Report: The Next Nexus Phone Might Be a Gigantic Moto

Report: The Next Nexus Phone Might Be a Gigantic Moto:

Brian Barrett

Gizmodo 

Google and Motorola may have parted ways in January, but it if this latest Android Police rumor holds up, it appears to have been on good terms. The Nexus 6 may be a hefty Moto device, and while details are scant, it does have a delightful nickname: Shamu.

The only information contained in the Android Police report that hints at what kind of hardware we're potentially dealing with is that Shamu is a 5.9-inch device with a fingerprint sensor. That, and the phone is definitely distinct from the Moto X+1, the upcoming sequel to Motorola's excellent Moto X (pictured above).

But the Moto Shamu might be more interesting for what it represents than what it actually is or might be. Google has reportedly been toying with the idea of ditching the Nexus branding altogether in favor of Android Silver, a moniker that would bestow a range of devices with Google's blessing rather than just one phone per year.

That a Nexus 6 appears to at least be in consideration for release this fall is telling, as is the fact that it's apparently a giant hulking beast of a phone. In the absence of a new Nexus 10—which hasn't been refreshed since its 2012 launch—a phablet seems like as logical a choice as any to eat into iPad sales.

It seems unlikely that a new Nexus device of any stripe would appear before later this fall, which is far enough away that plans to change aplenty. But if you were worried about the Nexus program, it seems like you can rest a little bit easier. Not only is it still in play, it's got a whale of a prospect coming down the line.