This has been a very eventful week. We’ve seen new devices from both Apple and Google, including the all new software from both of these tech giants. So let’s go ahead and run through everything that happened this week in technology.
First of all, Google released the all-new Android 5.0 operating system dubbed Android Lollipop. Android Lollipop is one of the biggest software updates for Android as it features a new Material Design UI, which basically combines visual, motion and interactive design all into one complete elegant, smooth looking OS. This new OS will begin rolling to mini, mid, and high-end smartphones in the coming months but Google has released two of their own devices, which will be the first to run the all-new operating system.
The first device announced was the Nexus 9, a tablet made by HTC and designed by Google. It has an 8.9-inch 2K resolution display, an NVIDIA Tegra K1 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM, an 8MP camera and a large 6700mAh battery. It also features a brushed metallic design and a very slim profile and it just looks absolutely beautiful. It starts at $399 for the 16GB variant.
The other Nexus device announced was the Nexus 6, a large 6-inch phablet of a phone made by Motorola and designed by Google. It features a large 5.96-inch 2560x1440 QHD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor, Adreno 420 GPU, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP camera and a 3220mAh battery. So there’s no question this is a beast of a phone. It’s specked out to the max. The only real criticism it’s receiving so far is its size, which is rather large due to the 6-inch display. The good news is that it’ll be coming to all four major carriers in the US including Verizon. But if you’re looking to buy off-contract, it’ll set you back $650. Both the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will once again run the all-new Android Lollipop operating system. So if you’re looking for a fast stock Android experience, then look no further than these two devices.
And if you’re a fan of Chromecast and are looking for the next best thing, Google has you covered as they have released the Nexus Player, which is essentially a Chromecast box that can play games and run a very simplified UI but has access to various media related apps. It’ll cost $99 and will compete directly with the Apple TV.
The other news this week comes from Apple as Apple has released several new iPads and computers and even software. The new iPad 2 was announced this Thursday and it features a new A8X chip making it 40% faster than its predecessor. It’s also the thinnest iPad to date, measuring in at a crazy 6.1mm thin. And it’ll start at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. The other iPad announced was the iPad Mini 3, which is basically the same as the last iPad Mini 2 except with the addition of the Touch ID sensor. It is available in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold and will start at $399. Apple has also said that Apple Pay will be available for all the new portable devices starting this Monday so stay tuned for that.
If you’re a fan of Mac computers, Apple has refreshed the all new iMac and Mac Mini lineup of devices. The new Retina iMac was announced and it will feature a 5K 27-inch Retina display, a 5120x2880 resolution which is 7 times as many pixels as you’d find in a high definition TV. But it will cost you $2499 for the base model which includes a 1TB Fusion Drive and 8GB of memory. The Mac Mini, on the other hand, received a spec bump as it now features a new 4TH generation Intel processor with 2 Thunderbolt ports. The base model has a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD5000 graphics, and a 500GB hard drive with 4GB of RAM. It’ll start at $499, making it the cheapest Mac computer to date and all the Mac computers announced will be updated to the latest EO70 OS for free.
But with that last bit of news, that was everything that made the news this week in technology. As you can see, it was a busy, busy week. Before you go, make sure to let me know which device you are looking forward to the most. There were a lot of devices announced but you have to pick one so let me know which one it is by leaving me a comment down below.