Google Nexus fans are looking forward to another release from the technology giant, a refreshed version of last year's Nexus 6P. Google Nexus 2016 has been rumored to be a collaborative project between Google and HTC for quite some time, but according to a Huawei executive, that might not be the case.

Last week, Huawei's general manager Charlene Munilall may have implied to the media that the Chinese technology company will once again partner with Google this year to make another Nexus smartphone. "We're doing the Nexus again this year, by the way," Munilall told Gear Burn.

After Munilall gave her statement, rumors are rife as to what the next Google Nexus smartphone will be. It was speculated there could be different models of the new phone made by two companies, according to Know Your Mobile. It was also rumored that HTC may have pulled out from the collaboration and Huawei stepped in at the last minute to take over.

But according to International Business Times, Munilall's statement may have been taken the wrong way. The executive was interviewed to talk about planned releases for South Africa, particularly discussing why Nexus 6P was not officially released to the country.

She explained that South African mobile company Cellucity only brought 300 units of Nexus 6P, since not a lot of people would buy the device.

"The Nexus product is a very niche product... the techies love it but there's a very small number of people that buy it," Munilall said in the Gearburn interview. That's when Munilall added "we're doing the Nexus again this year," which may have pertained to Huawei's plans of extending their reach to more mobile carriers.

Whether or not Google will work with Huawei for 2016 Nexus phones this year remains to be seen. At this point, rumors of Google and HTC's collaboration still stand. Not much has been revealed but the 2016 iteration is expected to have revamped and more superior specs. Stay tuned for more updates.