Google could be killing off Nexus and building its own phone

Vaughn Highfield June 27, 2016

Google’s range of Nexus phones and tablets could be coming to an end, as rumours surface around the Californian company wanting to manufacture its own Android devices.

Google could be killing off Nexus and building its own phone

Previously, Google would help third-party manufacturers design a Nexus handset best suited for their latest and greatest operating system. While Google could provide input, design decisions ultimately lay with the manufacturer. However, according to a report in The Telegraph, that could be about to change as the search giant looks to go into manufacturing its own devices – just like it did with the Pixel C.

By taking charge of the phone’s design and manufacturing process, along with adding a vanilla version of Android at its core, Google would move in a similar direction to Apple and its iPhone. This new device may not sit under the Nexus name, but instead be something entirely new and different. According to The Telegraph, Google is already in discussions with telecoms operators about the device.

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This new device would allow Google to sidestep many of the problems dogging the Android smartphone business. While Android does run on four out of five phones in the world, different handsets tend to run of different versions of the operating system. A device designed, manufactured and run by Google could bring some Apple-like unity to the platform, helping Google take on the high-end smartphone market.

We usually see an annual Nexus refresh, with an announcement coming towards the tail end of the year. The Telegraph’s source suggests this year could see Google change that pattern, by releasing its own handset.