Nexus program retiring next year, Android Silver will take its place

[RedRound2]

Earlier this month the web was abuzz with talk of Android Silver, a rumored program that places focus on near-stock Android devices from top OEMs. Now The Information has chimed in with their own details about the program, including Google’s plans to ax the Nexus line in favor of its Android Silver initiative.

 

Like the GPe program, there can be more than one Android Silver device at a time. Where the programs differ is that Android Silver handsets won’t necessarily need to be 100% stock, though they will need to have minimal amounts of customization. Furthermore, the custom software and features that are present will need to be user-uninstallable without root access.

 

Another major change between the Android Silver program is that Google plans to offer these handsets directly through carriers. Google also has bigger ambitions when it comes to consumer reach, and is reportedly prepared to spend as much as a billion on Silver’s marketing campaign.

 

For Google, Android Silver is about creating a unified Android experience to further combat the image of a “fragmented Android”. This means that Google will have more control over the software that runs on these devices, and will even have a say in the types of hardware specs and features that end up in qualified Android Silver products.

 

Although it’s unclear how aggressive Android Silver pricing will be when compared with Nexus devices, the biggest advantage is that we will have multiple options when it comes to (nearly) pure Android devices with minimal bloat added on top.

 

For those that like having the most current Android version possible, giving Google more direct control also means that Android Silver devices should receive updates much more quickly than typical Android devices.

 

Even if the pricing does end up higher than current Nexus offering, the Android Silver program looks like a step in the right direction and could go a long way towards rectifying some of Android’s perceived weaknesses such as slower updates, UI consistency and OS fragmentation.

 

As for when we might see the Android Silver program? Reportedly the program will first arrive sometime next year in major markets including the United States, Germany and Japan. Emerging markets are expected to follow a bit further down the road.

 

I'm not sure how this is going to turn out. Google Play edition will be awesome but I always feel so many hardware related features go in waste in a GPe phone. It's also going to be goodbye for low priced Nexus devices.

 

SOURCE: http://www.androidauthority.com/android-silver-retiring-nexus-374512/

[Izaya Orihara]

WHAT?! No more nexus?! WHY Google why? WHY YOU DO DIS TO ME? 

[minimalist]

Really looking forward to this.  I just wish they were coming out sooner.  I'd rather buy this than than the Oppo Find 7 which looks like best phone out.

[bbqsauce]

Such a shame. They should've kept the nexus line. letting OEMS do what they want (while giving guidelines here and there) and keeping a separate nexus line as the pure android experience seems better in general.

[rashdanml]

Good move to be honest. OEMs can have their own versions of Android as an installable ROM, or as individual apps, allowing users to customize their own experience. 

 

There might still be a somewhat official "Nexus" device, just renamed. The remaining devices will probably be named according to the manufacturer. 

[StingBull]

I so wish it if they just banned unremovable apps altogether. It's such an asinine concept. Imagine half of your PCs storage space being dedicated to Microsoft programs you couldn't uninstall. Everyone would cry bloody murder.

[Askew]

More articles on this.

 

Tech Radar

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-silver-everything-you-need-to-know-1246714

Extreme Tech

http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/181541-googles-android-silver-program-could-take-on-the-iphone-and-end-the-nexus-brand

The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/30/google_android_silver/

 

To me this seems like the M7/S4 Gplay phones but perhaps without the OEM versions existing.

 

I'm interested in this topic.

[tonychau77]

Nexus has evolved into a brand. It is more than a phone. It's a way of living. It's about saying no to shits from oems. I'm tell you Google, you will lose so many support from enthusiasts and developers. DO NOT DO IT.

I'm okay with Android Silver, but not retiring Nexus.

[Dylan522p]

Unsubstantiated rumor mill GO GO GO!

[dizmo]

I don't think that it will have much of an affect on pricing.

I believe there will still be cheap pricing, and I don't think the billion dollars is all for marketing.

From what I gathered the billion dollar estimate was for launching the program as a whole, which includes subsidies that they employ on current Nexus devices.

 

Should be interesting to see what happens. Google needs to regain its claim to Android. Samsung is too much of a powerhouse.

 

Really looking forward to this.  I just wish they were coming out sooner.  I'd rather buy this than than the Oppo Find 7 which looks like best phone out.

LG G3 will blow it out of the water. Well...in the size department, at least. It'll be on par with the other specs.

 

I so wish it if they just banned unremovable apps altogether. It's such an asinine concept. Imagine half of your PCs storage space being dedicated to Microsoft programs you couldn't uninstall. Everyone would cry bloody murder.

Totally agree.

Why is Facebook an nonremoveable application? I find that absolutely ridiculous.