Google to ditch HTC; LG will manufacture Pixel XL instead

Google launched its flagship smartphones, Google Pixel and Pixel XL last year, which were manufactured by HTC. Therefore, it was assumed that HTC will be taking charge of manufacturing Google’s 2017 flagship successors too. However, new report suggests that LG will be manufacturing the upcoming Pixel XL 2 this time.

A report by 9to5Google notes a bug entry in ‘Android Issue Tracker,’ apparently made by an LG employee earlier this year, suggesting that a device codenamed ‘Taimen’ was actually listed under LG Electronics. ‘Taimen’ as per several reports, is believed to be the successor to last year’s Google Pixel XL. The speculation further gained momentum when Android Police separately confirmed that LG will be manufacturing the Pixel XL 2. The reason behind Google’s decision to switch from HTC to LG still remains unclear.

Currently, HTC is still being assumed to be in charge of manufacturing the smaller versions of Google Pixel 2. This further opens up debates regarding the upcoming Pixel flagship’s designs. While it seems likely that fans might end up getting two different designs on Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones, nothing has been confirmed as yet from Google.