Rumor: Google is working on its own smartphone outside the Nexus line

Google is working on a smartphone where the company completely determines the design itself. The new phone should come out of the Nexus line and let Google play a bigger role in terms of hardware. It may be rumored to be the semi-modular smartphone Ara.

The smartphone is rumored to come out next to the Nexus line; Google would intend to keep this line. The new smartphone should appear at the end of this year and Google would determine the design and production. The Telegraph has not yet heard details about the device from the source who brought the news.

It is possibly rumored to be Ara, the semi-modular smartphone that will be released this fall as a version for developers. That’s likely, too, because Google CEO Sunder Pichai told Recode earlier this month that the only Google-made smartphone to come out is Ara.

The Nexus line continues to exist and one of the next models will come from HTC. Last week, details came out about the smaller Nexus codenamed Sailfish. This HTC phone would have a 5″ screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels; in addition, a larger Nexus smartphone from HTC is on the way.

Google started its Nexus line in 2010. The smartphones are made in collaboration with manufacturers and run an Android variant that has only been modified by Google, but not by manufacturers and providers. In addition, Google has the Pixel line of laptops and tablets. The manufacturer that makes the hardware on behalf of Google plays a smaller role and Google determines the design completely.