References to Nexus Protect have been discovered in Google's Play Store Devices website, prompting many to believe that Google may be getting ready to launch its own device insurance or warranty program similar to AppleCare.
Users simply browsing the listings on the Google Store website will not be able to spot a listing for Nexus Protect. The reference is made deep down in the website's source code, which creates a toast-style pop-up notification which mentions Nexus Protect.
"You can't add this phone unless it has the same Nexus Protect choice as other phones in your cart," the pop-up says. "You can update your choice or purchase this phone in your next order."
There is nothing much in the pop-up to give us a concrete idea of what Nexus Protect could be, but the folks over at Android Police, who first discovered the reference while tinkering with the Google Store's source code, believe it could be an insurance or warranty program that is similar to AppleCare.
Apple offers AppleCare and AppleCare+ as extended warranties for all its devices, including its iPhones, iPads and Macs. It is a highly acclaimed program which lets customers have their devices repaired or replaced at the Apple Store even if the damage was the customer's fault.
Now, speculations abound that Nexus Protect could be a similar program that could offer some kind of protection for Nexus devices. What's more, Android Police notes that Nexus Protect, or at least the pop-up that contains the reference to the unannounced program, is also available for Android Wear devices, Chromebooks and Android TV.
However, it looks like Google is looking to restrict purchases on devices with Nexus Protect after a certain manner. Buyers who plan on purchasing several devices in a single order will also have to buy Nexus Protect for all devices in that order if at least one of the devices comes with Nexus Protect.
If Google plans to launch Nexus Protect, it will likely become available with the hotly rumored LG Nexus 5X and the Huawei Nexus 6, which are expected to be revealed along with Android 6.0 Marshmallow at a Google event on Sept. 29. Whether Google also plans to provide Nexus Protect with earlier devices is unknown, given how manufacturers rarely, if not never, provide support for older devices.
That said, it is important to keep in mind that Google has not made any official announcements about what Nexus Protect might be, and it is also possible that the firm decide not to launch whatever it might be after all.
Photo: Tatsuhiko Miyagawa | Flickr
