HTC, LG, Coolpad, and TCL all want to make the Pixel 3 according to a new rumor coming from China, which states that all four companies are currently competing to win Google’s contract to build the device, though no pricing details in regards to the cost of the contract were mentioned. While HTC and LG wouldn’t be too far fetched considering both of them have made a couple of Google’s devices at this point, TCL and Coolpad are certainly new potential candidates if the rumor about them being interested in the device contract is to be believed. Coolpad might be the most surprising considering they’re a Chinese brand that is mostly unfamiliar here in the U.S., which would be one of the biggest markets for the Pixel, but then again this detail likely wouldn’t matter as most people wouldn’t be paying attention to who built the phone.
According to the Chinese report the contracts are for the Pixel devices that Google would be releasing in the Fall of next year, and not the devices that are scheduled for a release later on this year that will be the follow-up to the current Pixel smartphones. With HTC to be manufacturing the second generation Pixel devices and with their success of the current models, which are still difficult to get a hold of in the Google Store, it’s possible that Google could decide on using HTC for the third-generation of the phone series, though the report also notes that LG seems to be the current front-runner for snagging the contract.
In addition to the potential manufacturers for the third-gen Pixel devices the report mentions that the Pixel 3 is expected to reach an amount of at least 5 million units sold, which would be more than double what the amount is for the current Pixel and Pixel XL, which are said to be around 2.1 million devices so far. This year’s Pixel devices are thought to be codenamed Muskie and Walleye, but it was also later rumored that there would be a third device codenamed Taimen, though at this point nothing has so far been made official other than Google’s confirmation that new Pixel devices are coming later this year and that they will be premium smartphones.