Google tries to upstage Apple with new Nexus devices

San Francisco: Google is coming out with bigger, more expensive versions of its Nexus phone and tablet to attract more of the affluent consumers who faithfully buy each new generation of Apple's iPhone and iPad. It's also releasing a new streaming video and music device, Nexus Player, to compete with Apple TV and Roku, among others. The new lineup announced yesterday is Google's latest volley in its duel with Apple in the increasingly important mobile device market. Google's Android software and Apple's iOS software power most of the world's smartphones and tablets.

The Nexus products, which will hit store shelves in November, also will compete against a variety of other phones and tablets that run on the free Android software, including popular devices made by Samsung Electronics. Both of the Nexus devices will run on a new version of Google's Android operating system.

The latest software is called "Lollipop" in keeping with Google's tradition of naming its Android upgrades after treats. Google's product unveiling came today eve event where Apple Inc. is widely expected to update the trend-setting iPad that has defined the tablet market since its 2010 release. The latest Nexus 9 tablet, made by HTC, features a nearly 9-inch screen two inches larger than the previous version. The device also will cost considerably more, with prices for the Nexus 9 starting at $399 74 per cent more than its predecessor.

That's still USD 100 less than the starting price for the current iPad Air, which has a nearly 10-inch screen. The new smartphone, called the Nexus 6, boasts a nearly 6-inch screen, eclipsing the 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 6 Plus that Apple began selling last month. Google is charging a comparable price for the Nexus 6, with prices beginning at USD 649 for a phone without a wireless contract commitment.

That's USD 300 more than the previous generation, a Nexus 5 with a roughly 5-inch screen. Consumers can dramatically lower their upfront expense for the Nexus 6 by locking into an Internet data plan with any of the wireless carriers that will begin selling the phone next month. The carriers include A&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile in the US Google's own Motorola Mobility is making the Nexus 6. The dramatic price increases on the Nexus devices represents a strategic shift for Google. The Mountain View, California, company traditionally has hailed the Nexus line as state-of-the-art products available at more affordable prices than Apple's devices.