For quite a while now, the Nexus line of devices from Google and its partners have been known for their affordable price tags, while also delivering some key aspects commonly found in more expensive “higher-end” devices. Last year’s Nexus 5 bought a Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM and Full HD display to those looking for an unlocked device for just $349. We reviewed the Nexus 5 and thought it was a great phone, and I still use one every day as my dependable daily driver. Cutting a compromise between price, performance and features however, comes at a cost. For instance, while I have no complaints about the Nexus 5’s build, the speaker is awful, plain and simple. Still, considering I paid half what I would for something similar, I am happy with it.
There’s rumor that Google might be looking to sell an even cheaper Nexus device thanks to MediaTek. Word out of China is that there’s a Nexus device in the works running a MediaTek CPU. Of course, our Chinese isn’t all that great and well, let’s just say this is a hard rumor to see happening. Is there room in the market for a “Nexus Lite” or an even cheaper stock Android device? Of course there is, the excellent Moto G proved as much, but Google using MediaTek chips? That sounds pretty unlikely. After all, MediaTek is a company that has yet to update their drivers etc to Android 4.4.2 and refuse to release source code, which is not only a violation of the GPL, but it also goes against the whole “open” side of Android. We can’t see Google using MediaTek CPUs to create a cheaper Nexus device due to their reluctance to support the community, as well as the fact that MediaTek clearly sees Android devices as a means to make more money. Rather than an ecosystem worth getting behind.
It’s certainly an interesting though, would Google create an even cheaper Nexus device? Could such a device work? We’d think that there’s room for such a device, especially considering KitKat has slimmed Android down and given the open platform a speed boost. Let us know what you think down in the comments.