Will The Nexus 6 Survive the Release of the Nexus 5?
When Google announced its Nexus 6 smartphone, many people (including myself) had high expectations. After all, the company’s previous generation handset, the Nexus 5, was nothing short of superb. The Nexus 5 was fast, efficient, sleek, and most importantly — it performed better that most other Android smartphones on the market. But unfortunately the Nexus 6 failed to live up to its expectations, leaving mobile users wanting something more.
One of the biggest letdowns of the Nexus 6 was its price. The Nexus 5 was an instant hit, due largely in part to its cost of just $349 for the 16GB model and $399 for the 32GB model. You don’t have to be an Android expert to know that those are rock-bottom prices when it comes to smartphones. What’s even more impressive is that Google didn’t require users to sign up for a 2-year contract in order to purchase the Nexus 5 at this price. The $349/$399 was a flat price tag that did not require signing a new cell contract.
The Nexus 6 took a different approach to pricing. Google priced the entry-level 32GB model at $649 and the 64GB model at $699. That’s nearly twice as much as the original Nexus 5. Granted, the new Nexus 6 featured better specs, such a new Snapdragon 805 processor, more RAM, a larger storage capacity, and the new Android Lollipop OS. Nonetheless, many users felt that Google priced it too high, restricting its sales and ultimately killing the handset before it even got off the ground.
This is where the Nexus 5 “reboot” comes into play. Google hasn’t officially confirmed these rumors, but all indications suggest that the search engine giant is bringing the Nexus 5 back to life. The new 2015 edition Nexus 5 is expected to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, offering consumers a powerful Android handset at a budget-friendly price.
So, will the new Nexus 5 place the final nail in the Nexus 6’s coffin? This is a very real possibility for a couple different reasons. First and foremost, Google knows the mistakes it made with the Nexus 6, including the pricing issue. Rumor has it that Google is releasing not one but two different Nexus 5 reboots, which could indicate that it’s going to offer both a budget and premium version. The budget Nexus 5 would most likely be produced by LG, while the premium variant would be produced by Huawei. Of course, this is pure speculation at the moment, but several unnamed sources are saying that it is true.
Another reason why the Nexus 5 reboot could kill the Nexus 6 is because it features a new operating system, allegedly. It’s not uncommon for Google to release new versions of its Android OS alongside new smartphones. And with the Nexus 5 reboot gearing up for release, there’s no better time than the present. We’ve seen reports that the new Android OS will feature a fingerprint sensor, as well as Google Pay support.
Do you think the Google Nexus 6 will survive once the Nexus 5 (2015) is released? Let us know in the comments section below!
