Google HTC Nexus 3 Leak Originated From a Fake Google Employee? [New Details Emerge About the Leaked HTC Nexus 3 Image; The Source Wasn’t an Android Developer After All?]

Posted on TFTS by Chris Smith on Tuesday, 31. May 2011 under: Mobile/Cell Phones

A few days ago a story showing the next-gen Nexus 3 has been touring the web and various tech websites around the web, us included, picked it immediately up. After all we knew the Nexus 3 is in the works, courtesy of Google’s own statements at Google I/O, as the device will probably spearhead the Ice Cream Sandwich revolution and therefore we knew that eventually the device will be leaked to the press.

Then the image turned out to have been doctored with, in what we later found out to be modifications made to protect the identity of the person that leaked it, a Google employee working with the prototype HTC unit. Then the tech blog that uncovered the story, Tech Hog, removed all the information regarding the Nexus 3 and explained why it did it and why the image has been tampered with.

We assumed that someone at Google politely asked to have those details and image removed, but it looks like that wasn’t the case. Apparently the “friend” that leaked the image isn’t a Google employee to begin with. And therefore the image, and all the Nexus 3 details we were given, are all fakes, produced by someone in need of desperate attention. Allegedly.

Tech Hog’s founder and editor Mike Blake issued a new update on the whole Nexus 3 thing, describing his detective work to uncover the truth in this matter and basically apologizing to people for the whole thing. Of course we could conclude that maybe all that detective work could have been done before that exclusive Nexus 3 image hit his site and, following that, lots of other websites as well, but that’s an easy thing to say when looking at everything retrospectively.

But even if that device is fake, what smartphone is that guy holding in his hand there? Does anyone have a good explanation for it?

So considering that the Nexus 3 image and story were fake, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to get more Nexus 3 leaks in the future. But hopefully next time around we’ll be looking at real images. So, Nexus handset fans, now that HTC doesn’t appear to be the favorite company to make the Nexus 3, what Android smartphone maker would you want to create this upcoming Google flagship device?

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