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Google this month is set to show off its next flagship Nexus handset, which will reportedly be based on LG's existing Optimus G smartphone.
Details of the new handset were reported on Thursday by Bloomberg. The partnership would make LG the third manufacturer to build a "pure Google" phone for the search giant that will run the stock Android operating system without any extra software or user interface skins.
Belarusian website Onliner even posted photos of what is claimed to be the final product, dubbed the LG E960 featuring the logos of both LG and Google on the back of the device. The device is rumored to have a 4.7-inch 1,280-by-768-pixel display powered by a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM.
The device is expected to be unveiled by Google at an event on Oct. 29. The new Nexus handset will compete directly with Apple's iPhone 5, which debuted last month.
The expected launch of a new Nexus phone comes as Google's previous Nexus handset just won a reversal of a ban on sales. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which debuted last November, was barred from sale in June for violating patents owned by Apple, but that decision was overturned on Thursday.
In addition to Samsung, Google has also previously partnered with HTC to build Nexus handsets. Google's Nexus devices are sold to users with stock Android installed, but are also intended to serve as reference designs for other Android handset makers to emulate.
While Google's Nexus devices usually gain considerable buzz in the electronics community, that has failed so far to translate to actual sales to end users. Samsung revealed as part of its patent dispute with Apple that it only sold about 500,000 Nexus S phones in the U.S. between the device's launch in December of 2010 and the court filing in June of 2011.
Google also partnered with Asus on a 7-inch tablet that it launched this summer named the Nexus 7. The $199 device runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is aimed at taking on Amazon's low-priced Kindle Fire tablet lineup.
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
32 Comments
Only 500k? Damn the Gnex must have sucked. Either way I'm adding this phone to my collection too.
Only 500k? Damn the Gnex must have sucked.
Either way I'm adding this phone to my collection too.
These phones aren't meant for the mass market. These are tech geek phones and usually very well made phones for their time. I have the Gnex and its still a very nice phone, not perfect and yes i'd still rather be back into iOS, but it is easy enough to hack and tinker with and that is for whom these phones are for. Not saying Google wouldn't like to sell lots of these though, because if they could they would.
Oh sorta wondering what other phones are in your collection?
Only 500k? Damn the Gnex must have sucked.
Either way I'm adding this phone to my collection too.
Nexus S is the second Nexus phone, the GNex is the Galaxy Nexus the 3rd phone, which should have had more sales
[quote name="Rokrad" url="/t/153314/googles-next-nexus-phone-to-be-built-by-lg-unveiled-this-month#post_2209455"]These phones aren't meant for the mass market. These are tech geek phones and usually very well made phones for their time. I have the Gnex and its still a very nice phone, not perfect and yes i'd still rather be back into iOS, but it is easy enough to hack and tinker with and that is for whom these phones are for. Not saying Google wouldn't like to sell lots of these though, because if they could they would. Oh sorta wondering what other phones are in your collection? [/quote] Every nexus phone except the G1, and Gnex, have my nexus 7 too. every single iPhone. I really would have prefered HTC to be a manufacture again. Maybe LG with pure android will be a treat.
These phones aren't meant for the mass market. These are tech geek phones and usually very well made phones for their time.
True, but I think that's a mistake. Aside from the Nexus series (and shorting of rooting), you can't buy "pure" Android phone. All that hard work Google puts into Android can only be experienced by less than 1% of the Android smartphone users.
With the exception of Nexus One, Google has been updating Nexus almost as soon as the major update is released. While it is possible to root their Android phones to update, that is something tech geeks would do (ironically enough), not the average consumers.
Hopefully, Motorola will join the rank and offer pure Android experience.
P.S. I have been an iPhone user since day 1 (original iPhone, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5).