When Google released the Pixel and Pixel XL under the 'Made by Google' brand last autumn, it barely paid lip service to the phones' real manufacturer HTC.
Now, reports have suggested further references to HTC could be surplus to requirements.
Taiwanese news outlet Commercial Times (via CNBC) claims Google is in advanced discussions with HTC over a potential buyout of the firm's smartphone business.
With HTC once again tapped to build the Pixel XL 2 and elsewhere struggling to make ends meet, it could be a solution that suits both parties.
Whether Google would also be interested in snapping up HTC's Vive VR platform remains to be seen, but it does have serious ambitions in that area with the Daydream platform.
It wouldn't be the first time Google has splashed out on an Android phone maker.
Back in 2012 it grabbed Motorola for $12.5 billion, but ended up selling on to Lenovo for a massive loss less than two years after completing the deal.
So what's changed? Well, since then, Google has taken a much greater interest in pushing its own hardware.
It purchased Nest and has a range of its own Wi-Fi routers, Chromecast streaming devices, as well as the Google Home smart speaker powered by Google Assistant.
While this is an intriguing rumor, it remains just that.
While the pieces may fit together quite nicely, we'd take this with a pinch of salt for now.
Do you think buying HTC would be a smart move for Google? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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