Google has refreshed its Google Play Edition line-up on its US online store, culling a number of devices.
It’s all change over at the Google Play devices store. Google has taken a handful of Google Play Edition devices off sale.
While it doesn’t directly affect us in the UK, where GPE devices aren’t sold (yet), some are taking it as a sign that we’re due a new line-up imminently.
The devices taken off the virtual shelves were the LG G Pad 8.3, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and the HTC One M7. All are getting on a bit, but they are still ‘current’ models that are readily available to buy in the UK.
They went from displaying as out of stock to “no longer available for sale”, suggesting they have been permanently discontinued.
What could be added in their place? The Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5 has already been teased by Google, and seems an obvious candidate for the Google Play Edition treatment.
It would also be easy to see this move as Google’s quiet beginnings of winding-down the Google Play Editions line.
There were rumours that both it and the Nexus line would be replaced by Android Silver, Google’s programme of requirements for certain high-end Android devices intended to act as a consistent seal of quality for Androids.
However, head of engineering at Android David Burke says that the Nexus line of ‘pure’ Android devices aren’t going anywhere.
“People have been commenting about Nexus because there is something else and they think that means the end of Nexus. That is the totally wrong conclusion to make," Burke said to ReadWrite.
As tenuous a hope as it is, we have our fingers crossed that this refreshing of the Google Play line-up may be a sign that the Nexus 6 is getting closer, as Google preps for the late 2014-2015 brigade.
We expect to see the next Nexus devices in October or November.
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