Nearly all the high-end smartphones we’re expecting this year are already here, but there’s one more family of devices that we’re anxious to see in stores. The Galaxy Note 7 and iPhone 7 are already official, with the former dealing with a massive recall and the latter nearing its in-store launch. But Google’s 2016 Nexus devices that will not have Nexus branding are still in the works and should launch next month. New reports indicate the Pixel and Pixel XL may be the fastest Android phones in town, but there’s also some bad news in store.
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The Pixel (Sailfish) and Pixel XL (Marlin) might be the only Android handsets to ship with the updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor on board in the US. The news comes from Android Police’s David Ruddock, who took to Twitter to explain Google’s thinking behind the Pixel line.
https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/775004127717765121
“By the way, as far as I can tell, the Pixels will by the first US devices with Snapdragon 821 by a long shot. No one else is using it,” he said.
“Pixel phones will have exclusive Google support, exclusive software features, and exclusive financing options,” he also noted. “Google is going for it.”
“So, if you’re the person who wanted Google to ‘really get out there and market their phones,’ you may finally see your wish granted,” Ruddock added.
As for prices, Google “is getting out of the ‘cheap phone’ business at this point,” he said. “This one is more hearsay: price point being thrown around for Pixel XL is $649. Not clear if that’s 32GB or 128GB.”
https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/774999884915060737
But these aren’t the only Pixel leaks we have for you today. AndroidPure has a Google Pixel XL leak as well. The phone, complete with its ugly rear design, was shown in what appears to be a case leak. The images were posted on Weibo initially, showing a phone that’s similar to what we’ve seen in other leaks. And yes, there’s Google branding on the back, rather than Nexus.
Finally, Android Authority has a video that supposedly shows the HTC-made Google Pixel in a 360-degree video.
