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Google Shows Off 2 New Nexus Phones, a New Pixel, and More 208

Posted by timothy from the ok-that-pixel-is-hot dept.
Two of the products officially unveiled at Google's much-anticipated (at least much-hyped) release announcement were widely and correctly predicted: a pair of new Nexus phones. The flagship is the all-metal Huawei 6P, with a 5.7" AMOLED display (2,560x1,440), 3GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 810 chip. The Huawei overshadows the nonetheless respectable second offering, the LG-made Nexus 5X, which makes concessions in the form of less RAM (2GB instead of the 6P's 3), smaller battery (2700mAh, instead of 3450) and a lesser Snapdragon chip inside (808, rather than 810). Both phones, though, come with USB-C and with a big upgrade for a line of phones not generally praised for its cameras: a large-pixel 12.3-megapixel Sony camera sensor. Much less predicted: Google announced a new bearer for the Pixel name, after its line of high-end Chromebooks; today's entrant is a tablet, not running Chrome, and it's running Android rather than Chrome OS. The Pixel C tablet will debut sometime later this year; google touts it as "the first Android tablet built end-to-end by Google." Also on the agenda today, news that Android 6 will start hitting Nexus devices next week.
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Google Shows Off 2 New Nexus Phones, a New Pixel, and More More

Google Shows Off 2 New Nexus Phones, a New Pixel, and More

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  • Good and bad about 5X (Score:4, Informative)

    by iONiUM ( 530420 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:38PM (#50621381) Journal

    There are both good and bad things about the new Nexus 5X.

    Good things: improved CPU/GPU, good camera (but no OIS, although they say they can't because it's 1.55um pixels), good battery, fingerprint reader, USB type-C.

    Okay things: similar screen, same amount of RAM, same amount of storage (I assume hatred for 16gb), no SD storage as before.

    Negative things: no OIS (as above), no wireless charging (a deal breaker, for many).

    Overall seems like a pretty decent device given the price, but there is room they could have improved.

    • The camera seems to be the most promising improvement. I'm also glad they didn't improve the display resolution.
      Otherwise the 5X will perform better, just not "2 years" better than the old Nexus 5. Smartphone performance seems to have reached a "good enough" plateau.

    • Why wireless charging? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:03PM (#50621537)

      I don't get why people are so enamored with "wireless" charging.

      I put that in scare-quotes because the wireless charging pads all have cords. So instead of just a cord, you have a cord and a pad...

      The Apple Watch has wireless charging and I don't find it any handier than using a cable. It can look cleaner but I don't see that it really gets you much.

      • Re:Why wireless charging? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by mrchaotica ( 681592 ) * on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:15PM (#50621581)

        I don't use wireless charging (yet), but it seems for me the best advantage would be less wear and tear on the connector.

        • Re:Why wireless charging? (Score:4, Interesting)

          by kqs ( 1038910 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:31PM (#50621679)

          USB-c connecters are much better than micro-USB, so wear and tear isn't a big issue. Though that's a low bar; micro-USB is terrible.

          I do like wireless charging, but if the choice is "micro-USB and Qi" vs "USB-c", I'll take USB-c, thanks.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by caseih ( 160668 )

            How is USB C better than micro-USB in terms of wear and tear affecting the plug? It still that fragile contacts tab inside it. Micro USB is indeed terrible, but I don't see how USB C is any more robust, save that it is reversible so people can't break it sticking it in backwards.

            • The plug has always been sacraficial by design. Anyone complaining about it should try replacing a socket at some point.

              Unfortunately there are a lot of cheap sockets on the market that are constructed to poor tollerances or better still not mounted correctly on the PCB. Micro-USB has a crap reputation because of that, but no because of its design.

          • Though that's a low bar; micro-USB is terrible.

            Micro-USB is not terrible. Cheap arse chinese made crap quality micro-USB plugs are terrible. Much of the failure on MicroUSB also comes to how the physical connector is mounted to the circuit board. They don't often fail internally.

        • Re:Why wireless charging? (Score:4, Insightful)

          by markus ( 2264 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @05:17PM (#50622759) Homepage

          Wear and tear is definitely one of the factors. With wireless charging I don't have to worry that my kids trip over the cord and rip it out of the phone -- together with the phone's USB socket. But there are other benefits, too.

