If you happen to have any grains of salt handy, now would be a good time to pull them out. MoDaCo is reporting that sources have filled the site in with details on the rumored Nexus device to come out of LG. The specs sound about in line with what we would expect from a device of this caliber, sporting a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, Android 4.2, and a curious 8GB/16GB set of storage options. Given Google's preference for leaving off microSD slots, we're a little surprised to see 16GB as the maximum size option. Sure, they did it with the Nexus 7, but that was an incredibly inexpensive tablet. This, if true, is just silliness.

Here are the rest of the alleged specs. Emphasis per MoDaCo:

Much of this is unsurprising and even predictable. On-screen keys, a new version of Android, and of course the lack of a microSD card slot are all but expected of the next Nexus. Wireless charging we're a little skeptical of, mainly because this claim seems to pop up in some form or another in every single rumor season. Then again, if anyone were to push it into reality, we could imagine Google doing it. It might even explain why there's a non-removable battery on a device that a disproportionately high percentage of developers and modding enthusiasts will likely be using.

As for the phone being based on the Optimus G, that also seems reasonable. For the past three Nexus devices (Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 7), Google has taken a look at existing or soon-to-be-announced offerings from companies and worked with the manufacturer to modify them into a unique device. The Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus were very similar, at least internally, to the Galaxy S and S II respectively. The Nexus 7, of course, actually outright replaced the ASUS MeMo ME370T that was unveiled at CES earlier this year, winning the award for "Most Improved Device Name."

Given that track record, the idea that this device would be based on the Optimus G—including the quad-core S4 Pro, 2GB of RAM,and 1280x768 display—all sound perfectly reasonable. In fact, it almost sounds too reasonable. In general, we're hesitant to trust any rumors that come from anonymous sources, but this isn't the only rumor from MoDaCo that we're keeping an eye on. Unfortunately, while the information sounds believable, it's also only backed by the typical "we know a guy we really trust" so it could be nothing more than someone who's been around the rumor mill a few times putting together a nice, educated guess.

Of course, none of this takes into account the alleged Nexus certification program. If the rumors are true and Google is broadening the Nexus line and simply requiring certain hardware elements, then our past patterns we've come to rely on might go out the window. Do Nexus-certified devices have to look different physically from their manufacturer-branded counterparts? Is a lack of a microSD card slot required? Is 8GB of storage enough to even qualify? For that matter, even if the Nexus program isn't real, would Google really release a flagship phone with only 8GB of non-expandable storage? There are still a lot of questions to be answered before we can trust any rumors.

Fortunately, we might not be waiting too much longer. MoDaCo claims that the LG Nexus will be launching in mid-November, so the wait to confirm or deny this news should be short. Additionally, certain rumors have indicated that Andy Rubin will be discussing some of the new stuff at D: Dive Into Mobile later this month. It wouldn't be the first time that Google has used All Things D as a platform to share information about Android, though a full-on product launch seems a bit unlikely. Still, maybe he'll tell us all the details about this fancy new Nexus certification program just before we get a barrage of new Nexii this fall. Wouldn't that be nice?

Source: MoDaCo