The past six or so years have seen Google accompany the release of a new Android OS with a new Nexus smartphone. Last year saw the company unveil two – a Nexus 5X and a Nexus 6P.
In March, Android Nougat was released as a developer preview. A few days ago, the same OS saw the fifth and final developer preview come to life, meaning that the stable or rather public version will be out next, probably this coming month of August rather than in September as before. Despite this knowledge of the possible release of Android N, details regarding the Google Nexus 2016 phones have been quite shady.
Despite this silence, the search engine giant appears to be on track to release a new Google Nexus 2016 phone, with HTC reportedly being the mastermind. While there are reports of two devices in the making – devices that will replace the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X – the latest leaks only cover the device codenamed Marlin. The other device is codenamed Sailfish.
Rumors about the Marlin Google Nexus 2016 phone have been here for quite some time now, but with the latest leak, we now have our first live photo of what the handset will apparently look like. Just like it has been speculated, the phone is built by HTC, but the design of the phone is not visible thanks to a protective cover that conceals it. Despite all these efforts to conceal almost everything about the upcoming Google Nexus 2016 phone, the leak shows off the software that will power the device when it is here.
Like expected, Google’s Android Nougat will be on board the Nexus 2016 handset when it is released. Furthermore, it shows the device running on the latest July Android security patch level. Users will also enjoy a device that packs an internal memory of 128GB, just like last year’s Nexus 6P. Apparently, the new Google Nexus 2016 phone looks a lot like the HTC 10, with its fingerprint scanner located on the flush back.
The Google Nexus 2016 will drop the 5.7-inch screen size used on the Nexus 6P and instead come in with a slightly smaller 5.5-inch unit, but it will keep the QHD AMOLED resolution used on the latter. This screen could be protected by the newly announced Corning Gorilla Glass 5 technology, which is reportedly 18% better than the Gorilla Glass 4. You will also get a faster and better Snapdragon 821 SoC as opposed to the 820 used on major flagships already announced this year, but the RAM will stay at 4GB. As for the battery unit, rumor has it that the phone will have a capable 3450mAh unit.
As for the cameras, you get a 12MP snapper on the rear and an 8MP selfie camera, with OIS expected to feature on this handset. The release date of the Google Nexus 2016 phones is not known, but looking at past events and the fact that the search engine giant went into Android Nougat development earlier than usual could mean the handset (s) is here as early as September. We’ll keep an eye on the matter and bring you the most up to date news.