Thanks to the MWC 2016 this February two Android flagships are confirmed to be previewed with the possibility of release dates to follow immediately, likely as early as March. But the real excitement lies on the likelihood that any of the LG G5 and Xiaomi Mi5 could end up as the reimagined Google Nexus 2016 flagship phone.
The LG G5, for instance, is shaping up as handset that Google would want the next Nexus smartphone to be. In the latest Geekbench test result that leaked, the first LG 2016 flagship appears all geared to compete with the best out there by garnering impressive scores that according to 9to5Google could easily match the test numbers of the Samsung Galaxy S7.
The G5 and S7 will both rock Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 when unboxed and this early, the SD 820 on both devices are nearly in equal footing, the report said.
What the G5 benchmark testing showed so far is it would be a significant jump from the LG G4. For LG, this could significantly boost the chance of Google opting for the upcoming flagship as base-model for one of the Nexus 2016 handsets to come out.
As power is proven so far by the benchmark tests as among the LG G5 selling points, Google will also get the assurance that the next Nexus will be in good hands with LG in charge. The South Korean company after all has a good track record when it comes to Nexus, being the maker of the Nexus 4, 5 and last year's Nexus 5X.
And it would not hurt that LG plans a more premium look and build for its G-series flagship, which should all the more convince Google to finalize a 2016 deal with its longtime Nexus partner.
Or Google can also consider China's Xiaomi, which will soon unpack the already hotly anticipated Xiaomi Mi5. Early specs that have been attributed to the Mi5 practically confirmed that like the GS7 and G5, the Mi5 will run mightily on SD 820. The 5.2-inch device is also to sport a majestic Quad HD display, further indicating that Google can never go wrong with a Xiaomi-branded Nexus phone (the way it did with the Huawei-assembled Nexus 6P).
But what could prompt the tech giant to issue a Xiaomi Nexus is the camera prowess of the device that according to Xiaomi exec Hugo Barra will have a 15.9-megapixel rear sensor that can produce pics with high-resolution of 4608 x 3456.
Google has always been saying that the Nexus brand will soon produce a device with insane camera features. With the Mi5, those words would likely become a reality. And then the Nexus smartphone camera can finally shed the image that it is the next best thing after Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy.