Google Nexus phones: The journey so far

Google is all set to unveil two new Nexus smartphones at a special event which it’s hosting later today. To showcase the capabilities of its Android operating system to developers, Google started offering Nexus devices in 2010. So far, we’ve seen six Nexus smartphones from Google. While Google designs, markets and even sells the devices (through the Play Store), the production and assembly of these devices is carried out by Google’s partner OEMs or original equipment makers. Barring a few instances, most of the Nexus devices don’t come with the branding of telecom carriers and feature the stock version of Android with all Google apps and services pre-loaded and have an unlocked bootloader. The Nexus devices are also the first ones to receive Android software updates which makes them an attractive proposition for Android fans (not just developers) in addition to the absence of bloatware and custom UI skins. Here’s a look at all the Nexus smartphones from the Mountain View giant’s stable...(Image courtesy: Business Insider)

1.

Nexus 6

One of the less popular Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 was made by Motorola and launched in November 2014. It was available in India days after its global launch.The Nexus 6 has a 6-inch display with QHD (1440x2560p) resolution, 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB RAM, Android 5.0 (Lollipop) operating system, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, and 3,220mAh battery. It comes in 32Gb and 64GB variants and lacks external storage.

2.

Nexus 5

One of the most popular Nexus device, the Nexus 5 was launched in October 2013. While the phone was made by LG, the company chose a polycarbonate design instead of a glass one. Sporting a 4.95-inch full HD (1080x1920p) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, the phone is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM. Offered in 16GB and 32GB versions, the phone lacked a microSD card slot. The Nexus 5 features an 8MP rear camera with OIS (optical image stabilization) and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It supports NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and LTE in addition to a barometer and step count detector. The phone was launched with Android 4.4 KitKat and is all set to receive Android Marshmallow. It was launched in India in November 2013.

3.

Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 was the first Nexus smartphone made by LG. Released in November 2012, the phone offered wireless charging. It was also the first Nexus device to feature a non-removable back panel and had a glass back with a holographic pattern desihgn. The Nexus 4 featured a 4.7-inch TrueHD IPS display with 768x1280p resolution. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip with a 1.5Ghz quad-core Krait processor and 2GB RAM, the phone was available in 8GB and 16GB storage variants but did not include a memory card slot. It was preloaded with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and got updates till Android 5.1 Lollipop. It sported an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It supported all major connectivity options including NFC and an LTE version was also offered. The phone came with a 1750mAh battery. The phone was launched in India in May 2013.

4.

Galaxy Nexus

The third smartphone in the Nexus series, the Galaxy Nexus was also made by Samsung and was first launched in October 2011. The Galaxy Nexus featured a 4.6-inch HD super AMOLED display with 720x1280p resolution. Powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP chip with a 1.2Ghz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and 1GB RAM, the phone was available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants but did not include a memory card slot. It was preloaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and got updates till Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It sported a 5MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It supported all major connectivity options including NFC but there was no LTE version. The phone came with a 1750mAh battery. The phone was never launched in India. (Image courtesy - XDA Developers)

5.

Nexus S

The second-generation Nexus device was manufactured by South Korean electronics giant Samsung and launched in December 2016. The Nexus S featured a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 480x800p resolution. Outside US, UK and Canada Samsung offered the phone with Super LCD displays. The phone was powered by a 1GHz Samsung Exynos 3 processor and 512MB RAM. It featured a 5MP rear camera and VGA front camera with a 1500mAh battery. It had 16GB of internal storage and did not feature a microSD card slot. The phone was launched in India in April 2011. It was preloaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. (Image courtesy - XDA Developers)

6.

Nexus One

Nexus One was the first Nexus smartphone made in collaboration with HTC. Launched in January 2010, the Nexus One featured a 3.7-inch AMOLED display with a 480x800p resolution. Later, HTC offered the phone with Super LCD displays due to shortage of AMOLED panels. the phone was powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpio processor and 512MB RAM. It featured a 5MP rear camera and a 1400mAh battery. It had 512MB of internal storage and a microSD card slot that supported cards of up to 32GB. The phone was never sold officially in India. It was preloaded with Android 2.1 Eclair.