Google Working on Google-Branded Phone?

Google plans to step directly into the smartphone wars, The Telegraph reports-- with a device possibly replacing the familiar Nexus branding with, well, the Google name.

Google phoneAccording to unnamed sources the Google-banded phone will "extend the company's move into hardware," with the company controlling "design, manufacturing and software." As such one can expect the Nexus branding to go, since such devices are shaped in good part shaped by 3rd party manufacturing partners.

But why would Google want to make an own smartphone? Reason include tighter control on software, ensuring a future for services such as Google Search and the Play app store, and increased consistency on OS updates. And while the company refuses to comment on the story, it does have a hardware division lead by former Motorola president Rick Osterlogh.

One also has to keep in mind Google as already forayed into own-branded hardware with the Pixel C tablet.

Will Google become more like Apple and turn Android into a more controlled platform, iOS-style? The Telegraph says the Google-branded platform will launch by end 2016, so we will only know by then.

Go Google to Step Up Smartphone Wars with Release of Own Handset (The Telegraph)