No More Nexus 2016 Release as Google to Soon Launch Flagship Smartphones with Customized Android 7.0 Nougat? (Photo : Android Police)
A new round of leaks depicting the final cut of Google's Nexus 2016 came out anew, somehow suggesting that release date of the next Nexus flagship will happen sooner than later. However, the latest pricing details could prove disappointing for most Android fans.
While Nexusblog reported that both the HTC-made Nexus Sailfish and Marlin will boast of higher storage capacity than their predecessors, the specs bumps seem to impact too on the sticker price. From the base 16GB model, the two Nexus handsets will unbox starting at 32GB but the price mark will also increase.
If the blog post is to be believed, the 5-inch Sailfish will sell starting at $449. In comparison, the LG Nexus 5X, or the device that Sailfish will replace, hit the Google Play Store with asking price of only $380 though the memory on-board is only 16GB. The 32GB 5X initially sold for $430 or still $20 cheaper than the Sailfish.
The Nexus Marlin, on the other hand, will debut bearing the tag $599 also in 32GB flavor. The price is $50 higher than the introductory price of the Huawei Nexus 6P but the latter has 64GB of storage space inside, rendering the 2015 Nexus a better bang for the buck.
It's unclear why the pricing models were decided by Google but the move could pay off in the same way that Samsung priced the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at premium levels but still managed to clear out record number of units. Reports said that the first 2016 flagships from South Korea have outsold the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in the recent quarters.
And premium design and impressive features upgrades are the key to Samsung's newfound success, which Google is inclined to replicate. For its 2016 flagship efforts, the tech giant is rumored to challenge not only Samsung but also Apple.
The latest leaked renders of the next Nexus seem to support these speculations. GSM Arena shared new images of the Nexus Sailfish, showcasing the device as a premium phone that is clad in metal and glass, and nearly identical to that of the HTC 10.
The same report echoed the rumored specs and feature upgrades so far attached to the device: a 5-inch 1080p screen, Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM, 12MP back and 8MP front camera, 32GB storage and a 2,770mAh battery.
No new renders on the Nexus Marlin were provided but the two Stock Android phones are thought to share identical and specs and features except that Marlin will sport a larger 5.5-inch display panel.
On release date, rumored to happen between September and October, the two Nexus 2016 models are confirmed to run on Google's latest mobile OS or Android 7.0 Nougat.
