Author: Clinton

If you are a fan of Google and have been reading the Interwebs today, you know it has been a busy day.  Loads of leaks and other details about the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P have been flowing like water and this is all the day before the actual Google event tomorrow in San Francisco.  Some of the news has been confirmation of what we already pretty much know like the specs of the 5X and the 6P but some of it has been new tidbits.  One of those new rumors is that Google plans to sell the new Nexus lineup online only through the Google Store.  Some have read this as a risky move by Google given that they will ultimately be bypassing the carriers who did sell the Nexus 6 and previous devices as well as other retailers.  In fact this decision to sell them online is the first time Google has done this since the original Nexus One back in 2007.

To me however, this is a smart move by Google.  It gives them the cleanest path to the consumer and it follows the trend that the market is dictating, namely people want to buy devices and not necessarily be tied into a carrier contract.  Yes they have to get it right and there are examples of how to get it wrong, including Google themselves, but this could be the way of the future for all manufactures.

Earlier this afternoon I posted the full specs of the Nexus 5X and now its time to tell you about the Nexus 6P.  The Nexus 6P is the larger of the two devices, coming in with a display of 5.7″ and is expected to be announced be available for purchase tomorrow at the Google event in San Francisco.  The 6P is expected to start at $499.99 and will be the first Nexus device to offer 128GB of on-board storage should you want to go that route.  The Nexus 6P certainly has the specs of a flagship but like the 5x, there are some things that make me scratch my head a bit.

With Android Marshmallow expected to be released tomorrow at the Google event in San Francisco, the inevitable question is which devices that are out there today will get the update.  Because of the way that Google handles updates – letting the OEMs do it – The timing and even if a device will see an update is a bit nebulous at best and painful at worst.  As we are less than 24 hours away from the event, the list of devices that will be getting Android Marshmallow is starting to become a bit clearer.

While it has not been included in the Android Marshmallow beta testing, all indications are that the Nexus 7 (2013) will be getting the update once it is released next week.  The 7″ tablet built by Asus certainly falls within the 3 year support window that Google has for their devices and given that specifications of the Nexus 7 (2013) meet the minimum criteria, there should be no reason it won’t be updated.

The Google event is tomorrow and there is a lot that we are going to see.  From a new version of Android to new Android devices, we are going to get a wide range of things to ponder and lust over and there will likely even be a few surprises.  There are some things that are a given:  Two new Nexus phones, Android Marshmallow and a new Chromecast device.  But what else could we see?  I think there is a greater that zero chance we will see a lot more from the Googlers.

New Nexus Phones – Probability 100%

Again, this one is a given.  We will see not one but two new Nexus phones.  The Nexus 5X is 5.2″ device powered by the Snapdragon 808 processor while the Nexus 6P will be a 5.7″ device running the Snapdragon 810 processor.  The Nexus 5X is expected to be full HD while the 6P will be QuadHD and both will have over 400PPI so they are going to be ultra crisp and clean viewing displays no matter which size device you choose.  The Nexus 6P will come with the option of 128GB storage on board, a first for a Nexus device, while the 5X will come in 16/32/64GB of storage.  From a camera perspective, the 6P will have a 20MP camera while the 5X will only have a 13MP rear shooter.  Finally, both will have a fingerprint scanner for authentication, something that is supported in Android Marshmallow which these devices will be running.

Most of what we know on the Nexus 5X and 6P are already leaked so I don’t think we are going to see any surprises with the actual release tomorrow.  I suspect both devices will go on sale in October.

While all of the Angry Birds hype these past few months has been on Angry Birds 2, the franchise itself still has a lot of older games that are just as fun.  The 2nd oldest in the series, Angry Birds Rio, received a somewhat rare update today, bringing with it 20 new Amazon River themed levels to the game.  The update is version 2.5 for those keeping score at home and it is available for both Android phones and tablets.  It is a freemium game so it won’t cost you anything to download but there are plenty of in-app purchases to further yourself along should you chose to do so.

Angry Birds Rio – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now