14 DAY TRIAL // Just recently, news surfaced that Google decided to rebrand its upcoming Nexus Sailfish and Marlin as Pixel and Pixel XL. It seems that Google has also changed the name of the upcoming Nexus Launcher into Pixel Launcher, and the move makes sense considering that it will be featured on Pixel phones.
LlabTooFeR via Android Police reported that Google changed the name of the upcoming Nexus Launcher into Pixel Launcher. The launcher will come with all the previously rumored features, like the circular folder UI and the Google Search button that replaces the previous full bar dedicated to searching for things online.
In addition, the Pixel Launcher will come with a modification to the Google Calendar icon, which will display the current date. This means that the launcher includes an icon with every date from 1 to 31 inside a white circle. The size of the icons has slightly decreased in the Pixel Launcher compared to the Nexus Launcher, making them easier to spot and providing more room on the display.
The navigation bar in the app drawer has become transparent
The Pixel Launcher doesn't have an app drawer icon, and the section can be accessed by pulling the screen up. It seems that Google has decided to make the navigation bar transparent in the app drawer, which makes it easier to spot app icons in the list.
Other than that, not many changes were brought to the Pixel Launcher with the exception of Google Calendar modifications.
The APK for the Pixel Launcher is available for download and the launcher will officially arrive on Google's upcoming Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The handsets are reportedly developed in partnership with HTC and they will have a G logo on the rear panel. Google is expected to host an event on October 4, during which it will probably reveal the Pixel and Pixel XL phones and the Pixel Launcher.
