Buyers eager for a phablet option other than Apple's new iPhone 6 Plus or Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4 this fall should be pleased to know that Google, along with Motorola, should be unveiling a next-generation Nexus brand smartphone with a 5.9-inch display.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google plans on introducing its largest smartphone to date sometime in October. The 5.9-inch device, codenamed "Shamu" after the famous Sea World killer whale, is reported to be a product of Motorola Mobility, a company Google acquired a couple years ago and is now selling to Chinese tech firm Lenovo.

The Nexus Shamu, otherwise lovingly dubbed the "Nexus 6" in the press, will play a vital role in Google retaining Android's status as the world's most popular mobile operating system. Apple has long held its own with the iPhone, but thanks to a lack of variety, the iPhone has slipped behind the cornucopia of Android smartphones on the market. This year, however, Apple released two of its largest iPhone variants to date -- the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.

Until now, there has been no legitimate contender in the large-screen smartphone category other than Samsung's Galaxy Note series. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus changes all that, and as Google looks to secure its international popularity, clinching a category like the phablet is important. If the Nexus 6 lives up to the rumors, it should do just that, and help kick off the rollout of the next Android operating system, "Android L."

"The phablet wars are in full effect and vendors need any possible edge they can get," said Neil Mawston, a mobile-industry analyst at Strategy Analytics, in the Wall Street Journal article. "Having a large phone will help Google."

"If Android doesn't have something at that size there will be a hole in their portfolio," said Ankit Jain, CEO and founder of mobile start-up Quettra and a former Google Play executive. "Google doesn't want to make the same mistake that Apple made over the last few years by missing out on the demand for larger phones."

Google's Nexus series extends beyond just smartphones. The Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets are incredibly popular, and Google is said to be lining up a direct shot at Apple's iPad with a 9-inch premium tablet. Google has found incredible success in the smartphone market too, with the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones garnering rave reviews for its performance-to-price.

It's still unclear when Google plans on unveiling the new Nexus phablet, but many tipsters are claiming this week as the date. Google has usually released products straight to Google Play, so don't expect an Apple-esque launch cycle where there is an announcement followed by a wait until the device can be purchased.

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