64bit compatible and we'd assume that Google would want its latest smartphone to be able to run 64bit Android L. This should mean an upgrade to Snapdragon 808 or 810, although current rumours point to the phone having only a 32bit Snapdragon 805.

Benchmarks reveal more specs

Just after the Nexus 6 appeared on GFXBench, the same device was spotted on theAnTuTu benchmark tracker, this time under the name Google Shamu. Given that the codename was Motorola Shamu, this would appear to confirm that this handset is indeed the Nexus 6. According to AnTuTu, the handset was running Android 5 L, the unreleased operating system, which is bound to make a first appearance on a new Nexus handset. As with the GFXBench leak, the new information confirms that the handset will have a 5.2in QHD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC and 3GB of RAM.

Nexus 6 specs

Benchmark results for the Nexus 6 have leaked, comparing it to rival current-gen handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One (m8). The Nexus 6 has been benchmarked under its codename Motorola Shamu. Along with benchmark results, the leak on GFXBench also revealed full specs. The Nexus 6 will run Android 5 L, have a 5.2in 2560x1440 screen, a quad-core Qualcomm processor and 3GB of memory. It will also have 24GB of storage and a 12 megapixel rear facing camera with a 2 megapixel camera on the front.

Its rumoured Snapdragon 800 processor sees it perform almost identically to the S5, Xperia Z2, HTC One (m8) and OnePlus One. The test also suggests that the Nexus 6 will not have a QHD screen, with a 1080p resolution now most likely. In the same test the LG G3, which does have a QHD display, performed far worse in the Manhattan GFXBench test.

As reported by TechTastic, the Nexus 6 scored 714 frames at 11.5fps. By comparison the S5 scored 729 frames at 11.8, the Z2 698 frames at 11.3 and the HTC One (m8) 725 frames at 11.7. The LG G3 scored 412 frames at 6.6 frames per second. 

One feature we expect the Nexus 6 to carry over from the Nexus 5 (and Nexus 4), is wireless charging. With the official Nexus Wireless Charger (or third-party compatible docks), you can simply place your phone on the flat surface and have it charge up without having to plug in any cables. It's quick and convenient and, given that Google's obviously invested time and money into the technology, we don't think that it's something that the company would remove. We expect the Nexus 6 to be compatible with the existing charging dock, too, rather than requiring a completely new product.

Nexus 6 will be Motorola phablet

Google always picks a technology partner to manufacture its Nexus products and the Nexus 6 will be no exception. Knowing who will manufacture is important, as the Nexus line usually has a lot in common with that company's current high-end smartphone. LG manufactured the Nexus 5, so the smart money said that it would manufacture the Nexus 6, basing it on the LG G3.

However, it looks as though this assumption was wrong. According to AndroidPolice, Motorola is working on a new phablet codenamed Shamu, presumably after the famed Sea World killer whale. The phablet was recently named as the Nexus X by US retailer Best Buy after a pre-order listing spotted by Tktechnewsblog, so it's possible that this could actually be the new Nexus 6 after all. 

The Best Buy listing also revealed a few more specs for the device. It confirmed that the phone will have a 5.9in display, but added that it will have a 2,560x1,440 resolution and a 2.7GHz quad-core processor (most likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 overclocked to 2.7GHz) and be available with 4G. It doesn't mention anything about a fingerprint sensor as previously reported, and it didn't mention anything about storage capacity either. 

Of course, the big question is, is the Shamu the Nexus 6? Some of the evidence seems to suggest that it is. First, with a 5.9in screen, the name Nexus 6 makes sense, both from a version and display size point of view. Obviously, Google can't keep increasing screen size with version numbers, as it has in the past with the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, but it would work this time around.

Next, a device with the same codename has appeared in the Google IssueTracker, which lets developers track bugs, tech support, development requests and other issues. This means that the handset has most likely been around for a while in development. Finally, a November launch in the US seems likely, which would tie in with the launch of Android L 5.0, as we'd expect for a new Nexus.

Nexus 6 release date

We're used to smartphone manufacturers being a little tricksy when it comes to their latest handsets, doing everything they can to hide the existence of a new phone until they're ready for launch. With the Nexus 6, Google and LG (the rumoured manufacturer) have gone out of their way to flatly deny the phone's existence or of it ever happening.

Back at MWC 2014, Google’s Sundar Pichai stated that there would be no Nexus 6 handset in the first half of 2014. That was fair enough and seemed to be stating the obvious. After all the Nexus 4 was announced in October 2012 and came out in November; the Nexus 5 was announced in October 2013 and came out in November.

Then it appeared as though there would be no phone at all, with the Android Silver programme set to take over the line. Rather than Google designing and making a handset with one manufacturer, Android Silver is a programme where Google will collaborate with multiple handset manufacturers, helping them design a smartphone that delivers the premium Android experience. With marketing incentives and subsidies it looked as though the days of Nexus were over, but at least we had some new high-end smartphones to look out for.

So, we put away all of the Nexus 6 rumours and thought no more of it. Then, all of a sudden Google spoke up and said it wasn't getting rid of Nexus as all. Talking to ReadWrite, Dave Burke, the head of Android engineering and the Nexus line at Google, "People just get excited by concepts and forget why we do things. We are still invested in Nexus."

In other words, it's game on. We should point out at this point that that just because the Nexus line isn't over, that the Nexus 6 is on its way. It's entirely possible that Google was alluding to a new tablet, the Nexus 8. Given all of the information about the Shamu phone floating around, we think that we may get both a new tablet and handset this year. Given that Android 5 L is due to launch later in the year, it should mean that we see the Nexus 6 around late October/early November.

Nexus 6 design

If the Nexus 6 is manufactured by Motorola, as seems likely, then it would make sense for the phone to look materially similar to the Moto X. However, with no leaked shots or further information, we just don't have anything to go on at the moment. More recently, some sites have wondered if Google leaked the Nexus 6 in a Tweet announcing a new feature of Android. You can see the image below, but we can categorically state that Google did not leak the Nexus 6, this is just two stock photos.

Taking the picture and running it through a Google image search (which takes all of 10 seconds to do) reveals the background is taken from Shutterstock - an online image library where anyone can buy high resolution pictures for commercial use. The Shutterstock image has nothing to do with phones whatsoever, but instead shows some disembodied hands reaching for a pack of cheese.