Well the good news is that it looks like the rumors are wrong, or at least semi-wrong. In an interview with ReadWrite, Google’s head of engineering for Android and the Nexus program, Dave Burke, basically debunked the rumors. According to Burke, “People have been commenting about Nexus because there is something else and they think that means the end of Nexus. That is the totally wrong conclusion to make.”
He also adds, “We are still invested in Nexus.” However when asked to comment about the Android Silver program, Burke appeared to be reluctant to talk too much about it, instead opting to say, “Android Silver is not something that we are commenting on right now.” Now earlier we said that the rumors were semi-wrong because while the Nexus lineup might not be killed off, the Android Silver program could prove to be an alternative.
Assuming what we know about the Android Silver program so far is accurate, it’s basically like the Google Play Edition lineup of smartphones. Google will reportedly choose between high-end smartphones from OEMs and give them “Silver” status, with only five smartphones allowed to hold the status at any given time. These devices are also required to adhere to Google’s specifications, so in a way it’s sort of like a mashup of the Nexus and Google Play Edition program.
In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but in the meantime we guess Android fans can rest assured knowing that the Nexus lineup is not going anywhere anytime soon.