Google's next Nexus smartphones are always difficult to predict, as we never get a like-for-like replacement every year. When Google first started its Nexus line, it gradually moved up the size range, starting with the tiny Nexus 4 before eventually ending up in phablet territory with the ginormous Nexus 6.
Not everyone wants a phone with a 6in screen, though, so last year Google released two Nexus devices, the 5.2in Nexus 5X (made by LG) and the 5.8in Nexus 6P (made by Huawei). With both a large and a 'normal' size phone on offer, it provided users with a lot more choice, and I'd wouldn't be surprised if Google continued releasing two kinds of Nexus phone for the foreseeable future.
Release date and price
With that in mind, let's turn to what we know so far about this year's Nexus phones. Google normally launches its new Nexus phones in October, so it's a fairly safe bet to say the same thing will happen this year. The key question is when the company will decide to make them official, as currently both phones are shrouded in mystery. Google's holding its annual I/O event this Wednesday, so I'd expect to hear more about the phones then.
As for the price of each phone, I'd expect them to cost around the same price as last year's models, making them around £300 and £440 respectively SIM-free. Of course, their price will very much depend on what hardware's included and what the phones are made from, but we'll bring you more information as soon as we have it.
HTC's on the case?
Initial reports suggested that Huawei would be returning to the Nexus fold for 2016, but now it seems that HTC will be the main manufacturer instead. We first got wind of this news from two Chinese sites - Gizmochina and MyDrivers - but then Evan Blass of @evleaks fame lent some weight to these rumours as well with the following tweet:
HTC is building a pair of Android N devices for Google internally dubbed M1 and S1 #nexus
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 27, 2016
Blass is usually pretty spot on when it comes to phone leaks, so I'm inclined to believe him. Of course, we won't know for sure until either HTC or Google make an official announcement - which might come as soon as Wednesday at Google's upcoming I/O event - but I'll update this article as soon as we hear more information.
HTC's certainly a strong contender for the 2016 Nexus phones, as it not only makes great-looking smartphones like the HTC 10 and One A9, but it was also responsible for 2014's excellent Nexus 9 tablet.
Codenames revealed
Nexus phones always come with dedicated codenames before they end up with an official name like the 5X or 6P, and this year is no different. According to Android Police, the new code names for this year's phones are "Marlin" and "Sailfish", which it obtained via an unnamed source. Android Police have had good form in recent years when it comes to Nexus code names, as it accurately leaked the original Shamu code name for the Nexus 6 as well as last year's Angler and Bullhead code names for the 5X and 6P - can you see the fishy theme, here?
Evan "@evleaks" Blass has also been on the case, reporting names of "M1" and "S1" instead. They might not be particularly aquatic, but the letters do at least correspond with Android Police's information. Of course, code names don't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but at least it will now be easier to track their developments as the phones reach their intended launch date.
Android N 7
As with previous versions of new Nexus phones, it's a safe bet to say that they'll launch with the next version of Android: Google likes to show how a new OS can work by partnering it with new hardware, and we should be hearing more about what Android 7 has to offer on Wednesday. For now, read our Android 7 hands on review to see what's in store for the next version of Android.
Specs
So far, very little is known about the specs of the new Nexus devices, but I'd expect the top-end model to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, and the smaller, mid-range Nexus to come with the successor to the Snapdragon 615, which is probably going to be the Snapdragon 652. The Snapdragon 652 is the first 600 series Qualcomm chip to support 4K video capture, so we could see a marked improvement in the new Nexus's camera capabilities if this proves true.
The Snapdragon 652 also supports native resolutions of up to 2,560x1,440, but I doubt we'll see two Nexus devices with 2,560x1,440 screens as this would drive up the price of the smaller Nexus phone. If HTC want to follow on from LG and Huawei's 'everyman' and 'premium' Nexus models as well, then it will probably want to save the higher resolution for its larger Nexus phone to make it seem more desirable and upmarket.
That said, both Nexus phones had exactly the same 12-megapixel camera sensor last year, so we might see the same thing again this year as well. Whether HTC will stick with 12-megapixels is currently unknown, but I'm hoping it will be better than the camera on the HTC 10, as this is easily one of the weakest parts of HTC's new flagship. We'll bring you more information as soon as it's confirmed.
