Google's self-branded pair of flagships, the Pixel and the Pixel XL, have been enjoying the latest Android Nougat update for a month now. The same can be said for Google's older devices, with the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Pixel C also getting Google's latest OS.
What about the Nexus 6? The model has been slogging through an older software while its newer siblings are running the most recent one. This was because of a last-minute bug, according to Google. But everything's going to change now. As Google promised, the 7.1.1 update is now also available for the Nexus 6, in both full system image and over-the-air forms, although it might take a while before the official OTA appears on the device.
Nexus 6 Android 7.1.1 Nougat Update
The Nexus 6, a phone Google made in collaboration with Motorola, is now more than two years old, though it's nice that Google is at least attempting to provide the device ample regard when it comes to software updates. It remains to be seen whether Google will sustain this form of upkeep a few months down the line, since the company seems to be focusing mainly on its own Pixel brand.
With that in mind, it becomes increasingly harder to ignore the fact that older hardware, in spite of their still-capable specs, are slowly pushed out of the equation when newer phones roll in. While it's completely the company's prerogative to decide which devices get updated, it does not sit well with owners of older handsets yearning for up-to-date software support.
How To Update The Nexus 6 To Nougat 7.1.1
The factory images and OTA files are available at Google's Android developer site. Look for build N6F26Q for either the full system-wiping image or the OTA. The security patches for January are presumably stashed therewith, too. Hopefully, the official OTA rolls around soon enough so less tech-savvy Nexus 6 owners won't have to mess with the Android Debug Bridge.
Nexus 6 Specs
As a bit of a refresher, the Google Nexus 6 rocks a 5.96-inch display, boasting a Quad HD resolution, which is quite a sizable specification for a relatively old phone. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip, partnered with Adreno 420 to power the phone's graphical performance.
Inside is 3 GB of RAM and either 32 or 64 GB of internal storage. With these metrics in mind, there's no doubt that such beefy specs can definitely support Google's newest software update - even an age-old Nokia handset can run Nougat. Hopefully this won't be the last software update for the Nexus 6.
On the back of the Nexus 6 is a 13-megapixel shooter that can record 4K video at 30 fps, and on the front is a 2-megapixel shooter. We've seen phones with better front-facing cameras, but the Nexus 6 was released back in 2014; taking high-resolution selfies wasn't all the rage back then as it is today.
Will you update your Nexus 6 manually, or will you just wait for the official OTA notification from Google? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
