Nexus 5 no longer available for sale as the Play Store’s devices page is removed

And just like that, our old friend, the Nexus 5, is now no longer available for sale on the Google Play Store. Earlier today, Google launched their new online store front (the aptly named “Google Store”) where they’ll now be selling all of their hardware. That means that every piece of hardware previously listed on the Play Store (play.google.com/store/devices) now redirects to the new Google Store, even the Play Store’s old Devices page.

As one of our readers discovered, the Nexus 5 is now listed as no longer available for purchase on this all new Google Store. Whether this is simply temporary and has something to do with the transition is anyone’s guess. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen the Nexus 5 disappear form the Play Store, only to return a few weeks later.

With so many new devices looming on this year’s horizon — HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z4 — we don’t imagine too many of you will be bummed out about this news. Of course, until we get official word from Google, this might not be good bye just yet for the Nexus 5.

[Nexus 5 on Google Store]

Thanks, Paul!

 

T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3, Z1s one step closer to Android Lollipop according to software updates page

It’s been a good few months since we saw Sony officially announce Lollipop for the Sony Xperia Z3, followed by a rollout for the unlocked US versions. The update has eluded carrier branded models in the US but by now it’s a story you’ve heard before. Carriers tend to delay the update process with the extensive testing that goes into any software update for a device operating on their network.

When it comes to the T-Mobile model, things weren’t looking so good given the phone disappeared from inventory a few weeks back. But it didn’t take long for the Z3 to return to T-Mobile’s store shelves (and at a discount no less), leaving us feeling a bit more optimistic that a Lollipop update was around the corner.

It now seems T-Mobile has recently updated their software updates page, with both the Sony Xperia Z3 and its older sibling, the Sony Xperia Z1s, showing that Lollipop has officially entered into the carrier testing phase. T-Mobile has 3 phases on their page: manufacturer development, T-Mobile testing, and then finally a completed status.

The next phase from here is the rollout and a completed status. Now that we’re one step closer, that rollout can’t be too far out. Stay tuned.

[T-Mobile]

According to Google’s Smart Lock page, the Nexus 6 also runs Window Phone

Smart Lock was one of the more noteworthy new features that debuted in Android 5.0 Lollipop. Adopting an idea we only saw in Motorola devices prior to Lollipop, Smart Lock is simply a convenient way to keep your Android device unlocked when it’s safe, and locked when it’s not. The feature is so important, Google even created a dedicated landing page to talk all about it. What they didn’t notice, however, is one of the featured images created for the page is actually a Nexus 6 running Windows Phone. Oops.

Now, we’re not going to run with some sort of conspiracy theory that Google will introduce a dual-boot option for the Nexus 6 in the near future. This is simply a designer faux pas in which he used the wrong Netflix screen shot when putting together the image. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a slip up, with the world going nuts over a Nexus Tablet once believed to be the Nexus 8 (the image was later tweaked to reflect the Nexus 7 2013).

Nothing too big, just kind of funny that you can find Nexus 6 running Windows Phone on one of Google’s official web pages. Ha.

[Smart Lock | via Reddit]