Google may be planning to take over all-encompassing control over its lineup of Nexus smartphones, according to recent reports. Although there is no confirmed declaration by the company regarding this, the rumours suggest that CEO Sundar Pichai and his league of Google’s hierarchy has given out a signal of intent to facilitate Google taking over complete control over Nexus smartphones, including hardware. As of now, Nexus smartphones have been co-branded with phone manufacturers.
If such a decision is indeed being passed along Google’s latest strategies, the Nexus lineup will become similar to Google’s Pixel lineup of laptops and hybrid tablets. The Pixel lineup of devices are entirely designed and engineered by Google — from hardware to software optimisation — and no co-branding is presented to the manufacturer of the devices. Google does not have its own manufacturing facility, and as a result, the Nexus smartphones will be continued to be made by a third party source, even if Google enforces a change in strategy.
Such a move will also allow Google to exert its influence on Nexus in the nature of Apple’s influence on iPhones. Apple synchronises and coordinates the hardware, camera, software and signal processors in tune with the entire experience of the device, thus allowing the smartphone to present a seamless user experience along with enhanced utilisation of hardware resources. By going on a similar route, Google will look to end its dependence on Apple for its high-end revenue generating services, of which Nexus forms a major part.
The first-ever Nexus smartphone in 2010, Nexus One (codenamed HTC Passion), spawned a line of Android devices the way Google originally envisioned Android as. The successors of the Nexus One included two Nexus smartphones by Samsung, two by LG (of which the Nexus 5 in 2013 garnered widespread popular success), one by Motorola, and two Nexus devices in 2015 — the LG-made Nexus 5X, and the Huawei-made Nexus 6P. While HTC has reportedly been keen on making 2016’s Nexus smartphone (for the first time since the very first Nexus device), such a change in strategy may result in the first all-Google Nexus smartphone, without the collaborative effort that Nexus smartphone have been till date.
Nevertheless, the reports have not been confirmed till now, although they do seem to fall in line with Google’s recent philosophy of evolving Android into a more cohesive end-user experience.
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