Nexus 5 Release Date: Android 4.4 Kit Kat Unveiling Teases Upcoming Device?

Amid the unveiling of the name and mascot statue for Google's next mobile operating system, Android 4.4 KitKat, many believe that the next Nexus smartphone has been spotted in the wild.

Google unveiled its Android KitKat (not Key Lime as expected) statue on Tuesday and shared a video of the event on YouTube. Quickly, tech pundits noticed Google employees in the video taking photos of the statue with a device that may not yet be known to the public. The black device with Nexus branding on the back appears larger than the Nexus 4 smartphone and smaller than the Nexus 7 tablet, and has a particularly large camera sensor and visible LG branding. The video has since been made private by Google, but the seed has already been planted that this is the next Nexus smartphone. Luckily, the video has also been salvaged and uploaded onto Mediafire.

Many believe the next Nexus smartphone will be called the Nexus 5 while others have proposed that it could be a new Nexus 4, similar to how Google released the 2013 Nexus 7. With the 8GB Nexus 4 having recently been discontinued, many believe that its 16GB variant could also soon be phased out in preparation for the Nexus 5.

Recent reports, including those by tech informant @evleaks and Taylor Wimberly of Android and Me, indicate that the Nexus 5 may be manufactured by Motorola, bit other rumors have proposed that the Nexus 5 will be an LG device, like the Nexus 4 before it.

In addition to appearing larger than the Nexus 4, many note that the device in the video has a design similar to that of the soon to be released LG G2, which could favor in LG as the producer of the Nexus 5. Vietnamese tech site Tinhte.vn first suggested in August that the Nexus 5 will feature a 5.2-inch display like the LG G2 as well as a similar design.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen a device spotted in the wild in such a fashion prior to its release. The Moto X notably made its rounds at an industry conference in July and a separate private Motorola event before being unveiled in August. The leaks not only gave us a glimpse of the device, but also let us know that manufacturers make good use of upcoming devices before they are released.

Both the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat operating system are expected to be released in October. If so, the Nexus 5 may very well be among the first devices to ship with the system. As always all current Nexus devices, including the Nexus 4 and both Nexus 7 tablets, will receive the Android 4.4 Kit Kat upon release.

Do you think the device in the video is actually the Nexus 5? Let us know in the comments below.

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