Dual Nexuses
Google's next Nexus phones developed by LG Electronics and Huawei are expected to be released in late Sept.
According to overseas media outlets on Sept. 21, Google has sent out invitations for its Android Marshmallow Event in San Francisco on Sept. 29. The search engine giant is likely to unveil two kinds of Nexus phones at the event. The next Nexus phones, images of which were leaked by overseas media organizations and blogs, are presumed to be LG's Nexus 5X and Huawei's Nexus 6P. Android Pay, Google's simple payment service, is going to be pre-installed in the two models.
Google's Android 6.0, Marshmallow, is expected to be featured in the Nexus 5X for the first time. The new model is said to have a 5.2" full HD display, the Snapdragon 808, a 12.3 megapixel camera at the back, and a 5 megapixel camera at the front. In particular, the new device is expected to be the first LG phone to have finger recognition on the back.
The Nexus 6P reportedly has a 5.7" display, the Snapdragon 808, and a finger recognition feature. The handset is also said to have an 8 megapixel camera at the front, which is more advanced than the one used in the Nexus 5X. Unlike the Nexus 5X, for which 32GB and 64GB models will be available, the 128GB version will additionally be released for the Nexus 6P, according to GSMArena.com.
The industry is paying attention to the fact that Google selected LG and Huawei as partners of its next Nexus phones. Google's Nexus phones are not produced for the mass market, since they are aimed to showcase the latest Android operating system (OS). Android phone makers can test out the latest functions of a new Android OS in advance using Nexus phones, which gives an advantage over rivals in taking the initiative in technology. Google has developed previous versions of its Nexus phones in partnership with HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola.
In the early stages of Nexus phones, Google and Samsung maintained cooperative partnerships. But the two companies are now competing with each other in mobile payment services, as in the case of Android Pay and Samsung Pay, as well as in OSes with Tizen OS and Android OS. It explains why some in the industry believe that Google's selection of LG and Huawei is important to Samsung.
An industry source said, “Since Nexus phones are made to test Android OS, they will not have a profound effect on a two-way battle between Samsung and Apple. However, Nexus phones have special meaning at the moment, since they allow people to check various types of Google's mobile services, like Android Pay.”