Reports have recently surfaced to suggest that Google will in fact only release two Pixel devices later this year and not three, as was previously thought. The manufacturer of said two Pixel devices is also up for question, with LG now entering the picture.

• Google Pixel 2: What's the story so far?

Back in April we reported on a leak that suggested Google could have three Pixel devices in the pipeline, codenamed 'Muskie', 'Walleye' and 'Taimen'. At the time it was believed the first two were the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and that Taimen was something entirely new.

Then last week we reported on a leaked listing from GFXBench that mentioned a Pixel 2XL phone with an 18:9 display and Snapdragon 835 processor. However the information meant the phone in question had a 5.6-inch display, which isn't very XL-like.

Now there are reports to suggest Google has shelved 'Muskie', one of the three phones. It leaves Google with 'Walleye' and 'Taimen', and it's now believed Taimen will be the new Pixel XL device. Taimen is one of the largest fish in the salmon family, so therefore could refer to a large-screen device.

Both Walleye and Taimen are still expected to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, and up until now, it was widely believed that HTC would once again manufacture both of them. 9to5Google has since found a bug entry in Android Issue Tracker that suggests LG maybe responsible for the Taimen phone.

The entry reads: Android > Partner > External > LGE > Taimen > power, which gives strong evidence to suggest LG Electronics has some involvement with a device called Taimen. HTC is still expected to be manufacturing the regular-sized Google Pixel.

Of course, as with any leaks and rumours, especially ones this vague, should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt. We're not expecting to see Google announce anything official about the new Pixel devices until at least October, so there's some fair way to go before we know anything for sure.