Although they have been leaked heavily in the past few months, we may not see new Nexus devices this year, after all.

But let us explain why. According to Android Central, Google’s upcoming smartphones for 2016, the HTC-made Sailfish and Marlin, will drop the Nexus branding and will go by a different name – possibly something that’s closer to home.

Earlier this month, Android Police said the next Google phones may have a “G” logo on the back, further supporting the claim. Alleged renders of the Sailfish, which is the smaller and less expensive of the two models, also show the label change. It was previously reported that the Sailfish and Marlin will come in 5- and 5.5-inch screen sizes, representing a slight downsize from last year’s Nexus pair.

Apparently, the changes could go beyond skin-deep, as the new phones are also said to run a custom version of Android Nougat, contrary to previous thinking.

The upcoming Google phones are also said to run a custom version of Android Nougat, contrary to previous thinking.

The extent of the customization remains to be seen – a different button layout and color scheme are believed to be in the cards – but the software divergence marks a turning point for Google devices, whatever they will be called. It could be a good thing, because Android 7.0 Nougat, as it stands, could use more features that take full advantage of new technology.

Talking about the future of Android on Nexus devices at the Recode Code Conference in June, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that “there’s a lot of software innovation to be had” and that they would become “more opinionated about the design of the phones.” We just aren’t sure yet if that future involves existing Nexus phones and tablets or upcoming models under the new Google branding.

The internet and search giant has yet to specify a date for a smartphone announcement, leaving us with a lot of time to speculate what impact today’s news might have on present and future Google devices.

My take: I’m a huge fan of Nexus devices – naming convention and all. So while I’m a bit disappointed to hear that it is the end of the line for the Nexus label, I’m excited to see what lies ahead. Perhaps this is the first step towards a wholly Google-built phone that is as inviting to fans as it is alienating to Android makers. Surely they’ve conducted some great consumer behavior analysis and applied psychology to their new products and branding ideas, you can look at how companies use psychology to brand and cater to the consumer by looking at this infographic provided by the University of Southern California.

I like Nexus devices because they bring with them vanilla or stock Android. With Google apparently adding its own layer on top of Android, like Samsung’s TouchWiz and Huawei’s Emotion UI, I wonder how this would affect the user experience.

My partner Alora Guerrero’s take: I don’t know how to feel about this. I like Nexus devices because they bring with them vanilla or stock Android. With Google apparently adding its own layer on top of Android, like Samsung’s TouchWiz , Huawei’s Emotion UI, and OPPO’s ColorOS, I wonder how this would affect the user experience. Obviously, I’m more worried about that than how the move would affect Google’s relationship with other Android smartphone manufacturers.

Story via Android Central

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