Google has secretly stopped the production of their 2013 flagship phone, the Nexus 5.
The news comes via TechRadar, who contacted Google regarding the availability of the red and white versions of the phone, which were delisted from the Playstore devices section.
Instead of getting an ETA for the devices to be restocked, they were surprised to learn from a Google spokesperson, who informed them that “Once they are gone, they’re gone”. Now, the story doesn’t end here. Once TechRadar’s news came out, The Verge wrote that they received an email from the Mountain View company which denied that it has discontinued the Nexus 5. Here is what the statement said,
“The Nexus 5 will continue to be available for sale on Google Play and through select retailers in Q1 2015.”
But here is the interesting bit, despite Google’s denial, the only remaining Nexus 5 listing, the Black one, is also out of stock at the Play store, but it is possible that it might come back.
In a way, this kind of explains why the Nexus 5 hasn’t seen it’s prices slashed, despite the Nexus 6 launched. Perhaps they were planning to phase off old inventories at a profit, and be done with it once and for all. It isn’t unusual for a company to stop manufacturing an older flagship, to promote it’s newer one. But considering that the Nexus 6 costs $600, which is almost double the price of it’s predecessor, it is a horrendous decision which could well hamper their sales.
Indian users have some good news though, as the Nexus 5 is still available on Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon. So, if you were holding off from buying a Nexus 5, or were saving up for one, we suggest you get them ASAP.
