As per sources of Android Police, Google plans on releasing a new launcher with its upcoming Nexus devices. The new launcher does away with an icon for the app drawer and the persistent search bar at the top.

While the app drawer icon has been removed, it still is a part of the launcher. It can now be accessed by swiping up from the “frosted glass” zone, which resides just above the set of icons on the dock. There is also a small arrow icon pointing to the top to reflect this change. The UI of the app drawer and the search bar at the top have been slightly tweaked, but it looks and behaves largely the same.

The biggest change on the homescreen is the removal of the persistent Google search bar. Instead, there is now a calendar widget on the right side of the screen and a ‘G’ logo on the left. Tapping on the logo launches Google Search, though pulling it does nothing. It is likely that this feature is still under development and might change considerably once the new Nexus handsets are revealed by Google. In all probability, Google will be integrating its new Assistant deeply with the new launcher.

Interestingly, there is now also an option to turn off the left-most Google Now homescreen in the settings of the launcher. It is likely that we will see Google’s new launcher make its debut on its upcoming Nexus smartphones, and not in Nougat which is pegged to be released sometime this month.