The evolution of the Google Nexus smartphone line

Hello, dear readers of the best mobile portal Trashbox.ru! Today, in this article, I will try to tell you the evolution of Google's Nexus line of smartphones. As we know, Nexus smartphones running the Android operating system are produced by the Internet giant Google in collaboration with several OEM manufacturers. The first smartphone in the line debuted back in 2010 running Android 2.1 Eclair. For more details you can read under the cut.

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NEXUS ONE

The first smartphone in the line was the Nexus One from Taiwanese OEM HTC. It was released in January 2010. It worked under the latest Android 2.1 Eclair at that time. The performance for 2010 was pretty good. The only drawback was the small amount of internal memory. But, unfortunately, it did not find great popularity among users. You can find the technical characteristics of this device below.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 2.1 Eclair
Display: touch, 3.7 inches, 800x480 pixels, AMOLED
Camera: 5 megapixels, autofocus, LED flash
RAM: 512MB
Built-in memory: 512MB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8250 clocked at 1GHz
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 200
Expansion slot: microSDHC (up to 32GB)
A-GPS
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
3.5mm headphone jack
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
microUSB 2.0
Battery: Li-Ion, 1400 mAh
Dimensions: 119x59.8x11.5 mm
Weight: 130 grams

Unlock your bootloader if you haven't already (this will erase your data)

1. Turn off Nexus.

2. Press and hold Volume Down and Power button to enter Fastboot mode.

3. Connect your Nexus to your computer using a USB cable.

4. Go to the ADB Tools folder on your PC. In an empty area of the window, press and hold Shift and right-click. Select "Open command window here."

5. When the command window opens, enter the following command:

unlock fastboot oem

6. Press the Volume Up button on your device to accept the command and press the Power button to confirm. The bootloader will be unlocked and all data will be lost.

This is the command prompt window in the ADB Tools folder. © ANDROIDPIT

NEXUS S

The second Nexus smartphone was the Nexus S. The world famous South Korean company Samsung took responsibility for production. This smartphone went on sale in December 2010. The smartphone ran Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. It has been improved in terms of technical characteristics, but not much. At that time, it boasted 16GB of internal memory and a Super AMOLED display. An interesting point - it could have been called Nexus Two, but Samsung insisted on its own and as a result, it received its current name - Nexus S, “S” means Samsung.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Display: touch, capacitive, 4 inches, 800x480 pixels, Super AMOLED
Camera: 5 megapixels, autofocus, flash, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: VGA
Processor: ARM Cortex-A8 Hummingbird clocked at 1GHz
Graphics accelerator: PowerVR SGX540
RAM: 512MB
Built-in memory: 16GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
3.5mm headphone jack
microUSB 2.0
NFC
Battery: Li-Ion, 1500 mAh
Dimensions: 123.9x63x10.88 mm
Weight: 129 grams

Reason 3: Nexus exclusive features

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Besides the stock operating system, which in itself is a feature, Nexus devices have some advantages over other Android devices. For example, recently Google phone owners were able to upload an unlimited number of photos and videos to Google Photos without compression.

Nexus smartphones also have a proprietary Google dialer, which many Android users would not mind getting. In addition to a convenient and well-thought-out interface, it has such a useful function as “Google Caller ID”. With its help, the phone will tell you who is calling you, even if you do not have this contact. For example, if the number belongs to an organization, you will see its name and address on the screen. In addition, you can write the name of a company (for example, a cinema) directly in the “Phone” application and immediately call, without even knowing its number. A convenient feature available only to owners of Nexus smartphones. Recently, Google's proprietary dialer was mistakenly released into the public domain, but this oversight was quickly corrected.

In early June, Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared his vision for the future of the Nexus line. Apparently, the plans are for a more mass-produced product, and not just a geeky gadget. They promise more exclusive features and “more confident in design” devices. Well, let’s wait until autumn and find out what the “good corporation” has in store for us.

