Google is reportedly planning to release its own smartphone, powered by Android, to take on the iPhone. According to a report by The Telegraph, the creator of Android is in talks with mobile operators for releasing its own Google-branded phones. The device(s) will presumably be different from Google’s Nexus devices, which are usually made by existing OEMs. The company doesn’t have a hardware arm, which is why it needs existing OEMs to manufacture Nexus phones. The Telegraph’s reports, though, seem to point towards Google’s imminent entry into hardware manufacturing.
Further, the report also says that Google’s phones will compete directly with Apple’s iPhones, and will be released by the end of 2016. Google will have more control over the manufacturing, design and software of this upcoming device.
While there is no official word on the matter, creating its own smartphone may make sense for Google. Android has come dangerously close to iPhones, but Android phones still lag behind when it comes to pure performance. This is because of the fragmentation in the ecosystem. A phone from Google would give the company more control over the ecosystem, and consumers may be more interested in such a device as well.
The Nexus smartphones for 2016 are rumoured to be made by HTC. According to reports, the Taiwanese company is currently working on two variants of the 2016 Nexus smartphones.