Why trust GreenbotThe walk-up to ’s release of its latest pure Android phones probably just hit another milestone: On Monday night, tech reporters received an invite for an October 4 event. The simple email invitation makes no mention of xel phones. In fact, it doesn’t even mention hardware at all. But, c’mon, check out the public invitation for information alerts below. In all likelihood, will reveal a 5-inch xel phone 5.5-inch xel X along with some other hardware goodies.
‘s invite doesn’t mention xel or Nexus, but that sure looks like a phone shape.
I’ll be at the event in person, all the world can follow along via ’s Oct. 4 live stream on YouTube. Earlier this month, Android lice reported—correctly, as it turns out—that would be holding an Oct. 4 event. The report also indicated that would announce two xel phones; an updated Chromecast video streamer with 4K support; more details on the Home smart home platform; ’s own Daydream VR headset.
That’s a lot of hardware, but, hey, is a mega-company, it needs to keep stirring every pot.
y this matters: If you can nudge your brain back to I/O 2016, you’ll recall that Daydream VR is ’s somewhat mysterious VR headset initiative. So perhaps we’ll see a “Daydream View” reference design on Oct 4. As for Chromecast, it’s a wonderful platform (I use it multiple times a week), 4K support is welcome.
But it’s the prospect of two xel-bred phones that’s most interesting. Throughout history, the company has always bred its “pure” Android phones as Nexus devices. The hardware has often been unspectacular, but Nexus owners have always received the Android OS just as intended, unencumbered by software customizations from the likes of Samsung, HTC .
Nexus phone hardware took significant leaps forward with the release of last year’s Nexus 5X Nexus 6/a>, now uncorroborated reports tell us is dropping Nexus bring altogether, placing this year’s phones under the xel banner. Current xel devices include the Chromebook xel xel C—each a somewhat decadent device with premium materials design flair.
expect all details to be resolved on Oct. 4, at least one report suggests the xel phones will be high-end devices, with the smaller of the two phones starting at $649. But I think big-phone fanatics should look closely at the presumptive 5.5-inch xel X The Android phablet space currently includes the tainted Samsung Galaxy Note7 the oddball-to-many V20. So a pure Android xel Xcould appeal to a lot of Android users. Now we just wait to see exactly what premium benefits features the phone actually delivers.
