HTC to Make the Next Nexus Phone but Can They Be Trusted?

The Taiwan-based brand has reportedly been signed to make Nexus phones for the next three years.

Google Nexus 6P (Photo Courtesy: Tushar Kanwar)

LG pretty much confirmed that they won’t be making this year’s Nexus phone for Google. This admission brought us to consider who might replace the Korean brand to make the flagship Google hardware in 2016.

Now, HTC has seemingly been roped in by Google to make the Nexus phones for the next three years. This isn’t the first time that HTC and Google are partnering to make a Nexus product.

Also Read: LG Bets Big on LG G5 by Opting out of Making Nexus for Google

As you might know, the Nexus One was also made by HTC and Google more than six years ago. But since then, HTC has made quite a few duds. Which raises the question, can we trust HTC with the Nexus this year?

First Tablets, Now the Nexus Phone

HTC made the Nexus 9 tablet in 2014 but we all know that the 9-inch space is heavily stacked in Apple’s favour. The HTC tablet failed to excite users, and adding to that, tablets are no longer preferred by consumers (Apple would know).

But this time, HTC’s margin for error is zero. The debacle of the Nexus 9 will be forgiven if HTC manages to stake its claim. We’re not sure if HTC can make the Nexus 2016 a success, only Google can explain why they’ve taken this drastic step.

Google Pulls the Strings

One has to understand that the Nexus phones are made with Google’s hardware reference design in place. That way, HTC can focus on making a Nexus-worthy product that gets certified Google branding. Also, one must not forget that a Nexus product gets access to the latest Android versions, which goes a long way in enabling HTC to reclaim its lost glory in the smartphone space.

We feel that three years is a long time for a single brand to be in partnership to make a Nexus phone. It remains to be seen if Google’s got it right with HTC, just like its previous tie-ups with Asus and LG.

Are you excited about HTC making the Nexus phone with Google for the next three years? We’ll see if HTC can pay back Google’s faith in it later this year.