Google’s 2016 lineup of Android smartphones will drop the Nexus brand name, according to a new report from Android Central.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the company’s plans, Android Central says the company’s two forthcoming HTC-made smartphones, codenamed Marlin and Sailfish, will instead put the Google name front and center, even going so far as not to include any sort of HTC branding.
Moreover, the two phones will come with a tweaked version of the Google’s new mobile operating system, Android Nougat, featuring interface elements not found on other Android smartphones. This corroborates an earlier report from Android Police, which showcased the new user interface in action.
If true, the company’s 2016 lineup will mark a significant departure from its past devices.
In some way, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told us Android users to expect this. At this June’s Recode Code Conference, he said Google would be more “opinionated” about its phones. “You’ll see us hopefully add more features on top of Android on Nexus phones,” he said at the time. “There’s a lot of software innovation to be had.”
[source]Android Central[/source][via]The Verge[/via]
