There have been several rumors about Google’s upcoming Nexus smartphones, and a popular tech blog claims to have specs details for at least one of the devices. Early reports suggested there may be two Nexus smartphones, which are supposedly codenamed “Marlin” and “Sailfish.” They have also been referred to as M1 and S1 and T50 and T55 . Pundits believe the latter code names indicate one device will have a 5-inch display and one will have a 5.5-inch display.
Android Police claims to have full spec details about “Sailfish,” S1 or T50, which include a 5-inch FullHD display, a Quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bit chip, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera and a 2,770mAh battery. Other features may include a rear panel fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C port, bottom facing speakers, a top mounted headphone jack and Bluetooth 4.2. Of course, the smartphone is expected to run Google’s upcoming operating system, Android N.
If Google’s 2016 hardware release is similar to its 2015 release, this may be the less powerful, mid-range device. The 5.5-inch smartphone may be the more premium device; just as the Nexus 5X is mid-range and the Nexus 6P is high-end. According to the tech blog, Sailfish will be manufactured by HTC. Long standing rumors indicate that HTC may develop both of Google’s Nexus 2016 devices.
Pundits expect Google will collaborate with HTC on its 2016 devices as the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer aims to increase its profile among consumers. HTC has suffered abysmal device sales for several years; however, recent reports indicate the current HTC 10 is selling better than was expected.
It is possible the HTC 10 could be the design inspiration for at least one of the 2016 Nexus phones. Consumers have seen Google’s hardware collaborators do this in the past. The Huawei-made Nexus 6P is designed after manufacturer's older devices like the Honor 7. The Motorola-made Nexus 6 favors the Moto X 2014 in design.
At this time, there is little known about the other 2016 Nexus phone, Marlin, M1 or T55. Google has not yet revealed any details about its launch plans. The tech giant has only indicated it may release its next operating system, Android N , during the summer. Typically, Google’s software releases and hardware launches coincide.
