It was the phone that brought Android KitKat and high performance to the masses, combining a bargain price with flagship-class specs and a fast and fluid user interface. The Nexus 5 was one of our favorite phones last year and has continued to be a great choice deep into 2014, but today reports emerged suggesting that Google has axed it from its lineup. Tech Radar cites a Google spokesperson warning that production of the Nexus 5 has been discontinued and "once they are gone, they're gone." In an emailed statement to The Verge, however, Google disputes that claim by saying that the "Nexus 5 will continue to be available for sale on Google Play and through select retailers in Q1 2015."

Despite Google's protestations, it does seem like stores are presently finishing off whatever inventory they have and phasing out last year's purest Android device. Most retailers have already run out of the white and pseudo-red Nexus 5, and only have the black version still available. Google's own Play Store no longer lists the other colors and even the black variant is currently out of stock. It would be a shame to see what's still a highly competent device being taken off the market so soon — particularly since the upgrade to Android 5.0 gives the Nexus 5 a fresh breath of life and an attractive Material Design overhaul. Google's assurances should mean that the Nexus 5 will make its return to the Play Store and elsewhere, but it might be a short-lived reprieve. Without the out-of-stock 5, those who wish to buy the purest expression of Google's Android experience are currently left with only one choice: the larger and pricier Nexus 6.