Google Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 Unleashed

Next to the release of Android Lollipop Google is announcing the new Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop of course. Armed with almost a 6-inch display, the Nexus 6 is easily one of the biggest smartphones on the planet.

The Nexus 6’s hardware this round comes from Motorola, and yeah the handset looks rather similar to Motorola’s own Moto X phone. The Nexus’ 5.9-inch display has a 2560 × 1440 pixel resolution. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 comes with a 5.7-inch, 2560 × 1440 resolution screen, while Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display with a 1920 × 1080 pixel resolution. Nexus 6 will also include Qualcomm’s brand-spanking-new Snapdragon 805 processor, which means that the handset should be both fast and power efficient. There’s also a 13-megapixel rear camera with a circular flash ring and front-facing dual speakers.

The Nexus 6 will come packing a 3,220-mAh battery; Google claims you’ll get more than 24 hours of battery life from a full charge. What’s more, Google is including a fast charging cable that the company says will give you up to six hours of power in just 15 minutes of charging.

The Nexus 6 will start at $649, though Google has said each of the big-four U.S. carriers will also offer the handset with a standard two-year contract. Pricing with a two-year contract has yet to be announced.

Nexus 9
Google has also announced its new HTC-made Nexus 9 tablet. The second big-screen tablet to come from the company, following the Nexus 10, the Nexus 9 packs an 8.9-inch display with a 2048 × 1536 resolution.The Nexus 9 starts at just $399, the same price as Apple’s previous-generation iPad, and $100 less than the iPad Air. Preorders for the Nexus 9 begin Oct. 17.

Nexus Player
Beyond the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 tablet, Google has also revealed its new Nexus Player set-top box. The player takes dead aim at Amazon’s new Fire TV, Apple’s Apple TV box, and the Roku 3 streaming player. The Nexus Player, which is shaped like a hockey puck, is manufactured by ASUS and features a remote with a voice search button (hello, Fire TV) and a game controller. Google’s Nexus Player also boasts a variety of streaming options including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and, of course, Google’s own Play store, from which you can download movies and TV shows. The Nexus Player will be available in November for $99.