First official sign of Pixel 3 codename 'blueline' shows up in AOSP

Back in October, we got word of a leak of three new codenames for the Pixel 3 lineup of devices: “albacore,” “blueline,” and “crosshatch.” We saw crosshatch appear in AOSP commits, but now we have our first (and so far only) instance of blueline, via Droid Life.

Those of you who fish will notice that all three words refer to different fish types, which is similar to the Pixel 2 and original Pixel codenames: sailfish (Google Pixel), marlin (Google Pixel XL), walleye (Google Pixel 2), and taimen (Google Pixel 2 XL).

However, you will also likely notice that albacore, blueline, and crosshatch, have an “ABC” structure. With it looking like there will likely be a “mid-tier” Pixel device, could it be that Google is letting us know which name is which?

For example, it could be that the Google Pixel 3 XL is called “albacore,” since it’s the alpha device (i.e., biggest and most expensive). The Google Pixel 3 could be blueline, and the mysterious mid-tier Pixel could be crosshatch.

This is all just speculation, of course, but the original leak of the three codenames so far is lining up. We are only missing a mention of albacore.

The AOSP commit of blueline can be seen in the screenshot below. The commit is in relation to some sort of “new spam API” in the Android dialer, and the verified user tested the function on a blueline device.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know for now. With the launch of the Pixel 3 lineup rumored for August, we likely we see more commits like these shortly. Who knows, we might even see the fabled albacore soon, as well.

NEXT: Rumor: Mid-range “bonito” Pixel could launch with Snapdragon 710 in 2019 (Updated)