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Google’s opening day the IO keynote was heavy on the dev news and upgrades yet light on major announcements, and pushed hardware to the back burner in a rather intriguing fashion.

Yet there may be a bit of kit hiding in the Moscone Center’s halls, an alternately hued handset we could see launch as soon as next month.

According to Android and Me, the rumored white Nexus 4 was more than just a keynote no-show at this year’s conference, appearing behind the scenes as a clone of the current version yet in an alabaster shell.

How does the site know? Because Taylor Wimberly, the publication’s founder, claims he laid hands on the glittery gadget.

The post-IO show

In Wimberly’s words, the phone is a "carbon copy" of the black model, and will arrive on the Google Play Store June 10 with Android 4.3 on board.

We know, that’s a lot to take in.

What little there is to know about Android 4.3 indicates it won’t be an earth-shattering update, but it should bring Bluetooth Low Energy support. It may also support OpenGL for Embedded Systems 3.0, shepherding advanced graphics capabilities along with it.

Google apparently scrapped 4.3 from its keynote in favor of showing off its ability to introduce new services and APIs without bumping up Android firmware, a perspective courtesy of Android and Me’s Google sources.

We did get Google’s Galaxy 4 running stock Android 4.2, so perhaps we’re in for some more Nexus news before mid-year.

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Photos of an unknown LG device have leaked on the web, with speculation suggesting it could be the rumoured Google Nexus 5 or LG’s own as-yet-unannounced Optimus G2 device.

The photo comes courtesy of prolific mobile leak-artist @evleaks and shows a buttonless smartphone, with a redesigned earpiece and an exceedingly slim bezel.

Not a lot else is known about the device, but with rumours abound that LG and Google are set to team up for another Nexus phone later this year, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if this was it.

The Korean company is also expected to update its Optimus G line later this year.

Either or neither

The leaked pictures follow reports late last week, which brought news of three different versions of the LG Optimus G2 devices showing up in benchmarking tests.

However, other reports on Friday increased speculation that Google and LG would continue their Nexus partnership with a new handset set to succeed the Nexus 4 in the autumn.

Quite honestly, this could be either device, but it could also be neither. We’ll have to wait and see.

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In roughly one month, Google is expected showcase some new Android wares at the annual Google IO in San Francisco.

While most of the pre-show hype has been focused on Google Glass, a possible new Nexus 7 and the (fingers crossed) reveal of the Nexus 5, that’s not all supposedly Google has in store.

A new report from SIDHTech indicates there also might be a new version of the extremely popular Nexus 4 at IO, complete with new networking capabilities and improved storage.

Not only that, but the site also said this updated Nexus 4 will feature Android 5.0, and could be arriving as early as this summer.

Who’s got Nexus?

Let’s break down the rumor, which is definitely just that.

According to the site, Google might be planning a 32GB Nexus 4 with LTE and CDMA support during the conference.

The CDMA part is particularly intriguing for U.S. carriers Sprint and Verizon, which require compatibility with the radio waves to a support phones on their LTE networks.

The rumored boost of 32GB of storage coming in this new and improved Nexus 4 should also go a long way in alleviating concerns of the original model.

The original Nexus 4 only arrived in November 2012, so the announcement of a Nexus 5 so soon after its release may seem a bit counter-intuitive.

Announcing a slightly revamped version of last year’s model on carriers that call for LTE does make a bit more sense given the timing, but we can’t really know for sure until Google decides to tell us the facts.

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In January, Canonical teased a version of the Ubuntu software for Galaxy Nexus smartphones would be released sometime in February.

The new operating system was announced just before CES, revealing Canonical’s intent to bring the full range of desktop capabilities to compatible smartphones.

Canonical has primarily used the Galaxy Nexus as its test device thus far, and it wasn’t that shocking to learn a developer version of Ubuntu would be handed out so soon.

However, the developer just revealed a version of Ubuntu for Nexus 4 would arrive with the Galaxy Nexus edition, which comes as a bit of a nice surprise.

Preview of promise

Set to arrive on Feb. 21, the touch developer preview of Ubuntu for both Nexus smartphones will provide images and open source code for more savvy users to mess around with while they wait for a completed version.

The idea is to give Ubuntu enthusiasts and developers a chance to see what the OS has to offer, and give an early lead on potential app creation for the smartphone software.

Canonical will also release tools to help users flash their existing devices to the developer preview, which would allow them to stay up to date with the most current version.

Attendees of Mobile World Congress can bring their Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones to the Canonical booth, where the developer will flash the devices themselves.

Additionally at MWC, Canonical will have a variety of Ubuntu devices on display (including a possible tablet), though the actual proprietary phones aren’t expected to arrive until October.

"Our platform supports a wide range of screen sizes and resolutions. Developers who have experience bringing up phone environments will find it relatively easy to port Ubuntu to current handsets," said Canonical’s Pat McGowan in a statement.