GALAXY NEXUS

The third Nexus smartphone and the second from Samsung in the line is the GALAXY Nexus. It was presented on October 19, 2011 at a presentation in Hong Kong. This is a little later than planned. The third generation of Nexus smartphones was supposed to be presented on October 11, 2011 at the presentation of Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 Google Episode at the CTIA exhibition in San Diego, but due to the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, the presentation was postponed to October 19, 2011. The smartphone came with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. The characteristics were excellent at that time. It had 1GB of RAM, HD Super AMOLED display and Android Beam support.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Display: touch, capacitive, 4.65 inches, 1280x720 pixels, HD Super AMOLED
Camera: 5 megapixels, autofocus, flash, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 1.3 megapixels
Processor: dual-core TI OMAP4460 clocked at 1.2 GHz
Graphics accelerator: PowerVR SGX540
RAM: 1GB
Built-in memory: 16GB or 32GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS
Bluetooth 3.0
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
3.5mm headphone jack
microUSB 2.0
NFC
Battery: Li-Ion, 1750 mAh
Dimensions: 135.5×67.94×8.94 mm
Weight: 135 grams

Pure Android. Review of the Google Nexus series of tablets and smartphones

15 Sep 2014

The Internet is filled with rumors about new devices from the Nexus line. According to preliminary data, one tablet will be called “Nexus 9”, and HTC will be producing it. There is also information about the appearance of a 6-inch gadget from Motorola, as well as two new smartphones at once. We decided to recall all the models in the series, which have gained wide popularity among buyers.

The line was conceived by Google, the developer of the Android operating system, as a series of branded smartphones and tablets united by the Nexus brand. Typically, mobile device manufacturers install their own modified software shell on Android devices. Google Nexus Gadgets

use “pure” Android – the way Google conceived and released it. In addition, these devices are distinguished by powerful hardware parameters at a relatively affordable price.

Google Nexus One from HTC (2010)

The first device in the line was the Nexus One smartphone, developed by HTC. This model became an analogue of the more expensive HTC Desire device. In the Nexus version, the phone received a trackball instead of an optical sensor and a reduced amount of RAM. The remaining specifications made the Nexus One one of the most technically advanced smartphones at that time. It had a 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch display and a 5 MP camera. At the same time, it was not that expensive: $529.

A distinctive feature of the Nexus line of devices is that they also support regular updates to new versions of Android. The Nexus One was the first device to run Android 2.1 Eclair. Then I gradually updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and then to 2.3.6. At the same time, its brother HTC Desire supported updates only to version 2.2.

Google Nexus S from Samsung (2010)

Following HTC, Samsung has prepared its device for Google. In December 2010, the Nexus S smartphone appeared. It also had a more expensive prototype in the form of the Galaxy S, released 6 months earlier. By tradition, the Nexus S was equipped slightly poorer than the flagship. It had a lower resolution screen and did not support additional memory cards. A curious feature of the device is the curved surface of the screen. Moreover, the matrix itself was flat.

The Nexus S came with Android 2.3, and regular updates brought it up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Its “brother” Galaxy S also ran on Android 2.3, but did not receive a fourth Android.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (2011)

The next Googlephone model was also developed by Samsung. The new Galaxy Nexus was completely original and was not a weaker analogue of any other smartphone. On this device, the manufacturer for the first time abandoned physical buttons on the front panel. On the case there were only a volume control and a power button. The Galaxy Nexus was controlled by virtual keys, which became one of the main innovations of Android 4.0.

The smartphone was originally planned to be presented to the public on October 11, 2011, but due to the death of Steve Jobs, the presentation was postponed to October 19. Moreover, it was jointly conducted by representatives of two companies – Samsung and Google.

Nexus 7 from ASUS (2012)

In 2012, the first tablet appeared in the line. ASUS released the Nexus 7 model, the name of which indicated the screen diagonal size - 7 inches. Since then, Nexus gadgets began to be named based on the diagonal size.

The new product became extremely popular and had phenomenal sales figures. This is due to its excellent specifications and low price. The Nexus 7 had a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, and a 1280 x 800 display. This modification was priced at $250, but there was also an 8 GB model that sold for just $200. The competitors were the KIndle Fire tablets, but they tied the user to the Amazon store, where they offered to buy movies, games and applications. Nexus 7 had the usual "open" Android and was a more functional gadget.

According to many observers, the Nexus 7 became the "device of the year", beating out competitors such as the iPhone 4S and Sony PlayStation Vita, which were introduced the same year. Evidence of the recognition of the success of the Nexus 7 was the fact that during the presentation of the iPad Mini tablet, Apple CEO Tim Cook compared his device with the Google device.

