In addition to the upcoming Apple iPhone 7, another flagship smartphone that has been drawing major interest online is the Google Nexus 7 2016, which has been generally reported to launch also in September.
What seems consistent with the rumors about the device is that it shall come out with two variants, which are going to be the Marlin and the Sailfish.
There have been reports that the two variants of the Google Nexus 7 2016 shall be made in collaboration with HTC or Huawei or both, which means that one could focus on the manufacture of the other while the other shall focus on the development of the other.
The consensus is that HTC may be tasked to manufacture the high-end Marlin while Huawei can be tapped to develop the Sailfish. However, these remain as speculations at this time pending the confirmation from Google.
Interestingly, there are now reports saying that the Nexus 7 2016 could also be refreshed by Taiwanese tech firm Asus. Apparently, Asus is the original maker of the Nexus 7 and the company even came out with at least two generations of the phablet previously, reports the Christian Today.
It would also be absurd, albeit illogical, for Google to deal with two Taiwanese tech firms, for the development of one of its Nexus 7 2016 variants because it simply does not make good business sense.
Release date of the Nexus 7 2016
There are reports saying that Google might unveil the Nexus 7 2016 in time with the official launching of the Android 7.0 Nougat to happen at the company’s annual I/O Conference slated in September.
It has been part of Google’s annual schedule to release an Android update during the I/O event every summer so it is expected that there shall be again a developer preview of the Nougat before it is finally unveiled onboard the Nexus 7 2016, notes the PC Advisor of UK.
Previous rumors were actually saying that the Nexus 7 2016 would come out in August since the Android Nougat is expected to be officially released next month.
Lately, some reports are now saying that while the Nexus 7 2016 will be launched in September, the handset and its variants will not be able to make it to the markets until October this year, or early December 2016 at the latest.
Improved design from its predecessor
Technoconfigurations has recently created a 3D video of the Google Nexus 7 2016 smartphone that was leaked online and it showed the smartphone sporting an improved design from its predecessor with new metal and glass chassis.
The same footage showed that the latest Nexus smartphone shall consist of large glass piece on the back and will also feature slim and sleek look as compared to its earlier installment.
Google Nexus 7 2016 shall also feature many enhanced functionalities both in terms of hardware and software. It shall be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. It shall have internal storage options of 32GB and 128GB.
The Nexus 7 2016 Marlin shall sport a 5.5-inch screen and 2K AMOLED display while the Nexus 7 2016 Sailfish will feature a 5-inch 1080p display. But both smartphones shall exude the same camera specifications with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and 8-megapixel front-facing snapper.
The Marlin shall also have a 3,450 mAh battery while the Nexus Sailfish shall be powered by a 2,770 mAh battery.
More important among the rumors are the ones saying that the Google Nexus 7 2016 shall come out of the box already loaded with Android 7.0 Nougat, the latest mobile operating system of Google. The Nexus 7 2016 is a Google handset so there is no other smartphone that can beat it to the draw when it comes to the release of the Android 7.0 Nougat.