Google Pixel launcher leaks: could this be the end of the Nexus brand?

"Leaked Android launcher suggests Google is certainly ditching the Nexus brand"
Multiple reports in the past couple of weeks have claimed that Google will drop the Nexus branding from its upcoming smartphones, and instead release them under a new Pixel name. Now new evidence supporting the earlier claims has come to light. ROM developer @LIabTooFeR has posted screenshots of the new version of the Nexus Launcher that recently leaked with images and GIFs. As per the source, the new Nexus Launcher is being renamed to Pixel Launcher, which pretty much confirms reports of the HTC-made Sailfish and Marlin being launched as the Google Pixel and Pixel XL.

As seen in the screenshots, apart from the name change, the Pixel Launcher will come with a new icon and new version number. The launcher in the screenshots has the version number 7.1-xxxx, which suggests that the Pixel smartphones will arrive with Android 7.1 Nougat, which will be the first maintenance release for the new OS.

As for the new features, the Pixel Launcher will allow the home screen of the phone to rotate. It appears to be a lot like the Google Now Launcher, but has been slightly tweaked here and there. It will offer changes to the app drawer, the Now pane, and the Search widget. It will come with a new Google Calendar icon that integrates the date, a transparent navigation bar, and a few other tweaks.
For those who can't wait for the Pixel Launcher to be officially launched, you can download a zip from file sharing sites (links available in the via below) containing the launcher apk and wallpaper picker apk. These files are not hosted by us, so we can't guarantee their safety.
As per the reports, the HTC Sailfish or Google Pixel will sport a 5.2-inch screen, while the HTC Marlin (Pixel XL) will offer a 5.5-inch display. Under the hood, they are expected to offer similar specs like Snapdragon 820 SoCs, 4GB of RAM, 32GB and 128GB storage variants, 12MP/8MP cameras, and fingerprint sensors. Google is expected to unveil its new hardware on October 4th.

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