'Nexus Protect' reference spotted at the Google Store

An intriguing new reference has been spotted over at the Google Play Store, which points to something called the ‘Nexus Protect’. However, the listing isn’t out in the open on any of the product pages, instead it is tucked away in the page source, possibly waiting for use.

The reference can be spotted hidden away in numerous product page across the Google Store, although the message could be left system wide rather applying to every product. Mention of Nexus Protect is apparently set to appear as a toast-style pop-up, which contains the following message:

You can’t add this phone unless it has the same Nexus Protect choice as other phones in your cart. You can update your choice or purchase this phone in your next order.

It’s not fully clear what this Nexus Protect is at this stage. From the wording, we can surmise that it is some sort of protection program that applies to a range of phone or products. Perhaps it is an extended protection plan, possible in the same vein as Apple Care and other warranties, which is applied to a selection of products ordered together. The message seems to suggest that this will be limited to particular products or order types, most likely just the Nexus branded range of smartphones.

Despite the hidden reference, there hasn’t been any official word about Nexus Protect from Google, and this is certainly not confirmation that the company is planning to launch such a program. Google may have something to announce in the near future, possibly when the new Nexus handsets from HUAWEI and LG arrive.