Google Pixel, Pixel XL release date: Smartphones rumored to be first to sport Qualcomm SD 821 chipset in the US

Last year's Huawei-made Nexus 6P. Google official website

New reports are constantly coming out online regarding Google's upcoming new Android smartphones, the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL. The increase in reports and rumors are being interpreted by some as a sign that the devices will most likely be launched very soon. For now, majority of the reports are mostly just speculation, but some of them may contain some bits of truth as to what the final products may be sporting.

The two smartphone offerings from Google — which will reportedly be built by HTC — had previously undergone a radical branding change. Both phones were previously referred to as the Google Nexus Sailfish and the Nexus Marlin. However, Google apparently decided to rebrand these devices to put more emphasis on their own name, hence the new Google Pixel moniker.

There are now new reports which are claiming that the Google Pixel and Pixel XL may be the first phones in the United States to sport Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 821 chipset.

The basis for the claim originated from a Tweet by David Ruddock of Android Police, who mentioned that the devices will likely be the first ones to have the new chipset installed on them in the U.S. If this is indeed true, then the two Pixel smartphones will technically be the most powerful Android devices in the market when they are launched.

Apart from the processors, Ruddock also revealed the possible price tags for the Android smartphones. He claims that the smartphones will likely be priced at somewhere around $649 when they are launched. The price tag will likely be for the high-end 128 GB version of the Google Pixel XL, which means that the smaller Pixel model should be significantly cheaper.

Both the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are expected to be launched next month on Oct. 4 during a special Google Launch event.

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