Google’s 2016 smartphones won’t be branded under the Nexus banner. New reports from Android Police indicate the tech giant will announce its upcoming devices Oct. 4 with the name “Pixel,” one called the Google Pixel and another called the Google Pixel XL.
Longstanding rumors about Google smartphones manufactured by HTC are still in play. So far we’ve seen specs and rumors about devices codenamed Marlin and Sailfish. Available details are expected to coincide with the rebrand. Sailfish, rumored to be a 5-inch “affordable premium” device, will be the Google Pixel. Marlin, rumored to be a 5.5-inch high-end device, will be the Google Pixel XL.
The Nexus Blog recently reported that Marlin/Pixel and Sailfish/Pixel XL will sell for $449 and $599 respectively. Pundits have noted that Marlin/Pixel will be pricier than expected; however, rumors suggest both devices will have higher-end specs than previously assumed.
Sailfish is expected to feature a 5.2 Full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 4GB of RAM, 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, a 2,770mAh battery and a USB Type-C port. Marlin is expected to feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip, 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera and a 3,450mAh battery and a USB Type-C port.
Both devices are expected to run Google’s recently released Android 7.0 Nougat. However, unlike Nexus devices, the Pixel smartphones may not run a pure version of Android. There may be custom interface added of Android Nougat, with additional features typically not found on the Android operating system, according to Android Central .
In addition to the Pixel and Pixel XL, Google may also announce a 4K-enabled Chromecast, Google Home and the Google Daydream headset on Oct. 4, Phandroid reported.
