Before 2015, Google was only releasing one smartphone annually under its popular Nexus brand, with the last of this being the 2014 Google Nexus 6.
The Google Nexus 6, like any other Nexus device before it, is not a product of Google alone, rather, the only parts that Google owns are the brand name and the rights to roll out software updates to the same. The phone is a product of Motorola, a company that was taken over by Lenovo a few years ago.
Many will agree with me that the Google Nexus 6 was kind of a rushed job, something that meant the tech giant had to put in lots of publicity efforts in ensuring the success of the phone. Of course, this paid off, somehow, but it wasn’t as rewarding to the company as the 2013 Google Nexus 5 or even the 2015 Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X.
At the time of its release, many were used to the much more affordable Google Nexus 5 and Nexus 4 before it. But things changed when the Nexus 6 came in with a massive price tag that actually put off many potential buyers. There were also some concerns with the phone’s design, where some, including us, saw it as massively huge with its six inches of display. There were also some concerns with the software, with some people claiming that the phone didn’t just feel like a true Nexus device.
Lucky enough, Google itself has been in the driving seat ever since, coming in with regular software updates that have steadily been improving the performance and general software experience of the Nexus 6 phablet. There are also plenty of custom ROMs that can be installed on the phone and give it a fresh breath of life.
In 2016, the Google Nexus 6 received the update to Android 7.0 Nougat, an update that many didn’t expect to receive since the phone was close to clocking two years in the market. This update came in with new features, bug fixes and performance enhancements that have added more life to the phone. Given that the handset has some not-so-bad hardware specs under the hood, the update to Android 7.1.1 Nougat made the Nexus 6 even better.
Now, given its status in the market, the Google Nexus 6 has become even more cost effective. The interesting part of the story is that for a price tag that could go as low as $300, you can have a phone that has grown in stature over time and still carries some of the best hardware specs out there. However, if your target is Android O, the Nexus 6 is not a phone you might want to buy right now.