It is said that Google is rebranding its upcoming flagships phones. Reportedly, the rumored 2016 Nexus iterations will be launched as the Pixel and Pixel XL, to debut on Oct. 4.
In an exclusive, Ausdroid mentions that the new Pixel and Pixel XL flagship phones will launch early next month. The industry follower also stated that while the new flagships will come out as unlocked versions via the Google Store, some mobile operators will likely carry the iterations. One mobile carrier that will supposedly offer the Pixel XL is Telstra. Meanwhile, although Google may offer the new Pixel lineup immediately on its online store, third-party retailers and mobile carriers will likely peg Oct. 4 only as a pre-order launch, and will start shipping out the Pixel and Pixel XL by Oct. 20.
The two iterations are the previously-rumored 2016 editions of the Google Nexus. Revealed to be co-manufactured with HTC, the two flagships – codenamed as Sailfish and Marlin – will offer top-tier specs but will have different dimensions. The base model is likely the Sailfish – rebranded as the Pixel – offering a 5-inch display. Meanwhile, the appropriately-named Pixel XL (Marlin) will feature a 5.5-inch screen. Both iterations are expected to come out with Snapdragon 820 processor, paired with at least 4GB of RAM.
Meanwhile, as a Google flagship, it is also expected that the new Pixel and Pixel XL iterations will carry the newest Android platform. Interestingly, speculations suggest that Google is already ramping up Android Nougat, and will feature a new 7.1 version in the new lineups. However, it is said that based on the build number, the new 7.1 version is only a minor jump from the base Android Nougat 7.0. Nonetheless, the new Pixel flagships will be the very first ones to get the 7.1 version, given that the other Google lineup, the Nexus series, is still on the 7.0 platform.
