Nexus

Two new “Made by Google” smartphones to be unveiled on October 4

Google earlier this week posted a video on YouTube that strongly hints at plans to launch a pair of brand new smartphones at a media event scheduled for October 4. According to web reports, Google will no longer market its own phones under the Nexus brand and is instead going to advertise them as Pixel-branded phones, indicating a break from the past six years of flagship Nexus devices. The Pixel is Google’s Chromebook notebook with a Retina-class display which has been selling since 2013. 

Google announces two new flagship Nexus smartphones: The Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P

As has been widely expected, Google revealed two new smartphones in its Nexus line today at a press event in San Francisco. The two new phones—the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P—are new flagship phones that feature the pure Google experience without any outside bloatware, third-party skins, or apps. Nexus phones are historically rated very high, and it doesn’t seem like that will be changing.

The new Nexus phones sport better cameras with low light performance being a key focus point. They also feature fingerprint sensors on the rear of the device that look similar in design to Touch ID. Both phones will run Google’s latest Android Marshmallow update.

The Nexus 5X is manufactured by LG and is a plastic body 5.2″ phone sporting a 1080p display. The larger Nexus 6P is made by Huawei. It features an aluminum body (frost white, aluminum, and graphite), and a 5.7″ screen with a 1440p display. Both phones are capable of shooting 4K video.

Pre-orders for the new Nexus phones start today. The Nexus 5X starts at $379 unlocked, and the larger Nexus 6P starts at $499.

Google roundup: Android Lollipop, Nexus 6 phone, Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus Play streamer

With less than 24 hours left until Apple’s “It’s been way too long” iPad and Mac media event, the Internet giant Google in a pre-emptive strike Wednesday officially unveiled the next major version of its mobile operating system, Android 5.0, along with the newest Nexus-branded hardware devices: a Motorola-made smartphone, a HTC-made tablet and an Asus-built game console and media streamer.

“A sweet new take on Android,” Android Lollipop is actually the Android L software the search giant teased at its Google I/O conference back in the summer. Containing over 5,000 new APIs for developers, Lollipop has been designed to be flexible to support all screen sizes and devices while taking Android’s customization to the next level.

Google posts Q4 results, comments on iOS apps, better batteries, impact-resistant phones

Google has just posted its fourth quarter earnings for the calendar year 2012. The Internet giant raked in $14.42 billion in consolidated revenue (versus estimates of $12.3 billion), up 36 percent annually and eight percent sequentially. Excluding traffic acquisition costs and Motorola Home, quarterly revenue was $11.34 billion, up from $8.13 billion. The firm earned 54 percent of the revenue outside of the United States, or $6.9 billion.

Quarterly net income came in at $2.9 billion, a 6.7 percent increase (non-GAAP profit was $3.57 billion, up from $3.13 billion a year before). The company surpassed analysts’ expectations on EPS, which was $10.65 on a non-GAAP basis versus the $10.54 consensus. So, even though revenue climbed substantially, profit was only up slightly.

Of note, Google’s Motorola subsidiary (excluding the home biz) lost “only” 353 million, or 23 percent of the unit’s quarterly revenue. Better batteries and impact-resistant design could be in the works for Motorola handsets. A live stream of the earnings call is included right after the break alongside other tidbits related to Apple, Maps, Nexus devices and more…

Poll: my next cell phone will be…

These days, it’s all but impossible to escape Apple hate speech. You know who to blame: big media. I mean, stock manipulators played even the credulous Wall Street Journal. It’s not just WSJ – or NYT or Reuters, for that matter.

Anti-Apple Forbes hit new lows with clickbait headlines like this one or this one. And as crazypants analysts voice their concern regarding “Apple’s lack of a strategy in the lower-end phone”, they at the same time continue to hallucinate about a happiness or time travel machine from Apple.

And all of them get an assistance from traffic-hungry journalists like Dan Lyons whose write-ups sound bitter and idiotic. But in spite of all that FUD talk, Apple is demolishing Android in every metric that matters. None of this frenzy should matter when considering your next cell phone.

But real life can be a bitch and with so much negative publicity mounting ahead of Apple’s earnings report, no wonder some of the faint-hearted fans are beginning to question their faith in the California firm. I know where my heart stands, but I want to know one thing: do you know where your heart stands? So, what’s your next phone gonna be?