Nexus 4 from LG (2012)

In the same 2012, a new smartphone was released. Nexus 4 was released by LG. It is curious that the diagonal size did not correspond to the name. The device received a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 768. The smartphone featured an unusual design, namely a pattern on the back cover. When the viewing angle changed, the back panel shimmered very beautifully.

The rest of the Nexus 4's performance was also excellent. The device had the most powerful processor as of 2012 - Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, 2 GB of RAM, 8 or 16 GB of internal memory. The last characteristic has become a disadvantage of the smartphone. The internal memory could not be expanded using an additional flash card, and users complained about its small capacity. The smartphone was never released in a 32 GB version, unlike the Nexus 7 tablet, which was later introduced in a 32 GB version.

The device had no other disadvantages. On the contrary, the Nexus 4 supported an innovative wireless charging feature that only one other smartphone had - the Nokia Lumia 920.

Samsung Nexus 10 (2012)

Simultaneously with the Nexus 4, the 10-inch Nexus 10 tablet was introduced, produced by Samsung. The model has gained wide popularity in Russia, thanks to its extremely powerful specifications at a relatively low price. The gadget had only one drawback: the lack of a SIM card slot and 3G support. The tablet accessed the Internet only via Wi-Fi.

The main trump card of Google Nexus 10 was the display with the highest resolution at that time - 2560 x 1600. In terms of pixels per inch, the device was superior to the Retina display of the Apple iPad tablet (300 versus 264 ppi). Another plus is the dual-core Samsung Exynos processor. The tablet was presented in versions with 16 and 32 GB of internal memory.

Nexus 7 (2013) from ASUS

The success of the first generation tablet made it logical to continue the collaboration between Google and ASUS to develop the Nexus 7 II. The manufacturer has qualitatively modernized the device, eliminating the shortcomings of the first version. The new model is lighter, thinner and more compact than its predecessor. Technical parameters have also improved. Google Nexus 7 (2013) is powered by a Snapdragon S4 processor, has 2 GB of RAM, and a display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. The tablet is equipped with Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Google’s operating system.

Options that the first generation Nexus 7 did not have include a camera on the rear panel, as well as LTE support for the modification that has a SIM card slot.

By the way, Android 4.4 was originally planned to be called “Key Lime Pie”. However, then Google decided that this dish was not known to many people outside the United States. The company approached Nestle for permission to use the KitKat trademark. Collaboration between corporations occurs free of charge; companies do not pay each other money for the use of names.

Nexus 5 from LG (2013)

The branded smartphone was also updated in 2013. Nexus 5 has a 5-inch screen and is designed in the same design as a 7-inch tablet. In general, its appearance is quite ascetic. The back panel of the smartphone is covered with matte plastic. The manufacturer abandoned the glossy iridescent pattern that the Nexus 4 had. But the new product was presented in three colors at once. Google Nexus 5 is released in black, white and bright red body colors.

The main advantage of the device is its super-powerful hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, magnificent display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920, 2 GB of RAM. There are 16 GB and 32 GB versions available, which cost $350 and $400, respectively. Like the first devices in the line, Nexus 5 has a more powerful analogue - the LG G2 smartphone. However, this model turned out to be as much as $300 more expensive than the Nexus 5, and therefore the Google Phone sold significantly better.

New Nexus (2014)

HTC is preparing a new tablet for Google, which will presumably have a diagonal of 8 or 9 inches. So far there is very little information about him. All that is known in advance is that the new product will run on a 64-bit Atom Moorefield processor. The tablet was expected to be released in April, but the release was later postponed to autumn 2014.

In addition, a compact 6-inch device is expected to appear. For now, this new product is called Nexus X. The filling, as expected, will be impressive: a display with a resolution of 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels), a 2.7-GHz Snapdragon 805 processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical stabilization and a 2.1-megapixel frontal. Most likely, it will be a phablet - something between a smartphone and a tablet, and Motorola will develop it.

