Google's HTC Nexus Sailfish S1 to Match Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Upcoming iPhone 7; Release Dates, Specs, and Rumors

Google is now gearing up to release two HTC-built smartphones under Nexus brand. A leaked benchmark test from Antutu reveals the two smartphones will come with high-end specs that could match the recently released Galaxy Note 7 and the forthcoming iPhone 7.

A listing from Antutu, which was posted on Weibo, shows the HTC-Nexus Sailfish will sport a 5-inch screen with a Full HD display (1920 x 1080 resolution). Inside, it will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM. It will also have 32GB of onboard storage which is expandable via micro SD slot.

For camera features, the Sailfish, codenamed as S1, will have a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter.

One of the most interesting features of the device is the Android Nougat, Google's upcoming mobile OS and successor of Android Marshmallow. A report from BGR says Sailfish has an advantage over the Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy S7 when it comes to the software department. The aforementioned Samsung Galaxy devices only have Android Marshmallow, but the Sailfish will come with pre-installed Nougat right out the box.

We previously reported Android 7 Nougat will introduce multi-window mode to different devices. This feature will let users open two apps simultaneously on one screen. In addition, the new firmware will have smarter settings and notifications menu.

As for the features of Sailfish's partner, the Marlin, we expect most of their specs will be identical, assuming earlier reports were true. They will only have differences in terms of camera, processor or design.

Interestingly, over the last several years, many smartphone makers used a two-device strategy when launching new smartphones. The move is a way to offer buyers more choices in the form of larger and smaller screens or higher and lower prices.

In 2013, Apple was one of the first tech firms to introduce two new gadgets simultaneously. At the time, the Cupertino-based company released the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. The former was the company's flagship device, while the latter was marketed as a lower cost alternative.

Also, in 2014, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge. The South Korean tech firm offered its buyers a standard flat screen Galaxy Note and a more radical curved-screen Galaxy Note Edge.

With the upcoming launching of Sailfish and Marlin, we expect Google will reveal more information in the next months to come. Stick with us for more update.