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Motorola’s new mystery phone might not be the Nexus 6… it might be something even better

Published Aug 18th, 2014 9:40AM EDT
Moto S Shamu Nexus 6
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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The Motorola Nexus 6, codenamed “Shamu,” might not actually be a Nexus 6 device, as many reports have said so far. Instead, the device could be an Android Silver heading to Verizon in the near future, TKTechNews seems to indicate.

FROM EARLIER: Benchmark reveals the Nexus 6’s specs are just as great as you hoped

The publication has been able to confirm the device is real by verifying its IMEI through Swappa – the IMEI code came up as valid but unlisted, which apparently means it’s associated with an unreleased device. Furthermore, it appears the model will hit Verizon in the future, which makes sense since it’s been a Nexus device-unfriendly carrier in the past years.

It’s not clear whether the handset will be available on other mobile operators in the U.S., or whether it’ll be a Nexus 5 successor at this time. Recent reports have said that Motorola and Google are working on the next Nexus smartphone, with the Android Silver program’s future being uncertain.

However, the handset will have high-end specs, according to recent leaks – that’s something TKTechNews has also been able to verify. The phone will have a 2K 5.9-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, “ridiculous amount of RAM,” 13-megapixel camera, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera and Google’s regular Android running under the hood, with no UI customizations on top.

It’s not clear when this device will be unveiled and launched, but Google is expected to release the final Android L version this fall. In case the Shamu is the Nexus 6, the phone should only be released once Android L is ready.

Videos showing a screen protector with “Moto S” branding and the Swappa IMEI test follow below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.