Google has some big plans for its Nexus Pixel smartphones this year. The company is abandoning its Nexus lineup in favor of a new Pixel branding. And just like OEMs, Google seems to be planning on customizing the OS to its liking.
With the company all set to unveil its new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones on October 4th, the hype surrounding the devices is on the verge of reaching its peak. So before Google officially unveils its new smartphones on October 4th, let’s us see what we know about the devices in our rumor roundup below.
Display & Design
Like the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P last year, Google will be launching two smartphones with different screen sizes this year. But unlike the Nexus handsets from 2015, the Pixel smartphones will feature a slightly smaller screen size. Pixel, the smaller of the two handsets, will feature a 5-inch Full HD display, while the Pixel XL will sport a bigger 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. The former is codenamed Sailfish, while the latter has been codenamed Marlin internally.
Nonetheless, the slightly smaller display sizes on the Pixel and Pixel XL should make them more manageable to use, unlike the 5X and 6P. The upcoming smartphones from Google will also feature plenty of bezel surrounding the display that will make them bigger than what their display size indicates. While the Pixel and Pixel XL have leaked in a few photos and renders, none of them have given us a clear look at their design. Rumors point to the rear of the handsets coming with a two-tone finish, with the top half being made of glass. Like with the Nexus 5X and 6P, the fingerprint scanner will be located at the rear of both handsets. They will also feature a unibody aluminum design with antenna lines running at the bottom — slightly different but still similar to what we see in most devices nowadays.
Sadly, unlike the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7, the Pixel and Pixel XL will not be water or dust-resistant. Instead, they will feature an IP53 certification that only makes them splash proof.
Specs: Chipset, Camera, and Battery
Despite coming with different screen sizes, rumors point to the Pixel and Pixel XL coming with largely the same set of specs. Both smartphones are expected to come with a Snapdragon 821 chipset. The smaller Pixel will be available with 3GB RAM, while the Pixel XL will come with 4GB RAM. Both smartphones are expected to be available in 32GB and 64GB storage configurations, though it is likely that we will see Google offer the Pixel XL in a 128GB storage variant as well.
Both phones will come with a 12MP shooter at their rear. They will reportedly feature Sony’s IMX378 sensor, a slight upgrade from the IMX377 sensor found on the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. This will be paired with OIS, PDAF, and LaserAF to ensure the new Pixel smartphones deliver top-notch camera performance. Sounds familiar? That’s because this setup is similar to the camera setup found on the HTC 10.
It is also likely that we will see Google upgrade its camera app to add some new features to it.
The smaller Pixel will be powered by a 2770mAh battery, while the larger Pixel XL will come with a 3450mAh battery. Combined with the new battery saving features in Nougat and a more power efficient Snapdragon 821 chipset, the new Pixel smartphones should offer better battery life than last year Nexus devices from Google. With a USB Type-C port, both devices will also support fast charging.
Price
Google’s Nexus lineup of devices have always been known for offering the best bang for the buck. While not exactly cheap, they do manage to undercut the competition by a couple of hundred dollars. With the Pixel and Pixel XL, that no longer seems to be the case. The rumored starting price of the Pixel itself is slated at $649 that makes it significantly more expensive than the Nexus 5X. This also means that the Pixel XL price will be on similar lines as the iPhone 7 Plus.
Android 7.1 and Pixel
While Google has already released the final version of Nougat, the company is expected to release Android 7.1 with its new Pixel smartphones. Apart from bug fixes, Android 7.1 will come with Google Assistant — the company’s new assistant that will supersede Google Now. Google has already showcased Assitant at I/O and it also comes built-in in Allo yet not much is known about its workings and how much more smart and useful it is when compared to Google Now.
Google's Pixel and Pixel XL to be released with Android 7.1 (NMR1).
— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) September 5, 2016
Leaks also suggest that Google will be customizing Nougat on the Pixel smartphones to offer some features that will remain exclusive to the two phones. This will be similar to how Samsung and other OEMs customize Android for their devices. These features will not be made available in AOSP as well and will be closed source.
Google is making some big changes to its smartphone strategy this year. Ditching its Nexus brand in favor of a new Pixel brand and customizing phones like how Samsung and LG do. And while the new Pixel smartphones don’t really look appealing in the leaked photos, maybe they will look better in flesh.