          I have a magnetic wireless charger in my car. When I get into the car, I just hold the phone against the charger, it positions itself thanks to the magnets, and it then stays in place and keeps getting charged for the entire trip. I can keep the GPS and the music player running on a long road trip and I don't have to worry about ever running out of battery.

          I also have a wireless charging pad next to my bed. Rather than trying to find the USB port when the lights are out and I am already half asleep, I just hold the phone roughly in the right spot and it attaches itself to the charger. It charges (almost) as fast as with my USB 2.0 cable, but probably not as fast as with a 15W fast charger. But who cares if it takes 2h to fully charge while I am asleep.

      • Re:Why wireless charging? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Coren22 ( 1625475 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:19PM (#50621609) Journal

        I use this on my phone. It is nice as my phone has dust/water plugs in all the jack slots which are pretty flimsy. I also can simply drop the phone into the charger and not worry about plugging and unplugging cables. The ports also wear over time, wireless charging receivers don't. It is also nice in the car as I just drop it into a holder which keeps it in a decent spot for navigation and charges automatically.

        Car: http://smile.amazon.com/Itian-... [amazon.com]

        Home: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/pro... [amazon.com]

        It is nice to have a water resistant phone and not have to worry about getting wet in the rain or falling into a pool, or whatever might ruin other phones.

      • Re:Why wireless charging? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by countach74 ( 2484150 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:36PM (#50621713)
        Wireless charging is one of those things that seems kind of pointless until you try it. I imagine it doesn't have the same sort of utility on a smart watch, though, since you (probably) aren't taking your watch off and putting it on the desk every time you sit down. With wireless charging, since it's as simple as setting your device down, I've found it's substantially easier to keep my phone's battery in the lithium ion's happy 40-80% range. Plus it means I almost always have a pretty good charge on my phone, which is good, since I have a Nexus 5. :) I have to say, the lack of wireless charging's a rather big bummer to me--not that I was looking to upgrade yet.

        • At a desk I usually have a charging cord around, to me it seems just as easy to plop it on there for a bit as a charging pad.

          Honestly even a bit easier, because the desk I'm normally at is pretty cluttered, and a pad would get buried while a cord I can pull out to be on top.

          You're right that I don't charge the watch at all during the day.

          The other issue with a charging pad is that I have to bring one traveling - but I think for most phones that doesn't matter, as generally they let you charge either by pad

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          I really don't want to go back to wired only charging now. I can do everything else wirelessly. It's a real deal-breaker, and I was ready to pony up for a Nexus 6P.

      • I don't get why people are so enamored with "wireless" charging.

        Echoing the two posts above me. My usb port is always the first thing to go on my phones. Wireless charging means I only need to plug in my phone when updating to a new rooted OS image.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by psavo ( 162634 )

        Watch is a different thing from a phone which you can just plonk on the pad. Watch you have to remove from hand and it's bothersome operation in itself. Plonking phone in contrast is much simpler than fiddling with the retarted microusb connector which is always the right way only on the third try.

      • Wireless charging means a phone like the Galaxy S6 can remain completely sealed against dust and water at all times. It also means less risk of damage from strain on the connector.

      • Personal preference, I guess. I really like being able to set my phone in a dock and it charges. And I do not need a proprietary dock. Same for automotive use. I just stick it to the dock and it's charging.

        Yes, one more piece to have but for me so much more convenient. I guess it's a matter of personal choice.

        My current phone is a Nexus 5 that developed a cracked screen over the weekend. I was ready to pull the trigger on the Nexus 5x but I'm having second thoughts. Maybe a Nexus 6 which does support wirele

      • Because it's awesome. I was once like you, thinking it was just a gimmick, but then I bought a wireless charger and I'll never look back. There are so many benefits it's not even worth listing a handful since I may or may not hit the ones you care about, but really, the chargers cost about $12 now (you pay the extra $7 because 3-coil is where it's at), so just try it and you'll understand much more completely.

      • For me, it's mainly being able to put the phone on the nightstand charging pad when I'm half asleep and not needing to fumble with a cable in the dark. Also, keeping a charging pad on my desk so that the phone's always topped up. If I did that with a cable, I'd need to plug in the phone every time I put it down...

