Google will reportedly release an upgraded Pixel smartphone line this fall, including a model with a nearly edge-to-edge screen, seeking to eventually make some extra cash from its smartphone business.
The comany is planning at least two new models, likely to be dubbed the "Pixel 3" and "Pixel 3 XL," Bloomberg's unnamed sources claim, adding that the larger phone will have a nearly edge-to-edge screen, except for a thicker bezel known as a chin at the bottom of the phone. The display also will have a cutout (notch) at the top. The new Android P operating system lets developers build applications and interfaces that work around the cutout, after all. The bigger Pixel will also include two camera lenses on the front of the phone inside of the notch.
The smaller model will look similar to the Pixel 2 and won't include the notch or edge-to-edge look, the report says.
Both models are said to include upgraded, single-lens cameras on the back. Although dual cameras are generally used to allow for sharper zooming in and for creating the popular blurred background in photos, Google's phones are said to create this effect using a single lens and optimized software.
Google shipped fewer than 4 million units of Pixel smartphones in 2017, according to data from analytics company IDC. That compares with 216 million iPhones shipped in the same period.
The company has traditionally chosen to release new phones in October, about a month after Apple typically announces its new devices. Verizon Wireless Inc. are expected to remain the exclusive U.S. carrier partner for the new Pixels.
Google declined to comment.
Possibe maker of the the Pixel smartphones is said to be Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn, the same manufacturer that assembles iPhones. In January, Google also acquired parts of Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC.
The current Pixel 2 costs $50 less than iPhone 8, while the larger model costs $50 more than the entry-level iPhone 8 Plus. Apple is planning a new low-cost iPhone, an update to the iPhone X size, and a larger phone with an about 6.5-inch screen for this year as well.