"We look forward to adding support for additional devices for everyday testing and experimentation."

The group has also created downloadable app design guidelines, giving potential developers the power to create for the full range of Ubuntu platforms.

Though iOS and Android have dominated the market thus far, there’s plenty of room for a possible third option as Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 have yet to assert themselves in the marketplace.

Whether that OS is Ubutnu will largely depend on how quickly and easily users are able to assimilate the open source software.

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Like a unicorn, spotting a white handset in the wild can be a magical experience.

Especially if that phone is as hotly hard to find as the Nexus 4, a handset that has only today reappeared on the Google Play store in Germany, Canada and the United States.

Phone Arena apparently got its hands on an image showing the whitewashed back of the Google/LG-made phone. While there’s no way to tell for sure if it’s the real deal, the site ran some Photoshop tests and the pic passed, lending some credence to its authenticity.

The photo comes courtesy of an anonymous source and was captured using an LG Optimus G last week, which could be construed as a clue the photographer works at LG or is just consequential.

Phones in white satin

Another sign the phone is the pearly partner to the slate Nexus 4 currently on the market is its reflective back pattern.

Earlier Tuesday, BlackBerry’s Z10 also looked to make an alabaster appearance. The touchscreen phone, due to debut tomorrow, has popped up several times in black, though previous leaks have also tipped a white version exists.

The Z10 is shown with a black bezel, a stroke of design inspiration that could really set the handset apart. While an all-white iPhone is clean, it lacks the dimensionality a two-tone phone can boast.

We have no idea what the front of the supposed white Nexus 4 looks like, or even if it exists at all, but so far, we like what we see.

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LG is suddenly rather talkative about what’s going on with supplies of the Nexus 4, a phone it makes in partnership with Google that’s harder to find by the hour.

Following comments allegedly made by an LG spokesperson to a Korean site that there was nothing on LG’s end causing the handset hold up, Cathy Robin, director of mobile communications for LG France, chatted with Challenges.fr about the 4′s supply issues.

"Supply problems are not necessarily completely related to LG," Robin, as translated by Google, said. The issue, at least to some degree, has to do with poor math by Mountain View.

"Google has presented forecasts calculated according to their previous sales history of Nexus. But they have been less [in] demand."

Regional differences

LG continues to make Nexus 4 deliveries on a regular basis, Robin continued, but "it is lean."

According to Robin, the supply problems are at least partially to blame on inaccurate country-by-country allocations of the handset. France, for example, got too few phones while too many were sent to the U.K. and Germany.

Despite what can’t be a pleasant time for either company’s customer service or PR departments, Robin said there’s no bad blood between LG and Google and the relationship between the two is "going smoothly."

That’s a little surprising, considering not just what LG has said but the comments its comrade has made.

In December, Dan Cobley, Google UK and Ireland’s managing director, took to Google+ to write: "Supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic, and our communication has been flawed. I can offer an unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process."

While Cobley doesn’t quite lay it on LG, the implication is that the latter was an unreliable manufacturer and difficult to talk to about what was holding up phone orders. There’s blame on Google’s end, but hey, look to the other guy.

TechRadar asked Google for its take on the Nexus 4 supply situation and will update this story if and when the company responds.

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LG has played down reports that suggest the Korean manufacturer has been lined up to produce the Google Nexus 5 smartphone.

Branding the claims as "unfounded", an unnamed LG spokesperson spoke to Korean site Chosun Biz about the firm’s dealings with Google and the Nexus line of products.

This isn’t a huge surprise after Google blamed LG for the delay in shipping Nexus 4 stock. Besides, the search engine likes to share the Nexus spoils among manufacturers, with HTC, Samsung and LG all getting a bite of the apple so far.

Nexus 4 supply issues not LG’s fault

The LG spokesperson also defend the firm when quizzed on the supply issues surrounding the Nexus 4, claiming that no such delays existed at the LG’s end.

This switches the blame back onto Google who some have accused of purposely throttling the number of units available in an attempt to increase hype and demand around the product.

It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get the real reason behind the Nexus 4 shortage with both Google and LG seemingly happy to pass the buck.

The NexTus tablet

According to the folks over at Mobile PC Online the Google Nexus 5 will arrive with a quad-core processor and 1080p display before the end of the year alongside a new tablet currently being dubbed the Google Nexus 7.7.

As the name suggests the new Nexus tablet will apparently feature a 7.7-inch display which the Chinese site claims will be full HD, alongside a Tegra 4 quad-core chip and 2GB of RAM.

While the suggestion of a new Nexus smartphone and tablet is hardly groundbreaking stuff, we’re a little more reserved when it comes to the exact specifications of the devices with the sources of this information unknown, so don’t get too excited just yet.

