Google Nexus 2016 release date, specs news update: Android Nougat has arrived but new Google Nexus phones still unannounced

The latest version of the Android mobile operating system, the Android Nougat, was released on Monday, Aug. 22.

But while Nougat came out as expected, Google was silent on the new Google Nexus phones, which many had thought would be announced on the same day.

Instead, the official Android blog confirmed the upcoming LG V20, which will be the first smartphone to ship with Nougat right out of the box.

According to PC Advisor UK, there are two possible reasons as to why the Google Nexus 2016 phones, which were rumored to be HTC-built and codenamed Marlin and Sailfish, were not announced. The first is that they never existed and the second is that the HTC Marlin and the HTC Sailfish aren't ready for unveiling just yet.

The website explains that it is also possible that the Marlin and the Sailfish are not the Google Nexus 2016 phones, as many believed, but are the new HTC Desire models. However, the "leaked" renders for the Marlin and the Sailfish did look very different from previous HTC Desire handsets.

In addition, The Telegraph has reported that Google is developing its own smartphone, which will reportedly be released by the end of the year. Whether or not this means that the company has axed its Google Nexus phones for this year remains unclear.

PC Advisor UK also suggests that Google could still launch the new Google Nexus 2016 smartphones, perhaps in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Android Nougat has added a slew of new features to the Android mobile OS. The latest iteration of Android features extra battery-saving modes, supports multi-window multitasking, adds 72 new emoji to the OS's expanded emoji lineup, and has built-in support for the upcoming VR platform called Daydream and the advanced 3D rendering API VulkanTM.

The Android 7.0 Nougat is scheduled to roll out to Android devices in the coming months.