Google Nexus

The recessed Motorola logo was originally going to be a fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint reader widely rumored before the launch of the Nexus 6 was indeed part of the plan, confirmed former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside. Speaking to the Telegraph, Woodside said that the dimple on the back of the handset was originally intended to be a fingerprint reader, but they were stymied by Apple’s purchase of biometrics company AuthenTec back in 2012.

Indeed, the 6-inch Nexus 6, he can now admit, was stymied by just one of those big players. A dimple on the back that helps users hold the device should, in fact, have been rather more sophisticated. “The secret behind that is that it was supposed to be fingerprint recognition, and Apple bought the best supplier. So the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren’t there yet,” says Woodside.

It’s believed a fingerprint reader was included in internal prototypes, before it was abandoned. Woodside’s comments provide the explanation, Motorola originally intending to buy or license the sensor from AuthenTec. Motorola of course pioneered the smartphone fingerprint reader with the “Atrix” in 2012.

Nexus 6 launches in UK on O2 while T-Mobile Nexus 9 launch reportedly delayed

Stephen Hall Dec 4 2014 - 8:28 am PT

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The launches of Google’s new Nexus devices have been kind of a mess to say the least, and while more people have gotten the opportunity to purchase them because they’re being launched on more carriers, this also means that the rollout wasn’t as simple as just listing them on Google Play. But as of today, some amount of progress is being made, and those in the UK now have a chance to get their hands on the Nexus 6 via O2. Sadly, though, the launch of the Nexus 9 on T-Mobile in the U.S. has hit a bit of a snag, being delayed for an unknown amount of time.

Google Nexus 9 review (Video)

Dom Esposito Nov 3 2014 - 10:00 am PT

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new tablet from Google. The Nexus 7 was released in 2013, but Google’s large format Nexus 10 has been growing old since its debut in late 2012. Well, the Nexus 9 seems to be a happy medium between the previous releases, and like it or not, it’s here to replace both of them.

Android tablets haven’t always offered the greatest experience when compared to smartphones, but there’s one word that perfectly describes the change this market needed: Lollipop. In my opinion, Android 5.0 is the best thing that has happened to the tablet space in a while, and the Nexus 9 is the first place you’ll officially get to see it in action. That being said, there are a lot of factors aside from a pure software experience that make the Nexus 9 a great device.

Welcome to our full review of the HTC-made Google Nexus 9. Has Google made a triumphant return to the tablet space, or is this just something to tide you over until another company steps up to the plate? Let’s go ahead and find out…

AT&T outs its Nexus 6 variant, possible cost of $49.99 on contract

Chance Miller Oct 14 2014 - 8:05 pm PT

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Earlier today it was reported that Google would finally unveil the Nexus 6 for all to see tomorrow, October 15th. Thanks a variety of leaks, including one of our own, we already know almost everything about it except for pricing and carrier availability. This evening, however, AT&T appears to have inadvertently outed the device on its website, revealing some of that information.

Report: Google to announce Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 tomorrow, retail availability in November

Chance Miller Oct 14 2014 - 9:36 am PT

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According to a new report out of Forbes, Google will announce both the Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus 6 smartphone tomorrow. The report claims that Google had originally planned to hold an event for the devices, but decided it against it due to it wanting to continue to fine tweak Android “L” until the last-minute. Instead, both of the devices will be announced via a blog post.

Nexus 9 image (up)leaks, now all we need is a launch event and a price tag

Seth Weintraub Oct 6 2014 - 3:41 am PT

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Just this weekend the Nexus 9 walted its way through the FCC and now the HTC-built Nexus tablet is making the leaked image rounds. Interestingly, the back material looks similar to that of the rubber on the Samsung-built Nexus 10 which is now 2 years old.

