Motorola’s either working with Google on the next Nexus smartphone, or the rumor mill’s got some ‘splaining to do. Leaks have been coming out for months, and now the folks at 9to5Google claim to have more details.

They’ve created a mockup image which they say is based on the design of a real device which they says will likely be announced in October and released in November.

nexus 6

The phone could be called the Nexus X, Nexus 6, or something else. It’s currently code-named “Shamu.”

It’s said to have a 5.92 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel display, a 3200mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 proessor.

It reportedly has a 13MP rear camera, a 2MP camera, and the ability to shoot 4K video. At least one model will feature 32GB of built-in storage.

In terms of design, the phone looks a lot like Motorola’s recently launched 5.2 inch Moto X. But since it has a larger, higher-resolution display some of the buttons have been moved to make them easier to reach. The power and volume buttons are closer to the center of the phone, where you can reach them with a thumb while holding the device.

The prototype 9to5Google is familiar with doesn’t have any Nexus branding yet, but that will likely change by the time the phone is released.

Smartphones with large displays are all the rage these days. The Samsung Galaxy Note line of phones kicked of a trend toward phones with larger-than-5 inch screens and after years of keeping screen sizes small, even Apple has released a phone that many consider a “phablet” this year. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google’s next Nexus phone launch with a nearly tablet-sized screen.

But while a Snapdragon 805 CPU and 1440p screen sound nice, I’ll probably hang onto my Nexus 5 for a while. It’s still plenty fast… and it fits into my pocket.

What about you? Would you buy a 5.9 inch Nexus phone?

[polldaddy poll=8331086]

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21 replies on “Report: Nexus 6 looks like a 5.9 inch Moto X”

  1. This rumor may delay my purchase of a Galaxy Note 4 or an iPhone 6 Plus. If this has a microSD card slot, unlike the Nexus 5, that could put it over the top for me. Currently I carry a tablet and a phone and, with a big enough phone, I can give up the tablet.

  2. Seems a little odd with all the hoopla about Android L being 64 bit capable and the tablet supposedly coming with a 64 bit K1 that they’d also release a Nexus phone at launch but still with a 32 bit SOC like the Snapdragon 805.

    1. let me ask you this, Windows went to 64bit almost 10 yrs ago. How many apps do we have running at 64 bit today?

      1. The ones that matter as we don’t need the whole softwarepedia that much is clear…hell even CCleaner have a 64 bit ver and Chrome 64 are helluva lot better than before but that is besides the point? ffs even GNU/Linux are killing off x86 builds left and right.

        By your logic this is like telling both AMD and Intel to go Marty McFly on our asses, go back in time and stop w/e the hell they were doing with amd64 or IA-64?

        And if Windows’ or rather x86-64 got done wrong, all the more reason/motivation why aarch64 Android L should get done right..what like 10 years later from now when we already know better?

  3. 5.9″ is unnecessary. Especially for a flagship phone. I doubt this will happen.

    A company would usually only venture into that territory if they were making a niche product, a sideline to their flagship phone. I will put money on this rumour being false.

    1. The Nexus line is a niche product wrt mainstream market. It’s destined for enthusiasts. Cannibalization of more mainstream products was always a consideration, hence the no-SD-slot mantra of all current Nexus to date, including tablets.

      Moto’s mainstream flagship is the Moto X, so even by your assumption, this would be par, and ideal for the task: niche, and not cannibalizing the X’s sales.

      1. In my view the Nexus not a niche product. It is a representation of the status quo. That’s not to say it isn’t an innovator. But it never tries to deliver beyond the expectations of the consumer, except on the subject of value.

  4. For me this form factor intends to leave 7″ android tablets obsolete… even with a 5″ phone, I’m having trouble finding use cases for an Android tablet…

    1. There’s always a market for small display devices that don’t require cellular connectivity. Removing the phone components also reduce cost, which is important. That said, 7″ tabs do look to migrate to the 8″ size, just as with every other handheld categories getting larger.

      We’ll probably see a 11 or 12″ MaxiPad for the next iPad gen.

      1. I have used both a Nexus 7 and an 8inch Dell Venue… and I have learned that I really don’t want a 8inch tablet. Google got it right by skipping 8 and going to 9inches. 8inches just does not fit in one hand… and if it doesn’t fit in one hand, it had better be worth holding in two hands (not just for another measly inch). If I need another phone.. it will definitely be a 6inch phablet, and I won’t replace the Nexus 7 when it dies. There are 2 types of people, those with big pockets and those without.

    2. I never had a use case for an Android tablet. Actually for any tablet. I either use my phone or my ultraportable notebook.

  5. no freaking way its going to be 5.9″
    5.5″ is already too big for a lot of people.

    1. That’s what people said a few years ago about 5″ phones. People increasingly want larger displays as they use their phones for more uses.

      The main constraints are (were): pocket size, using one-handed, and just looking “weird” in public. The last one is by and large no longer true, now that phabs are becoming more common. iPhone6+ shows that there are workarounds and mitigations for one-handed use. Pocket size is still the bottleneck, but there’s nothing that prevents clothing manufacturers from making pants with larger pockets to cater to popular wants. I think that will happen.

      1. The main constraint is the size of people hand. Unless everyone hand got suddenly bigger, i don’t see that constraint being fixed.

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