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LG not working on a new Nexus device, teases tablet and non-Android smartphone (update)

LG not working on a new Nexus device, teases tablet and non-Android smartphone (update)

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LG CES 2013 stock 1020
LG CES 2013 stock 1020

LG Mobile's European VP has revealed that the company isn't interested in making a sequel to its Nexus 4. In an interview with Dutch site All About Phones, Kim Won said that, despite the Nexus 4 being a marketing success for the company, LG doesn't need to repeat that strategy . When asked if it would follow Samsung by releasing a Google Edition of its flagship phone, Kim dismissed the idea, adding that it "has no added value for us without our own skins."

Despite announcing its intention to "put tablets on the back burner" last year, Kim said that LG is "investing in tablets," and will bring a new Android tablet to market soon. He says the tablet landscape is "fairly segmented," but remains a target for the company. Although it hasn't released an Android tablet in well over a year, LG never completely turned its back on the market: it released a few tablets and hybrids running Windows 8 in its native Korea.

LG wants to reduce its dependence on Android

Looking further down the line, LG wants to reduce its dependance on other companies. Noting that "the current duopoly of Google and Apple is not healthy for the market," Kim said his company would focus on bringing devices running other platforms to the market. It doesn't plan on developing its own OS, however, so Kim's comments could be related to LG's commitment to produce phones running Mozilla's Firefox OS, or perhaps it will look to another open-source effort like Tizen or Ubuntu. Outside of software, LG is also looking to gain parity with Samsung by reducing the number of non-LG parts inside its phone. Currently, Samsung, Apple, and Huawei are the only major manufacturers that have processors designed in-house powering their devices, with most other companies relying on Qualcomm for the chips. LG already designs its own processors for use in its TVs, but the architecture doesn't translate to smartphones. For now Kim says the company has in-house displays, batteries, and other components in its phones, and doesn't rule out the possibility of an LG smartphone processor coming in the future.

Update: We've just spoken with a senior LG official who informed us that Kim Won's statements regarding the company's interest in the Nexus program have been misinterpreted. While LG isn't currently working on a "Nexus 5," that doesn't mean it would turn down the opportunity to work with Google again. Kim was instead referring to the company's mobile business as a whole: he believes LG's own offerings are strong enough that it doesn't "need Nexus" to be successful.