Google's Pixel XL 2 rumored to be axed for a bigger Pixel phone

[MUSIC] Googlicious. What's going on? Brian Tong here and welcome to Googlicious for all the Google you can think of. The big story this week, is the Google Pixel XL dead? A while back we talked about how there were potentially three new pixel phones in the works With walleye and muskie code names representing the second gen pixel phones but there was a third code named that was believed to be an even larger phone than the pixel XL. According to Android police the second next gen pixel XL phone code name muskie Has been cancelled, and it will be replaced by the rumored timing device that is expected to have an even larger screen. But will still most likely be marketed as the second gen Pixel XL. Now Android [INAUDIBLE] is confident there will be only two Pixel phones this year, and having only two models keeps their lineup simpler. So, it's not necessarily dead but it will be a different Pixel XL. After doing some digging in Android's issue tracker logs, 9 to 5 Google believes the larger taimen phone will be manufactured by LG and not HTC. Now, HTC built the original pixel phones and were believed to do the same for this year, but it looks like LG will be taking over duties for this next pixel XL. All right, Google continues to get... Even more serious about their phones, Variety reports they have now hired a lead systems-on-a-chip architect, Manu Gulati, who most recently led Apple's chip development for the past eight years. This is a big move for Google, and his role will be specifically focused on building chips for the Pixel phone line. He was an instrumental part in development of Apple's A-line processors, and is credited as the inventor for 15 patents for Apple related to Apple pay, storing fingerprints, and fundamental chip architecture. We were also excited about the prospect of Andy Reuben's Essential phone. There was a lot of buzz around it, but that buzz might have been killed after a USA Today report says that the Essential phone will be sold through Sprint as the exclusive US carrier. Then Sprint confirmed the exclusive launch for later this summer and it will also be available in the US Best Buy stores and Best Buy Online. Essential's website is offering an unlocked version of the phone for six ninety-nine directly, but starting on Sprint could be a part of the big picture, you know, to get the phone out there and then work on a wider release for the next gen, but no doubt it's killed some of the mojo since a majority of users are either on AT&T or Verizon here in the US. And LG fans the investor reports LG is planning an August launch for its large screen LG B30 phone a month earlier than the B20 from year. Now it's expected to be their first flagship device with an o led display, the B30 is also rumored to offer a second display that slides out from under the main one. To offer functions like a keyboard. The report also says LG is planning to launch the next G7 phone a couple months earlier as well, and will launch with a Snapdragon 845 chip. Now, the earlier timetable is to try and give it an advantage over Samsung, which tends to release their products around the same time as LG. Alright, that's gonna do it for this week! You can email me at googlicious@cnet.com or tweet me @briantong Thanks so much for watching and we'll catch you next time for some more of that Googlicious. [MUSIC]