For smartphone aficionados 2016 is nearly over, with most of the bigger launches already done and dusted. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from Apple are out, as is the Apple Watch series 2; and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is out, albeit bitten by a major recall bug because of battery overheating issues; so what’s left? Microsoft’s Surface Phone, that should be out next month, and Google Pixel.
The Google Pixel, if you’ll notice, has done away with the Nexus branding and brings Google’s own logo to the brand new phones, but that’s not the best of it.
According to several Tweets from David Ruddock of Android Police, we gathered that both the Pixel (Sailfish) and Pixel XL (Marlin) will be the first Android phones in the United States to sport the super-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processors.
We also learned that Google will be offering its own finance options, providing exclusive support and introducing some unique software features in the new models. Pricing is expected to come in at around $649 for the Pixel XL, but that might be for the 128GB variant rather than the base 32GB model.
And here’s a photo that’s been making the rounds as well.
So far, this is what we’ve been able to pick up on the new smartphones from Google, which will be manufactured by HTC.
Obviously, it’s a Google phone so you’ll have all the stock Google apps typically found on Android, like your Google Maps, Play Store, default Chrome browser, Google Search and so on, but we suspect it will also come with Android Pay, a rehash of the older Google Wallet, and Google’s answer to Apple Pay.
Android Pay already has over 5 million users, so making it available on Google Pixel smartphones could give their user base quite a boost. Apple Pay currently has twice the number of users, and is now also available for web payments directly on your Safari browser.
The Pixel isn’t going to be getting any awards for design, and most early previewers have called it downright ugly. We still haven’t had a “look and feel” yet so it’s too early to tell whether its performance can actually compensate for the butt-ugliness of the phone. However, judging by the Snapdragon 821’s performance in other markets and other brands such as the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe, we know that it can deliver superior performance even over the Snapdragon 820, its closest cousin.
The Snapdragon 821 delivers faster performance, yes, but it also enhances battery life and makes for a better app experience for users who are fussy and particular about that sort of thing. Users also say that supports safer driving and navigation when you’re on the road.
There’s no word yet on a firm release date, but we’ll keep you posted.
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