When Google Pixel 2 rumors started showing up months ago, they suggested that the phone will have up to three variants dubbed walleye, muskie and taimen.
At the time, reports claimed that all three phones will be powered by the same Snapdragon 835 processor, but later, rumors regarding muskie were squashed. Earlier this month, the search giant unveiled walleye and taimen, but it appears that muskie is coming too, only not as a Google Pixel 2 variant, but as the HTC U11 Plus.
A new device has been spotted in AOSP with the name muskie and other than the name, there are other interesting bits of information that folks at XDA Developers have come across. For starters, it can for sure be confirmed this was meant to be part of the Google Pixel 2 lineup and made by HTC, the same company that made the original Pixels and the smaller Pixel 2.
The Google Pixel 2 XL, which is made by LG, has a 3520mAh battery unit. However, muskie had a massive 3830mAh battery unit. Interestingly, it was claimed that muskie was dropped in favor of the larger taimen, yet the latter has a smaller battery unit. Furthermore, this is the same battery capacity that the HTC U11 Plus has been listed with on TENAA, which basically confirms that the dropped Google Pixel 2 muskie is making a comeback as the U11 Plus.
https://twitter.com/ZyadAtef12/status/923273159167692802
The HTC U11 Plus has been in the rumor mills for quite some time now, but the company has just confirmed a launch date, which is actually next week. The phone is expected to be the first from HTC to rock an 18:9 aspect ratio and today, the company is giving us a teaser of what the front panel looks like.
Like other OEMs that have turned to this design, the HTC U11 Plus will for sure have a bezel-less front panel, with the bottom bezel almost non-existent. Unlike the likes of Samsung and Google that have slightly curved display edges, HTC is going for a flat screen with sharp edges. Specs-wise, there will be a Snapdragon 835 processor with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and a 6-inch WQHD+ display screen. Hopefully, Android Oreo will power the phone out of the box.
It’s only a few days and we’ll have full details about this HTC U11 Plus handset. Meanwhile, do you think it’s possible the U11 Plus is the abandoned Google Pixel 2 muskie? Let us know in your comments below.