Tags: tablet smartphone Google Samsung ASUS

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NEXUS 4

As the name of the device implies, this was the fourth smartphone in the line - Nexus 4. This time Google signed a contract with LG. The collaboration between Google and LG is the most successful. The smartphone was presented on October 29, 2012. Another interesting fact: just like a year earlier, the presentation was postponed. It was supposed to take place at a special Google event in New York, but due to Hurricane Sandy, the building in which the presentation was to take place was evacuated. The smartphone was undeniably successful. In the very first hours it was sold out like “hot cakes”. The characteristics of this device were so excellent that they are still relevant today, but only on budget devices. It also boasted 2GB of RAM and Qi wireless charging.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Display: capacitive, 4.7 inches, 1280x768 pixels, True HD IPS+, 317 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Camera: 8 megapixels, flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 1.3 megapixels
Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro with a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 320
RAM: 2GB
Internal memory: 8GB or 16GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
microUSB 2.0
3.5mm headphone jack
NFC
Qi wireless charging
Battery: Li-Po, 2100 mAh
Dimensions: 133.9×68.7×9.1 mm
Weight: 139 grams

Nexus 10. Return of Samsung

The next gadget marked Samsung's return to developing Nexus devices. From the name you can see that this is again a tablet. The presentation of Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 took place simultaneously. The ten-inch tablet was radically different from its predecessor, the Nexus 7. It's not just about the screen diagonal. The design has been completely redesigned and changed. The Nexus 10 felt more like one of Samsung's tablets than a standalone device. They gave out rounded edges. The technical stuff this time was not at the peak of progress. However, the situation was partially saved by the display: 10-inch matrix, resolution 2560x1600, pixel density 300 ppi. Even the iPad with its Retina and 264 ppi density cannot boast of such a high-quality display. The Nexus 10's display is still considered a benchmark these days. There is nothing more good to say. The success of the Nexus 7 was not repeated. The device went largely unnoticed and received little respect from Nexus fans.

NEXUS 5

The fifth smartphone was Nexus 5 from LG. The most popular and most successful smartphone in the line at the moment. He can also be called legendary. Until now, people buy it, and those who have already bought it do not want to exchange it for another smartphone, because this is the best solution in terms of price/quality standard. This smartphone was presented to the public on October 31, 2013. The device came with the latest version of Android 4.4 KitKat, an official update to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is already available, and, according to preliminary data, the smartphone will soon receive an official update to Android N, which is currently being tested in Beta version. The characteristics at the end of 2013 were flagship, and it itself was supplied by the company as a flagship, and there is no point in arguing here. It still handles the heaviest games and programs with ease. It has a 4.95 inch True HD IPS+ display and 2GB of RAM.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 4.4 KitKat
Display: capacitive, 4.95 inches, 1080x1920 pixels, True HD IPS+, 445 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Camera: 8 megapixels, flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 1.3 megapixels
Processor: quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3 GHz
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 330
RAM: 2GB
Internal memory: 16GB or 32GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
microUSB 2.0
3.5mm headphone jack
NFC
Qi wireless charging
Battery: Li-Po, 2300 mAh
Dimensions: 137.9×69.2×8.6 mm
Weight: 130 grams

NEXUS 6

The sixth in a row was the Nexus 6 from Motorola. The smartphone was presented on October 15, 2014. It became the first smartphone on “material” Android 5.0 Lollipop. This smartphone belongs to the phablet category. It has a 5.96-inch QHD AMOLED display and 3GB of RAM, and it is also splash-proof. Unfortunately, it has not regained the former popularity of the Nexus 5.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 5.0 Lollipop
Display: capacitive, 5.96 inches, 1440×2560 pixels, AMOLED, 493 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Camera: 13 megapixels, dual flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 2 megapixels
Processor: quad-core Qualcomm APQ8084 Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 420
RAM: 3GB
Internal memory: 32GB or 64GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
microUSB 2.0
3.5mm headphone jack
NFC
Qi wireless charging
Battery: Li-Po, 3220 mAh
Dimensions: 159.3x83x10.1 mm
Weight: 184 grams

The next device in the line was the so-called Nexus 9 Internet tablet.