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Godai ( 104143 ) *

      I would be bummed b the wireless charging removal except that its so terrible relative to the USB-C charging. The latter has quick charge: 4 hours of life in 10 minutes, and in general, is just way, way faster to charge. Wireless is nice, but it's always super sloooooooow.

      Someday there'll be QuckCharge wireless, and I'll be chomping at the bit. But with USB-C (no more mangling of ports!) I really don't care about wireless anymore.

      • 4 hours of life in 10 minutes, and in general, is just way, way faster to charge. Wireless is nice, but it's always super sloooooooow.

        It's 7 PM right now, and the battery on my Nexus 5 is at 86%. The last time I gave any conscious thought to charging my phone was weeks ago. That's just not possible without wireless charging. Who cares that your phone charges slower when your battery never drops below 50%? USB-only means that I would go back to forgetting to plug in my phone when it needs it, and having to scramble to find a (new, not yet common) charger. That's a step backwards, and it's a deal breaker for me.

    • Back in August, I was considering an upgrade from my LG Nexus 4. I was looking at a few phones and was told by friends to wait and see what the next line of Nexus devices had to offer. I had been watching rumours and I was curious to see what was to become of the Nexus 5.

      I caught a good deal on a Motorola X Play [gsmarena.com] (not available in the US) so I took advantage of it at the end of August.

      Looking at these specs, I'm actually glad I didn't wait. The Moto X Play has turned out to be a great phone, and the new Nexu

    • Okay things: similar screen, same amount of RAM

      Putting 2 GB of RAM in a 64-bit device is not OK. They did that in the Nexus 9 and it ran like a dog, an app in the background was a dead app.

      The reason is twofold, 64-bit apps use more RAM due to larger pointers (a must) and often larger integers (out of convenience).

      The second is that the device needs a second set of 32-bit user space libraries for backwards compatibility. When 64-bit and 32-bit apps run at once both sets of libs need to be loaded in RAM

      • I don't understand the RAM argument.

        I ran my Nexus 4 with 2GB RAM until about a month ago, never once experienced an issue. I upgraded software the same day I received notifications and always ran the latest android on it.

        What the heck are people doing with phones that 2GB isn't enough? I regularly close apps when I am not using them, though.

        • 2GB was great... 3 years ago. Time to move on. Everything uses more RAM, applications, web pages, etc.

          • As stated I used my 3 year old Nexus 4 with 2GB of RAM up until 1 month ago. I have it stuffed in a drawer as a backup. It still works perfectly.

            I only upgraded because I simply wanted a larger battery.

            • Of course it still worked fine. But is it future-proof? Maybe not. I replaced my 1GB RAM phone because of lack of RAM.

        • As I explained, 64-bit apps use more RAM, running 32-bit and 64-bit apps together uses more RAM.

          If they had stayed with a 32-bit CPU then yes, 2 GB RAM would still be adequate.

          To make a car analogy, they put in a bigger engine but didn't upgrade the suspension or brakes. The result is actually a worse car than the previous model because now it's a road hazard.

          /greger

          • Honestly that is a poor argument, and poor analogy.

            Proper optimization of the build can/will curtail any negative effect on the usage of RAM. I assume Marshmallow is going to be better optimized.

            Nobody here knows because nobody here is actually using either of these devices.

            My new phone is running 64bit Android, with only 2GB of RAM. It performs fine.

    • Overall seems like a pretty decent device given the price

      The summary failed to give the price. Google says $379 5X, and $499 for 6P ( i dont care about subsidized prices )

  • No wireless charging (Score:4, Insightful)

    by hawguy ( 1600213 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:40PM (#50621401)

    I'm disappointed by the lack of wireless charging on both the 5X and 6P. Sure, wired USB-C charging may be faster that wireless and the omnidirectional connector is more convenient than Micro-USB, but still, I like being able to drop the phone on my nightstand in the dark without fumbling for cables.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Snufu ( 1049644 )

      Wireless charging is the only discriminating factor in phones for me. The convenience of not having to fumble for the cable, fumble for the port, and thread the needle 2-3 times a day is the most important factor for me. All the other stuff is indistinguishable. Even the OS choice seems less distinguishing (I bought a Nexus 5 over an iphone only because the Andoid phone had built in wireless charging.)

      • Two to three times a day? Yeah, that would be a hassle. I charge my iPhone 6 every couple of days via the nice lightening cable that I can put in without seeing it. Really doesn't interfere with my lifestyle at all.