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When Google’s purchase of Motorola was finalized this past May, many expected Moto to take the reins on the next Nexus device.

This was despite repeated statements from Google explaining that Motorola wouldn’t receive preferential treatment over partners like Samsung, LG or Asus when it came to developing a new Nexus smartphone or tablet.

In an interview with Fortune published Tuesday, Google CEO Larry Page again explained the company’s plans for Motorola and its partners, and played it rather close to the vest in regards to a new Nexus.

Stopping short of reiterating the company line, Page stated Google’s focus was on strong relationships with its partners, and introducing new innovations to the marketplace.

No Moto Nexus…yet

Despite just releasing the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 in October, industry eyes are looking ahead to what Google will do next with its Nexus brand.

When discussing how Google would approach releasing a Motorola Nexus device, and why there hasn’t been one announced yet, Page revealed he thought it was too soon.

"First of all, I don’t think there’s any physical way we could have released a Nexus Motorola device in that sense," Page said. "I mean, we haven’t owned the company long enough."

Since taking control of Motorola Mobility in May, the manufacturer has released several Android smartphones including the Razr HD and Razr Maxx.

Why Google’s own Nexus brand hasn’t been developed by Moto remains a secret, but as the line’s history shows, Google has taken its time with Nexus releases.

The four Nexus phones have all been released at least 12 months apart from one another, though both the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets were released within months of one another.

Page admitted the Nexus development has evolved since HTC introduced the Nexus One back in 2010.

"Exactly what we do, which devices we do, what the timing is, how we release the software with them, all those things have been changing," he said.

Partners in innovation

According to Page, a large part of the Nexus strategy boils down to innovation and quality, and how Google’s partners can help bring that about.

"Every day we kind of evaluate how do we help our partners out the right way," Page divulged. "How do we produce amazing innovative devices… and how do we keep our partners happy."

"I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that so far."

Page was careful to not discuss whether or not one of Google’s partners or Motorola would lead the charge on a new Nexus device, but did explain that the company’s plans revolved around the user.

Getting the most efficient and high-quality product into consumer hands is a key point in Google’s strategy, and Page said he hopes the rest of the industry takes note.

Google’s CEO has become disparaged with the "island-like" approach the tech industry has taken, with Apple, Google and Amazon each running independent economic eco-systems.

"I think it would be nice if everybody would get along better and the users didn’t suffer as a result of other people’s activities," Page explained.

"I try to model that. We try pretty hard to make our products be available as widely as we can. That’s our philosophy. I think sometimes we’re allowed to do that. Sometimes we’re not."

Google’s plans for Motorola may still be well under wraps, and the company is, for now, not playing favorites, but one has to expect Google will take advantage of Motorola Mobilities’ capabilities sooner rather than later.

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Christmas has come early for a few more Android owners as Sky Go is now compatible with a host of new devices, including the Google Nexus 4 and 7.

The app, which can be downloaded from Google Play, is now supported on Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 and 4.2), provided you’re running the OS on a compatible handset.

Just as we reported in early November, the HTC One Series is first in line with the HTC Desire X, HTC One X, HTC One XL, HTC One S, HTC One V all now able to run the app.

The other newly Sky-Go-compatible devices are: the Google Nexus 4, Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy Note 2, Sony Xperia S, Sony Xperia T and the LG 4X HD.

About time

Many Sky-loving Android owners were very irate to discover that only a handful of HTC and Samsung handsets could run the mobile TV app while any and all iOS equivalents were happily streaming away.

However, we’re not expecting to see Sky Go get an imminent Windows Phone or Surface release; Sky told us that it’s waiting for devices to "reach scale" which is business speak for "become popular" before it’ll bring out a compatible app.

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The bargain Google Nexus 4 smartphone has returned to sale in the UK, but new buyers face a wait of up to five weeks for delivery.

The £239 (8GB) / £279 (16GB) smartphone flew off the shelves in less than half an hour when it launched last month and hadn’t been seen on the Google Play store since.

The LG-made handset became available again for the first time at 5pm on Tuesday evening, but it already seems unlikely that many users will receive their smartphone in time for Christmas.

Crave reports that initially the shipping estimate was listed as 1-2 weeks, but that soon inflated to 4-5 weeks – at which it remains.

Unfathomably long

The unfathomably long wait for delivery mirrors the 3-4 week wait some early adopters were asked to endure during the first run of sales in Britain.

The shortages have overshadowed what should have been an overwhelmingly positive launch for Google, given the Nexus 4′s stunningly competitive price point and impressive feature set.

Both devices are still listed as available and you can still order them through the Google Play Store, but surely something that already exists, but takes over a month to deliver, is simply out of stock?

If you want one before Christmas you can still get it from O2 and, from later this month, Three UK. However, there’s no super-cheap SIM-free deals on those networks.

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