Both HTC and Samsung have been linked with producing the next Nexus smartphone, but it appears that it’s LG who is putting together the next Google flagship phone, according to a “hands-on” report published just before the weekend. If the report is accurate, it will be the first time that Google has entrusted LG to make a Nexus phone.

The phone is described as being similar to LG’s Optimus G, the exciting top-of-the-range smartphone that is the first to use Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, which is due out soon. The differences noted are mostly cosmetic, including a chrome trim and a colourful Nexus logo on the rear panel.

But it’s not just the phone that’s interesting, as the software may not be Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but Android 4.2 instead. It’s said to look very similar to Android 4.1, but the interface felt even smoother. Naturally, this being a Nexus phone, it runs without a manufacturer user interface over the top.

So, could this mysterious device be the next Nexus phone, or the first in a new collection of Nexus devices? When Google re-opened its online store with the Nexus 7 tablet, it was always believed to be the first in a line of Google Nexus devices, and The Wall Street Journal said it would contain five of them soon after launch.

This could explain why so many manufacturers have been linked with the Nexus brand, and LG’s phone could be just one of several new phones coming out soon. Google hasn’t announced any upcoming events, but if a new range is about to be introduced, expect invitations to start appearing soon.