        • I charge my iPhone 6 once every day, about the same time that I charge my Nexus 5. They're each usually at anywhere from 5-40% battery, depending on how heavily I've used them during the day. The iPhone's cable doesn't interfere with much, but if I had a choice, it'd be sitting on a charging pad right next to the Nexus.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's probably too make the NFC antenna larger. That makes payments easier. With the fingerprint sensor taking up some space they want as much of the remaining area to be part of the NFC antenna.

      There is a slim hope that the phone will have provision for fitting a wireless charger, but I'm not expecting it. Won't be pre-ordering now.

  • Pass for now ... (Score:3)

    by gstoddart ( 321705 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:41PM (#50621405) Homepage

    I think I'll wait to see how badly this does on my older Nexus 7.

    My experience is Google might want to push it to me, but that the device stands a pretty good chance of being rendered useless with an update which is either badly tested or too damned slow.

    Besides, day 1 updates are for suckers who don't realize they get to be the beta testers and find all the problems.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Apparently the original 2012 Nexus 7 is not getting Marshmallow. It will still get updates for security, apps and Google system components, but the core OS will stay on Lollipop.

      • It was only ever guaranteed 3 major point upgrades, which it got. Marshmallow would be the forth, so, no real surprises there.

      • Apparently the original 2012 Nexus 7 is not getting Marshmallow. It will still get updates for security, apps and Google system components, but the core OS will stay on Lollipop.

        Given how badly it performs, it really should never have got Lollipop.

  • Why Android on Pixel (Score:3)

    by CSHARP123 ( 904951 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:46PM (#50621431)
    It would have been much better going Chrome instead of Android. Blown-up phone apps are horrendous on Android tablets. Why would a keyboard cost so much? With all these new keyboard, pen attachments with Tablets, I think MS was on right track on Surface (not the pro). But was executed as usual badly.

    • Honestly, I bought a Bluetooth keyboard case for my Nexus 7 for something like $25 ... if you feel you need a keyboard, buy one and stop bitching about it.

      It's a well solved problem. For the 99% of the time I don't need a keyboard, it's not really much of a big deal ... and a few times a year I put up the kickstand, turn on the keyboard, and type.

      • That's what I am asking when we can get BT keyboard for $25 why pay fucking 150 bucks.

        • Because they can ... and because people will pay for it.

          Paying that kind of money for an OEM Bluetooth keyboard? That's someone who hasn't been paying attention and is easily separated from their money.

          Everybody acts like the keyboard with a Surface tablet is some great invention.

          The reality is, a cheap Bluetooth keyboard will pair with pretty much anything ... Android, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung. And they've been around for years.

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by kaiser423 ( 828989 )
          I've had a number of $25 bluteooth keyboards for my tablets and they universally suck. I've probably tried 6-8. This one from Google, that latches strong enough that I can dangle the actual tablet by it, but also removes from the tablet pretty simply/quickly when I don't want it, and charges inductively rather than having to have another charging cable for it, is pretty nice. Maybe not $150 nice, but waaaaaay nicer than a $25 BT keyboard, and just slightly above that $25 price range, the BT keyboard mark
    • When I can get a Windows 10" tablet [microcenter.com] and matching keyboard [microcenter.com] for less than $250 I don't see the need to get an Android or Chrome tablet at all anymore. Since I upgraded to Windows 10 it's actually a very capable device. And with a full size USB 3 port I can connect a port replicator and use it as a desktop replacement as well.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by LWATCDR ( 28044 )

      I have a nexus 10 and I do not have an issue with the apps being blown up phone apps. The apps are fine IMHO.
      However does this mean ChromeOS is dead?

      • That's a good question. ChromeOS is a heck of a lot more convenient if all you want to do is use web apps (the nearly instant boot time is a big plus: Android devices can take more than a minute for a simple boot, and 45+ minutes for an OS update), but Android offers a much broader variety of functionality. Because of this, I suspect many people will continue to go for ChromeOS devices. I suspect this one is using Android primarily because it doubles as a tablet, and ChromeOS really isn't designed for th

    • I think it would be much better if Google actually simply brought full Chrome to Android. There is no reason why Android Chrome remains a stripped down version.

