Larry Page purportedly in talks with LG about the next Nexus phone
We’ve been following the saga of the Google/Motorola X Phone for some time, and even heard what Larry Page had to say about future devices from Google and Motorola. Although you might think that working with just one manufacturer on new Android devices would be good enough for Google, it looks like the company is keeping its promise not to favor Motorola for Nexus phones, and may instead select another manufacturer independently for the next Nexus phone.
A very simple line in a Korean newspaper noted that Larry Page was meeting with LG CEO Koo Bonjoon, but that the meetings were on the down low since “LG Group is working with Internet-giant Google to make another Nexus-branded Google Android smartphone.” Now, it is certainly possible that Page was only there to discuss the current Nexus 4 shipments, or perhaps the slightly upgraded LTE Nexus 4 that may be released at Google I/O. It isn’t unreasonable, though, to think that he might have been discussing something a bit more interesting.
Google has so far followed a yearly cycle with the Nexus devices, meaning that a new one would presumably be due late this year. Since we don’t yet know for sure whether or not this will be the X Phone, it is quite possible that Google is going to separate the X Phone and Nexus lines, and release two different smartphones. If so, LG could certainly make a second Nexus device, as both HTC and Samsung made two in a row.
I’m fairly happy with the build quality of my LG Nexus 4 (despite the poor choice to use glass on the back), and the overwhelming sales of the Nexus 4 early on seem to indicate that quite a few consumers liked the latest Nexus device. Then again, some people blame LG for the massive shortages and order delays, so the opinion on LG as the manufacturer of another Nexus device could be mixed.
For now, we realistically know very little. It is clear that the X Phone will be made by Motorola, but we don’t know when it will be released or whether it will be a “Nexus” device or not. If it isn’t, we also don’t know if Google will kill off the Nexus phones in favor of the X Phones, however unlikely that is. If Google does continue the Nexus line with a device other than the X Phone, then it will probably be released late this year in November or December. Finally, if that Nexus device does exist, then it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Google give LG another try. The one thing that seems clear, though, is that there is plenty going on at Google to keep us Android fans busy and entertained for the next few months.
[Korea Times via Droid-Life]
