Google expected to launch two Nexus phones this year, but no tablet

Two new Nexus phones this year? Yes please! Photo: Google

Two new Nexus phones this year? Yes please! Photo: Google

Google will attempt to reverse declining Nexus sales with the launch of two new smartphones in 2015, according to a new report. The devices are expected to come in different sizes to appeal to a larger number of consumers, but they may not be accompanied by a new Nexus tablet.

One of Google’s new Nexus smartphones will be made by LG, with a 5.2-inch display and a battery “the neighborhood of 2700mAh,” Android Police reports. It will likely be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 808 processor — the same hexa-core chip LG packed into the new G4.

This will be the Nexus device for those who don’t want a super-sized smartphone. The Nexus 6’s 6-inch display, which makes it one of the largest phones on the market, is thought to be one of the reasons why Nexus sales have been falling — another being its premium price tag.

For those who do want a bigger device, there will also be a 5.7-inch option from Huawei, powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 810, Android Police claims. The device will also have a 3,500mAh battery, and is described as “a 2015 Nexus 6, but with a slightly more manageable form factor.”

Both devices are expected to go on sale in October, which is when Google tends to announce new hardware, so it’s highly unlikely we’ll see either of them at I/O later this week, unfortunately. And it seems they’ll be an even longer wait for a new Nexus tablet.

“It also sounds like the Nexus 9 will be Google’s flagship tablet for another cycle,” the report adds. “The information we have on this is from just a few weeks ago in April, and says no Nexus tablet is in the works.”

The Nexus 9 is still a mighty fine device, of course, and that’s not going to change over the next year. Perhaps Google will make it more affordable as it ages, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.