Is it time for Google to dump the old gun? Rumor has it that Google plans to do away its line of Nexus smartphones to be replaced by a new platform called Android Silver.
If it were true, the move is said to be part of Google's foremost effort to start developing premium Android smartphones and to regain control of the ecosystem of Android - all this to compete better with the domineering Apple iPhone and to block the emerging power of leading Android phone maker Samsung.
The scoop, which was leaked by The Information, claims that Google will ditch its four-year-old Nexus brand to make way for Silver, in which mobile manufacturers and wireless carriers will be paid to develop and market high-end devices said to closely follow to the specifications of Google. The requirements are said to strictly limit the amount of pre-installed non-Google apps on devices or make the non-Google apps uninstallable. There will also be an increase in the speed of device updates. Considered to be the most intriguing of these modifications is the alleged involvement of Google in terms of hardware features such as waterproofing and voice recognition.
In exchange of these requirements, up to $1 billion will be provided by Google for the promotion of Silver devices. The goal of the Android Silver program is to support struggling Android OEMs such as LG and Motorola.
Research says Google may be doing such changes in the hope of improving the experience of majority of Android users not owning a Nexus unit. In fact, a survey shows that Samsung device owners put almost no time with built-in apps of Samsung, and yet the latter continues to include these apps. With the new program, Google would ask OEMs to create better products based on consumer's interests.
On the other hand, the new program may really be Google's way of reasserting its strength in providing premium smartphones, says research. Recall the "Powered by Android" boot up that created a stir in the market?
There's no word whether the Nexus smartphone line will continue with limited releases or it will entirely be dropped. If the latter happens, market analysts say Google will lose on the mid-range market segment that provides a lot of potential for the company.
The new program will be rolled out in 2015 in the U.S., Germany and Japan, which they say are the monopolies of Apple iPhone. Now, the question is, will this Android Silver program put the gold in Google's bag? As always, it remains to be seen.
