Google announces three devices to take on iPhone 6 Plus, iPad and Apple TV
16 Oct 2014
Google yesterday announced three devices that would take aim at three Apple devices. The Nexus 6 would try and give a pure Android alternative for iPhone 6 Plus while the Nexus 9 would give large screen tablet buyers a option beyond the iPad, The Indian Express reported. There was also a Nexus Player that was clearly gunning for the Apple TV space. All devices would be the first to run the new Android 5.0 Lollipop update natively.
The 8.9-inch Google Nexus 9 built by HTC would have a premium design and finish, with a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 2.3 GHz processor and it would come with HTC trademark features like BoomSound. It would try to take on the Microsoft Surface, and feature an optional magnetic keypad that ''helps you get stuff done at home, at the office, and on the go''.
The tablet would be powered by a 6700 mAh battery and have a 8MP rear camera. There would be 16GB and 32GB options to choose from.
While the 16GB model would cost $399, the 32GB model would cost $479, and the LTE-enabled 32GB model would cost $599 in the US. Many countries would see pre-booking open tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Google's Android 5.0 "L" mobile OS upgrade, would likely go with the long-rumoured Lollipop moniker, Techradar reported.
According to Google, it was the company's ''largest, most ambitious release on Android.'' The internet search company had detailed much of the Android 5.0 Lollipop's features this summer at Google I/O. The release of the name came alongside the Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet, both of which are set to launch with the new software.
Headlining the new OS was Google's Material Design UI - what according to the company was "a consistent design across devices". It was a friendly and colourful new look that came with a range of new transitions and features.
Among other improvements are adjustable settings that could be tailored so that only certain notifications or people appeared. Also, Google had included a battery saver feature that, it says, would extend the life of the device by an extra 90 minutes.
Although Lollipop would first launch with the two new Nexus devices, Google had confirmed its availability on the Nexus 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks.