Nexus 2016 Release Date Photos Put Function Over Form
Google's 2016 Nexus smartphone set seems to follow the same rules as previous launches – in which Google is aiming for a top quality phone, not so much a phone that looks pretty. Google seems – in the photos we're seeing today – to be making sure this as-yet-unreleased smartphone is able to do two things: feel good to hold and function especially well. Why else would the bottom of the back of the phone be metal while the top 1/3rd of the back of the device is an unsightly reflective glass?
Above is a close-up photo of Google's current hero phone, the Huawei-made Nexus 6P. The rest of the images seen in this article come from Android Police and seem to be the final form of not just one device, but two. These device photos look very likely to be release-date-accurate – meaning they're probably going to be a good indicator of exactly what we'll see this October (or thereabouts).
Both the Nexus 5X replacement – "Sailfish" and the the Nexus 6P replacement "Marlin" are tipped to be appearing with very, very similar specifications.
Google Phone "Sailfish" Nexus by HTC
• Display: 5-inch 1080p (440PPI)
• Processor: Quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bit (Qualcomm Snapdragon)
• RAM: 4GB
• Battery: 2770mAh
• Internal Storage: 32GB
• Cameras: 12MP rear camera, 8MP front
• Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, rear-mounted
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 4.2
• Speaker: "bottom-firing"
• Headphone Jack: Yes
The information you see above and below comes from a variety of anonymous tipster sources and information gleaned from many years of similar releases from a variety of Android smartphone manufacturers.
Until Google shows these devices off (likely in October of 2016), we do not know what Google's official specifications will be. It seems very clear at this point that HTC will be the sole manufacturer here.
Google Phone "Marlin" Nexus by HTC
• Display: 5.5-inch QHD (2K 2560 x 1440) AMOLED
• Processor: Quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bit (Qualcomm Snapdragon)
• RAM: 4GB
• Battery: 3450mAh
• Internal Storage: 32GB / 128GB
• Cameras: 12MP rear camera, 8MP front
• Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, rear-mounted
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 4.2
• Speaker: "bottom-firing"
• Headphone Jack: Yes
Similar – but not the same – as what Google did last year, both phones will be along the same lines in quality. The difference here is in the camera (it'll be the same for both devices), and in build materials (they'll be metal and glass, the both of them). Screen size will be different, battery size will be different, and resolution on each device will be different as well.
Have a peek at our recent timeline of events surrounding this Nexus release schedule and let us know if you're looking forward to this drop!