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The previous Nexus devices have defined what Google wants from the Android partners, the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 have all been, in some way, different from what the market currently has to offer.
The LG Nexus 4 brought top end features to a phone that costed $300 off contract, while most were going for double the price. This has not changed the market and we continue to see phone prices rise, but it showed the US market wanted this change, with the Nexus 4 selling out everywhere for the first three months.
This time, we may see Google turn to their hardware division, Motorola, for the newest Nexus device. Reportedly named the Nexus 5, Google will opt in some of Motorola’s new hardware and software from the Moto X to create the new device.
Even though the Moto X was seen as a collaboration between Google and Motorola, it still had lots of Motorola features inside and outside. The Motorola X8 chipset was a little underpowered, with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and the phone comes $199 on contract.
All of the previous Nexus devices have been top of the line smartphones at very cheap prices. They are made to push Android in a direction of openness, simplicity and anywhere else Google wants to go. The Nexus 5 will be no different, we believe and even though it may not get 24 hours battery life, Motorola will pump in a 1080p screen and top of the line processor.
That is if Motorola is even contracted by Google to design the Nexus 5, there are lots of capable candidates in the Android field. Samsung has had the most success with the Nexus branch, creating the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus for Google. LG is also a capable partner and Google is apparently very happy with the performance of the Nexus 4.
HTC is another suitable candidate, having worked on the original Nexus One, we may see them join forces with Google once again to create a phone similar to the HTC One. The Taiwanese phone maker is known for its incredible hardware and if we had stock Android on top it would be excellent.
Then there is all the rest of the possible Android partners, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Oppo, Alcatel and a dozens of others. We could see Google make a plunge with a Chinese manufacturer as Android grows in those regions, offering an extremely cheap smartphone with incredible specs and stock Android.
Android is a vibrant community of developers and manufacturers, Google could go for Motorola as the simple option, even though Samsung and other partners may feel the connection between them is becoming too close. We doubt Google will go with Samsung, for the obvious reason of trying to keep the Android marketplace competitive.
