The Sprint Google Nexus 5 smartphone has reportedly reached its end of life (EOL), along with the original Moto X (non-customized) and the HTC One.
The LG-made Nexus 5 may not be the latest smartphone anymore, but it's still quite capable and popular. The handset comes with good specifications on board and a decent price tag, not to mention the much-touted Nexus experience that guarantees timely updates as soon as Google releases a new version of Android.
As it turns out, however, the Nexus 5 has reached its end of life on Sprint, at least according to a new leak. The news comes from Android Police, which claims to have learned about it from an inside source.
"According to a source inside of Sprint, the wireless carrier has officially placed the LG Nexus 5 on the end-of-life list. That means that Sprint won't be promoting the N5 in its stores, though any stock that's still in retailers or sales partners will probably remain on sale in at least some capacity," the publication reports.
Putting the LG-made Google Nexus 5 on its EOL list also means that Sprint will no longer send any standard software update to the smartphone. Considering the developer status of the stock Android phone, however, this is not as bad as it would be for other non-Nexus smartphones.
Nexus devices get their updates straight from Google, even when they include certain features that are specific to some carrier. This means that even if Sprint won't push any more updates to the device, Nexus 5 owners will still be covered by Google itself.
The Nexus 5 comes with the exact same hardware regardless of carrier, which means that updates from Google, including the upcoming Android L, should not be affected by the smartphone's EOL on Sprint.
As a reminder, Sprint is the only CDMA carrier to offer the Google Nexus 5. While the EOL status will come as bad news to some, it also boosts anticipation for the next-generation Nexus smartphone. Google is expected to launch a new handset soon in collaboration with Motorola, and the device reportedly goes by the codename "Shamu." The smartphone is rumored to launch soon as the Nexus X, as the Nexus 6 branding would pose some copyright issues.
Lastly, the leaked document mentions the white version of the Nexus 5 as reaching EOL status, but Android Police believes that all models are in the same situation. With no official announcement from Sprint, however, it's best to take this leak with a grain of salt for now.
