Google's Pixel smartphone has proven to be quite a success when the tech giant released it in late 2016. And because of that, many mobile manufacturers are now lining up to compete with each other for the production deal of Google Pixel 3.

A Chinese-language website, Commercial Times, has claimed that HTC, LG, TCL, and Coolpad are in tight competition for the production deal of the phone. According to Digitimes, whoever lands the deal will get to produce the Google Pixel 3 that is being expected for launch in 2018.

The report then continued to claim that LG may have the upper hand in producing the phone, which is tentatively called Google Pixel 3. It then added that order for the third-generation phone may reach up to five million units. However, it should be noted that Google hasn't released any official word yet regarding the matter. That being said, it's highly advisable to take this report with a tiny pinch of salt.

Even if HTC doesn't get the deal for the Google Pixel 3, the company still has one year left on its contract for the second-gen phone. Due to the secrecy shrouding the next-generation handset, fans are getting a bit worried about the successor to the 2016 handset. Luckily, new a new update for the phone has been released.

Rick Osterloh, the current head of the Pixel smartphone for Google, has reassured fans that a new flagship installment will come out this year. Osterloh, who previously worked for Motorola, even offered a time window as to when the Google Pixel 2 will be released. "There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it," he told Android Pit during Mobile World Conference 2017 last month.

As for its pricing, though, fans can certainly expect the Google Pixel 2 to come out as a premium handset. More news about the second phone and Google Pixel 3 should emerge in the coming months.