This time of year articles are flying around about the next Google Nexus smartphone, rumored to arrive in October – in fact, rumors this year are that there will be not one, but TWO Nexus smartphones. One of these devices will be a smaller device manufactured with the popular LG moniker and the other, larger device manufactured by China’s Huawei…a first for Google, as they have never tapped a Chinese company before. Google has used LG, HTC, Samsung and Motorola in the past for Nexus smartphones, but never a Chinese company – however, this could be a wise business move on Google’s part as a way to open communications with the Chinese government.
It is no secret that Google and China have had problems – in 2010, Google withdrew its search engine from China due to their highly publicized argument over censorship. Most of Google’s products are blocked or barred from China, which is funny since Google’s Android operating system is the preferred choice for the new Chinese smartphone manufacturers. Asking Huawei to make the next Nexus smartphone would lend credibility and worldwide recognition for Huawei and China itself. This is exactly what China wants – global respect – and just may allow Google to work out a deal with China to get a Google Play Store into China by the end of the year.
This mutual deal should benefit Nexus users as well because Huawei knows how to build a solid smartphone and from the leaked video, it looks very impressive. Specifications are still sketchy, but we are lead to believe it will be a 5.7-inch high-end device, giving Nexus owners a choice of a smaller, more affordable phone and a larger, more expensive device. Huawei’s Richard Yu, has already stated that Huawei devices that come to the US would have “stock Android” rather that Huawei’s UI because “American consumers trust Google.” Huawei is saying and doing all the right things to endear themselves to the US market, which they would love to get into. Google is also high on including fingerprint sensors in their Nexus devices with Android Pay on the horizons and Huawei has already begun added them to their devices.
We have the setting here for the ‘perfect storm’ – Huawei wants into the US, with Google choosing Huawei as the Nexus provider, this gives credibility to China, who would then make concessions and let Google’s products into China. This combination will benefit all businesses concerned, but more importantly to the consumer, it will benefit them with a great new twist on a Nexus smartphone. It is funny how something so plentiful as a smartphone could change the Google-China relationship.