Google’s Nexus phones did not beat the Apple iPhone 6S to the marketplace in the United States, but, in one market overseas, it looks like Google Nexus phones will be ahead of Apple.

According to The Economic Times, the Google Nexus phones will arrive in India before Apple’s latest iteration of the iPhone. And according to the same news organization, the reason for the earlier release date could be a recent visit to California by India’s prime minister.

“Internet giant Google’s newly-launched Nexus smartphones will start selling in India between October 10-14, two days before the latest iPhones go on sale in the country. “According to sources, the new Nexus smartphones — Huawei Nexus 6P and LG Nexus 5X — priced in the US at $499 (Rs32,450) and $379 (Rs24,650) will be launched on October 13. “The move by Google could be seen as an effect of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the West Coast in the US during which he met the newly-appointed Indian-born Google chief executive Sundar Pichai. “Before and after meeting the prime minister, Pichai had voiced Google’s support for initiatives like Digital India and Skill India.”

The fact that the Google Nexus phones are beating iPhone 6S to the market is stunning, especially in light of the fact that recent reports indicate Google does not even need its Google Nexus phones anymore.

In a recent article, TNW News suggests the primary reason for the Google Nexus phones even coming to market was to give credibility to the Google Android mobile operating system. Now that Google has continued to grow its marketshare on devices it does not even make – including brands like HTC, Samsung, and many others – the company no longer needs to produce its own phones to prove its viability or credibility, TNW News said.

“The past few Nexus devices have brought nothing new to the table. They’ve been nice handsets, but there’s just not a feature that non-Nexus devices would be sorry not to have. “The camera on the two new Nexus devices is good (which in itself is a happy coincidence), but Android handsets like the Galaxy S6 and LG G4 already had excellent cameras. Legacy Nexus handsets were always missing a good camera — an opportunity filled by other handsets. “A fingerprint sensor is awesome, but Nexus isn’t leading the way here. The newly released LG V10 has a fingerprint sensor; a clear example of Google working with partners to ensure they were up to speed on Android Pay’s support of biometrics.”

TNW News goes on to suggest that the Google Android operating system is, in fact, too mature for the Google Nexus phones it was designed to be a part of.

With the mobile technology marketplace now dominated by Apple’s iPhone and other non-Google branded Android devices, it is remarkable to see a non-competitive device that is admittedly below Apple and Google’s standards beating the iPhone to a marketplace of more than one billion people.

Apple Watch is making waves, in spite of Google's first to the market action. (Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

Tech watchers will note this is not the only activity taking place in the competitive world of Google vs. Apple. As The Inquisitr recently reported, Apple Watch is making waves (though Google previously released a mobile watch itself). Additionally, Apple is making moves with its newest Apple TV iteration, which could shake up a market where Google is still using USB-stick devices to connect televisions directly to computers instead of letting the device be its own operating system separate from the computer.

What do you think? Are you excited about the new Google Nexus phone? Or are you an Apple fan? Give us your opinion in the comments section.

[Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]