The goal of Nexus devices has been to provide the best possible Android experience at a very competitive price, but the Nexus 6 contradicted that very goal, which led to many people asking questions about the direction Google is taking with its Nexus lineup. In an interview the vice president of engineering for Android at Google, Hiroshi Lockheimer, has explained Google’s strategy for the Nexus 6.
Nexus 6 is an Android powerhouse and there’s no doubt that fans of this lineup are going to appreciate the hefty specifications. However the price shuns tradition. Nexus 6 costs $649 for the 32GB model whereas previous Nexus models have been priced less than $400 even if they had lower onboard storage.
This is also the first time a Nexus smartphone is being sold by all four carriers, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, with a subsidy because the price warrants it. For $649 one can easily get a similarly spec’d flagship from the likes of Samsung, LG and even Apple.
Lockheimer said in an interview with CNET that the Nexus 6’s traditional price tag is likely to help boost sales. There’s a reason for that. Previous Nexus smartphones were not sold by carriers with a subsidy and customers got them through the Google Play Store. When its subsidized the Nexus 6 may cost $199 with a two year contract.
This price may look appealing at first glance, and while we know the device’s cost is baked into the service charges, it would put the device in countless carrier stores around the country and thus vastly increase the number of people that will take a look at it and perhaps may even purchase it.
Google didn’t base the Nexus 6 on price. Sandeep Waraich, a product manager at Google who worked at the device, said that the company deliberately made the decision to “push the boundaries on technology,” and that they “first arrived at the solution, then the price.”
This shows that the Nexus lineup has matured in a way and that it will no longer remain confined to one particular segment of the market. Google seems to be content that there’s still room at the top.