While Google is certain to push out the Nexus 2016 family of devices later this year, the tech giant's long-time Nexus partner is likely not part of the upcoming release date plans for the product line. Meanwhile, Android N or version 7.0 has managed to tease some its killer features via the just-concluded MWC 2016.
The beloved Nexus 4, 5 and 5X are likely to be the vanilla Android smartphones from LG for some time as the South Korean device maker was reported to be not too keen in reprising the role this 2016, CNET reported this week. Getting involved with the Nexus project, as expected, "requires a lot of resources that could be better put in its own phones," the company was reported as saying.
"LG needs to focus on its own brand," LG told CNET.
If the LG plan holds, it would dash hopes by Android fans to see the newly-unveiled LG G5 repurposed as the next Nexus. The G5 unboxed with revolutionary devices features such as a dual-camera system and its modular design that permits battery swapping and numerous function expansions.
Like in the previous years, LG managed to excite with compelling features stuffed with its flagship G-series smartphone that mostly ended up in the Nexus remakes of the handsets. However, it appears that 2016 will be different as LG seems hell-bent to duke it in the smartphone arena on its own account.
With the news, the solid candidates to build the Nexus 2016 smartphones are whittled down to HTC, Huawei and Xiaomi. If tapped by Google, HTC is likely build the next Nexus around its HTC One flagship series while Huawei is expected to simply continue on what it has started with the well-received Nexus 6P.
Xiaomi, on the other hand, is a wild card entry though its Xiaomi Mi5 should be a monster base-model for the Pure Android phone. The Mi5 boasts of a camera set up that beats the iPhone 6S with the rest of the hardware brimming of high-end specs, headlined by Snapdragon 820 with up to 4GB of RAM.
But the best part of the Xiaomi Mi5 package is the dirt cheap price tag when compared to its flagship rivals. The sticker price starts at $300 with the top of the line model of 128G storage configuration selling for just over $400 - a model that suits well with the Google Nexus approach.
And as the Nexus 2016 rumors start to fire up so are the whispers on the killer features that will be deployed with Android N, which will replace Android Marshmallow. Likely to be known too as Android 7.0, the next Google mobile OS build is said to ditch the App Drawer, looking and behaving the same way as its iOS counterpart, provide better navigational interface and a reader-friendly device feature that is similar to iOS 9.3's Night Shift mode, based on a BGR report.
Android N or version 7.0 is expected to be formally announced come the Google I/O 2-16 event this coming May or June with the event likely to provide too the juicy details on the company's Nexus 2016 release date plans.