- by Ben Fox Rubin @benfoxrubin
Google is putting to rest any speculation that it would be killing off its Nexus line of smartphones and tablets and replace them with a new program called "Android Silver."
"People just get excited by concepts and forget why we do things," Google executive Dave Burke told ReadWrite. "We are still invested in Nexus."
He declined to discuss the Silver program with ReadWrite, but said comments that the Nexus line could be ending "is the totally wrong conclusion to make."
The Android Silver project reportedly involves manufacturers and wireless carriers being paid to make and sell premium devices that closely adhere to Google's specifications. Silver devices from manufacturers such as LG and Lenovo are expected to reach some markets as soon as next year. The devices could help Google better compete against Apple by giving Google greater control over creating high-end devices.Reports have been coming out this year that Google was planning to dump the Nexus brand -- which includes the Nexus 5 smartphone and Nexus 10 tablet -- for either the Silver program or Google Play Edition products. Google is still expected to release a Nexus 8 tablet, though there was speculation that it would be one of the last new Nexus devices.
Burke, though, asserted a strong commitment to Nexus.
"It is a way of us explaining how we think Android should run," Burke said of the brand to ReadWrite. "It is a statement, almost a statement of purity in some respects. I don't see why we would ever turn away from that, it wouldn't make sense."
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