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Nexus 6

Front view
Developer	Google and Motorola Mobility
Manufacturer	Motorola Mobility
Type	Smartphone
Series	Google Nexus
First released	November 2014
Discontinued	December 9, 2015
Predecessor	Nexus 5
Successor	Nexus 6P Moto X Style (for Moto X Pro, China Only)
Related	Moto X (2nd generation) and Nexus 9
Compatible networks	2G/3G/4G LTE GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz Model XT1103 (Americas): CDMA band class: 0/1/10 WCDMA bands: 1/2/4/5/8 LTE bands: 2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/29/41 CA DL bands: B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-29, B4-B5, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29 Model XT1100 (International): WCDMA bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/9/19 LTE bands: 1/3/5/7/8/9/19/20/28/41 CA DL bands: B3-B5, B3-B8
Form factor	Phablet
Dimensions	159.26 mm (6.270 in) H 82.98 mm (3.267 in) W 3.8–10.06 mm (0.150–0.396 in) curve
Weight	184 g (6.5 oz)
Operating system	Original: Android 5.0 "Lollipop" Last: Android 7.1.1 "Nougat"
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
CPU	Qualcomm 2.7 GHz quad-core Krait 450
GPU	Adreno 420
Memory	3 GB of LPDDR3 RAM
Storage	32 GB or 64 GB
Removable storage	Not available
Battery	Non-removable 3.8 V 12.2 Wh (3,220 mAh), Qi wireless charging, turbo charging
Rear camera	Sony IMX214 Exmor R CMOS 13 MP 1/3.06" (1.12-um pixels) with OIS, f/2.0 aperture and dual LED ring flash
Front camera	2 MP, 1.4 μm
Display	5.96 in (151 mm) 16∶9 PenTile RGBG AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 (QHD) @ 493 ppi, scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 capacitive touchscreen
Sound	Dual front facing stereo speakers, 3.5 mm headphone jack with 4 button headset compatibility
Connectivity	Micro USB, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 (MIMO), Nano-SIM
Data inputs	Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen
Codename	Shamu
Other	Notifications LED (requires root access)
Website	https://www.google.com/nexus/6 at the Wayback Machine (archived September 28, 2015)

The Nexus 6 (codenamed Shamu) is a phablet co-developed by Google and Motorola Mobility that runs the Android operating system. It is the successor to the Nexus 5, and the sixth smartphone in the Google Nexus series, which is a family of Android consumer devices marketed by Google and built by an original equipment manufacturer partner. The Nexus 6 and the HTC Nexus 9 served as the launch devices for Android 5.0 "Lollipop".

The Nexus 6's design and hardware is very similar to that of the second-generation Moto X, which was released around the same time, with the Nexus 6 being enlarged with higher specifications.

Release

The Nexus 6 was unveiled on October 15, 2014, with pre-order availability since October 29, 2014, and a delivery date in early November. Off-contract pricing in the United States was US$649 for the 32 GB model and US$699 for the 64 GB model. The Nexus 6 was available through Google Play Store, Motorola Mobility, Best Buy, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless in the United States.

In November 2014, availability was announced for 12 other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The AT&T version is SIM-locked, with tethering disabled until a fee is paid to enable it, and comes with custom ringtones.

On January 26, 2015, Motorola (now a subsidiary of Chinese firm Lenovo) announced that a similar device would be released in China, named Moto X Pro; it excludes Google services and applications, but still runs a similarly stock version of Android.

On April 22, 2015, it was announced that the Nexus 6 would be the only phone then supported by Google's new Project Fi venture.

Following the September 2015 release of the Nexus 6's successor, the Nexus 6P, Google stopped selling the Nexus 6 on the Play Store in December 2015. Google has a stated policy of at least two years of software updates and three years (or 18 months after the last sale date on the Play Store, whichever is longer) of security updates. The Nexus 6 had guaranteed software updates through October 2016 and security patches through October 2017; however, Google announced that the Nexus 6 would receive the Android 7.1 update. This update was initially expected in December 2016, but it was delayed until January 5, 2017 due to a "last minute bug". In January 2017, Google announced that the Nexus 6, along with the Nexus 9 tablet, would not receive the 7.1.2 Nougat update, making 7.1.1 the last major software update from Google themselves; however, the phone was to continue to receive monthly security patches while retaining the last major Android version received until October 2017.

