14 DAY TRIAL // Lately, there have been some reports saying that Google may ditch the Nexus branding on upcoming phones, and it seems that the information may very well be true. Android Police has received details from two independent sources on the matter.
The report states that Google won't be launching its upcoming smartphones under the Nexus brand, but instead as Pixel and Pixel XL. The handsets are manufactured together with HTC, and their rumored codenames have until now been Nexus Sailfish and Nexus Marlin.
Pixel will reportedly be the Nexus Sailfish, which comes with with a 5-inch display while Pixel XL could be the Nexus Marlin, which sports a larger screen of 5.5 inches. It's difficult to say at this point if the Nexus brand is dead, but we must take into consideration that Google hasn't released a successor to the Nexus Player, and its latest Android tablet falls under the Pixel branding.
Even Google's new smart home device, the Google Home, has abandoned the Nexus branding, so it's safe to say that it doesn't look like the Nexus brand has a bright future. But this is all speculation at this point, and Google will surely be making statements on October 4, the rumored launch date for the Pixel and Pixel XL.
Google will launch a Daydream VR viewer on October 4
The report also mentions a source that claims the Pixel and Pixel XL will be the first phones built by Google, but that seems highly unlikely since HTC has been long rumored to be the manufacturer of the two devices, in partnership with the Mountain View-based company, of course. Yet, the two upcoming smartphones will indeed lack HTC branding.
October 4 is the date when Google will supposedly release the new handsets, together with 4K Chromecast, Google Home, and a Daydream VR viewer, which may be called Daydream View. Google made announcements about its Daydream VR platform during this year's Google I/O and later confirmed that it would also launch a Daydream VR viewer. Mark October 4 on your calendars, as it will surely be an exciting day.