Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted this week of a much improved Nexus 2016 package on release date. While stopping short of revealing the essential details such as the key feature upgrades to unbox with the device and the rollout timing, the company chief assured of a significantly enhanced next Nexus experience.
Picking up on the one-on-one encounter of Pichai with tech journalist Walt Mossberg, 9to5Google said that the Google chief executive practically painted an entirely revised revamped of the Nexus 2016. And here are key takeaways:
Nexus brand is the highlight
Pichai has indicated that in making the next Nexus, Google will be "more opinionated," on the matter. 9to5Google took the cue as Google saying that when the 2016 Nexus devices are unpacked, it will be unlike the Nexus 5X and 6P of last year or all the previous models that came out.
The tech giant will still outsource the mass assembly of the handsets but the chosen maker will not be allowed to print its brand name on the devices. The next Google phone, in short, will not only be Pure Android but also Pure Nexus.
iPhone-like business model
It was clear that starting with Nexus 2016, Google is gunning to better challenge Apple's smartphone business. Pichai using opinionated is practically declaring that Google will take full-charge of the next Nexus - from development to the release of the Nexus final cut. Everything is done in Google's way in the same manner that the iPhone takes form under the strict guidance of Apple.
Hardware optimization
Despite the relative success of both the Nexus 5X and 6P, Google was far from ecstatic, according to 9to5Google. The 5X, specifically, was regarded by the tech giant as "trainwreck" and Google would want to see the last of such disappointment. The plan for Nexus 2016 is for the devices to achieve tenfold improvement in hardware optimization, again replicating the successful template used on Apple's iPhone.
Pixel pattern for Nexus devices
The next Nexus devices, whether a smartphone or a tablet, will be largely Pixel-inspired, according to 9to5Google. This would mean the use of the design language that Google has highlighted with the Pixel-C hybrid device. In establishing its device signature, Google is likely to mass employ brushed and anodized aluminum finish, indicating that at least for the Nexus phones HTC is the chosen one.
The device interface, as expected, will be of the updated Material Design that will unpack with Android N soon.
Nexus experience
And like the iPhone, Google's chief intention for the Nexus 2016 on release date is to make it a lifestyle brand, which the company hopes to realize by cooking up a unique experience attached with the mobile device. Rumors indicate that next Nexus rollout is likely to happen August 2016 or at around the same time that Android N is ready to rock.