A new leak has revealed updated specs for one of the Nexus smartphones rumored to be released by Google later this year. Tech insider Evan Blass recently shared details of an Android Nougat update file, which he claims are the hardware features for a device codenamed “Sailfish” or “S1.”
According to the leak, the smartphone may include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996) chip. It remains uncertain whether this feature is valid, because the Nexus phones typically run newer chips, and the Snapdragon 820 released last November. Qualcomm recently announced a new chip, the Snapdragon 821, which will likely be the high-end chip used by manufacturers through early 2017.
Sailfish is also expected to include a Full HD display with a pixel density of 420 pixels per inch. Pundits say such a pixel density should equate to a screen size of between 5.2 and 5.3 inches. Prior reports suggested the device might have a 5-inch display.
Other rumored specs for the coming HTC Nexus smartphone include 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera and a 2,770mAh battery. The device is also expected to feature a rear panel fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C port, bottom-facing speakers, a top-mounted headphone jack, Bluetooth 4.2 and the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.
Google is expected to release two smartphones; the other rumored phone is codenamed “Marlin.” Marlin is expected to be a premium device, while Sailfish is expected to be budget-friendly device, similar to how the Nexus 6P of 2015 was high-end, while the Nexus 5X was more mid-range.
Rumored specs for Marlin include a quad-core Qualcomm chip, a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, 4GB of RAM and 32 and 128GB internal storage options, a 12-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera and a 3,450mAh battery. The device may also feature a USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.2 and bottom-facing speakers.
Both devices are expected to run Android. Google announced the system’s name as Android 7.0 Nougat in June; however, the software has not yet been officially released. It remains in a public beta stage. Android Nougat is expected to launch sometime this summer , possibly rolling out in August or early September. Once the Android Nougat system is available, HTC Sailfish and HTC Marlin should follow shortly.