Microsoft’s Surface just a blip with 0.13 percent of tablet traffic

Apparently, more of Microsoft’s Surface tablets are showing up in commercials and television episode placements than online. Despite an aggressive push, the Windows device accounted for just 0.13 percent of advertising served to tablets during November, according to one mobile advertising network. The dismal numbers are just the latest sign the much-heralded Surface just isn’t selling.

Microsoft’s outspoken boss Steve Ballmer acknowledged as much when he recently called Surface numbers “modest”. By comparison, 0.91 percent of Google’s Nexus tablets displayed ads between November 12 and November 18. The percentages come just a day after a report that the iPad mini saw ad impressions climb 28 percent daily during the November…

Google Nexus 10 unboxing and first impressions

Today I got my hands on the Google Nexus 10 in order to do a proper comparison with the iPad, and to stay up to date on the iPad’s closest competitors. As you’ll recall, I already did a review of the Nexus 7, and came away with a favorable impression of the device.

For the Nexus 10, a lot is the same as the Nexus 7, but a lot has changed as well. The most obvious difference is the form factor. This tablet competes directly with the iPad as far as size is concerned. You’ll also notice a fairly original design, and one of the best, if not the best, screens on a tablet that you’ve ever seen…

Roundup of Google’s new Nexus phone and tablet, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

It doesn’t hurt to keep tabs on what competition is doing. Hurricane Sandy may have spoiled Google’s media event planned for today, but that didn’t stop the search giant from launching two new Nexus devices today along an Android software update. The company announced a new four-inch Nexus smartphone, made by LG, that provides pure Android experience free of carrier junkware and user interface skins.

In addition, Google also launched a rumored ten-inch iPad contender with the world’s highest-resolution mobile display. Both devices run Android version 4.2, which still carries the Jelly Bean code-name. Here’s a full breakdown of Nexus news from today…

Hurricane Sandy: Apple closes up to 50 stores, Google cancels Nexus media event, crisis maps

Hurricane Sandy is piling up the water as it’s on track for a historic hit on the East Coast of the United States. President Obama has declared state of emergency in New York, suspending subway and bus service, closing schools on Monday and scheduling the Holland and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to also close at 2pm today.

When it became clear that Sandy would make landfall on the East Coast, Google cancelled its previously scheduled October 29 press conference, postponing the launch of promising new Nexus smartphones and tablets. Dozens of Apple Stores along the East Coast will likely be affected, with many outlets taking precautionary measures in order to protect the products, store space itself and staffers. Several Apple Stores have also been spotted using sandbags as a precaution to protect their storefront from damage…

Poll: should Apple fear Google’s upcoming flagship 10-inch Nexus tablet?

As we told you earlier today, Google is thought to have teamed up with Samsung on a new flagship tablet. The device is believed to feature a ten-inch display with a greater resolution and pixel density than the iPad 3’s Retina display.

The search company reportedly feels so confident about the upcoming tablet that it’s gonna adorn it with the Nexus branding. With Amazon having recently unveiled an 8.9-inch high-end tablet and now Google eyeing the same market segment, rivals are taking the fight for tablet supremacy to Apple’s own turf, where the iPad dominates. Should Cupertino be concerned?

Check out Google’s pricey, albeit cool-looking media streaming sphere, Nexus Q

I’m sorry for polluting your reading list with more Google news, but this thing warrants a quick mention. So we already told you about impressive Android stats, Google’s own tablet called the Nexus 7, a new Android version (4.1, called Jelly Bean) that sports Siri-like features and a brand new native Google+ app for iPad and Android tablets. Google also surprised us with the coolest live tech demo ever: a parachute landing on the Moscone West building, seen through the eyes of the participants’ Google Glasses.

By the way, Tweetbot developer has gotta win the coveted title of The Most Original Google I/O Review for his tweet. So, one thing that especially captured my imagination is this cool-looking accessory aimed at streaming media at your home. Classed as a yet another piece of hardware designed and engineered by Google, the Nexus Q sports unique industrial design calling for a round chassis which reminds me of a lot of a sci-fi-like alien probe. It’s also got some noteworthy features, as seen in a video demonstration…

Google’s iPad-killer launches next Wednesday?

Piggy-backing on Google chairman Eric Schmidt’s last December revelation that his company was working on own tablet, an Asian trade publication claims an Asus-engineered device marketed under the Nexus moniker launches at the Google I/O developers conference, which runs from June 27 through 29 in San Francisco’s Moscone West.

It’s gonna cost just $199 and feature a seven-inch display, the word on the street has it. The publication also offers tidbits regarding launch plans for Google’s first branded tablet…