With the release of the Apple iPhone 8 just weeks away, word came that Google hired away Apple's top chip architect. The company plans to design its own chipset to gain dominance in the Android market. Currently, all Android phones have chipsets produced by other manufacturers. This means that regardless of brand, Android phones have the same chip sets installed.
Did Google sell one million Pixel phones?
The Verge reported that Google may have already sold over one million Pixel phones. The number is based on the number of downloads of the Google Pixel Launcher, an app designed exclusively for the Pixel.
The download stats displayed by the Play store only display a range and not a specific number. It also doesn't take into account the number of phones that may have been returned. Third party counters currently give the number at slightly under one million.
Google cancels Pixel XL 2
Although some sites have reported that Google cancelled the Pixel Xl 2, that isn't what actually happened. Yahoo News reported on what it believes to be the latest design of the Pixel XL 2. The company canceled the production of the phone after it hired the chipset architect from Apple. HTC previously manufactured the phones sold by Google, but the phones will now be manufactured by LG. No word was given on how hiring the new chipset architect will influence the release of future phones or when the company will have a release of its own chipset.
The Pixel XL 2 isn't being called a Pixel right now as the current project is being labeled Taimen. The latest phone will have the same 18:9 ratio previously seen this year, and it will feature an all screen design like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.
Value Walk reported that the company cancelled the Pixel XL 2 in favor of a bigger phone.
Rumors indicated that the device, code named Muskie, would succeed the Pixel XL. The current phone, which has a 5.5 inch display, would be replaced by a bigger screen, and it is code named Taimen. The Taimen project would succeed the Pixel XL 2. No reason was given by the company as to the reason it scrapped the project code named Muskie.
Rumors say that only two models will be released, the Walleye and Taimen models. Since Manu Gulati, the top chipset developer was hired away from Apple, the focus may change to developing a complete range of chipsets for all the Pixel phones. Google plans to compete with Apple for premium smartphones, and the change in chipsets will also allow the company to dominate the Android market as well.
