Nexus 6 Release Date Nears as Google Sets I/O Developers Conference on June 24?
The likelihood of an earlier Nexus 6 release date this 2014 firms up a bit more as Google announced this week that its annual I/O Developers Conference will be staged from June 24 to 25 in San Francisco, California.
Google Android chief Sundar Pichai tweeted on Wednesday that this year's I/O edition will come a little later: "Only 126 days until Google I/O 2014, which will be June 25-26 in San Francisco."
"More details to follow next month including registration info," Pichai was reported by CNET as saying on Twitter account.
The Google executive also noted on his Google+ page that a new registration system for attendees will be implemented "so you won't need to scramble the second registration opens."
Those planning to show up in person at the event venue, which is Moscone West, will need to submit their names in advance, the mechanics will be revealed soon. As in previous years, the lucky developers will be picked up randomly.
And lucky indeed they are as the same eyes that will likely behold the rumoured Nexus 6 for the first time. The same handset is rumoured to hit the market slightly earlier than the Nexus 5, probably in the third quarter of 2014
But the chance is high that like in the past few years, the developers gathering will be used by Google to offer a glimpse of it next flagship smartphone. The assumption makes sense as Google previously previewed the Nexus 7 wowing the same crowd.
And if reports pan out that the Nexus 6 would become a reality as early as August 2014, then revealing it in advance should aid in Google's thrust to propel the device right in the same league where the iPhone 6 from Apple and the Galaxy S5 from Samsung are expected to hold sway.
As of the moment, the exact Nexus 6 build and brand remain a guessing game. One of the candidate makers is LG, which is likely to pattern the device after the recently unveiled LG G Pro 2. If that is the case then the next Nexus is a phablet that will overwhelm both the 5S and the GS5.
However, there are those who believe LG will use its 2014 flagship as the Nexus 6 template just like it did with the Nexus 5, which was mostly built around the LG G2 specs and features. Thus, we will have to wait for the LG G3 to get a clear picture of what the Nexus 6 look capabilities will be.
Or another device maker will handle the project and quite a number of analysts point to Lenovo-Motorola on the basis of its increasingly stronger ties with Google. Remember that Google will soon send Motorola to Lenovo following the $3 billion deal between the two firms.
The agreement will also make the Internet search giant part-owner of Lenovo. Market watchers argue that on that note, Google would tap the Chinese PC maker to keep the Nexus 6 manufacturing duties in-house.
And since Lenovo is a giant name in China, the next Nexus phone with Lenovo-Motorola branding is potentially looking at a wider market distribution, giving it the right traction to slug it out with the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S5 later in the year.
Regardless of which between LG and Motorola (Lenovo) will be the chosen one, the Nexus 6 on release date is expected to deliver these familiar killer features: the latest pure Android build (possibly 4.5 or Lollipop), high-end and powerful components plus cheaper price tags.