Google’s next Nexus device could be manufactured by HTC, if reports are to be believed.

Smartphone site GSMArena claims that an anonymous tipster has suggested the Taiwanese manufacturer’s much rumoured 5-inch ‘phablet’ device will bear the Nexus name upon launch, following on from Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus device released in November last year.

The reports suggest that the handset will run Android 4.1.2, an update of Google’s software which will include big fixes, extra lockscreen functions and improvements to the user interface.

Rumoured specs of the device make it out to be an impressive handset, with a 5-inch, 1080p display and Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset. Photography could be handled by a 12 megapixel camera with a front-facing, 2 megapixel sensor also included and the phone is said to be powered by a 2500mAh battery.

While HTC’s name has previously been mentioned in connection with rumours surrounding the next Nexus device, other manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Google-owned Motorola have also been tipped for the project.

However, HTC has a good history of working alongside Google, having produced the very first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, along with the Google Nexus One device.

Despite this, some commentators have speculated that another Nexus device may not emerge until the release of the next iteration of Android, rumoured to be called Key Lime Pie. Google-branded handsets have previously only been released in line with major new versions of the Android platform, whereas the 4.1.2 designation suggests more of an incremental upgrade rather than a major overhaul of the software.