Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and China-based HTC (NASDAQ: HTCFX) announced the launch of two different Nexus smartphones, codenamed Merlin and Sailfish, both coming with the new OS Android 7.0 Nougat.
Rumors say the devices will be the first of a lineup of smartphones produced under Google’s banner, unlike previous Nexus phones build by Samsung, LG, and Huawei. Needless to say, HTC or Nexus mark won’t be present on the phone, as Google seems to be taking full credit of their outsourced mobile devices.
The phones will be released in September and will arrive in Asian markets first, presumably China, India, and Korea and later be available in many countries around the globe.
What to expect from HTC?
Google has not announced official information about the phone, but rumors already started to swirl around the release. NDTV Gadgets 360 already shared some of the specifications.
Google Sailfish and Marlin will sport different display. The Marlin is said to feature a 5.5-inch QHD OLED panel, while the Sailfish will have a smaller screen of 5 inches with a 1920×1080 pixels resolution.
For hardware, Marlin will be rocking either a Snapdragon 820 or the recently revealed 821 processor, paired with 4GB of Ram. Other sources say the smartphones will come in 32GB and 128 GB variants.
Snapdragon 821 is a little improvement over its 820 counterparts, with faster KYRO cores -2.3 GHz vs. 2.15 GHz. It is also an overall better processor than 2015’s Qualcomm’s benchmark for Android, the Snapdragon 810.
In camera-notes, the devices would be armed with a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera for the selfies. Bellow the camera module there will also be a fingerprint scanner for security. A 3450mAh battery will power up the Marlin.
Hardware and camera information is not yet known for the Sailfish version. However, leaks point it will get similar power. Also, the Sailfish will get a smaller 2,770mAh battery.
The smallest HTC phone will come with variations of 12GB and 32GB of memory
Headlining features of the upcoming Nexus will the all new Google Assistant and the upgraded Google Now launcher, a faster home page that puts the search bar a swipe away.
Google will position these devices as premium smartphones with overall high-performance, in an attempt to compete with the upcoming iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy’s high sales.
Rumored specifications can quickly set the phone against LG flagship, the LG G5, or the upcoming Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. 2016 Nexus phones will also have to beat the Nexus 6P, which is not an easy feat.
Source: Android Community