Together with the Nexus 6/X, which is also making the rumor rounds including our own exclusives and some new Benchmarks, we’re expecting a launch event in the next week or so. Stay tuned.
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Motorola rumored to be developing phablet-sized Nexus device w/ Google as it transitions to Lenovo

Chance Miller Jul 28 2014 - 1:09 pm PT

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Over the weekend, a report was published claiming that Google and Motorola were working together on a 5.9-inch Nexus device codenamed the Shamu. This afternoon, The Information published a separate report corroborating this weekend’s source.

Motorola and Google reportedly developing a 5.9-inch Nexus phone codenamed ‘Shamu’

Chance Miller Jul 26 2014 - 12:02 pm PT

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The fate of Google’s Nexus line of devices has been up in the air for several months now, with LG saying it is not working on a device for it and Android Silver reportedly taking over its role. At Google I/O last month, however, Googler David Burke confirmed that the company is still heavily interested in the Nexus line of devices. Rumors have also recently circulated that HTC is working on a 9-inch Nexus tablet dubbed the Volantis. Now, Android Police is reporting that Google and Motorola are working on a device codenamed Shamu.

Android smartphone and tablet screen mirroring to Chromecast now rolling out

Chance Miller Jul 9 2014 - 9:52 am PT

At I/O last month, Google announced that Android users would soon have the ability to mirror their device’s screen to their TV via a Chromecast. Today, thanks to an update to the Chromecast app, the feature is finally live. In a post on the official Android Blog, Google explained that the feature is still in beta and warned users not to be alarmed if it didn’t work properly 100% of the time.

Google exec says Nexus program isn’t going away, Android Silver won’t interfere

Chance Miller Jun 26 2014 - 4:48 pm PT

For several months now we’ve been hearing rumors that Google’s new Android Silver program was going to replace the Nexus line of devices. This, of course, caused some uproar among the stock Android faithful. David Burke, head of Android engineering and the Nexus program at Google, spoke out in an interview today to put those rumors to rest. Speaking to Read Write, Burke said that people are simply getting excited about the concept of something new (Android Silver) and forgetting about Google’s reasons for the Nexus line in the first place.

“People just get excited by concepts and forget why we do things. We are still invested in Nexus,” he said. “People have been commenting about Nexus because there is something else and they think that means the end of Nexus. That is the totally wrong conclusion to make.”

The HTC ‘Volantis’ is the company’s 8.9-inch aluminum Nexus tablet

Chance Miller Jun 22 2014 - 4:57 pm PT

The fate of the Nexus line of devices has been up in the air for sometime now due to rumors of the Android Silver program and an LG executive saying that his company had no plans on manufacturing the next Nexus device. Android Police, however, has now published information regarding an upcoming Nexus tablet. According to the report, Google and HTC have teamed up to develop the next Nexus tablet, dubbed the Volantis. The device has an 8.9-inch screen and looks to potentially replace the Nexus 10.

Google releases Android 4.4.4 factory images for Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10

Chance Miller Jun 19 2014 - 3:38 pm PT

In what comes as somewhat of a surprising move, Google has just posted Android 4.4.4 factory image for several Nexus devices. The release comes not too long after 4.4.3 was rolled out. Android 4.4.3 was a highly antipciated release that we saw several leaks of, but 4.4.4 comes as a surprise.

LG exec says the company is not making the next Nexus phone

Chance Miller Jun 18 2014 - 8:21 am PT

According to an interview done by LG’s director of communications Ken Hong with a Dutch news outlet (via Phone Arena), the company currently has no plans on making the next Nexus device. LG, of course, made both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 devices, but Hong says that the company is not making the next Nexus device, “at least not yet.”

Android Silver reportedly launching in February 2015, will replace Nexus program

Chance Miller May 17 2014 - 11:52 am PT

We first heard about Google’s new “Android Silver” program back in April. The service will reportedly be centered around the idea of providing support to customers after they purchase their Android device, including things like 24/7 live support and a new “Never Lost” feature, reminiscent of the iOS Find my iPhone feature. A later report also detailed that Google would partner with Android device manufacturers for the service, perhaps as early as early 2015.

