The Nexus 6 smartphone will not be arriving in the first half of this year, according to Google's Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain earlier last month, Pichai's comment sent speculators into a frenzy trying to pinpoint the timeframe that made the most sense in the year's second half.
Originally, the most prominent rumor stemmed from Gizmodo Germany's report suggesting that the Nexus 6 would be modeled after the LG G3. That would plant the Nexus 6's release right around May or June, but the new statement from Pinchai has the most reliable experts saying after October is most likely.
Android Geeks breaks down the possibilities by pointing out that the Google I/O conference in late June is already rumored to focus on new services and apps, not new devices. In addition, the last three Nexus smartphone models have all been introduced in October. Android Geeks expects an announcement in June when the LG G3 debuts, although it's important to note that the Nexus 5 arrived almost immediately after it was announced back in October. This, of course, worked well for Google, so a repeated tactic would make sense.
As for specs, the rumor mill has been in full motion in regards to what the Nexus 6 is most likely to feature. This includes 4GB RAM, a 3100 mAh battery, 64-bit Snapdragon 805/810 CPU with the quad-core 2.4 Ghz processor, 5.5 inch screen, 13-16 MP camera, fingerprint sensor, dust and waterproof casing, curved screen, and both 64 GB and 128 GB versions for storage.
As with the Nexus 8 tablet, the Nexus 6 smartphone is rumored to include Android's 4.5 update which is said to bring 64-bit compatibility to the new devices.
The Nexus 6 is also rumored to feature support for the Chromecast Streaming Stick that allows the "ability to see the contents of your phone's display on TV or in-car dash screen." Google Gem Smartwatch pairing is also rumored, introducing the Android 4.5 features that may support more voice control and a bit more of a focus on built-in wearables.
As for the phone's hardware itself, both LG and Lenovo are said to be possible manufacturers. LG has built the last few Nexus models, but trusted Google rumor mill blogger Eldar Murtazin claims that Lenovo would be making "one of the last Nexus products" and it would be focused on the U.S. market.
In any case, we know for certain that we won't see Google's Nexus 6 until later in the year, so we'll be anxiously awaiting further details as the year moves on.
