Google is preparing to drop its Nexus devices in favor of Google Play Edition smartphones and tablets in 2015, according to Russian tipster Eldar Murtazin. It’s thought third-party manufacturers don’t like competing with Nexus price tags, which could also be hurting sales of Google’s Motorola handsets.

Nexus devices have become increasingly popular in recent years for a number of reasons; not only do they have decent, high-end specifications, but they also run stock Android free from third-party tweaks, and they’re very reasonably priced.

The Nexus 5, for instance, starts at just $349, and for that you get a 5-inch 1080p display, a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 16GB of internal storage, and an 8-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. The Samsung Galaxy S4, on the other hand, has pretty much the same display, the same 16GB of internal storage, and a slightly lesser processor — yet it costs $300 more at $649.

Of course, most people looking for a stock Android experience are going to choose the Nexus 5 over the Galaxy S4 and save themselves a small fortune.

KnowYourMobile suggests Google may be looking to discontinue its Nexus lineup to keep Samsung — and other manufacturers of Google Play Edition devices — happy, and onboard with the Google Play Edition program. The move could also encourage budget-conscious consumers to pick up one of Motorola’s more affordable devices instead.

It’s worth remembering, however, that this is all speculation at this point. Murtazin claims that Nexus devices will be “over” in 2015 and “replaced by Play Edition” devices, which will be rebranded. And although he’s a respected tipster, he has been wrong before.

Nexus line by Google is over in 2015 😉 Yes – this line will be replaced by Play Edition (current name, it will be rebranded)

— Eldar Murtazin (@eldarmurtazin) January 27, 2014

With that said, you shouldn’t mourn the Nexus family just yet. Let’s see how things pan out over the next 12 months first.

• SourceEldar Murtazin