The most recent Google leak reveals that the company might actually be working on a massive smartphone for 2017. This specific smartphone won't be a follow-up to last year's Pixel or Pixel XL. This phone will be a "third phone" from Google's 2017 lineup. Apparently, there will be actual Pixel and Pixel XL successors and there will also be a new smartphone model to be introduced. It was said that the regular models are currently code named Muskie and Walleye while the massive unit is code named Taimen. What is unclear at this point is whether Taimen will also be a Pixel phone or not.
It's no longer a shocking news that Google once again used fish's names for their internal smartphone codes. For the unaware, the Nexus 4 was named Mako while the Nexus 5 was named Hammerhead. The Nexus 6, on the other hand, was called Shamu while the Nexus 5X and 6P were called Bullhead and Angler respectively. Last year's Pixels went by the code names Sailfish and Marlin.
Nevertheless, the obvious point of all these code names is that Google normally uses these names as hints about the actual products. With that said, with Taimen being a huge aquatic animal from the salmon family, the Google Taimen phone could be a massively-sized smartphone. The company is quite a well-known phablet maker, so this new leak is pretty much believed by most mobile experts.
Google has already confirmed that they will update their smartphone line this year. The company also specified that the upcoming devices will remain premium in nature. Company executive Rick Osterloh said that fans can count on a Google phone successor this 2017, even if he can't confirm the release date just yet. If tradition is to be followed, though, the next Google phones could show up later this year.
