Google Nexus

Not to be confused with List of Google Play edition devices.
For other uses, see Nexus.
Google Nexus
Developer Google, various
Type Smartphones, tablets, digital media players
Retail availability January 2010present
Operating system Android
Online services Android Market (20102012)[1]
Google Play (2012present)
Website Google.com/Nexus

Google Nexus is a line of consumer electronic devices that run the Android operating system. Google manages the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing are carried out by partnering original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As of November 2015, the phones currently available in the line are the Nexus 6P (made with Huawei), the Nexus 5X (made with LG), and the Nexus 6 (made with Motorola Mobility); in addition to the Nexus 9 tablet (made with HTC) and a streaming media player Nexus Player (made with Asus).

Devices in the Nexus line[2] are considered Google's flagship Android products. They contain little to no manufacturer or wireless carrier modifications to Android (such as custom graphical user interfaces), although devices sold through carriers are sometimes SIM locked and may bear some extra branding. Nexus 6 devices sold through AT&T, for example, are SIM locked and feature a custom boot splash screen and a logo on the back of the device, despite having otherwise identical hardware to the unlocked variant. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus featured a Verizon logo on the back and received software updates at a slower pace than the unlocked variant, though it featured different hardware to accommodate Verizon's CDMA network. All Nexus devices feature an unlockable bootloader[3] to allow further development and end-user modification.[4] Nexus devices are often among the first Android devices to receive updates to the operating system.[5][6][7]

Devices

Smartphones

Nexus One

Main article: Nexus One

The Nexus One was manufactured by HTC and released in January 2010 as the first Nexus phone. It was released with Android 2.1 Eclair, and was updated in May 2010 to be the first phone with Android 2.2 Froyo. It was further updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It was announced that Google would cease support for the Nexus One, whose graphics processing unit (GPU; Adreno 200) is poor at rendering the new 2D acceleration engine of the UI in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Nexus S and newer models have hardware designed to handle the new rendering. It was the only Nexus device to have card storage expandability (SD).

Nexus S

Main article: Nexus S

The Nexus S, manufactured by Samsung, was released in December 2010 to coincide with the release of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In December 2011 it was updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with most variations later being updatable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in July 2012.[8] The device's support was ended after 4.1 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google.

Galaxy Nexus

Main article: Galaxy Nexus

The Galaxy Nexus, manufactured by Samsung, was released in November 2011 (GSM version, US released on Verizon December 15, 2011) to coincide with the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device support was ended after 4.3 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google. This device is known in Brazil as Galaxy X due to a trademark on the "Nexus" brand.[9] It is also the last Nexus device to have a removable battery.

Nexus 4

Main article: Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 smartphone, also known as the LG Nexus 4 or LG Mako, was released in November 2012 and manufactured by LG. It was the first Android device that used Android's 4.2 Jelly Bean update version. Nexus 4 is the first Nexus device to have wireless charging capabilities. It was updated to Android 4.3 in June 2013 and to Android 4.4 in November 2013. It can run Android 5.1 as of April 2015.[10] The Nexus 4 has the following characteristics:

Nexus 5

Main article: Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 smartphone, again manufactured by LG, was scheduled for sale on October 31, 2013 for US$349 at the Google Play store. It is the first device to use Android 4.4 named KitKat. The Nexus 5 has the following characteristics:[11]

Nexus 6

Main article: Nexus 6

The Nexus 6 is a smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility, originally running Android Lollipop 5.0 (upgradeable to 6.0). It was first announced on October 15, 2014.[12][13]

Nexus 5X

Main article: Nexus 5X

The Nexus 5X is a smartphone developed by LG Electronics, running Android Marshmallow 6.0. It was first announced on September 29, 2015.[14]

Nexus 6P

Main article: Nexus 6P

The Nexus 6P is a smartphone developed by Huawei, running Android Marshmallow 6.0. It was first announced on September 29, 2015.[15]

Tablets

Nexus 7

First generation

On June 27, 2012, at its I/O 2012 keynote presentation, Google introduced the Nexus 7, a 7-inch tablet computer with a 1280×800 pixel display, developed with and manufactured by Asus. Released in July 2012, it was the first device to run Android 4.1, and make content available through Google Play, including e-books, apps, music, and video.

