A leaked Verizon roadmap lists a "phablet"-like HTC handset dubbed the Droid Incredible X. According to new speculation, that handset may be the next Nexus smartphone.

Roughly one year since the last Nexus smartphone, rumors are starting to surface and intensify in anticipation of the next-generation Nexus. The new installment in the Google Nexus brand will reportedly be the Nexus 5, drawing its name from the five-inch display it will sport.

According to GSMArena, the HTC phablet known as the HTC Droid Incredible X or HTC One X 5 has Google's "seal of approval" to receive the Nexus branding. GSMArena has a good track record when it comes to industry speculation, but fans should bear in mind that this is still a rumor.

The five-inch display appears to be the most distinct feature of the handset, hence the name (it is not the fifth-generation Nexus smartphone). Should this prove to be true, the device would be comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, setting yet another example of steadily growing smartphones.

Aside from the massive five-inch display, the Nexus 5 will pack a slew of high-end features. Here's what to expect from the Google Nexus 5 according to the tipster, who claims to have information from within HTC:

• Android 4.1.2 Jelly bean, which brings Project Butter enhancements and bug fixes, as well as new lockscreen functionality;
• 1080p display;
• Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset;
• 2GB of RAM;
• 12-megapixel rear-facing camera;
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera;
• 2,500mAh battery;
• 64GB of built-in storage;
• LTE connectivity;
• Super-slim design;

The rumor suggests that the Nexus 5 is currently under development, but official news may not be available within the next two months. Meanwhile, other rumors have previously claimed that Google is planning to launch several Nexus devices for the holiday season. This would help the search giant exploit the Nexus brand recognition and potentially drive sales to counter the iPhone 5 effect.

Once renowned for high-end phones with prices to match, HTC has been trailing behind other manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung. The new iPhone sold more than five million units in its first couple of days on the market, something no Android phone has achieved. A Nexus 5 smartphone based on the HTC Droid Incredible X may spark interest on the market, and would likely give HTC the edge it needs to pull itself out of its currently declining state.