The 2016 Nexus pops up in purported spy shot, and it’s really ugly

The 2016 Nexus may have just surfaced in a spy shot — and it’s terribly ugly.

A Twitter account belonging to someone with the username ‘Nexus’ has two tweets, both relating to the new devices.

The 2016 HTC Nexus looks like a cross between the Nexus 4 & iPhone with glass and fingerprint scanner on the back. pic.twitter.com/7pm9fhszki

— nexus (@usbfl) August 14, 2016

The device is described as a cross between the iPhone (we assume SE or previous 4-inch varieties) and Nexus 4, which lines up nicely with previous Nexus rumors.

And it’s ugly. The edge of the device in that picture is plastic, while the rear is glass. It has an audio jack up top, which is a nice change from what we expect to get with the new iPhone. We also see a small camera and flash, and if you look closely next to the index finger of whomever is holding it — a fingerprint sensor.

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If you’re in the same camp as I am about the device in this picture, it gets worse. Our new leakster friend says that’s the premium model:

Two devices. One premium (last tweet), one glossy plastic (lower end). Both looked like smaller devices (<5.5 inch screens).

— nexus (@usbfl) August 14, 2016

If this is Google being more bullish on its flagship smartphone design, I’m not sure I like it.

The image is a bit grainy (I’ll assume from zooming) and this tipster has no track record to speak of, so I’m naturally dubious. It could be a complete fake or edited to fit previous rumors, so we’re waiting for more details to emerge.

But if it’s real…

Thanks, Dean!