  • NOPE (Score:4, Informative)

    by snarfies ( 115214 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:53PM (#50621469) Homepage

    "Incorporating a unibody build, it doesn't look like you'll be able to remove the back cover or battery"

    Stopped reading right there - do not want.

    • As an iPhone user I've occasionally envied my Android-using friends for their removable batteries and SD slots.

      Now that major phone makers are taking those features away, Android phones are losing two of their biggest advantages over iPhones. I even know at least one Android-using person who is thinking of switching to the iPhone because "What's the point without being able to swap batteries and SD cards?"

      Big mistake. And I say this as an iPhone user who still wants Android to succeed because I shudder at w

      • I even know at least one Android-using person who is thinking of switching to the iPhone because "What's the point without being able to swap batteries and SD cards?"

        That's funny, I just picked up a phone with swappable batteries and SD cards: the Samsung Galaxy S4. It's not brand-new of course, but it works great for me, and I'm not really sure why I would need anything newer. It's even still supported by the manufacturer for software updates; I just got one last month. Or if I decide to move to Cyanog

  • No microSD slot. No, thanks. (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:12PM (#50621571)

    No microSD, no thanks. You'd think Google would have gotten the memo by now.

    • Ditto here. I would never buy a phone without microSD.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      They did get the memo. That's a feature that only people posting in this thread care about. >95% of those slots never got used on previous models.

    • You know, it didn't even need a "slot". An internal - can't-be-easily-user-replaced SD slot would be fine just so that you could buy your phone and the amount of storage you need; even if it means replacing requires a special software procedure.

      I think I've taken the SD card out of my G3 once - to replace the 64GB card (96GB total) with a 128GB card (160GB total) when I needed more space.

    • No microSD, no thanks. You'd think Google would have gotten the memo by now.

      yeah i am actually more interested in the new $50 amazon fire tablet because it has a fucking microsd slot. it don't need great specs on my tablet it is a consumption device I need storage, I have a massive media library and I can put a good chunk of the most used on it.

  • I'm all over the $35.00 Chromecast audio dongles as I've got plenty of good speakers lying around. Would have been nice if they could be battery powered... we'll see how long one lasts on the usb charging port of the Klipsch KMC1. Even so.... we can now get synchronized, multi-room sound at a far more affordable price than a Sonos system.

  • Not everyone wants a gigantic phone (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ZorinLynx ( 31751 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @02:51PM (#50621817) Homepage

    It seems Google is ignoring those people who don't want a HUGE phone. The two models should have been the giant screened phone, and a smaller phone for those who like to actually be able to climb stairs with it in their pocket.

    • I recommend getting a holster. I understand wanting to be able to have your phone in your pocket for convenience, but seriously, a phone of any size in your pocket is still a pain if you're wearing jeans. A holster fixes all these problems.

      What Google *really* screwed up on (yet again) is not putting in a removable battery or SDcard.

      However, I will take this time to tout why the Android platform is superior to Apple: with Android, at least, if I don't like one company's phones (Google's for instance), I c

      • No. (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Leslie43 ( 1592315 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @04:41PM (#50622497)
        A holster doesn't change the fact that I can't operate it with one handed, or that it looks like I'm holding a tablet to my ear while using it, or won't fit in a small clutch. I'm not wearing a holster with a formal/party dress. I want a phone to communicate when I need to, maybe check the weather, look something up or take a picture, not carry a full on portable computer or tablet. If I need that on a job, I take a tablet or computer with me.

        Companies need to get it through their heads that many people have very legitimate reasons why they don't want a massive device. That doesn't mean I don't want the latest OS (don't even get me started on this), or a good camera/screen/processor/storage/memory. I just want it all in a smaller device.

        • Sounds reasonable, but it doesn't seem many people agree with you, or else sales of the phablets and near-phablets wouldn't be doing so well. Companies can only sell what people are willing to purchase. If people don't want something, it won't sell. So (assuming there isn't a monopoly or oligopoly situation going on) if a bunch of people are complaining about a lack of choices, then there's only a few possibilities: 1) those people are a vocal minority, 2) what the people want just isn't feasible technic

          • People agree, they may not be the majority, but there are plenty of us out there. The problem is there are no choices because size is one of the few factors carriers/manufacturers can point to that shows the phone is newer and "better" than the old models. Honestly, other than screen size is the S6 a Massive jump from an S5? If you know about phones, yes, but to a layman, not so much.

