Electronics maker LG is not in the running to make a new flagship Nexus device for Google’s next version of its Android operating system.
LG, which made the Nexus 4 flagship for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, was rumored to be the manufacturer of the follow up “Nexus 5.” Apaprently, that will not be the case. Speaking to Dutch technology publication, All About Phones, LG’s VP of mobile in Europe, Won Kim, said, “The Nexus 4 was a great success despite the production problems for us and Google. However we do not need such a marketing success again.”*
The LG Nexus 4 was plagued by production delays after being released in the fall of 2012 with many customers not receiving their devices until months after ordering. The budget-friendly ($299 for 8 GB version through Google Play) Nexus 4 met high demand for both its consumer-friendly price and top-of-the-line specs.
Kim also said that LG has no plans on releasing a Nexus-branded version of its current flagship smartphone, the Optimus G Pro. Samsung and Google announced a Nexus version of the Galaxy S4 that will hit the market later this summer featuring “stock” Android and not Samsung’s TouchWiz skin overlay. HTC is also rumored to be making a Nexus version of its critically acclaimed One smartphone, rumored to be release this summer.
LG announced today that it would produce a white version of the Nexus 4, available first in Hong Kong before shipping to the rest of the world.
*Translated from original Dutch via Google Translate.
