The Nexus event has already passed. It’s already behind us, leaving many of us Android fans even more excited to get our hands on the devices that were announced. Google made several announcements at the event beyond just announcing new hardware. So I wanted to go ahead and recap the event for all of you who might have missed the event.
Google first warmed up the crowd by announcing the fact that Android is now used by 1.4 Billion people and they wasted no time getting into the unveiling of the first Nexus device, the LG Nexus 5X.
LG Nexus 5X
It’s built around Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor. It has a 1080p display and a 12MP camera sensor. The camera sensor has very large pixels. They have 1.55 micron pixels and 4K video recording. It also features a USB Type-C connector port with fast charge, which is nice. And of course, it will be equipped with stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Some additional features include a fingerprint scanner, 2700mAh battery, and 2GB of RAM; which is a little bit lower than some of the leaks suggested. The camera sensor will also be accompanied with a laser autofocus sensor as well, which originally debuted with the LG G3 about a year ago.
The LG Nexus 5X will start at $379 for the 16GB variant or $429 for the 32GB variant. It will work across all US carriers because it will be unlocked when you buy it from the Google Play Store. This includes Verizon, which is kind of cool. All Nexus pre-orders, which start today, will include a 90-day free trial of Google Play Music. US buyers will also get a $50 Google Play Store credit.
If you’re looking to protect your shiny, new Nexus device, the good news is that Google unveiled a new warranty program called Nexus Protect. It costs about $70 for the Nexus 5X and it includes two years of mechanical breakdown and accidental damage protection. You’ll even get an overnight replacement unit while your original device is being repaired, which is pretty neat.
Huawei Nexus 6P
So Google went on to announce the Huawei Nexus 6P, the larger Nexus device of the two. It features a 5.7-inch AMOLED QHD display, 7.3mm thick metal unibody design. There’s an 8MP camera sensor on the front of the device, a USB Type-C connector port for fast charging, a 3550mAh battery, Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM and it will run stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box of course because this is a Nexus device.
It’s priced a little bit higher than the Nexus 5X at $500 for the 32GB variant or $550 for the 64GB variant. You can even go up to 128GB of onboard storage for $650. It will be available in white, silver, and black. It will also be unlocked and will also work on all four major carriers here in the US. It’ll even work with Google’s Project Fi network. The Nexus Protect program from Huawei Nexus 6P will be about $90.
As for that fingerprint scanner, it’s officially called the Nexus imprint. It will be able to recognize your fingerprint in less than 600 milliseconds and it will get faster and faster the more you use the fingerprint scanner. The new fingerprint scanner, fingerprint reader, Nexus imprint—they will be managed by isolated hardware within the device, whatever device you’re using so you can make sure your info will be secured. It’s kind of similar to iPhone’s secure element.
As for Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it will be rolling out to select modern Nexus devices. If you have a relatively modern Nexus device, you can expect an over-the-air update. It will be rolling out in waves so just expect an update next week, stay tuned for that. And Project Fi will work with the Nexus 6P. I already mentioned that. But it will work with Nexus 5X as well.
Chromecast 2
Google did also announce a fresh new Chromecast. It has a fresh new design and modern Wi-Fi. It costs just $35, similar to the last version we had when it was first announced. It plugs in to the back of your TV through the HDMI port and allows you to cast content from your mobile device to your TV screen.
The new Chromecast now supports 8.02.11 and 5GHz Wi-Fi so it’s going to be a lot faster and load content a lot quicker. And in addition to the thousands of apps that it’s already compatible with, it now supports Spotify.
Chromecast Audio
In addition to the video Chromecast we’re already familiar with, Google unveiled an audio version of Chromecast called Chromecast Audio, allowing you to cast audio to speakers over a Wi-Fi connection. It features a 3.5mm audio port that plugs into the back of a speaker. And from there, you can use your mobile device to stream Pandora, Google Play Music, Spotify, or really whatever audio streaming app you’d like over to the Chromecast Audio. It won’t support multi-room audio right away but it is coming. We should expect an update soon after launch.
Google is also updating the Chromecast app itself with a universal voice search function to help you find content across multiple apps like Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu. So it’s going to be super useful. It will also have playback control support in the app as well to help you control the content you are viewing directly from the Chromecast app itself which will be pretty handy.
Pixel C Tablet
The last big announcement at the event was the Pixel C tablet. It’s a tablet called Pixel C and it’ll feature a 10.2-inch display with a 308ppi index and 500 nits brightness. There’s a USB Type-C port, NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor with 3GB of RAM. It will be paired with a $150 keyboard accessory that will connect via Bluetooth so there’s no connector ports at all. And you can adjust the tablet anywhere from 100 degrees to 135 degrees for your viewing pleasure which is kind of neat. So you can essentially use a tablet as a laptop. That’s kind of what Google is trying to do here with the Pixel C tablet.
The Pixel C tablet will cost $500 for the 32GB variant or $600 for the 64GB variant, not including the $150 keyboard. So it’s going to be pretty pricey. We’ll find out more details once we are near the launch, which will be in the holiday season.
So with the Pixel C tablet, the Nexus 5X, the Nexus 6P, and the new Chromecast; there’s a lot of stuff to drool over if you’re an Android fan. I’ve already went ahead and pre-ordered every device that was announced at the Nexus event so stay tuned for all sort of Nexus coverage here on PhoneDog.com.
Let me know which Nexus device you are most interested in, which device you think you’ll pick up and purchase at the Google Play Store.