HTC is releasing two 2016 Google Nexus handsets this year. Currently, the phones are codenamed Marlin and Sailfish. However, Huawei may also still be in the mix. The 2015 Nexus phone from Huawei was successful enough that the company may be releasing a follow-up.
2016 Huawei Nexus Phone
According to ZD Net, photos were leaked last week of a Huawei device with the codes H1621 and H1622. Similarly, the 2015 Nexus from Huawei, the Nexus 6P, had H1511 and H1512 codes. The publication goes on to say that the photos looked like internal shots of the device. However, it did not have the Nexus branding visible at the back. Instead, the back shows a simple brushed metal finish.
Annually there had only been one Nexus release per year. Last year was the first time two Nexus designs were released. It is possible that three models will be released for 2016 - the two from HTC and a third from Huawei. This is because Google is moving away from the idea that the Nexus is a phone designed just for the developers.
2016 HTC Nexus Phones: Marlin And Sailfish
Meanwhile, it has all been but confirmed that the HTC Marlin and HTC Sailfish will come with Android Nougat, which will release before the end of July. It is then assumed that the Marlin and Sailfis are coming in August.
The HTC Marlin will be the bigger and stronger option from HTC. It will have a 5.5 inch screen, while the Sailfish will have a 5 inch screen. Both devices will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, as reported by Inquisitr. The HTC Marlin and HTC Sailfish will also have 4GB of RAM and at least 32GB of internal storage. The publication also claims that both Nexus devices will either have a humble 2770mAh battery or a 3450 battery.
The best and most notable feature of any of the Nexus releases is, of course, Android Nougat. With this installed in the unit, any of the devices should be able to display multiple apps at once, support Vulkan graphics platform and feature an Open JDK-based Java environment.