LG Denies Report Claiming It Will Build Google's Pixel 3 In 2018

It was reported earlier today that LG will be Google’s partner for the Pixel 3 smartphones in 2018. However, LG quickly denied the report stating that it was mere speculation.

Google was reported to have been searching for a new partner for the third generation Pixel phones to provide “more stability” in terms of manufacturing, according to the South Korean site Chosun Biz. The site claimed that Google has found that new partner in LG, which may also help HTC in manufacturing the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 later this year.

The report was convincing to say the least as Google and LG have partnered several times in the past. LG was one of Google’s partners in making Nexus devices. Together both companies were able to release the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the Nexus 5X.

Last year, Google changed its strategy and decided to only partner with HTC for the Pixel and Pixel XL. The launch of both devices also marked the end of the Nexus brand. Google was able to sell 5 million Pixel phones, but the company believes that it would have been able to have sold more if it didn’t have supply constraint during its launch.

Google also invested 1 trillion won or around $880 million in LG’s OLED display division. Chosun Biz’s report also stated that Google wanted to secure LG’s OLED displays, the same way Apple partnered with Samsung Display to get OLED displays for this year’s iPhones.

Lastly, LG is said to have agreed to partner with Google in order to increase its smartphone revenue. The Pixel brand’s popularity has already helped in securing revenue growth for HTC.

“We have reached out to LG for further comment, and Ken Hong, the company’s global communications director, has firmly denied the report.”

— Android Authority

The global communications director also added that the report by the Korean media is “speculation of the highest degree” and that LG does not “deal in rumors and speculation.” For now, there’s no truth to the report that Google has partnered with LG for the Pixel 3.

Even if its true that Google and LG have partnered for the Pixel 3, neither of them would ever confirm it. After all, Google is still working on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, which are both still being built by HTC.

Speaking of the second generation Pixel phones, rumors are already circulating about Google’s flagship device for 2017. The most recent and popular rumor going around is that the Google Pixel 2 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the same chipset that’s in Samsung’s Galaxy S8.

Another rumor making rounds online is that Google might also introduce a third Pixel device this year that’s currently codenamed as “Taimen.” This is in keeping with Google’s fondness of using types of fishes as codenames. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are codenamed “Walleye” and “Muskie.”

The device is now being referred to as the Pixel 2 XXL, and some believe that it might be a tablet or a smartphones that’s bigger than the Pixel 2 XL.