Does Google really need a Nexus 5? The company already unveiled a version of Samsung’s popular Galaxy S4 smartphone running stock Android during Google I/O, and reports suggest a new version of the HTC One running stock Android will soon be released. While recent analyses suggest Nexus devices aren’t big sellers for Google — Nexus 4 sales reportedly totaled just 375,000 units in all of 2012 — the Galaxy S4 running stock Android costs $650 and HTC’s stock One will likely be just as expensive. As such, it stands to reason that Google will want to release an affordable new Nexus phone for Android fans similar to the Nexus 4, which starts at just $299 with no service contract. If a Nexus 5 does launch this year, however, it won’t be built by LG according to a new report.
Dutch mobile blog AllAboutPhones reported on Monday that LG has no plans to build a followup to its well-reviewed Nexus 4 smartphone. The blog says it spoke with Kim Wong, LG Mobile’s VP for the European region, who said that LG “does not need such a marketing success again,” while referring to the Nexus 4. According to the report, Wong says LG and Google still have a great relationship, but LG has no plans to launch another stock Android device anytime soon.
Earlier reports said LG is indeed working on a Nexus 5 with Google, and it supposedly features a 5-inch full HD display, a quad-core Tegra 4 processor, 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and Android “Key Lime Pie.”
