A new report claims that Google and Motorola are partnering on a new Nexus smartphone, which is expected to be the Nexus 6. The handset is codenamed 'Shamu' and will feature a 5.9-inch display.
When Google released its first Nexus smartphone in 2010, the company partnered with HTC on the Nexus One. The handset quickly became popular among Android fans because it had a sleek design, ran stock Android 2.1 Eclair with no manufacturer or carrier modifications, and was guaranteed to receive timely Android updates directly from Google.
Google decided to spread the wealth to other Android licensees and partnered with Samsung on its next two Nexus smartphones, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus S was released in December 2010 and was the first device to feature Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was released in December 2011 and was the launch device for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The new OS included a major redesign to its user interface and tons of new features.
LG was Google's choice in manufacturing the Nexus 4, which was released in November 2012. The smartphone brought impressive specs to Google's latest flagship Nexus and featured a 4.7-inch HD display, powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor, wireless charging capabilities out of the box, and was the first device to ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Google and LG paired up once again and released Google's current top-of-the-line handset in October 2013, the Nexus 5. It was the first smartphone to run Android 4.4 KitKat and was based off of the LG G2.
A new report from Android Police claims that Google will once again go with a new Android licensee to build what is reportedly the Nexus 6. The site says that Motorola will manufacture the smartphone, which has been codenamed "Shamu" and follows Google's current "sea-faring" naming convention for next-generation Nexus devices. We reported in early June that Google and HTC were working on a tablet codenamed "Flounder," which is expected to feature a 64-bit processor and possibly the first Nexus device to ship with Android L.
The Motorola "Shamu" will reportedly feature a phablet-sized 5.9-inch display and like Apple and Samsung's flagship smartphones, the Nexus 6 will ship with a built-in fingerprint scanner for security. The site claims the smartphone has a possible November release date and will be targeted at all major U.S. carriers.
As always, it's best to take reports of unannounced devices with a grain of salt. We'll keep our eyes and ears open for any new Motorola Nexus 6 "Shamu" information.
