LG will not be making the Google Pixel 3. This is what a representative of the Korean conglomerate confirmed when asked about rumors saying it will replace HTC as the manufacturing partner of Google for the flagship smartphone expected to come in 2018.
LG shut down the rumors being spread by a Korean website saying that the tech company has already been chosen to manufacture the Google Pixel 3. There are also rumors that LG could help with the Pixel 2 in some capacity. LG's global communication director Ken Hong spoke with Android Authority and denied these statements by Chosun Biz. Hong even described the supposedly concocted rumors as "speculation of the highest degree".
Google launched its first hardware in late 2016 with the help of HTC. The Pixel, along with its higher-end version the Pixel XL, was a hit among consumers and is, in fact, considered one of the best Android smartphones in the market since it came out. Google is currently working with HTC once more for the upcoming Pixel 2.
As for LG, it also has some history with Google. The two companies worked together to create the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 5X. That said, it is not completely impossible for the two companies to join hands once more. LG is one of the rumored suitors for the Google Pixel 3 along with TCL and Coolpad. This particular rumor stated that LG had the inside track among the three.
According to Android Headlines, Google is supposedly looking for another partner that will offer "more stability and scalability". HTC still has a bit of an advantage because of its current two-year contract with Google which covers the original Pixel and upcoming Pixel 2. Still, nothing is set in stone so there is always the possibility that Google will sever ties with HTC and opt for another manufacturer, such as LG Electronics, to make the Pixel 2 in 2018.
