While the Android One program was initially intended to be something more akin to what Android Go is now, it's still a simple, bloat-free version of the OS that gets faster updates than skinned OEM devices. Until Nokia decided to go all in with Android One, there was very little choice when it came to devices, but it looks like other manufacturers are coming around to the benefits.

Rumors have been circulating for a little while that LG is planning to release an Android One smartphone. XDA Developers has been digging around for evidence, and it looks like we can expect a variant of the LG Q7 to launch running a vanilla Android build. Furthermore, the device is likely to be a T-Mobile exclusive.

The first mention of this new Q7 variant originated from the kernel source code of another LG phone (the soon-to-be-released Stylo 4). An XDA contributor found references to a device with the following designation: “sdm450-cv5a_tmo_us_sprout.” The 'cv5a' part means it's a Q7 variant, while 'tmo' suggests that it's a T-Mobile phone, 'us' is the country, and finally, 'sprout' is an appendage that is given to all Android One models. Other regional variants on other carriers don't have the 'sprout' suffix, so it seems that this is an Android One phone that will launch exclusively in the US on T-Mobile.

Other files in the code point to a phone with a 5.5" FHD+ display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 450 SoC, and a 3,000 mAh battery, all of which lines up with what you get on a standard Q7. There's nothing concrete to go on just yet, but there's no reason not to believe that an Android One-toting LG Q7 is on its way. It'll be good to have another option in this space, although it would have been even better to see one of LG's flagships on Android One.