Nexus X – The First Android L Smartphone

The Nexus X (instead of Nexus 6) is highly anticipated smartphone for 2014, which is rumored to be launched by Google sometime this year – most probably being Halloween. As with last year’s pitch, Google might launch is without a separate announcement and sell it through its play store unlocked across the world. This would be the first smartphone to launch with Android L – the next major version of android with a facelift in form of a more modern design and pastel color palette.

The Expected Specifications

Internally, the Smartphone goes by the codename “Shamu” and its latest appearance was on AnTuTu benchmarks whose screenshots were leaked by TKtechnews and it referred to the phone as “Nexus X” – thus a departure from the usual numbering system. The leaked images confirm a 2.7 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB of RAM, Adreno 420 GPU – the fastest mobile GPU in market, a 13 MP camera with OIS and flash, and a 2.1 MP front facing camera. The images also confirm a 1440×2560 4K resolution with either 5.2’’ or 5.9’’ LCD IPS screen along with 32 GB and 64 GB non-expandable memory.

Android L in Tow

Nexus X will launch with Android L out-of-box – maintaining the tradition of Nexus line. Google has brought some major changes to the Android OS with a complete facelift. Google dubs it as the “Material Design” philosophy, which emphasizes light backgrounds, accented edges and shadows to give a feeling of depth without fancy 3D animations. The subtle animations present are intuitive and help to improve UX. The button overlays similarly are floating in nature with distinct colors and shadows. Further, notifications are improved with the most important ones grabbing your attention only with an improved lock screen.

Pricing and Availability

The Smartphone is being made by Motorola this time – which was recently acquired by Lenovo from Google. The most expected date of release would be October this year during Halloween. A recent screenshot from French retailer “Fnac” shows the Nexus X 64 GB Black version being available at €449 unlocked though the credibility of the leaks is in question. Fnac’s databases are not the safest and the leak could have been manufactured by hackers so take it with a pinch of salt. Earlier it was said the Nexus X would be priced at $ 499.99 by Best Buy for a 2-year contract on Sprint in the US. Though the impending launch of Apple’s next iPhone might make Google launch it on all carriers at once. It will be available internationally unlocked via Google’s Play Store.

Verdict

With iPhone 6 coming in Q3, Google is gearing up to launch its own Nexus X with the latest Android L in tow (which might go by the name “Lemon Meringue” once launched) and the top of the line hardware at competitive prices. Availability, performance and pricing will determine how the device performs. Further people are eager to get their hands on Android L, first demoed in Google I/O, which should definitely help the Smartphone.