Google Nexus is a line of consumer electronic devices that run the Android operating system. (Photo : YouTube/ The Verge)
The next Android build as well as the upcoming Nexus 2016 series of devices will include augmented reality or AR features. And likely part of Google's release date plans this year is a vanilla Android smartphone that will duke it out with Apple's iPhone SE. It will be called the Nexus Mini.
Like its rival, Google could also add a third screen size to its Nexus smartphone line up. A Nexus Mini with a display size under 5-inch could be in the works following Apple's decision to release the 4-inch iPhone SE that boasts the build and design of the 2013 iPhone 5S but with inside specifications that match that of the 2015 iPhone 6S.
And the likely candidate as base-model is the rumored LG G5 SE that according to 9to5Google is a trademark by the Korean device maker that predates the iPhone SE. While solid details on the supposed smaller version of the LG G5 remain scant at the moment, the same report noted that LG has previously made scaled down versions of its bigger phones but outside of the high-end G-series.
If indeed the LG G5 SE materializes with specs and features largely copied from the company's 2016 flagship then Google would be wise to consider reimagining the rumored device as the Nexus Mini, in doing so, the Nexus maker can correct the major mistake committed by Apple with the SE - recycling an old flagship.
A Nexus with screen smaller than 5-inch but with top-tier specs would make an interesting rival of the iPhone SE as it will also run on stock Android. And with the components at flagship level, the Nexus Mini would be distinct from Android devices with screen size in the same range but with entry-level specs.
Meanwhile, The Information has reported that in time for the impending Android N rollout among the planned feature upgrades is augmented reality or AR. The report contradicts the earlier suggestion that the next Android will have built-in support for virtual reality with the Nexus devices showing off the VR features.
It might be the case but The Information said that the focus is more on AR. Apparently, Google is convinced that AR would prove a better revenue generator as it is easier to implement commercially.
There's no telling if indeed the Nexus Mini or augmented reality will be part of the Nexus 2016 release date, the details of Google is expected to provide on May 18 or at the start of the company's 2016 I/O gathering.
