Like earlier Nexus devices, the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones were designed with an outside company – in this case, HTC.
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Google’s move would draw an end line to the long-running Nexus series that began back in December 2009 with the HTC-made Nexus One. Instead of launching pure Android devices, the company is supposedly going to stuff the new smartphones with additional software and a tweaked interface atop plain Android. We recently reported on rumors that Google was planning to abandon the Nexus line, but it makes more sense to rebrand the line rather than dump it entirely.
You know that report which said the two new phones Google is designing with HTC wouldn’t be called Nexus? With rumors that Google was taking more control over both the hardware and software of their next device (s), the world was left wondering: just what will Google call their new smartphones now? The Sailfish will be the smaller variant named Pixel, while Marlin will be the bigger variant that was in leaks, will be named as the Pixel XL.
The report claims that the upcoming phones will carry the Pixel logo and will be fine-tuned for 4K-quality Chromecasts as well as Google’s DayDream VR experience. These two are believed to be the new names of Google’s new flagships phones for this year. The 2016 Google Pixel and Pixel XL will come with Google own customizations on top of Android.
Similar to the Pixel C slate that was announced previous year, Google is thinking of getting rid of the name “Nexus” once and for all and adopting the Pixel and Pixel XL for its upcoming lineup. Pixel is expected to be the 5in Sailfish, whereas the XL is the 5.5in Marlin. Pixel-branded products have been known to come with the best design and materials possible for a device which we’ve seen previously for the Chromebooks and a tablet.
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Sources tell Android Central that a 4K-ready Chromecast is expected to be announced at the event. The device will be powered by a 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor clocked at 1.59GHz.
