Rumours surrounding Chinese telecommunications and device manufacturer Huawei being tapped by Google to be the hardware partner in manufacturing a Nexus device are growing, with a market research analyst apparently confirming the rumour on Chinese social media site Weibo.
Kevin Yang, Director of China Research at iSuppli, a research analysis firm has apparently ‘confirmed’ the rumour which emerged a few days ago that Huawei was working with Google to produce a Nexus device.
This is far from a confirmation, there’s never anything official until it’s announced. But, this is the time of year where Google would be working with a partner to produce hardware. Huawei’s key hardware differentiator which may be the attraction for Google is the fingerprint scanner which featured on the Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Google as definitely interested in shipping Lollipop, and the Nexus 6 with a fingerprint scanner right up until just a few months before the launch of the Nexus 6.
Dennis Woodside, ex-Motorola CEO, confirmed earlier this year that the fingerprint scanner was removed due to the hardware available wasn’t ‘there yet’.
If Google and Huawei partner to produce a Nexus device, it could also open up inroads into China, a market where Google has had hits and misses in the past. If partnering with a major player in the Chinese market can help Google make inroads there, while also producing a quality Nexus, then it could possibly be a win-win situation.
We’ll know for sure in around October this year, but we’ll certainly see plenty of speculation and ‘leaks’ in the lead-up.
It’s Nexus rumour season again – lay them on the table: Is Huawei capable of making a great Nexus? Who would you like to see making a Nexus?