Leaked photos show claimed early Motorola smartwatch prototype

Ben Lovejoy Feb 26 2014 - 4:34 am PT

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A day after Motorola revealed that it is working on a smartwatch for release later this year, Android Police posted low-resolution photos of what it says is an early prototype from some point last year. The unnamed source claims that the watch was code-named Gem but known to the development team as the Google Watch.

With Motorola having now parted company from Google, and Google believed to be working on an LG-made Nexus-branded smartwatch to be announced next month and launched at Google I/O in June, the one certainty is that this device won’t be launched as the Google Watch …
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Verizon-certified Nexus 7 finally arrives at stores, likely to go on sale within a few days

Ben Lovejoy Feb 10 2014 - 7:14 am PT

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Update: It’s official:

[tweet https://twitter.com/vzwnews/status/432969002441129984]

DroidLife is reporting that the Verizon version of the Nexus 7 has finally received its certification, and that stocks of the device are currently in the back-room storage areas of at least some Verizon stores.

Yesterday, we received word from sources that the Nexus 7 had finally received certification from Verizon and would be sold through the carrier as early as February 13. We also saw some cases for the device, with Verizon branding, arrive in stores for the launch. Today, we are now seeing the actual device hit back storage rooms of stores, but reps are told that it can’t be sold just yet …
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Sketchy rumor suggests Google to launch 8-inch Nexus tablet at the end of April

Ben Lovejoy Feb 7 2014 - 5:23 am PT

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DigiTimes, a site whose supply-chain-based rumors have a rather variable record of reliability, claims that Asustek is working on a new 8-inch Nexus, to replace the Nexus 7 at the end of April.

Google is no stranger to the form factor having just recently Play-editioned the LG 8.2″ G Pad which has gotten some stellar reviews.

It’s suggested that Google feels the 7-inch market is too crowded, especially with 5- and 6-inch phablets cannibalising some of the 7-inch market …
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Smartphone sales expected to fall for the first time in two years

Ben Lovejoy Jan 17 2014 - 5:18 am PT

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TrendForce is predicting that total worldwide smartphone sales will fall by around five percent in the first quarter of this year. If so, this will be the first fall in two years.

It doesn’t mean demand for smartphones is actually dropping, but rather than the upward trend has slowed to the point that the seasonal effect – people buying smartphones as holiday gifts – is now bigger than the overall growth rate.

Samsung and Apple of course maintain their lead, though Sony saw significant growth in its home territory of Japan, and LG’s share grew 57 percent year-on-year to a 4.2 percent market share thanks largely to sales of the Nexus handsets it makes for Google.

Via re/code

Review: Moto G – The Google Global Game Changer

Seth Weintraub Dec 13 2013 - 12:21 pm PT

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When I wrote for Fortune in 2010 that inexpensive hardware would allow Android to ‘take over the world’, the concept of smartphones that were priced only slightly above feature phones was just starting to take hold. Fast forward three years and Android has by some accounts cleared 80% of the world smartphone market. The low end of that Android spectrum, with the exception of a few mediocre handsets (LG’s Optimus line comes to mind), has been, frankly, a mess.

Today there is a truly great, inexpensive Android phone that costs less than $200 unsubsidized, and it is made by Google’s Motorola division. I’ve tested the Moto G for the past week and a half and I love it. It could easily replace any high end handset on a day to day basis in terms of speed and functionality. The one caveat being the camera is mediocre, but still functional.

I’ll rundown the specs, but the important thing to consider is the price and positioning of Google (and believe me, this is a Google phone, not an old Motorola one).

The $179/$199 8GB/16GB Motorola G comes with a 4.5-inch 720P display, which isn’t the best by any means, but it also isn’t far from the best out there. I’ve argued for awhile that you can’t hardly make out the difference between 720P and 1080P on a display without some very close inspection. Even those with sub 20/20 vision don’t notice much day to day.

