Nexus 7 is approaching the market by October 2016 as it has been traditionally launched during that time. However, rumors claim that the upcoming Nexus handset will be carried into two new models under two different brands.

Trusted informants aware to Google's smartphone plans said that Team Google is having discussions with mobile operators on shaping up a Google-branded phone, a bold move to extend the tech giant's hardware territory, University Herald reported. 

Android N 7 is the best claimed successor and the next version of Android. This time, Google aims to demonstration how a new OS can operate by partnering it with a new hardware. As initial reports said, Huawei would make a comeback to the Nexus phones for 2016. However, HTC seemed to win over the manufacturing rights for the 2016 Nexus, Yibada wrote. 

Chinese sites Gizmochina and MyDrivers commenced these rumors until famed leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) seconded the reports and tweeted:

HTC is building a pair of Android N devices for Google internally dubbed M1 and S1 #nexus

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 27, 2016

Furthermore, we have to wait for official announcements from HTC or Google. HTC has been responsible for 2014 Nexus 9 tablet which potentially pushes it as a strong contender to do the job.

Nexus 7 Specs

There has been few news surfacing about the Nexus 2016 devices but the top-end model is expected to hold a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset while the handset mid-range Nexus probably comes with the Snapdragon 652. This Snapdragon 652 is the first 600 Qualcomm chipset that supports 4K video capture, Express Review wrote.

Additionally, the Snapdragon 652 also backs native 2,560x1,440 resolutions. Conversely, if HTC plans to trail the lead from LG and Huawei's 'everyman' and 'premium' Nexus models it will probably need to save the higher resolution for its larger Nexus phone to make it look more desirable and high-class. That being said, both Nexus handsets had precisely the same 12-megapixel camera sensor in 2015, ER added. So, most probably, we can expect the same specs this year. If ever HTC will stick with 12-megapixels remains currently unknown. But it has to be better than the camera on the HTC 10, which is simply one of the weakest fragments of HTC's new flagship.