Rumors of the Nexus 6 are heating up again, not long after prominent (and now-inactive) leaker Evleaks seemingly doused cold water on the possibility of a Google-branded flagship phone in 2014. A new report seems to reveal the Nexus 6’s specifications, with a benchmark showing the performance of a phone known as the Motorola “shamu.”
Android Police is the publication responsible for this new spate of Nexus 6 rumors, as the publication reported earlier in the week that the Nexus 6 was spotted on a GFXBench benchmark. The phone is identified as the Motorola “Shamu,” a misprint of sorts as Google typically uses lower-case for codenames, but the use of an aquatic-related codename is vintage Google. According to the benchmarks, the Nexus 6 tested for graphical performance that’s comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2, HTC One M8, and OnePlus One. All of those phones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processors, so that may be a clue pointing to one of the Nexus 6’s expected specifications.
As for the other Nexus 6 specifications hinted at by Android Police, it seems likely that Google will again go for a device that combines impressive (though not class-leading) specs with a competitive price point. The Nexus 6 is expected to run on 2 GB RAM, sport a 5.9-inch, 1080p display, and come with a 13-megapixel rear camera, or maybe an 8-megapixel shooter like its predecessor, the Nexus 5. The phone is expected to be released alongside Android L in October or November, and some have even speculated that Google may also launch the Nexus 8 tablet at the same event.