For the first and second generation Google Pixel devices, Google worked with an OEM partner to manufacture the product. The contract manufacturer for both the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL was HTC, whereas the contract manufacturer for the Google Pixel 2 was HTC but for the Google Pixel 2 XL it was LG. This time, however, it appears that Google will be going solo: New reports state that the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3 XL will be designed entirely in-house and manufactured by Foxconn, the same manufacturer behind the Apple iPhone and Nokia-branded products.

Documents obtained by WinFuture state that Google has been looking for a company to manufacture their upcoming flagship smartphones. That company, Foxconn, has been on Google's radar before but the report says that FIH Mobile (a subsidiary of Foxconn) has been commissioned to manufacture the next flagship devices. This is a significant shift in direction for Google, as it signals that the company will finally retain total control over the design of the new devices. This comes after the news late last year that Google acquired the HTC engineers involved in the making of the Pixel phones.

A separate report by Bloomberg states that the smaller Google Pixel 3 won't have radical design differences compared to its predecessor, the Google Pixel 2. The Google Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, is said to have a nearly edge-to-edge screen (read: it has a display notch) but that the bottom chin of the device will be thicker. Within the notch area, the Pixel 3 XL is said to have dual front camera lenses, but it's unclear what the second lens will be used for. By this point, it shouldn't be too surprising to see a Google Pixel phone embrace the notch, especially since Android P has brought better support for it.

Bloomberg states that Verizon Wireless will continue to be the sole carrier of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL in the United States when the device launches in October. WinFuture states that the new Google Pixel smartphones could be available as early as August or September of this year, though that information comes from "developer circles" and thus may not be accurate.

Source 1: WinFuture

Source 2: Bloomberg