Top Five Rumors about the 2016 Google Nexus(Or Pixel?)

As Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P near their first birthdays, the rumor mill for Google’s 2016 offering heats up. The points featured below are based off of speculation and hypothesis. Obviously at this point since nothing is confirmed to be final, take everything with a grain of salt.

1. It will be manufactured by HTC.
HTC has been out of the Nexus game since 2014 when it made the Nexus 9 tablet. It has been even longer since they made a phone in the Nexus lineup. As Google likes to go around providing companies with a chance to impress, it seems like a good time to call on HTC once again. This could be perfect timing as HTC is looking to gain back ground in the market-share war, and is looking to make a big splash with minimal advertising cost.

2. The Nexus will not feature a Dual Camera
Despite the trend for flagship rumors(and even some current flagship phones) nobody is expecting the 2016 Nexus to feature a dual camera. With the LG G5, and Huawei P9 both in the wild with dual camera systems, and the dual sensor iPhone 7 Pro(Plus?)” being bantered about, it may seem like a surprise to some that Google’s flagship most likely will not be sporting a matching set of lenses.

3. An unreleased Snapdragon processor will beat at its heart.
Thus far we have strong indication that Qualcomm’s unreleased Snapdragon 821 processor will be making it’s debut appearance. Shortly after being referenced in online leaks relating to the rumored Nexus, Qualcomm announced their next generation Flagship processor. Performance is similar to the current Snapdragon 820(currently in phones like the Galaxy S7 and HTC’s own 10), with an emphasis on battery life and efficiency.

4. There will be two models.
Similar to last year’s Nexus 5X by LG and the Nexus 6P from Huawei, most reliable websites such as Android Authority, Androidheadlines and Pocketnow believe that two devices will launch at different price points. This is to help ensure widest available market appeal to those who want a premium phone, or a cost effective handset with Google Fi capability.

5. It will feature HTC’s Unibody Metal design.
While this makes sense for the high end model, keeping costs down while sporting a new processor and featuring high end design at the lower end might prove to be a challenge. The jury is still out on this one, but HTC does have experience with Unibody Aluminum phones, and may yet surprise us.