Second generation

On July 24, 2013, at Google's "Breakfast with Sundar Pichai" press conference, Pichai introduced the second generation Nexus 7, again co-developed with Asus. Keeping with Google Nexus tradition, it was simultaneously released with the latest OS version, Android 4.3. It was made available on July 26, 2013 at select retailers and on the Google Play store in the United States.[16] On November 20, 2013, it was available from the Google Play stores in Hong Kong and India. On the same day, the Nexus Wireless Charger was made available in the United States and Canada.[17]

Nexus 10

Main article: Nexus 10

The Nexus 10, a 10-inch tablet, manufactured by Samsung, was revealed in late October 2012 by the Exif data of photos taken by Google executive, Vic Gundotra,[18] along with the leaks of its manual and a comprehensive series of photos. The leaked photos revealed a design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, a 10.1 inch 2560×1600 display, 16 GB or 32 GB of storage, Android 4.2, and a dual-core 1.7 GHz Exynos 5 processor. The Nexus 10 was expected to be unveiled officially during a Google press event on October 29, 2012, but the event was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.[19][20]

Nexus 9

The Nexus 9 is a 9-inch tablet running Android 5.0, developed in collaboration between Google and HTC. It was first announced on October 15, 2014.[12]

Digital media players

Nexus Q

Main article: Nexus Q

The Nexus Q was a digital media player that ran Android and integrated with Google Play, to sell at US$299 in the United States.

After complaints about a lack of features for the price, the Nexus Q was shelved indefinitely; Google said it needed time to make the product "even better".[21] The Nexus Q was unofficially replaced by the Chromecast, and further by the Nexus Player.

Nexus Player

Main article: Nexus Player

The Nexus Player is a streaming media player created in collaboration between Google and ASUS. It is the first device running Android TV. It was first announced on October 15, 2014.[12]

Philip K. Dick estate claim

Upon the announcement of the first Nexus device, the Nexus One, the estate of science fiction author Philip K. Dick claimed that the Nexus One name capitalized on intellectual property from Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and that the choice of name was a direct reference to the Nexus-6 series of androids in the novel.[23]

See also

References

  1. Rosenberg, Jamie (March 6, 2012). "Introducing Google Play: All your entertainment, anywhere you go". Google. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  2. Topolsky, Joshua (December 10, 2010). "Nexus S review". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  3. Bray, Tim (December 20, 2010). "It’s not "rooting", it’s openness" (blog). Android Developers. Google. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  4. Volpe, Joseph (November 3, 2011). "Galaxy Nexus gets rooted, forums burst into applause". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  5. Purdy, Kevin (December 6, 2010). "Google Launches Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Nexus S Flagship Phone". Lifehacker. Gawker Media. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  6. Ho, Erica; Rose, Brent (October 18, 2011). "This Is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google's New Official Android Phone". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  7. Kendrick, James (October 27, 2011). "Don’t diss my phone: Nexus S to get Ice Cream Sandwich within weeks". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  8. Parsons, Chris (July 19, 2012). "Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean OTA now appearing on some Nexus S variations". Android Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  9. "Apresentando Galaxy X" (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  10. Google Posts Android 5.1 Factory Images For The Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2013, And Nexus 7 2013 LTE
  11. "Nexus 5 round-up: 5 awesome new features, release date, price, specs and all we know so far".
  12. 1 2 3 "Android: Be together. Not the same.".
  13. "Google Nexus". Nexus 6. Google. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  14. "Nexus 6P". September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  15. "Nexus 6P". Google. September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  16. Stern, Joanna. "Google Nexus 7 Tablet, Chromecast Announced". ABC News. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  17. "Nexus 5 and 7 available on Play Store for India and Hong Kong". androidaio.com. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  18. "Vic Gundotra - Google+ - Early morning walk on the beach".
  19. "Purported Samsung Nexus 10 tablet manual leaks online". CNET. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  20. "Nexus 10 Leaks Point to Better-Than-iPad Display". Wired. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  21. Google Suspends Launch Of Nexus Q, Promises Free Q To Those Who Pre-Ordered
  22. "Nexus Player". Google Nexus. Google Inc. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  23. "Nexus Name Irks Author's Estate". The Wall Street Journal. January 5, 2010.

External links

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