Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata previously stated that his company has no intentions of discussing its next generation console until 2016. Fortunately, the rumor mill doesn't adhere to those guidelines as we're now hearing that the NX will be powered by Google's Android mobile operating platform.
While that may sound preposterous to some, there's actually a good bit of reasoning behind the decision and some tie-ins to support its validity. A source familiar with the matter told Japanese publisher Nikkei (via NeoGAF) that using Android would make it easier for developers to port their titles to smartphones and tablets.
Back in March, Nintendo announced that it would finally start making games for mobile devices based on franchise favorites like Mario and Link. The games will be all-new and by March 2017, Nintendo said it plans to have five titles on the market.
What's more, Iwata teased that NX would feature a brand new concept. Some kind of mobile tie-in would certainly be different for a mainstream console that's traditionally populated the living room.
Seeing as how the Wii U is little more than a commercial flop, it makes sense for Nintendo to go in a completely different direction. Microsoft and Sony already have the console market locked up with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, respectively. Mobile games are wildly popular at the moment and a different take on Android could be refreshing.
Again, this is all just rumor and speculation at this point as we won't know anything solid on the matter until next year.