Google to release its smartphone
HTC's rumoured Google Nexus Sailfish smartphone has been spotted on AnTuTu and Geekbench tests readouts. Getty Images

The evidence is piling up by the day that HTC and Google are preparing to launch a new pair of Nexus-branded handsets by the end of 2016. Yet, while most of the attention has been directed at Marlin – the larger of the two smartphones – a pair of benchmark test readouts have now reaffirmed earlier reports relating to the slightly smaller device called Sailfish.

With HTC reportedly on manufacturing duty for the Google Nexus-branded smartphones, leaks have been coming quick and fast, with recent reports claiming the duo are set to launch on 4 October.

A source "close" to HTC's Nexus project expanded on Sailfish in late June, sparking claims that the 5in smartphone will replace the similarly sized LG Nexus 5X in Google's 2016 line-up. The specs listed in that report have been further substantiated by an AnTuTu benchmark result leaked by reliable smartphone tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer, a.k.a OnLeaks.

The specification list – spotted by Hemmerstoffer on Chinese microblogging site Weibo – reaffirms that the Sailfish will run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset and the Adreno 530 GPU under the hood.

The 13 megapixel rear camera and 8 megapixel front camera, 4GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage and 1080p Full HD display listings also tally with previous reports, with only the 2770mAh battery, 5in screen size and USB-C support "unconfirmed" by the readout.

With a Geekbench listing also backing up the AnTuTu readings, the Sailfish picture has become fairly clear and is now lacking only a retail-friendly name to go and a finalised design to go with its leaked specs.

A recent render mock-up based on the leaks provided potential Nexus buyers with a peek at how both the Marlin and Sailfish smartphones could look. Speculation for the larger Marlin handset points toward a relatively similar specification list to the Sailfish – with the exception of its larger 5.5in QHD AMOLED display and a 3450mAh battery.

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