Next version of Nexus will be enterprise phone

A model demonstrates a Nexus One smartphone, the first mobile phone Google will sell directly to consumers based on its Android platform, after a news conference at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California January 5, 2010.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Google Inc executive Andy Rubin said on Friday that the next version of the Nexus One phone, which was made by HTC Corp, will be for enterprise users and might have a physical keyboard.

Such a device could potentially pose a competitive threat to BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, which has a strong position in the enterprise cellphone market.

Rubin, the brains behind Google's Android operating system, made the comment during an interview with Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg at an event hosted by the newspaper.

The comment followed Google's announcement earlier this week that it would sell phones direct to consumers via its website.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Richard Chang)