Update: LG Nexus 5X priced in India at Rs 31,900, Huawei Nexus 6P at Rs 39,999; coming soon
New Delhi: Google has unveiled two new Nexus smartphones - Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P - aimed at the high end of the market dominated by Apple and Samsung. The company says it has partnered with South Korea's LG for its 5.2-inch screen Nexus 5X, and with China's Huawei for its "phablet" sized 5.7-inch Nexus 6P.
Prices of the Nexus 5X starts at $379 for US customers and that of the Nexus 6P at $499. Both handsets will be sold unlocked, with Google hoping to capitalise on a trend in the US and other markets away from smartphone subsidies as part of long-term contracts.
The new Nexus phones are the first phones to come running Android 6.0 Marshmallow - Google's latest Android operating system - which allows for fingerprint sensors for unlocking and other features including Android Pay. The new phones are up for pre-order in the United States, Britain, Japan and Ireland, with more countries to be added next week.
The Google-Huawei Nexus 6P is the first all-metal-body Nexus phone. The phone features a 5.7-inch display, USB Type-C port for fast charging, a 64-bit processor, and a 12.3 megapixel rear camera sensor and an 8 megapixel front camera.
LG's new Nexus phone, the Nexus 5X, on the other hand, is said to give users a "great performance in a compact and light package". The phone has a 5.2-display screen and the same 12.3 megapixel camera and Type-C port as the Nexus 6P. But it has a 5-megapixel shooter at the front.
Both phones include a new fingerprint sensor, Nexus Imprint, which Google says gives users a quick and secure access to phones. Nexus Imprint is located on the back of the phone.
Availability and pricing
The new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are available for pre-order on the Google Store from a number of countries, including the US, UK, Ireland and Japan, and come with a free 90-day subscription to Google Play Music. In the US, pre-orders include a $50 Play credit to help users stock up their favourite music, apps, games and shows.
Google's new Nexus 5X comes in two storage variants - 16 GB and 32GB - priced at $379 and $429, respectively. The Huawei-made Nexus 6P is priced at $499 for 32 GB, $549 for 64 GB, and $649 for 128 GB.
Both the new phones come in three colour options.
Google hasn't yet announced the India availability or prices for the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P.
Others
Google also said the new version of Android, called Marshmallow, will roll out to existing Nexus customers from next week.
Google also unveiled a redesigned version of its Chromecast device for streaming Web content to TVs and introduced Chromecast Audio, which plugs into speakers to stream audio over WiFi. Chromecast Audio, priced at $35, works with apps including Spotify, Pandora and Google Play Music.
Besides the Pixel C convertible will cost $499 for the 32 GB model. The tablet can be bought with a detachable keyboard, which will cost $149.
The phones are priced below the premium devices from Apple such as the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and similar offerings from Samsung. The two companies dominate the high end of the market, but analysts say some consumers may be cost-conscious if they are paying the full price of a handset without a carrier subsidy.
With the Nexus-branded devices, Google is able to control much of the hardware and software in a manner similar to Apple, which has its own operating system.
While Android is used on some 80 per cent of smartphones worldwide, many devices use older versions of the software with carriers often slow to release upgrades.
LG-made Nexus 5X
Huawei-made Nexus 6P
Comments
0 comment