Google is said to be dropping the Nexus brand for its smartphones, with the long-rumored Marlin and Sailfish devices to be named the Pixel and the Pixel XL, respectively.

Android Central recently reported about Google's decision to do away with the Nexus brand for the company's upcoming Android-powered flagship smartphones, which will be the successors to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P that were released last year.

The upcoming smartphones, for which Google has tapped HTC as its manufacturing partner, will be breaking Google's six-year tradition of naming the devices with the Nexus brand.

A new report by Android Police claims that it has the names of the upcoming devices, and that would be the Pixel and the Pixel XL.

The Pixel will be the 5.0-inch Sailfish, while the Pixel XL will be the 5.5-inch Marlin. Android Police said that it was confident with the information, as the names came from two independent sources, with one of them proving in the past to be very reliable.

One of the sources claims that Google will be selling the Pixel and the Pixel XL as the first smartphones built by the company. However, Android Police remains absolutely certain that HTC is the one manufacturing the devices, and while the smartphones will not carry the HTC name and were designed solely by Google, leaving HTC out of the picture is probably not something that Google will do.

It is unclear why Google has decided to change the brand of the smartphones from Nexus to Pixel, which Google has applied to Chrome OS-powered Chromebooks and an Android tablet. However, if the move is true, it could show Google trying to put more of a stamp and exert more control over its flagship hardware products. It has been said that the upcoming devices will have the most Google-influenced and cohesive design on smartphones so far, which would make it a perfect time for a name change.

The prices of the Nexus Sailfish, now the Pixel, and the Nexus Marlin, now the Pixel XL, have been leaked in advance of Google's official announcement, with the price tags of the smartphones revealed to be higher compared with their predecessors.

The 32 GB Pixel will be sold for $449, compared with the $399 32 GB Nexus 5X, while the 32 GB Pixel XL will be sold for $599, compared with the $499 32 GB Nexus 6P.

Google is expected to announce its latest flagship smartphones over the next few weeks. By then, we will be confirming all the official details of the upcoming devices.