Specifications

Hardware

The Nexus 6 is powered by a 2.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor with 3 GB of RAM, and either 32 or 64 GB of internal storage. It features a 3220 mAh battery with quick charging technology that promises to deliver six hours of operation after 15 minutes of charging. The Nexus 6 uses a 5.96-inch (marketed as six-inch) QHD AMOLED PenTile (RGBG) display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels (493 PPI), and includes a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), surrounded by a dual LED flash ring, and a two-megapixel camera on front.

Like its predecessor, the Nexus 6 does not have a microSD card slot, a removable battery, or an FM radio receiver/transmitter.

The Nexus 6's hardware supports USB On-The-Go for storage devices, the functionality was originally disabled by software but was enabled in later Android updates.

Variants

Software

The Nexus 6 was Google's first phone to launch with HDR+. HDR+ which takes a burst of shots with short exposures, selectively aligning the sharpest shots and averaging them using computational photography techniques. Short exposures avoids blur, blowing out highlights and averaging multiple shots reduces noise. HDR+ is similar to lucky imaging used in astrophotography. HDR+ is processed on the Qualcomm Hexagon DSP.

The Nexus 6 was released with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The Nexus 6 was the first Android device to have integrated IMS WiFi calling on T-Mobile, which was issued via an OTA update. WiFi Calling on T-Mobile's network has existed since 2007, although this is the first time native WiFi calling has been integrated into the core of Android. Previously T-Mobile offered WiFi calling on select Android handsets using software from Kineto Wireless.

In September 2015, Android 5.1.1 was rolled out to the Nexus 6, containing a fix for the Stagefright bug.

In November 2015, Nexus 6 started receiving Android 6.0 Marshmallow update across the world. The following month, the Nexus 6 became one of the first devices to get the Android 6.0.1 update.

On August 22, 2016, Android 7.0 Nougat began rolling out to several supported Nexus devices; however the one for Nexus 6 was delayed. Weeks after the official roll-out, Google stated that the Nexus 6 release would come "in the coming weeks." Nougat was eventually released for the Nexus 6 on October 3, 2016, 6 weeks after the official Nougat release. There has been no official statement on what caused the delay.

On October 11, 2016, Google officially announced Android 7.1 Nougat after it had been debuted with the Google Pixel release the week before. This announcement confirmed that the Nexus 6, along with other supported devices, would receive Android 7.1 in early December. On December 5, 2016, Google announced the official release of Android 7.1.1 Nougat with most supported Google devices receiving the update; however, the Nexus 6 was not included. On December 27, 2016, Google told Android Police that a "last minute bug" was discovered and will delay the update until "early January". Google officially released Android 7.1.1 for the Nexus 6 on January 5, 2017.

Reception

Matt Swider from TechRadar wrote: "Nexus 6 proves that Google's Nexus program is not only far from dead, it's alive and kicking with a powerful 6-inch phablet that runs its latest Android software. It's bigger than the Note 4, but not better." The Nexus 6 was given 4.5 out of 5 stars in the TechRadar review.

Known issues

• Some devices delivered through AT&T had a bug that causes the devices to boot to a black screen. AT&T will replace these defective units.
• Devices with Sprint SIM cards experience issues with receiving calls.
• Some devices have an issue that causes the phone's back panel to come off. The issue may be due to the glue used for the back panel or the expanding battery pack that could be a fire hazard. Motorola is offering replacements for affected devices.
• It is heard that Google is downgrading Nexus 6 phones from Android 7.1.1 to 7.0 for unknown reason.
• The Nexus logo on the back of a device is known to peel off.

