Back in June, Google reportedly shelved the ‘muskie’ device that was originally intended to be the Pixel 2 XL. Today, references to that device were found in the Android Open Source Project, along with some details and specs of what could have been.
XDA-Developers discovered the reference in AOSP following the release of code for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. We’ve known of the “muskie” codename for several months now, with the AOSP file listing Google as the “PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER.”
This is in line with Pixel devices, though the actual manufacture was rumored to be HTC — just like on the smaller Pixel 2.
Given the contents of another file that suggests an HTC-made battery in the device, this is likely the case. Of note, is how the 3,830 mAh capacity is larger than the 3,520 mAh battery on the current Pixel 2 XL. The larger battery is odd given how muskie was always rumored to be smaller than the LG-made taimen.
Meanwhile, muskie has an identical DPI of 560 like the current 2 XL, through the screen size remains unknown.
Lastly, AOSP reveals the presence of Pixel Visual Core on muskie as suggested by the presence of that chip’s “easel” codename in another file.
Given’s HTC’s lack of history with bezel-less displays, it’s likely that muskie would have looked quite similar to the Pixel 2 with large top and bottom bezels that house front-firing speakers. Furthermore, it would have likely used a similar panel as the smaller Pixel and possibly avoided the slate of current display troubles on the LG-made device.
[“Source-9to5google”]