The G has a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor which falls along the same lines: Not the best, but not far from it. It is a little heavier than what I’d now expect from a 4.5-inch display phone, but that heft is largely because of the all day 2,070 mAh battery.

This thing looks and behaves like a flagship Nexus phone…from last year – all the way down to the hardly-touched Android 4.3 interface. Motorola has promised some form of 4.4 Kitkat by the end of next month. With the veracity that they’ve been updating their Moto X handsets, I have little doubt that it will get done.

But what does this all mean? Why this phone at this price? Why now?
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How Google reconfigured the Nexus 4 to optimize KitKat for the world

David Beren Nov 27 2013 - 5:58 am PT

A new report courtesy of the folks at ReadWrite is shining light on the steps and process Google’s engineers undertook to optimize Android 4.4 KitKat before its introduction to the world.

As Google’s engineers believed they reached a “feature parity” point, they turned their attention to performance and optimization, something that began with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and “Project Butter.” The hope was that Android would be faster, more reliable and devoid of the crashes that plagued many Android users.

Android 4.4 KitKat rolling out today to old and new Nexus 7, Nexus 10 (Nexus 4, 3G Nexus 7 soon)

Mark Gurman Nov 12 2013 - 6:02 pm PT

Google has announced that the new Android KitKat operating system will begin rolling out to Google’s own tablets starting today. The rollout process will likely be completed over a period of time. Android 4.4 will be reaching the Nexus 7 (both last year’s model and this year’s new model) and the Nexus 10. KitKat brings several improvements to Android, including changes to Google Now, SMS integration with Hangouts, and general performance enhancements. Google says KitKat for the Nexus 4 and cellular-enabled Nexus 7 is coming soon.

T-Mobile’s Nexus 5 arrives Nov. 14 online, Nov. 20 in-stores for $450

Jordan Kahn Nov 8 2013 - 12:35 pm PT

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Today T-Mobile has made things official for availability and pricing on Google’s recently launched Nexus 5. Arriving for online orders Nov. 14 and in stores on Nov. 20, T-Mobile will be offering the 16GB Nexus 5 for $41.99 down with its usual monthly payments of $17. That brings the total cost of the device on T-Mobile up to $450, around $50 more than Google charges for the 32GB model and $100 more than the 16GB model on Google Play. That’s not unusual, however. Google has long subsidized the cost of its Nexus devices sold through Google Play.
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Results on Nexus 5 camera poll: Perhaps not as bad as (over 20,000) people thought

Seth Weintraub Nov 7 2013 - 11:06 am PT

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The results from our Nexus 5 vs. iPhone 5s photo quality survey are in. The winner is probably not a surprise (the iPhone 5s) but the margin may have been a bit of a surprise after so many people rated the Nexus 5 camera so poorly (and Google subsequently offered promises of fixes).

At the time we turned on the answers, the iPhone won about 55% of the votes overall from over 200,000 votes placed.

Nexus 5 − 89724 (45%)

iPhone 5S – 110828 (55%)

After testing the Nexus 5 camera for a few days, it is pretty clear that it isn’t the best shooter out there, and even the best Android shooter. But it also isn’t that bad. In fact, I think it might be a bit better than other high profile phones like the MotoX. The weaknesses in the survey and in my own testing is in speed (it is slow, especially in low light), Low light images in general weren’t great and paradoxically over-exposure outside in well lit situations (though people in the survey seemed to appreciate that bias) seemed to happen frequently with the Nexus 5.

The bottom line however is that the Nexus 5 camera isn’t the best but it really isn’t that bad – especially for a $350 phone. Full results before we turned on the labels below:
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Nexus 7 won’t be allowed on Verizon LTE until KitKat rolls, “systems issue” blamed

Ben Lovejoy Nov 7 2013 - 6:04 am PT