Google will replace the Nexus device program with Android Silver
The rumor: The Information recently reported that Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) plans to scrap its four-year-old Nexus Android device program in favor of a program called "Android Silver," aimed at delivering high-end smartphones attuned to Google's specifications to better compete with Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone. The report, which cited unnamed sources, said that Android Silver devices are expected to be launched in markets such as the U.S., Germany and Japan as soon as next year, and that Google also is thinking of releasing them in emerging markets such as Brazil and India. In the U.S., the report said, Google has been looking to partner with Sprint (NYSE: S) and T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) on the phones. The Silver phones would "sharply limit" the number of non-Google apps that can be pre-installed on devices, the report said, or would allow users to uninstall pre-installed apps. A major difference between the Silver program and the Nexus program, the report added, is that Silver will focus on in-store sales through wireless carriers and others as opposed to the strategy for Nexus devices, which have mainly been sold online. Google could potentially pump hundreds of millions of dollars and maybe as much as $1 billion into promoting Silver devices through ad campaigns and special kiosks in wireless stores staffed by Google-trained employees.
How likely is it?: Rumors of Silver first surfaced in late January after a Twitter post from Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin. They came up again in April on the blog Android Police. While it's feasible Google could kill the Nexus program, the company has also sunk a lot of time, money and its reputation into making Nexus devices the platform for users to experience the purest, unadorned Android experience. However, that doesn't mean Google can't tinker with the model. If Google could get a wider distribution for Nexus-like devices, it could potentially alter the perception that Android devices are aimed mostly at low-end price points in emerging markets. The strategy could also signal that Google is more willing to cede control over its "branded" Android devices to carrier partners, as it is reportedly looking to partner with Telefónica, Telstra in Australia and SoftBank in Japan, among others. It's a possibility but not a certainty that Google will introduce Android Silver.
Read more: Google will replace the Nexus device program with Android Silver - FierceWireless https://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/google-will-replace-nexus-device-program-android-silver#ixzz32ng43gYy
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