The fate of Google's Nexus program has been up in the air now for quite a while. Rumors have circulated in recent months that the program could be canned in favor of the upcoming Android Silver initiative. But during Google I/O, Dave Burke, the head of Android engineering and the Nexus program at Google, suggested we might see another Nexus phone after all.
We're now hearing that Motorola may be working on a handset under the Nexus banner.
According to a report from Android Police, Motorola is working on a device with Google under the code named Shamu. As the name suggests, we are talking about a big phone with a 5.9-inch display of unknown resolution. Sources claim the handset will also carry a fingerprint reader.
The device is expected to be targeted at major wireless carriers in the US and unspecified carriers in other parts of the world. If it is indeed part of the Nexus program then it stands to reason that the phone would be sold in the same markets that currently have access to Nexus devices.
The Shamu smartphone has a targeted launch date of November but as always, this can change based on a number of factors.
Overall, the publication gives the rumor a 6.5 out of 10 on their confidence scale. They are confident that Shamu is a real device under active development, fairly confident that it is a contender for the Nexus program and slightly less confident about its specs based on the information at their disposal.