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Nest founder Tony Fadell says he is not running Google's hardware team

Nest founder Tony Fadell says he is not running Google's hardware team

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Despite what a new piece from The Information claims, Tony Fadell — Nest's founder and a former Apple executive who oversaw development of the iPod — does not "own" Google's consumer hardware division. The report stated that Sundar Pichai reportedly "dismantled almost all of the Android team’s hardware initiatives" to lend Fadell more creative freedom with Google's future products and overall hardware roadmap. In a recent tweet, Fadell completely refuted the claims:

Google itself doesn't produce much consumer hardware. Other manufacturers build its Nexus smartphones and tablets, and the same holds true for most Chromebooks. (Yes, Google's ludicrously priced Chromebook Pixel remains the lone exception.) There's also the Chromecast, a $35 streaming stick which has proven hugely popular since launch. Google does make that, but it's doubtful the company would want to mess with a successful formula so quickly. As for Fadell, he will continue to run Nest as an independent business. Nest successfully managed to reinvent the home thermostat and pushed its competition forward in the process. "I want to build this vision," Fadell told The Verge after Google announced its purchase of Nest.

Update 5:40PM: An earlier version of this post stated that Tony Fadell was given ownership of Google's hardware division, based on a report by The Information. Tony Fadell responded on Twitter this afternoon, refuting the claims. We apologize for the error.