Google is reportedly readying its next flagship device in the Nexus series by adopting the popular big-screen trend with a 5.9-inch screen.
Apple challenged the odds by finally bumping up the screen size of its iPhones in the all-new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The success of the two flagships made it clear that size does matter. Following the latest trend will soon be the world's largest internet search company, Google. The company is planning to launch its next Nexus smartphone with a massive 5.9-inch display, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Google has suitably codenamed its next Nexus phone as "Shamu" after the giant killer whale. According to the sources, the smartphone will be manufactured by Motorola Mobility, which is in the process of being sold to China's Lenovo PC brand.
Google is pretty late to the party as several Android smartphone makers have already popularized the phablet market. Samsung led the way with its popular Note series and flagship Galaxy S devices that feature varying sizes. But Apple's entry to the big-screen phone market set a new standard in the industry.
For its rumored Nexus 6 smartphone, Google is planning to add a Quad-HD display with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels along with upgraded 3GB RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor. These specs are taken from the top-of-the-line shelf found only on a few high-end flagship smartphones like the Galaxy Note 4.
If the report is true, Google's upcoming Nexus handset will be larger than Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus and the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note. The Mountain View, California-based tech giant plans to launch the new smartphone pre-loaded with the latest mobile OS Android L, Fortune reported.
"If Android doesn't have something at that size there will be a hole in their portfolio," Ankit Jain, CEO and founder of mobile start-up Quettra and a former executive at Google Play, told the Journal. "Google doesn't want to make the same mistake that Apple made over the last few years by missing out on the demand for larger phones."
Google is gunning against Apple's iPhone 6 Plus with the new Nexus phone by improving on the display quality and offer a lower price, sources added. The Nexus 6 is expected to arrive later this month.
