Don’t expect another LG Nexus phone this year

LG has made the popular Nexus 5 (2013) and the Nexus 5X (2015), but won’t be returning to the Nexus program this year. An LG spokesperson, on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, has said the company plans to “focus on its own brand” this year and will not be a part of the Nexus programme this year, according to a report by CNET. “LG needs to focus on its own brand”, said the spokesperson when pushed for the reason behind the decision. Based on preliminary leaks, Google is reportedly working with HTC for this year’s Nexus smart phones. But LG has bigger ambitions with its G5, and the resources devoted to a Google device aren’t worth it, given that the phone sells at a low profit margin.

Now that LG freed itself from the partnership with Google, we should expect even more innovative smartphones to be announced in the coming months. Of course, for the single-handed users, they would prefer it if Google is to offer a smaller alternative like how the Nexus 5X is to the Nexus 6P.

LG G5 might have more RAM and comes with a better chipset but the Nexus 6P is definitely not out of the game yet. The company has been happy with its relationship with Google so far, it said.

The statements from LG contrast heavily with another recent Nexus partner. Apart from Watch Urbane LTE 2nd Edition, LG is also planning a second smart-watch; though details about the device are not yet available. LG seemed to push the curved display trend with the G Flex line, introducing two phones over the span of two years.