Third Google 2017 Smartphone Tipped To Be Codenamed "Taimen"

There are new premium-level, and therefore premium-priced, Pixel smartphones on the way. That much has been admitted by Google. What it didn't exactly say is "how many". Given its pattern in the past years, even back to the time of the Nexus 6P and 5X, we presumed there would only be two, succeeding the Pixel and Pixel XL models. According to sources, however, there might actually be three. And though we don't know yet what it will be called, it is apparently being called internally as "taimen".

Just like other Google devices going back to the early days of the Nexus, the name "taimen" is taken after a fish. Also known as the Siberian salmon, this member of the salmon family is quite large, averaging 28 to 47 inches, with the largest on record spanning 83 inches. It is a name that will apparently match its form.

Specifics are practically non-existent, but sources indicate that "taimen" will have a larger screen than "muskie" and "walleye", internal names for the next Pixel and Pixel XL models, respectively. That, however, doesn't mean it's breaking into tablet territory. The current Pixel XL already has a screen size of 5.5 inches, leaving open the possibility of a 5.7 or 6.4 inch screen for the "taimen".

As for the actual commercial name of the device, it probably won't be "Pixel XXL", unless Google wants it to the be butt of jokes. It's more likely to be marketed under a new Pixel name, or perhaps even a different name, perhaps under the Nexus line. With Google I/O fast approaching, we might catch more rumors about this mysterious third smartphone in the coming weeks.

VIA: Droid Life