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Google is going outsource the production of two Nexus devices to Huawei and LG, news rumours suggest.
According to a source on Weibo (via GizmoChina), Google plans to offload two devices under the Nexus umbrella in 2015, most likely a smartphone and a tablet.
The source also points to China-based Huawei and South Korea-based LG taking up the brunt of the design and the manufacturing.
LG has already worked with Google on the Nexus program before, having been responsible for both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones.
Huawei, meanwhile, has never partnered with Google on a Nexus device, which could mean it’s going to handle the tablet.
Interestingly, the rumours are also pointing to Google eschewing its long-standing relationship with chip-maker Qualcomm and the Snapdragon chipset series.
Instead, Google is expected to spring for Huawei and LG’s own chipsets. Huawei already produces Kirin chips, while LG has launched the NUCLUN chip with another mysterious high-end chip in the works.
This signals a growing trend in the mobile industry to stave off dependence on Qualcomm wares.
Samsung is already expected to show off its own Exynos chipset inside the soon-to-be-released Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
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The last round of Nexus devices, namely the Nexus 6 smartphone and the Nexus 9 tablet, were ill-received compared to previous Google offerings.
Google will likely go to great effort to ensure a better reception for this year’s Nexus line-up.