See also

• Comparison of Google Nexus smartphones

References

1. "Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices - Google APIs for Android - Google Developers". Google Developers.
2. ^ "Nexus 6 Teardown". iFixit. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
3. "Nexus 6".
4. Brandon Chester. "AnandTech - The Nexus 6 Review". anandtech.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
5. "The Nexus 6 has a secret LED, but it doesn't show notifications — Tech News and Analysis". Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
6. Kristin Mariano (October 23, 2014). "Nexus 6 pre-order date Oct. 29 with November delivery date; Sprint, Verizon, AT&, T-Mobile and US Cellular". Christian Today. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
7. "Nexus 6 from Google and Motorola Mobility". Motorola.
8. Cory Gunther (March 11, 2015). "Verizon Nexus 6 Release Date Confirmed". Gotta Be Mobile.
9. John. "Google Nexus 6 Launching Soon In India For Rs. 44000". Times News, UK News, Times News UK, UK News Magazine, Health Magazine UK. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
10. "Nexus 6 to be available in 12 additional countries". Phone Horn.
11. "Nexus 6 Problems Plague Release Of Google's Latest Android Flagship". International Business Times. November 22, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
12. "Motorola returns to China with launch of Moto X, Moto X Pro, and Moto G". The Verge. Vox Media. January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
13. "Motorola returns to China with the Moto X Pro, a repackaged Nexus 6". Engadget. AOL. January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
14. Dougherty, Conor (April 22, 2015). "Google Introduces Wireless Service Called Project Fi". The New York Times – via www.nytimes.com.
15. "Google is done selling the Nexus 6". December 8, 2015.
16. "Check & update your Android version - Nexus Help". support.google.com.
17. ^ "Coming soon: Android 7.1 Developer Preview".
18. ^ "Android 7.1.1 image and OTA files finally available for the Nexus 6". January 5, 2017.
19. "Bugs push Android 7.1.1 update for Nexus 6 to early Jan 2017". December 27, 2016.
20. "Nexus 6 And Nexus 9 Will Not Get Android 7.1.2 Nougat, Confirms Google". February 2, 2017.
21. "Nexus 6 Delivers 6 Hours of Battery Life With 15 Minutes of Charging: Google". October 16, 2014.
22. "Snapdragon Processors With Quick Charge Technology - Qualcomm". Qualcomm. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
23. "HDR+: Low Light and High Dynamic Range photography in the Google Camera App". Google AI Blog. October 27, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
24. "Introducing the HDR+ Burst Photography Dataset". Google AI Blog. February 12, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
25. "Nexus 6 Will Support T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling Following OTA Update Early 2015". Android Police. October 15, 2014.
26. "Money-Saving Cell Phones Do Voice Over Wi-Fi". PC World. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
27. "UMA Comes To T-Mobile Androids… Almost!". Gigaom. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
28. "Nexus 6 Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update news". AndroidPIT. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
29. Lestoc, Costea (November 9, 2015). "Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9 With Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update Status". BLORGE. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
30. "Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Update for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, and Nexus 9: Availability". Android Geeks. December 22, 2015. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
31. "Google says Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 LTE Nougat updates will be rolling out "in the coming weeks"". September 14, 2016.
32. "[Finally] Nexus 6 gets official Android 7.0 Nougat with October 5th security patch". October 3, 2016.
33. "A sweet update to Nougat: Android 7.1.1". December 5, 2016.
34. "Android 7.1.1 released for Pixel and (most) Nexus devices". December 5, 2016.
35. Matt Swider. "Google Nexus 6 review". TechRadar. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
36. "First in line to order a Nexus 6? AT&T has a BRICK for you". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
37. "[Bug Watch] Nexus 6 Devices With Sprint SIM Cards Are Having Issues Receiving Calls". Android Police. January 13, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
38. "Users Report Defective Nexus 6 Plastic Back Cover Falling Off Unglued". Tech Times. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
39. "Google is sending the Android 7.0 OTA update to Nexus 6 phones running 7.1.1". Android Police. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
40. "Nexus 6 logo peeling off? No problemo, watch Dom fix it (because Motorola won't)". Phone Arena. Retrieved September 26, 2017.

External links

• Media related to Nexus 6 at Wikimedia Commons
• Motorola
• Nexus 6 – official site (archived)

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