As if confirming that is building the Nexus 2016 smartphone, the specifications for HTC's rumored Stock Android handset to come out this year leaked out, revealing significant feature upgrades from its immediate predecessor - the LG-made Nexus 5X. The device codenamed Sailfish appears the ideal mid-range phone that will impress Android fans, a new report said.
Indicating that the source of its fresh information is highly dependable, Android Police shared what it claimed as the banner specs for the Nexus 5X successor that will boast of a 5-inch screen. And like the 5X, the HTC Sailfish will reportedly render in 1080p display resolution with the pixel density set at 400 pixels per inch.
However, the report said that no images accompanied the provided Sailfish details but Nexus fans are expecting that HTC's rendering of the device will be closely patterned after the HTC 10.
Firing up the next Nexus is a quad-core 64-bit processing chip that will reach a top speed of 2.0GHz but it is unclear if Qualcomm will be the supplier. Since the Sailfish is tipped as the more affordable Nexus, it's highly likely that main engine will not be Snapdragon 820, which is expected to power up HTC's Nexus Marlin or the high-end Nexus 2016 variant.
The camera set up for HTC's cheaper Nexus seems to mirror that of the Nexus 5X - a 12-megapixel shooter on the rear and 8-megapixel front cam. It could be that there will be software and hardware bumps for the Nexus camera but the report did not mention any specific shooting upgrades.
The leaked specs also included a fingerprint reader located on the back of the device, a 2770mAh battery pack and 32GB of built-in storage. It remains unclear if the listed internal memory for the next Nexus will be the basic size or if HTC intends to offer the Sailfish in lower or higher memory configurations.
Of note, according to a related report from BGR, is the inclusion of the 3.5mm audio jack on the top edge of the device. With Apple rumored to kill the aging sound connectivity tech, upcoming 2016 flagship devices are anticipated to follow suit but it is apparent that Google and its Nexus partners are extending the lifespan of the standard audio jack port.
Android Police made clear that once they leak out, specs for HTC's Nexus Marlin should pack more firepower as the model is touted as replacement for the Huawei Nexus 6P.
The latest details skipped in pricing and launch timing but speculations are rife that the Google Nexus 2016 release date will happen at the same time with that of the Android N (Nutella) rollout, which should be no later than August.