        • WTF? It easily fits in your purse, and that would be a pretty fucking small clutch that couldn't fit a phone.

          They still sell the old iPhones, or lower-end 4" android phones, and you don't really need the latest high-end processor if you're only doing things like checking mail, taking a picture, etc.

          • Iphones are massive compared to screen size , not to mention delicate.
            4in Androids have very little storage, and many are no longer even supported (Android is sh*t for supporting older devices). Even then, between the small storage and Google, being the geniuses that they are, removing move to SD on Kit Kat, most don't have nearly enough storage. 4gigs on Kit Kat should be considered criminal (1gig of app storage... WTF!?!). Also, most of them have garbage for screen resolution.

            My S4 works well, but at

      • >I recommend getting a holster.

        I got mine at PreserveYourVirginity.com!

        Seriously, while I do wear one at work, a holster doesn't win you a lot of points in the looks department when you're out socially. It took me a while to recognize this fact ten years ago, and had a couple friends point out to me just how dorky they look. :)

        I like to be able to have my phone in my pocket when out and about, anywhere other than work, where holsters fit right in with the standard polo shirt and khaki pants IT uniform.

    • It seems Google is ignoring those people who don't want a HUGE phone. The two models should have been the giant screened phone, and a smaller phone for those who like to actually be able to climb stairs with it in their pocket.

      I do. I want a tablet that I can make phone calls from, I have a blue-tooth headphone/mic why not let me make calls and carry one device. Because the service providers won't let you get voice plan on a tablet; only data. So we are getting phablets that let people have small tablets that you can make calls from. It is an end run around the service providers by the manufacturers and customers that want one device. Once the Cellular service providers start letting you have voice on any device you will see a sm

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Rinikusu ( 28164 )

      I"m in the huge phone camp (note 4), but I'd love to see what they could do with a high density screen on, say, that samsung galaxy alpha? form factor.

    • Re:Not everyone wants a gigantic phone (Score:4, Informative)

      by JanneM ( 7445 ) on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @05:16PM (#50622747) Homepage

      Sony Z5 Compact should be good for you? Definitely high end, and smaller than any other premium phone out there, iphone included.

  • Hi Google, I have been using Nexus 5 since Nov-15. However, no OIS means I am skipping these two phones. See you next year unless I get tempted by the dark side.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by u19925 ( 613350 )

      Hi Google, I have been using Nexus 5 since Nov-15. However, no OIS means I am skipping these two phones. See you next year unless I get tempted by the dark side.

      Sorry, Nov-13.

  • The Pixel C is almost exactly the A5 ISO paper size [wikipedia.org]. The display is 2560x1800 at 308ppi, and the speaker even mentions the sqrt(2) aspect ratio, so this isn't likely to be a coincidence. Another attractive device, following the 3:2 (2560x1700) Pixel. It is unfortunate that more manufacturers don't follow suit and insist on using TV resolutions.

    Sadly, the usual complaints apply: no pen/digitizer, and pitiful storage options. Also disappointing is the still missing nexus7, which was a very nice device at

    • Why not just get one of the Samsung 7" or 8" devices? I mean, Google isn't Apple: Google doesn't have to make everybody happy. Nexus devices are more a showcase of new technologies than anything else.

      • Samsung devices come with a ton of bloated crap. Having gone from a Samsung to a Nexus recently I am quite pleased at how little extraneous crap there is on a pure Android install.

        • Yes, all that bloated crap is a nuisance, but most of it can be disabled. There are also other manufacturers besides Samsung, most of whom customize much less than Samsung. Chinese manufacturers usually ship something close to Google's default Android.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by JanneM ( 7445 )

      An A4-sized version would have been nice. Could read research papers full-page without squinting. Would also give more screen space for remote connections and the like.

  • I love my Nexus 5.1 except I really wanted some additional storage and some additional battery life. Otherwise it has been a fantastic phone, best I have ever used. Price was amazing. Great quality. Perfect size. Decent camera. Fast processor. Good signaling.

    I have been excited to see what comes next... last year they decided all people suddenly want only large phones (6). Now the next Nexus 5 (5x) comes out and it is 16 or 32GB storage still? Two years later- it is almost 2016 and they offer only

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