When it comes to the Android mobile operating system, although there are plenty of great devices on the market for people to choose from, helping to continue bolstering Android’s numbers, Nexus devices have always been the poster child for what the very best of Android could be from fast updates to a clean and functional user interface. Despite these traits, Nexus devices have always felt a little hands off on Google’s part in some aspects of the device, but that looks to be changing for future devices as Google CEO Sundar Pichai, noted at today’s Code Conference that the company will be much more opinionated in the future of Nexus products.
While this didn’t shed much light on what exactly Pichai meant, that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to glean from the vague statement. What does being “more opinionated” mean? According to a new rumor it may have something to do with the Nexus branding on phones being front and center. The new rumor states that future Nexus devices, including the two rumored devices coming from HTC later this year, will come out of the factory without any OEM branding on them whatsoever. While this has not been confirmed by Google, if true, it would mean that all future Nexus products would no longer come with the branding from the company that make the device on the outside of the body, which tend to reside on the back of the Nexus device at the bottom.
Pichai also mentioned that Google will be putting more thought into Nexus down the line, so perhaps being more opinionated also means they’ll be looking to transcend beyond just offering up the very best of Android and that Nexus devices in the future will be delivering a more thoughtful experience to the user. While Google being more involved in the future of Nexus could take on many forms, the rumored absence of OEM branding on upcoming devices is a big change, no matter how small it seems, as it could signify the beginning of more control for Google when it comes to Android. It also may suggest that Google wants to be the center of attention for the Nexus line going forward, because no matter how many times you could tell an individual that your phone is a Nexus device, the branding from the OEM is likely to be more well-known. Removing OEM branding does away with that and puts the focus back on Google and “Nexus” in general.