 | |
| Developer | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Google, various |
| Type | Smartphones,tablets,digital media players |
| Release date | January 5, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-01-05) |
| Discontinued | October 2016 |
| Operating system | Android |
| Online services | Google Play |
| Successor | Google Pixel |
Google Nexus is a discontinued line ofconsumer electronic mobile devices that ran a stock version of theAndroidoperating system.Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried out by partnering withoriginal equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Alongside the mainsmartphone products, the line also includedtablet computers andstreaming media players; the Nexus started out in January 2010 and reached its end in October 2016,[1] replaced byGoogle Pixel family.
Devices in the Nexus line[2] were considered Google'score Android products. They contained little to no manufacturer orwireless carrier modifications to Android (such as customuser interfaces[3]), although devices sold through carriers may beSIM locked, had some extra branding, and may have received software updates at a slower pace than the unlocked variant. Save for some carrier-specific variants, Nexus devices were often among the first Android devices to receive updates to the operating system.[4][5][6] All Nexus devices featured an unlockablebootloader[7] to allow further development and end-user modification. Although Nexus devices were originally produced in small quantities as they were intended as developer phones, the lack of bloatware/modifications to Android while providing similar performance to more expensive flagship smartphones from OEMs gained Nexus devices a considerable following.[8] In addition to the Nexus program, Google also soldGoogle Play editions of OEM devices, which run the "stock" version of Android without the OEM nor carrier modifications.[9]
OEMs that were part of the Nexus program were namelyHTC,Samsung,LG,Motorola,Huawei andAsus. In late 2016, the Nexus lineup was replaced by theGoogle Pixel, which provides a similar stock Android experience but sold for considerably higher prices, directly competing with flagship smartphones from OEMs. Google stated that they "don't want to close a door completely, but there is no plan right now to do more Nexus devices."[10] In 2017, Google partnered withHMD Global in making newNokia phones, as part of theAndroid One program, which has been considered by some as aspiritual successor to the Nexus.[11][12][13][14]
The Nexus One was manufactured byHTC and released in January 2010 as the first Nexus phone. It was released withAndroid 2.1 Eclair, and was updated in May 2010 to be the first phone withAndroid 2.2 Froyo. It was further updated toAndroid 2.3 Gingerbread. It was announced that Google would cease support for the Nexus One, whosegraphics processing unit (GPU) is poor at rendering the new 2D acceleration engine of the UI inAndroid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Nexus S and newer models have hardware designed to handle the new rendering. It was the only Nexus device to have card storage expandability (SD).
The Nexus S, manufactured bySamsung, was released in December 2010 to coincide with the release of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In December 2011 it was updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with most variations later being updatable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in July 2012.[15] The device's support was ended after 4.1 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google.
The Galaxy Nexus, again manufactured by Samsung, was released in November 2011 (GSM version, US version released on December 15, 2011) to coincide with the release ofAndroid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device support was ended after 4.3 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google. This device is known inBrazil as Galaxy X due to a trademark on the "Nexus" brand.[16] It is also the last Nexus device to have a removable battery.
The Nexus 4 smartphone, also known as the LG Nexus 4 or LG Mako, was released in November 2012 and manufactured byLG. It was the first Android device that usedAndroid 4.2 Jelly Bean update version. Nexus 4 is the first Nexus device to havewireless charging capabilities. It was updated to Android 4.3 in June 2013 and to Android 4.4 in November 2013. It can run Android 5.1 as of April 2015.[17]The Nexus 4 has the following characteristics:
.jpg)
The Nexus 5 smartphone, again manufactured byLG, was scheduled for sale on October 31, 2013 for US$349 at the Google Play store. It was the first device to runAndroid 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 5 did not receive an official Android 7.0 Nougat update,[18] meaning thatAndroid 6.0.1 Marshmallow is the last officially supported Android version for the device. The Nexus 5 has the following characteristics:[19]
The Nexus 6 is a smartphone developed byMotorola, originally runningAndroid 5.0 Lollipop (upgradeable to Android 7.1.1 Nougat[20]). It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 9 and the Nexus Player.[21][22]
.jpg)
The Nexus 5X is a smartphone developed byLG originally runningAndroid 6.0 Marshmallow (upgradeable toAndroid 8.1.0 Oreo[23]). It was first announced on September 29, 2015, along with the Nexus 6P and several other Google devices (such as thePixel C tablet).[24]
The Nexus 6P is a smartphone developed byHuawei originally runningAndroid 6.0 Marshmallow. It was first announced on September 29, 2015 along with the Nexus 5X and several other Google devices (such as thePixel C tablet).[26]
.png)
On June 27, 2012, at itsI/O 2012 keynote presentation, Google introduced the Nexus 7, a 7-inchtablet computer developed with and manufactured byAsus. Released in July 2012, it was the first device to runAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean. The latest Android version supported by Google for the device isAndroid 5.1.1 Lollipop.
.png)
On July 24, 2013, at Google's "Breakfast with Sundar Pichai" press conference,Pichai introduced the second generation Nexus 7, again co-developed withAsus. Keeping with Google Nexus tradition, it was simultaneously released with the latest version,Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It was made available on July 26, 2013 at select retailers and on theGoogle Play store in the United States.[29] On November 20, 2013, it was available from the Google Play stores in Hong Kong and India. On the same day, the Nexus Wireless Charger was made available in the United States and Canada.[30] In December 2015, Google released Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the device.[31] The Nexus 7 (2013) will not receive an officialAndroid 7.0 Nougat update,[18] meaning thatAndroid 6.0.1 Marshmallow is the last officially supported Android version for the tablet.
The Nexus 10, a 10.1-inch tablet manufactured bySamsung, was revealed in late October 2012 by theExif data of photos taken by Google executive,Vic Gundotra,[32] along with the leaks of its manual and a comprehensive series of photos. The leaked photos revealed a design similar to theSamsung Galaxy Note 10.1, with a 10.1-inch 2560×1600 display, 16 or 32 GB of storage, Android 4.2, and a dual-core 1.7 GHzExynos 5 processor. The Nexus 10 was expected to be unveiled officially during a Google press event on October 29, 2012, but the event was postponed due toHurricane Sandy.[33][34] The Nexus 10 would not receive any official updates beyond Android 5.1.1.
The Nexus 9 is an 8.9-inch tablet running Android 5.0 Lollipop, developed in collaboration between Google and HTC. It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 6 and the Nexus Player.[21]
The Nexus Q is a discontinueddigital media player that ran Android and integrated with Google Play, to sell at US$299 in the United States.
After complaints about a lack of features for the price, the Nexus Q was shelved indefinitely; Google said it needed time to make the product "even better".[35] The Nexus Q was unofficially replaced by theChromecast, and further by theNexus Player.
The Nexus Player is a streaming media player created in collaboration between Google and Asus. It is the first device runningAndroid TV. It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9.[21] On May 24, 2016, Google discontinued sales of the Nexus Player.[36] In March 2018, Google confirmed that the Nexus Player would not receive the upcoming version of Android,Android Pie, and that security updates had also ended for the device.[37]
Upon the announcement of the first Nexus device, the Nexus One, the estate ofscience fiction authorPhilip K. Dick claimed that the Nexus One name capitalized onintellectual property from Dick's 1968 novelDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and that the choice of name was a direct reference to the Nexus-6 series ofandroids in the novel.[39]
