Speculations have been rife that Google is on course to launch its line-up of Nexus devices, including an LG smartphone, in the coming months. If the rumors have any grain of truth in them, then consumers may be privy to a glimpse of the smartphone, courtesy a recent leak.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Tri-band only LG E960 device had passed through the FCC and could possibly be AT&T's LG Nexus. However, the model did not support LTE.

According to the new reports, an XDA-Developers forum member posted a series of photographs of a device labeled "E960", purportedly a variant of LG's Optimus G. The images show a phone that resembles LG;s recently-announced flagship Optimus G, which will feature a 4.7-inch display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.

"Some images of an unknown device have just hit the web this evening, claiming to be an LG prototype device codenamed the e960. The phone looks very similar to LG's recently announced Optimus G smartphone. The rumor mills have been churning about an LG Nexus device for a few weeks now, and this could be our first look at the smartphone," stated the AndroidCommunity report.

Moreover, the report indicates that the phone appears to be running on an old build of Android and is strangely listed as "Full JellyBean on Mako." The codename is in keeping with Google's fish naming convention for its Nexus devices (the Galaxy Nexus family is Tuna) and would lead one two believe that the pictures are of a Nexus device rather than an Optimus. The device also seems to spot a stock version of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS and oddly enough Chrome is not the default browser on the device.

Additionally, The Verge reported that "a Droid Life reader, Russian forum Baraholka has turned up shots of what looks to be the same phone stripped of a dummy case. This gives us a closer look at the device's Galaxy Nexus-style rounded shape and glossy back panel, which has an unusual texture a little different to that seen on AT&T's variant of the Optimus G."

With the Nexus devices expected to hit the shelves this year, it remains to be seen if the rumors hold true.