New information has surfaced to add to the growing rumours that Google is planning to alter its smartphone strategy. This would involve a shift to drop the Nexus brand of phones and replace it with a set of smartphones that closely adhere to Google’s specifications of what an Android experience should be. Currently known as Android Silver, it will apparently be left to manufacturers to decide if they want to buy into the program.In exchange for having a greater amount of control over the operating system deployed in Android smartphones, Google is planning on spending a large amount of money on promoting Android Silver; essentially subsidising the marketing costs for its partners.
In some ways, this sort of thing already exists in the stock Android versions of high end smartphones like the Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. It is expected that both LG and Motorola will be the first manufacturers to pick up on this program as they are both already closely associated with the stock Android experience. Samsung and HTC may take a little more convincing as their flagship devices rely on custom apps for additional marketing value.
If this project takes off consumers can expect a more consistent Android experience; which would mean less bloatware and quicker updates. Unfortunately for most of us who have become used to the budget option of Nexus devices, these reports appear to indicate that Android Silver is being aimed at high end smartphones. Although there is no reason manufacturers for manufacturers to avoid something in the middle of the price range.
[Source: The Verge]
