The Nexus 2015 general specs will be defined on release date by the builders of the device, which for the upcoming instalment will reportedly be handled by LG and Huawei. But for the flagship's killer features, it's all about Google, specifically through its latest mobile operating system - Android M.
Android M Preview 2, according to Ars Technica, is quite far from the final cut of the OS and unsurprising lacks the ready to unbox features of the official version but it offers glimpses of what the pure Android would be once unleashed. And trying out the software on existing Nexus smartphone models provided previews of how the next Nexus will behave and some of its essential features.
Ars Technica tested Android M Preview 2 on the Nexus 5 and 6 and shared a few of its observations:
Redesigned app drawer
The Android M app drawer was significantly improved in time for the second preview and it got prettier, the report said. Beyond the aesthetics, the redesign also offers new functionalities and among the most notable is the application search bar that is equipped with predictive functions.
It remains untested how well the predictive app search can learn the usage pattern of users then make automatic recommendations though it is expected that further tweaks on this department will be delivered in upcoming preview instalments, en route to the near-perfect final version.
New home screen orientation
Preview 2 of the next Android now supports auto rotate that also allows landscape orientation for devices, which normally is optimized for large screen devices or specifically tablet computers. It should be noted that in recent reports, Google is not refreshing the 8.9-inch Nexus 9 tab in the same way that the Nexus 10 never got a sequel.
Now with this feature, will Google prove the rumors wrong and unbox a Nexus 9 2015 edition? Or auto rotate home screen is precisely for the 5.7-inch Nexus Angler phone that is whispered, rather loudly, to be made by Huawei?
System UI tuner
The Ars Technica review also noted the inclusion of a system user interface tuner, the main function of which is to empower users to tweak their devices to their liking. This mostly will benefit Android users who prefer the branded devices from Samsung and LG as digging deep into the settings of these gizmos are made easier by Android M.
With the System UI Tuner, rooting is no longer required to make changes on Android skins normally deployed with branded device, which theoretically bring them closer to a Nexus-like environment.
As mentioned, Android M Preview 2 will be followed by more beta builds of the software, which also means that more adjustments and likely new functions and features will be provided in upcoming releases. The final version is said to come out September this year, which many believe will coincide with the Google Nexus 2015 release date.