When HTC won the bid to manufacture a Nexus device for Google, it was confirmed that the manufacturer would soon be doing this after a really long time.
The last time both teams joined hands was way back in 2010 for the Nexus One that was undoubtedly a runaway hit. Although the first mention of the possibility of two handsets came up initially in January on some Chinese websites like the Weibo, what came as a pleasant surprise was a more recent tweet by VentureBeat editor Evan Blass (@evleaks) whose tweets have always been accurate so far. According to the tweet, HTC would manufacture not just one but two Nexus devices, which have been codenamed M1 and S1. There is also emphasis on the fact that the two handsets are being exclusively produced for Google. Although there is no clue what these could represent, Android Police states that they are in all probability codenames for Marlin and Starfish based on information that they received from trusted sources. It is also a very well-known fact among lovers of Google powered Nexus handsets thatthe giant likes to name its Nexus devices after those animals that reside in the sea.Per early reports, T50 and T55 were used as codenames instead of M1 and S1.
However, there is absolutely no clear indication whether the devices would fall under the normal smartphone or larger phablet or tablet category. This has caused a flurry of excitement as to what to expect among those who enjoyed using the Nexus One. On the other hand, among the various talks on the partnership, there are statements of a 5-inch device and a 5.5-inch device being planned with no additional details on aspects such as the kind of display being incorporated. Yet, the fact still remains untold which device would house which screen.But, it could mean that one of the devices will be a smartphone, while the other one would be a better choice for phablet lovers. If it works out as stated, both smartphone and phablet lovers will have a new device to look forward to. Undoubtedly, the phablet will be the more expensive deal of the two devices. Following the mention of the term “Marlin” made through one of the Qualcomm engineers in its AOSP commit, speculations are on about the gadgets being loaded with a Snapdragon 820 SoC chipset.
The tweet also indicated that the M1 and S1 handsets will operate on Android N. If this happens, the pair of gadgets would be among the earliest devices to use the latest operating system from Android. With the Google I/O conference starting in May and plans being made for Android N to be launched slightly faster than the general trend in summer around September, there is hope to hear more of the upcoming devices very soon. This is barring the fact that new hardware releases take quite a while to happen after an I/O conference. The conference may also give excited users a hint when the devices will be actually available for their use, which could be at the earliest be about the end of 2016. This is because Nexus devices most often find their way into the market around the same time that Google launches a new version of Android. Information is yet to be obtained whether the devices would also include Sense UI or whether they would be restricted to having just stock Android loaded like the maker’s most recent HTC 10 ready to reach the market any time. If the same powerful hardware and solid design of the HTC 10 find their way into the M1 and S1, Google can be assured of definitely having two high quality gadgets for its latest operating system.
Nevertheless, there are talks that Google is working on making the Nexus designs in sync with its Pixel range of gadgets. The Pixel range is a pure Google design without any form of assistance from any third party. 3D Touch is supposed to be a key highlight of these devices if there is anything to go by various rumors on HTC working in partnership with Google to produce two devices for the latter.Initially available on Apple devices, some reports mention the incorporation of Force Touch technology by the manufacturer to help in analyzing the amount of force used on the screens. This means that these gadgets would have the needed hardware to support these functionalities.