When the original Nexus One arrived on the scene, it was a device that was meant to not only show off the hardware, but the software just as much. It was, for all intents and purposes, a showcase device. The prize of the smartphone market, it even managed to throw in a new descriptor for our mobile devices: superphone. And while the definition of a superphone has evolved pretty drastically since the launch of the Nexus One, the Nexus name still stands for stand-out technology and a pure vanilla Android experience that many people crave. But, with a new rumor suggesting that LG may be the manufacturer of choice for the next Nexus device, it’s beginning to look like that particular name means a bit more.
Many thought that when HTC was chosen as the initial manufacturer for the Nexus One, that HTC would be the manufacturer tapped for any future Nexus devices that Google decided to launch. But, it turned out that the Nexus name is like Verizon’s Droid branding: just a brand. And with the launch of the Nexus S, the spiritual successor to the original Nexus device, Samsung managed to get into the Nexus game plan as well. It looks like any manufacturer has a chance of idling up with Google and launching a Nexus device, which may work out for LG if a new rumor is true.
This time around, though, Google wants to show off a tablet, and more importantly, Honeycomb (Android 3.0). As before, the Nexus tablet would be a way for Google (and LG, by default) to show off some of the more impressive aspects of a device and the software running the show. For Honeycomb, which has already officially launched on the Motorola XOOM, it would be a good way to show consumers everything the OS is capable of, and some of the secrets that they may have hidden away for later. It could also be a good time for Google to offer up an update for Honeycomb, perhaps launch Android 3.1, which would make sense considering the Nexus branding that would be coming along with the LG-manufactured tablet.
Google’s plans for the Nexus brand seem pretty strong. Instead of just focusing on one manufacturer, they’re letting other names get into the fold, and show off their vanilla Android-based chops. While LG and Android usually mean a proprietary user experience and interface, we all know that if LG is indeed tapped to create a tablet device (perhaps like the G-Slate, but better?), it will be a pure stock Android experience -- an experience that many Android fans cherish -- thanks to the Nexus brand.
Who do you think the next manufacturer to launch a Nexus device will be? Will it be LG with a tablet device? Or maybe even Motorola? Let me know in the comments what you think of Google’s Nexus strategy, and how you think it compares to Verizon’s Droid branding.
