I love me some good concept designs. Love 'em! It's like living on the bleeding edge of technology! Okay, it's not really like that. It's more like encapsulating the hopes and dreams of a designer, or a group of people, in one (usually) impossibly designed smartphone and hoping for the best. But hey, at least most of them look cool, and it's nice to picture what the future could be like given the right circumstances.

The future for Google's Nexus line is still up in the air at this point. Sure, there's plenty of rumor and speculation going around, but as it stands right now it's anyone's guess as to what the Mountain View-based company will unveil as their next Nexus-branded device.

Some believe it could be manufactured by LG. In that vein, some believe that it could be a Nexus "4S," which would mean it's essentially a minor update to the previously released Nexus 4. This new device would see the inclusion of LTE, for example, among some other "minor" changes under the hood. And, indeed, I've heard quite a few people say they'd be willing to get a Nexus 4S if it meant the inclusion of LTE, so there's that.

However, other rumors suggest LG could be going full bore, and be gearing up to unveil the Nexus 5 at some point this year. We'd see all sorts of new features in that particular device, so I could see why some folks would want this particular rumor to come true, rather than the former.

Either way, the majority of speculation around the next Nexus are focused on LG. Why? Well, that's the safest bet. Samsung's managed to grab back-to-back productions for the Nexus lineup, so why not LG this time around? Sure, we all may want an HTC manufactured Nexus (again), but apparently we're just not going to get that dream-come-true moment anytime soon.

But what about Motorola? The X Phone isn't a real thing yet, but that's what it looks like the company is working on. As I've talked about in the past, the X Phone's rumors have suggested the device won't fit into the Nexus lineage, but that it will share plenty of similarities, from software decisions to retail availability. But some people don't want a "Nexus-like" device from Motorola, but the real thing.

So now we come full circle. A concept design for a new Nexus device, titled the Nexus+, has popped up online, and so far I'm a pretty big fan of the ideas being tossed into this particular design, along with the design of the phone itself. What makes it even better, though, is that the concept artist decided to go with Motorola as their manufacturer of choice.

This particular hypothetical device isn't packing a ridiculous assortment of impossible features, either. The concept indicates a device with a 5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 800 processor under the hood, and a 13MP camera on the back. There's a 2MP front-facing shooter just for good measure, and the body would measure in at 8.5mm.

The build of the phone is what got me most interested, though, along with that IR sensor thrown in there. This concept features a magnesium frame, with a machined carbon fiber back cover. Oh, and don't forget those dual front-facing stereo speakers! Basically, we're looking at a phone that brings together all the nice features from other high-end devices, and puts it all together in a package that's really quite appealing to the eye.

All in all, based on the concept art here, I'd consider buying this Nexus device if it ever landed on store shelves. Sure, I'd probably start a petition to get the name changed before launch, but that's a little detail. I'd also want to see what the battery measures in at, especially with a frame that thin.

With so much up in the air about the next Nexus device, and even Motorola's next handset, it's always good to see what other designers would do if they had a shot at making the next flagship device. 

But what do you think of the concept Nexus+? Would this be a phone you'd be willing to buy, if it really did have the features listed here, and the physical features? Let me know!

via Nowhereelse