Google Confirms Its Android Silver Program Won't Replace Nexus

All speculation about Google killing off its Nexus hardware division should be put to rest, as per a report in ReadWrite. The confirmation to this effect has come from none other than Dave Burke who heads the Android engineering as well as the Nexus programme at Google, claiming such reports have been blown out of proportion. The tech world was rife with speculation that Android Silver, a new Google initiative is devised at replacing the Nexus line of devices.

Instead, Burke confirmed that Android Silver is aimed at bringing about a change in the way Google come up with new high-end devices. It would involve paying top tier companies such as Motorola, Sony, Samsung, HTC and the likes to build phones as per Google mandated specifications. Android Silver is expected to launch only in 2015. Burke said they are not in the stage to discuss Android Silver yet.

Many had thought it would be the end of the road for Nexus once Android Silver comes into the picture. It was rumoured to be a programme where certain high-end devices would be accorded Silver status which would serve as a confirmation of sorts from Google of its elitist positioning.

Allaying such fear, Burke further confirmed that they would remain invested in Nexus for as long as they are involved in creating the open source code. He said both the hardware and software divisions are complementary to each other so that when they are building the source code, they are also designing the supporting hardware that could make optimal use of the code.

As such, there will no doubt be a new Nexus device coming when Google launches the new Android L later this year. This has been the usual trend followed by Google, of launching a new Android version together with a Nexus device based on it. We have already come across rumours of HTC developing a new gen Nexus tablet codenamed Volantis or Flounder.