Report: Google in talks with LG to build this year’s Nexus smartphone, not Huawei
Details about how the Nexus 6 was conceived is still shrouded in mystery. With rumors last year that Google would effectively be killing off the Nexus line in favor of multiple high-end devices — all running stock Android — sold in carrier stores, Google seemingly made a U-turn. This was after the Android Silver project head made his sudden departure from the company altogether.
Now, as we look ahead to the next Nexus, early rumors began swirling that Chinese smartphone maker Huawei would take up the mantle, something we’ll admit we never saw coming. But before you got your hopes up (or down), a new report has emerged, suggesting that it could be none other than LG.
Apparently, Google engineers were spotted visiting LG headquarters in South Korea, where they took a tour of a few LG facilities responsible for building LG’s displays, OIS cameras, wireless charging parts, as well as LG’s own R&D facilities. Carrying the codename “N000,” (those are zeroes, by the way, not the letter “o”) the device — said to be a smartphone — could launch as the “Nexus 7.” Um… what?
Going by Google’s current naming convention, the number following a Nexus name has always denoted screen size — not generation. It’d be odd if Google suddenly switched gears confusing consumers in the process. So, that either means Google is looking to LG for a 7-inch tablet followup, or they’re launching a 7-inch smartphone (or not using the 7 name at all). If LG is making another tablet (and not a smartphone), then it’s still entirely possible for Huawei could be working on the actual smartphone. Confused yet? So are we.
As you can already tell, we’re getting a little bit ahead of ourselves here. In any case, LG is a major Android partner and has released quite a few Nexus devices to date, even more if you count their Google Play tablet. If rumors of an LG-made Nexus 2015 smartphone are true, would you guys be disappointed or overjoyed?
[eToday]