When Google announced the Nexus One back in 2010 it marked an important turning point for the company's Android mobile operating system. While Google's vision had always been different to Apple's - the aim being to create an OS standard that other hardware manufacturers could support, like Microsoft's Windows platform on computers - what was badly needed was a standard-bearer; a handset that would get a "pure" version of the OS and serve as a benchmark for others to imitate. The Nexus program was exactly that; Google worked with hardware partners like HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Huawei to create a new Nexus device every 12 months, each of which would get Android updates before any other phone. Unsurprisingly, the Nexus line quickly became very popular with dedicated Android users tired of the awkward custom UI skins and annoying bloatware so common on the majority of handsets.
At the end of 2016 however, Google decided to kill off the Nexus name. While this might seem like a rather extreme move, the company's next flagship phones - the Pixel and large-screen Pixel XL - are Nexus devices in all but name. What has changed this time around is Google's approach; while the firm was happy to allow hardware partners to shape previous Nexus offerings in their own image, the Pixel has been designed from the ground up by Google itself, with HTC drafted in to handle production. However, you won't see HTC's logo anywhere on the casing - instead, there's a large "G", which leaves you in little doubt regarding which company is responsible.
Shedding such a famous name might seem like a foolhardy venture, but there's another reason for Pixel - Nexus devices have had a reputation for offering cutting-edge tech at mid-range prices, but Google now wants to compete with the higher end of the market; in short, it wants to the Pixel to be a match for the iPhone and Galaxy S range. That means powerful internals, premium materials and - of course - a price tag in the region of £700, SIM-free. Google isn't trying to undercut its rivals this time around; it wants to create a handset that has the prestige of an iPhone - and it has succeeded.
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