First Samsung, then Sony, then Apple and now it’s finally Google’s turn to unveil their latest and greatest flagships. We’re shortly expecting to see the newer and re-branded Google Pixel phones to come up on stage which sees a change of approach from the company regarding how it wants its smartphones to be.
UPDATE: Check out the updated Google phone prices in Pakistan here.
Where did Nexus phones go?
The first question that popped up in our mind with regards to the new Pixel phones was that why did Google feel the need to re-brand an already loved and popular smartphone name? We personally find the name Nexus pretty cool and some of its success can be acquitted to its awesome name. However, our opinions don’t really matter now as it’s only a matter of time before the new Google Pixel phones unveil themselves and we’ll officially be saying goodbye to Nexus as predicted by us earlier.
The reasons for this re-branding are pretty unclear and you’d have to wait until its official release in a couple of weeks time to know Google’s motives behind the scrapping of the Nexus. That being said, we do believe this will be a an unpopular move and Google can likely expect a backlash if the new Pixel phones are not up to the mark.
Who is designing Google Pixel phones?
2015’s Nexus smartphones were the most powerful Android smartphones we’ve ever come across. The Huawei Nexus 6P and the LG Nexus 5X proved their mettle in every aspect and it’s really hard to fathom how Google will improve upon these two superb smartphones.
The first step that Google took to blow some fresh air into their upcoming smartphones was to partner up with HTC. Yes, this year’s Google phones will be manufactured by them. The Taiwanese giants have undertaken the rights to manufacture both the upcoming Pixel phones so we’re pretty optimistic about the new Pixel smartphones’ overall prowess.
Let’s talk about some specs shall we? Before we do that, the two new Google Pixel phones will be called the Pixel and the Pixel XL. Both the smartphones will be what Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X were to each other albeit that they’ll likely feature a similar design.
According to the latest leaks, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL will both feature a light but sturdy aluminum build while its overall looks mirror that to the iPhone 6S but in a slightly non-premium way. An aspect which we don’t really find appeasing at all is that the upper part of their back panels will feature all glass while the lower part features the aforementioned aluminum. The 6S-ish antenna band penetrates the width of the Pixels’ back and these two features are bound to produce a polarizing effect with regards to the new smartphones.
The front panel will feature Corning Gorilla Glass protection but we cannot specify its version just yet. Same goes for its dimensions while dust and waterproofing are not expected to be a part of Google’s plans just yet. The glass part of the back panel is where the fingerprint sensor silently resides which is one of the few similarities the upcoming Pixel phones have with their predecessors.
The Google Pixel is expected to debut with the following features:
- 5 inches AMOLED display with 1080p HD resolution
- 12 or 13 megapixel primary camera with phase detection autofocus and a dual-tone LED flash
- 2.0 GHz Quad-Core processor with 4GB of RAM
- Snapdragon 820 chipset
- 2,770 mAh non-removable battery
- 8 megapixel selfie camera
- Android Nougat out of the box
- 32 and 128GB internal storage variants
- USB Type-C
The Pixel XL is touted to receive the following specifications:
- 5.5 inches AMOLED display with 1440p HD resolution.
- 12 or 13 megapixel primary camera with phase detection autofocus and a dual-tone LED flash
- 2.0 GHz Quad-Core processor with 4GB of RAM
- 8 megapixel selfie camera
- Snapdragon 820 chipset
- Battery capacity in excess of 2,770 mAh
- Android Nougat out of the box
- 32 and 128GB internal storage variants
- USB Type-C
These specifications seem pretty competitive indeed though we do feel that dust and waterproofing should’ve been a part of these smartphones. Nevertheless, both the Pixel and Pixel XL seem finely capable of keeping the Nougat on its toes. We’re disappointed by its overall design though and we do feel that the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P look much better than their upcoming successors.
Will Google Pixel phones be available in Pakistan?
Just like the iPhone, Google does not officially sell smartphones in Pakistan; this means no warranty and higher prices. However, that does not mean that you won’t be able to get your hands on one as just like the way iPhones reach our shores, so will the Pixel phones. They’re expected to be announced to the world come October 4th which means that at-least another month’s time is required for them to reach Pakistan after their official shipment begins.
With regards to their pricing, the Pixel is rumored to begin selling at 66,000 rupees while the Pixel XL will probably cost around 80,000. Stay tuned for their latest and lowest prices on our website!
So that’s all you need to know about the upcoming Google Pixel phones. We’re sad to see the Nexus brand name go away but it’s up to Google to ensure that they come up with something that keeps the public happy. Whatever’s the case, initial images/hardware leaks don’t really gave us the wow-factor and the Nexus, once again, will be sorely missed.
Images courtesy PressKS, technobuffalo and digitaltrends.
News via Android Police
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