As Google's Oct. 4 event quickly approaches, you can bet that details regarding the company's new Pixel smartphones will continue to leak. The latest are images of the Pixel XL in plastic cases from a third-party accessory maker, which confirms the final design of the handset.
Apple just released its latest and greatest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and sales of the smartphones are off to a great start, according to carriers. The pair remains sold out on Apple's online store but are expected to become widely available at the company's retail stores in early October. The pair is also the first devices from Apple to ship with iOS 10 out of the box.
Now that Apple has shown its latest iPhones coupled with iOS 10 to the world, it's Google's turn to unveil its next-generation smartphones, which will be powered by its freshest version of Android, 7.1 Nougat. HTC has been commissioned to build Google's new handsets, which will reportedly be named Pixel and Pixel XL, as the company is expected to move away from its Nexus branding for the new naming convention.
In mid-September, we reported that images of the Pixel and Pixel XL leaked and showed the handsets in black and white hues. Now, a third-party case maker has revealed images, which show the larger 5.5-inch Pixel XL in see- through plastic protective cases.
As you can see in the image above, the handset's rear case appears to have a glossy jet black panel on the upper part of the device, which is where its fingerprint scanner and reported 12-megapixel camera are located. Its antenna lines run along the top and bottom of the smartphone and the company's "G" logo is emblazoned above its USB Type-C port. Moving around to the front of the Pixel XL, the home screen of Android 7.1 Nougat is on display and the handset's 8-megapixel front-facing shooter is visible.
While the 5.5-inch Pixel XL is expected to replace the Nexus 6P in Google's smartphone lineup, the Pixel will replace the Nexus 5X. The Pixel is expected to include a smaller 5.2- to 5.3-inch screen, which is expected to be a 1080p Full HD display. Both smartphones will reportedly be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM.
Google is expected to sell the Pixel and Pixel XL unlocked through its online store in addition to retailers like Best Buy. We'll keep you posted on any additional Pixel and Pixel XL news as it becomes available.
