Samsung's Continued Collapse, Android Loves Lollipops

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Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including all the details of the new Nexus devices, the low-down on Android 5.0 Lollipop and the rollout of 5.0, reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, Q3 numbers from the world of Android, and the upcoming update of Android Wear.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven days.

New Nexus Devices Unveiled Online

Stepping aside from a full-blown event, Google went online to quietly announce its latest Nexus devices on Wednesday. HTC is the manufacturer behind the Nexus 9 tablet, which will be the first consumer device to be available with the new Android L operating system. It will run the 64-bit version of the OS. Jay McGregor pits the Nexus 9 against the new iPad Air 2.

The Nexus 6 is the phablet handset with a 5.95 inch screen. Motorola is behind this handset, and it is essentially a scaled up second generation Moto X, although the power and volume buttons have been moved proportionally down the case so they are easily reachable.

Google also revealed the Nexus Player, a set-top box that Mountain View hope will challenge the Apple TV. Forbes’ John Archer takes a closer look at the media player’s OS, Android TV:

Android TV is designed to bring the flexibility and content richness of the app-based smartphone world to your TV. But crucially it seeks to do this in a way that puts right the problems that have dogged Google’s previous attempts to grab a piece of the TV marketplace (most notably the long-abandoned Google TV platform). In other words, Android TV is no longer just about simply and crudely porting the Android tablet/phone experience onto a TV screen.

This Is The Nexus 6: Do You Want To Know More?

While the Nexus 9 will be the first Android L device on sale, the Nexus 6 (as the first Nexus Phablet) probably speaks more towards Google’s ambitions. Even though it is slightly larger, the obvious comparisons are with the Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly takes a closer look at the Nexus 6 to find out ‘everything you need to know‘:

While those looking for a new Nexus handset will not be pleased by Google’s phablet-only approach it does well and truly fix a traditional Nexus weak spot: battery life. The Nexus 6 comes with a substantial 3220mAh battery which represents a 920 mAh bump on the Nexus 5. This is identical to the 3220mAh battery of the long-lasting Galaxy Note 4… Despite this the Nexus 6’s big battery works in conjunction with both the Snapdragon 805 (which is more efficient than its predecessor) and the exciting Project Volta Android 5.0 initiative.