LG will continue its partnership with Google and launch a Nexus 6 smartphone this year alongside Google’s first Nexus smartwatch, Gizmodo.de has learned from a source during last week’s MWC 2014 event in Barcelona, Spain.
LG has already made two Nexus devices including the 2012 Nexus 4 and 2013 Nexus 5 smartphones. The vendor also released a Nexus-like LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition tablet last year. So it’s not necessarily surprising to hear that the South Korean device maker may be involved in this year’s Google Nexus plans.
According to the German publication, the Nexus 6 will be a “lightweight” version of the LG G3, although the device has not actually been detailed. Assuming the report is accurate, that wouldn’t be a surprising tidbit of information either, as both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 were watered down versions of the Optimus G and G2, LG’s flagship devices in previous years.
Gizmodo Germany also says that the recent rumors claiming Google’s partner for its first smartwatch ever are true, and LG is involved.
The publication seems also ready to confirm a different LG rumor that says the G3 will launch much earlier than anticipated, with June being the purported announcement month for the handset. However, it’s not clear what it means for the Nexus 6 launch. In previous years, both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 were launched in time for the holiday shopping season, following the respective Optimus G and G2 launches.
At MWC, Google’s Sundar Pichai assured journalists that a Nexus smartphone is not coming in the first half of the year, without elaborating on any Nexus 6 details. In addition to LG, Lenovo/Motorola has also been rumored to make a Nexus device this year. An interesting rumor is also saying that Google plans to discontinue the family next year and replace it with a Google Play Edition-like new family of handsets running a pure Android version.
