Smartphones and tablets remain two different product categories, but the line has been blurring increasingly. Many smartphones these days sport similar features to tablets. Likewise, there are tablet offerings closer to the size of handsets instead of big slates. Google’s Nexus line comprise both smartphones and tablets. According to recent reports, the company will be releasing a Nexus 6 smartphone and a Nexus 8 tablet. Which should people wait for?

Some consumers opt to buy a separate handset and a slate. For those who wish to get only one device and are thinking which product to go, a rundown of the expected specs of the two should be helpful. Google, like other manufacturers, use similar configurations and component across its devices so comparison should not be as hard.

Nexus 6

Tehran Chronicles reported a sighting of the Nexus 6 screen at 91mobiles.com. The listing notes features such as a 5.3-inch HD screen, LCD display including Corning Gorilla Glass Protection. There were also reports saying the Google will be turning to Qualcomm for the CPU. The Nexus 6 will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 3 GHz processor with 3 GB RAM.

Variants to be offered include: 32, 64 and 128 GB. Connectivity options include microUSB, NFS, Bluetooth, 4G and Wi-Fi. Looking at Google's history and the recent Nexus 5, the Nexus 6 could debut with a new Android OS. However, there are reports claiming Google plans to debut the Android 4.5 OS through the Nexus 8.

The Nexus 6 will start around $600.

People will have to wait for official announcements on whether it will be ahead of Nexus 8 to introduce the Android 4.5 or not.

Nexus 8

Google's alleged switch to the production of Nexus 8 caught many in surprise. Its Nexus 7 series was a success. It did not seem likely for the company to switch. However, sources are claiming the company wants to break away from the saturated market. Likewise, the second generation Nexus 7 did not perform as well as the company expected.

According to a report by DigiTimes, Taiwanese supply chain makers noted:

"Therefore, Google has selected 8-inch as the size of the third-generation Nexus 7 to avoid price competition and competition from 5- to 6-inch smartphones, the sources indicated. Google is very likely to continue co-brand cooperation with Asustek for the 8-inch tablet, the sources added."

The Nexus 8 will sport similar specs from the Nexus 7. Sources note Google plans on doing a number of improvements from the Nexus 7 specs. These include possible enhancements on the following:

  • LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors/ 1,200 x 1,920 pixels, 7.0 inches (~323 ppi pixel density)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4Pro
  • Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait
  • Adreno 320.

The Nexus 6 has currently more available details compared to the Nexus 8, and people may have to wait for Google to release details to be able to decide wisely.