Images of Nexus-branded LG smartphone leaked online

Google and LG are rumoured to have teamed up to manufacture the next Nexus handset. A report published by Android and Me carries images of the handset acquired courtesy of baraholka.onliner.by.

From the images, the face of the handset is similar in design to last year’s hugely popular Galaxy Nexus manufactured by Samsung. The major difference can be seen at the back of the device, where it has a crystal-like design that it gives it an overall rich and classy finish.

Stylish back

The report by Android and Me also states that this device has been codenamed 'Mako'. Through the NenaMark benchmark, we can see a range of specifications that will feature in this handset. This matches up with previous rumours about the smartphone featuring Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro with Adreno 320 GPU.

The LG-manufactured Nexus is expected to come with 2GB of RAM, a 1280 x 768 True-High Definition IPS display, an 8-megapixel camera, and a non-removable battery. It will also have no microSD slot, and from 8GB to 16GB of internal storage.

Front looks similar to the Galaxy Nexus

Google will co-host the launch event with LG, where it will introduce the next version of Android – version 4.2, rumoured to be named Key Lime Pie – along with a new phone, presumably a Nexus based on LG’s recently announced Optimus G. The report also states that the Google’s Nexus flagship device concept is going to undergo a major overhaul. Now, any manufacturer will be able to release a smartphone under the Nexus banner, but they will have to adhere to some strict rules set by Google. According to the rules, manufacturers must use stock Android and have 64MB of secure memory for media streaming. Custom UI skins such as HTC’s Sense UI or Samsung’s TouchWiz will be allowed in the new Customization Center. Also, some hardware requirements must be met so that the devices will be able to run Android v5.0, scheduled to arrive by fall 2013.

Although Google seems to be about ready to showcase the next version of Android, devices that run on the operating system are still heavily fragmented. According to a recent report, only about 23.7 percent of all Android devices are running on Ice Cream Sandwich, with 1.8 percent running Jelly Bean.

Do share your thoughts on the design of the LG Nexus in your comments.