This tablet was developed jointly with HTC. The Nexus 9 tablet was announced on October 15, 2014, and went on sale on November 3 of the same year. The device has a screen aspect ratio that is atypical for Android tablets: 4×3. Nexus 9 is the fourth and final tablet in the Nexus line. Nexus 9 Specifications:

8.9 high resolution display (2048×1536, 288 dpi);
4-core Nvidia Tegra K1 2300 MHz processor,
2 gigabytes of RAM;
volume of permanent memory - 16GB/32GB;
Battery capacity – 6700 mAh.
The tablet is updated to the operating system - Android 7.1.

NEXUS 5X

The seventh smartphone was the Nexus 5X from the aforementioned manufacturer LG. It's a "remake" of the original Nexus 5, so to speak. The Nexus 5X was introduced on September 29, 2015, along with the Nexus 6P, which we'll talk about later. The smartphone was one of the first devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Its features include a USB Type C port, a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS LCD display and 2GB of RAM, as well as a fingerprint scanner. We will only be able to judge its popularity by the end of the year. But I think he won’t be able to surpass the “classics”.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Display: capacitive, 5.2 inches, 1080×1920 pixels, IPS LCD, 423 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Camera: 12.3 megapixels, dual flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 5 megapixels
Processor: six-core Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 clocked at 1.44 GHz (four cores) and 1.82 GHz (two cores)
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 418
RAM: 2GB
Internal memory: 16GB or 32GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
USB Type C 1.0
3.5mm headphone jack
NFC
Battery: Li-Po, 2700 mAh
Dimensions: 147×72.6×7.9 mm
Weight: 136 grams

Nexus 7 model 2013. ASUS is at it again

ASUS did not rework their own concept. They also did not reinvent the wheel and try to surprise people with some kind of technological revolution in the new version of the Nexus 7 tablet. If we could describe all the work done in one word, then “technological evolution” would be best. The new incarnation of Nexus 7 is thinner, lighter, faster. The internals have been updated: Snapdragon S4 processor, 2 gigabytes of RAM and 16 (32) internal memory. Full-HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080. Added support for LTE and slots for memory cards. Now critics have nothing to complain about.

NEXUS 6P

The eighth, one of the latest and the last smartphone in the article from Huawei is the Nexus 6P. An updated version of the Nexus 6 phablet. The smartphone, like the Nexus 5X, was introduced on September 29, 2015. It became the first device to run Android 6.0 Marshmallow along with the Nexus 5X. Its features include the same USB Type C port, a 5.7-inch QHD AMOLED display and 3GB of RAM, as well as a fingerprint scanner. Just like in the case of the Nexus 5X, we will only be able to judge the popularity of the Nexus 6P by the end of the year.

Specifications:

Operating system: Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Display: capacitive, 5.7 inches, 1440×2560 pixels, AMOLED, 518 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Camera: 12.3 megapixels, dual flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 8 megapixels
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 clocked at 1.55 GHz (four cores) and 2.0 GHz (four cores)
Graphics accelerator: Adreno 430
RAM: 3GB
Internal memory: 32GB, 64GB or 128GB
Memory card: not supported
A-GPS and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
USB Type C 1.0
3.5mm headphone jack
NFC
Battery: Li-Po, 3450 mAh
Dimensions: 159.3×77.8×7.3 mm
Weight: 178 grams

That's all. Thank you all for your attention!

Reason 4: no garbage and advertising

portal gda/flickr.com
When buying a smartphone, for example, Huawei or LG, be prepared to receive a lot of pre-installed applications, both proprietary and third-party ones like Facebook, Microsoft's office suite or OneDrive cloud storage. You cannot delete them, even if they are not needed and you will never use them. All these services are literally forced on the owner of a smartphone, and often you can’t get rid of them with the “Trash” folder. You have to kill several hours to remove everything unnecessary, install a normal launcher, and install the necessary applications. All this instead of taking a new device out of the box and just starting to use it.

Nexus devices have the bare minimum installed, and these are exclusively Google services. No trash, the system is clean, and you are free to configure it as you please.

Why is this happening? It's very simple: Nexus doesn't have to make money, especially in the short term. It doesn't even have to remain profitable. Google's main income comes from selling advertising in search, which has nothing to do with the Nexus line. The devices are selling well - great, perhaps even advertising profits will increase. Selling poorly? This will not affect advertising in any way. Google does not stuff its gadgets with third-party services and applications in order to make money from it. The result is a self-sufficient device for people who prefer Google services, and nothing more.