The next "budget" Google Nexus phones might not feel so budget, as both upcoming Nexus 2016 devices will be made entirely of metal and glass, according to a new leak.
That's great news for people who weren't enamored with the plastic build of the Nexus 5X, especially compared to the beautifully made all-metal Nexus 6P. In fact, the Nexus 6P was Google's first all-metal phone, so if today's leak proves true, the new Nexus handsets will continue the all-metal trend.
To quickly recap, two Nexus phones - codenamed Sailfish and Marlin - are thought to be launching this year. One model will have a 5" display, while the other will have a larger 5.5" display.
HTC is on deck to build both handsets, and the company has a great track record of producing high-quality devices, like the all-metal HTC 10.
Android Police snagged a photo of Sailfish, the 5" handset. According to the site, both new Nexus phones will share the same industrial design and materials, and they'll look identical in every way except for size.
From this image, we can see that the phone is made entirely of metal, with the exception of the glass section that makes up the top third of the phone. It's here the rear-mounted fingerprint reader lives. There's also a single antenna line at the bottom of the device.
Choose your size
Android Police says it's 100% confident the leaked image is of the Nexus Sailfish, but being a leak, still take it with a grain of salt.
The only design element we expect to see added is a "G" logo, ditching the iconic Nexus branding we've grown accustomed to.
The report adds the devices will share identical specifications, aside from screen size, resolution and battery capacity. That's big for Nexus fans, as there's always been a "budget" Nexus with slightly lower specs. It seems that this year, Nexus hopefuls will only have to decide between the screen size they want.
If leaked benchmarks are to believed, we expect the 2016 Nexus handsets to have a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. Both phones will launch with Android Nougat installed, bringing features such as split-screen multitasking, better notifications, and much more.
If you've been patiently waiting to see what the new Nexus phones have to offer, you won't have to wait much longer. The devices are expected to release some time in September or October, falling in line with last year's release of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
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