Google TV redo might be tagged 'Nexus'
The anticipated Google TV relaunch could be named after a much more successful branch of Google products.
Android-based Google TV has struggled to find its footing, but the planned reboot of Google's Web-enabled television box next year could come with a familiar name.
The set-top box could be called Nexus TV, tying the Google TV redo to the company's successful line of flagship Android phones and tablets, according to a report Friday in The Information (subscription required).
The report also says that Google will be re-launching Nexus TV sometime in the first half of 2014, which follows Android and Chrome chief Sundar Pichai's statement to CNET that there would be a Google TV announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the report, citing the speculative nature of the report.
Previously, Google TV was rumored to be renamed Android TV. The Nexus branding would be an interesting move for Google, given that Nexus devices tend to be well-received by consumers and that Nexus devices tend to be seen as a template for manufacturers to emulate or surpass.
The current Google TV has been stuck in a limbo of development, running Android 3.2 Honeycomb, while newer Android phones and tablets run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and Android 4.4 KitKat. Although no announcement has been made, it's likely that the rebranding will upgrade the operating system to a more current version of Android.