Google's next smartphone, the LG-made Nexus 5, has briefly made an appearance on the Google Play store, sporting a $349 price tag for the 16GB model.

The company has yet to announce its next-generation Nexus smartphone, but the Nexus 5 has emerged in all its glory in its first official image straight from the source, complete with LG branding.

It remains unclear whether the Nexus 5 popped up online on the Google Play store by accident or whether it was just a cunning scheme to boost interest and increase anticipation even further.

The Nexus 5 is already among the most highly-anticipated devices of this year and various leaks and rumors have poured online recently, trying to paint a picture of what to expect.

Google has so far announced that the next version of its mobile operating system will be Android 4.4 KitKat. The company usually launches each new Android version along with a new device, and the general assumption is that the Nexus 5 would be the first device come rocking Android KitKat. Google is expected to make an announcement by the end of the month.  

With the Nexus 5 now making an early - but still official - appearance, the actual launch seems closer than ever. Google obviously pulled the respective page shortly after it became available, but the Nexus 5 was on the Play store long enough for images and screenshots to flood the Internet.

"Capture the everyday and the epic in fresh new ways," read a tagline accompanying the upcoming Nexus 5, suggesting that some neat camera functionality may be in the cards.

The brief listing did not confirm any specific launch date for the Nexus 5. Whether it really was an accident or a teaser from the company, the next-generation Nexus smartphone is likely just days away from an official debut.

The Nexus 5 is expected to sport high-end specs and an affordable price tag, as these two characteristics played a great part in the Nexus 4's resonating success last year. Hopefully Google learned something from the Nexus 4 experience and will be more careful in handling demand and supply for the Nexus 5, providing sufficient stock.