Devices in the Nexus line[2] were considered Google's
core Android products. They contained little to no manufacturer or
wireless carrier modifications to Android (such as custom
user interfaces[3]), although devices sold through carriers may be
SIM locked, had some extra branding, and may have received software updates at a slower pace than the unlocked variant. Save for some carrier-specific variants, Nexus devices were often among the first Android devices to receive updates to the operating system.[4][5][6] All Nexus devices featured an unlockable
bootloader[7] to allow further development and end-user modification. Although Nexus devices were originally produced in small quantities as they were intended as developer phones, the lack of bloatware/modifications to Android while providing similar performance to more expensive flagship smartphones from OEMs gained Nexus devices a considerable following.[8] In addition to the Nexus program, Google also sold
Google Play editions of OEM devices, which run the "stock" version of Android without the OEM nor carrier modifications.[9]
OEMs that were part of the Nexus program were namely
HTC,
Samsung,
LG,
Motorola,
Huawei and
Asus. In late 2016, the Nexus lineup was replaced by the
Google Pixel, which provides a similar stock Android experience but sold for considerably higher prices, directly competing with flagship smartphones from OEMs. Google stated that they "don't want to close a door completely, but there is no plan right now to do more Nexus devices."[10] In 2017, Google partnered with
HMD Global in making new
Nokia phones, as part of the
Android One program, which has been considered by some as a
spiritual successor to the Nexus.[11][12][13][14]
The Nexus One was manufactured by
HTC and released in January 2010 as the first Nexus phone. It was released with
Android 2.1 Eclair, and was updated in May 2010 to be the first phone with
Android 2.2 Froyo. It was further updated to
Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It was announced that Google would cease support for the Nexus One, whose
graphics processing unit (GPU) is poor at rendering the new 2D acceleration engine of the UI in
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Nexus S and newer models have hardware designed to handle the new rendering. It was the only Nexus device to have card storage expandability (
SD).
Display: 3.7" display with 800×480 pixel resolution
The Nexus S, manufactured by
Samsung, was released in December 2010 to coincide with the release of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In December 2011 it was updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with most variations later being updatable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in July 2012.[15] The device's support was ended after 4.1 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google.
Display: 4.0" display with 800×480 pixel resolution
The Galaxy Nexus, again manufactured by Samsung, was released in November 2011 (GSM version, US version released on December 15, 2011) to coincide with the release of
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device support was ended after 4.3 Jelly Bean and no longer receives updates from Google. This device is known in
Brazil as Galaxy X due to a trademark on the "Nexus" brand.[16] It is also the last Nexus device to have a removable battery.
Display: 4.65"
HD Super AMOLED display with 1280×720 pixel resolution
The Nexus 4 smartphone, also known as the LG Nexus 4 or LG Mako, was released in November 2012 and manufactured by
LG. It was the first Android device that used
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update version. Nexus 4 is the first Nexus device to have
wireless charging capabilities. It was updated to Android 4.3 in June 2013 and to Android 4.4 in November 2013. It can run Android 5.1 as of April 2015.[17]
The Nexus 4 has the following characteristics:
Display: 4.7" Corning
Gorilla Glass 2, True HD IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen, 768×1280 pixel resolution, 16M colors
The Nexus 5 smartphone, again manufactured by
LG, was scheduled for sale on October 31, 2013 for US$349 at the Google Play store. It was the first device to run
Android 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 5 did not receive an official Android 7.0 Nougat update,[18] meaning that
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is the last officially supported Android version for the device. The Nexus 5 has the following characteristics:[19]
The Nexus 6 is a smartphone developed by
Motorola, originally running
Android 5.0 Lollipop (upgradeable to Android 7.1.1 Nougat[20]). It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 9 and the Nexus Player.[21][22]
Display: 5.96" Quad HD AMOLED PenTile (RGBG) display with 1440×2560 pixel resolution (493 ppi)
The Nexus 5X is a smartphone developed by
LG originally running
Android 6.0 Marshmallow (upgradeable to Android 8.1.0 Oreo[23]). It was first announced on September 29, 2015, along with the Nexus 6P and several other Google devices (such as the
Pixel C tablet).[24]
Display: 5.2" FHD LCD display with 1080×1920 pixel resolution (423ppi)
The Nexus 6P is a smartphone developed by
Huawei originally running
Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It was first announced on September 29, 2015 along with the Nexus 5X and several other Google devices (such as the Pixel C tablet).[26]
Display: 5.7" WQHD AMOLED display with 1440×2560 pixel resolution (518ppi)
On June 27, 2012, at its
I/O 2012 keynote presentation, Google introduced the Nexus 7, a 7-inch
tablet computer developed with and manufactured by
Asus. Released in July 2012, it was the first device to run
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The latest Android version supported by Google for the device is Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
Display: 7" display with 1280×800 pixel resolution
On July 24, 2013, at Google's "Breakfast with Sundar Pichai" press conference,
Pichai introduced the second generation Nexus 7, again co-developed with
Asus. Keeping with Google Nexus tradition, it was simultaneously released with the latest version,
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It was made available on July 26, 2013 at select retailers and on the
Google Play store in the United States.[29] On November 20, 2013, it was available from the Google Play stores in Hong Kong and India. On the same day, the Nexus Wireless Charger was made available in the United States and Canada.[30] In December 2015, Google released Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the device.[31] The Nexus 7 (2013) will not receive an official Android 7.0 Nougat update,[18] meaning that Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is the last officially supported Android version for the tablet.
Display: 7.02" display with 1920×1200 pixel resolution
The Nexus 10, a 10.1-inch tablet manufactured by
Samsung, was revealed in late October 2012 by the
Exif data of photos taken by Google executive,
Vic Gundotra,[32] along with the leaks of its manual and a comprehensive series of photos. The leaked photos revealed a design similar to the
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, with a 10.1-inch 2560×1600 display, 16 or 32 GB of storage, Android 4.2, and a dual-core 1.7 GHz
Exynos 5 processor. The Nexus 10 was expected to be unveiled officially during a Google press event on October 29, 2012, but the event was postponed due to
Hurricane Sandy.[33][34] The Nexus 10 would not receive any official updates beyond Android 5.1.1.
Display: 10.1" Corning Gorilla Glass 2 with 2560×1600 pixel resolution
The Nexus 9 is an 8.9-inch tablet running Android 5.0 Lollipop, developed in collaboration between Google and HTC. It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 6 and the Nexus Player.[21]
Display: 8.9" Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2048×1536 pixel resolution
The Nexus Q is a discontinued
digital media player that ran Android and integrated with Google Play, to sell at US$299 in the United States.
After complaints about a lack of features for the price, the Nexus Q was shelved indefinitely; Google said it needed time to make the product "even better".[35] The Nexus Q was unofficially replaced by the
Chromecast, and further by the
Nexus Player.
The Nexus Player is a streaming media player created in collaboration between Google and Asus. It is the first device running
Android TV. It was first announced on October 15, 2014 along with the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9.[21] On May 24, 2016, Google discontinued sales of the Nexus Player.[36] In March 2018, Google confirmed that the Nexus Player would not receive the upcoming version of Android,
Android Pie, and that security updates had also ended for the device.[37]