It's been a rough few months for fans of the Nexus program. Ever since the Rumor Mill tossed out Android Silver, the story has been focused on the future of Nexus, and its inevitable demise. The rumors suggested that Google was tired of launching awesome devices that weren't getting a lot of attention from the mainstream consumer, so they wanted to launch high-end (see: better than awesome) devices right in carrier stores, and put a lot of marketing behind them. Essentially, save for the inclusion of stock Android on those handsets, they were the complete opposite of the Nexus program.
But it made sense, if you didn't put too much thought into it. And by that, I don't mean that Android Silver doesn't work, or it won't work, or Google would never do something like Silver, because reasons. I just mean, the more you think about it, the more you realize that just because Android Silver may exist, that doesn't necessarily have to mean that the Nexus program has to die.
When I've written about Android Silver in the past, I've generally included the caveat that "if" it exists, but that's been kind of a stretch. I've been working on the premise that Android Silver must mean the death of the Nexus program, simply because that's what has been swirling around. I've never wanted that to be the case, though. Not even a little bit. And truthfully, it just never made sense.
The Nexus program isn't meant for the general consumer. Not really. Sure, Google puts the device on sale in their highly-trafficked (I'm assuming) digital storefront, and it has a ridiculously attractive price tag, but it's supposed to be meant for developers as a reference device. Just because the Nexus handsets have evolved to fit some assumed price tag, to boast high-end specifications at a minimal, no-contract price, doesn't mean they ever stopped being reference devices.
They didn't.
They are also a great option for consumers who want a cheap(er), high-end device, and that's an awesome bonus. But it's still just a bonus. (Like the color yellow.) The Nexus-branded devices, even the tablets, are still meant as reference devices, which is why it never made any sense why they'd stop being brought to market. Even if Android Silver is real, I'm not sure why Google would stop releasing reference devices for Android.
Ultimately, what it really boils down to is the fact that I'm just happy that someone at Google has confirmed Nexus isn't dead. That was the best news, as far as I'm concerned. And now that we know Nexus isn't dead, I can't wait to see what the next Nexus handset looks like. Maybe Sony can finally take a crack at it.
Which company do you want to build the next Nexus?
