Google took the stage and among a slew of hardware announcements, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL where announced with a wide range of new features and abilities.
The new Google Pixel will be shipping with a 5 inch 1080p OLED display, the larger, Pixel 2 XL boasts a 6-inch display with a 2880 x 1440 pixel resolution resulting in a 538 pixel density. While it is not a true bezel-less design, it manages to straddle that line as to build an attractive phone, while still not achieving the true edge-to-edge design seen on the S8 and iPhone X. Both devices have IP67 water/ dust resistant certification.
Under the hood, both phones come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB Ram, and your choice of stories sizes all powered by a 3,520mAh battery. Both phones also support “active-edge” a feature first seen on the HTC U11. Active-Edge will allow users to squeeze the sides of their devices to perform a selected action. By default, it will hang up a call, but these can be programmed to fit your needs allowing for a much more customized experience. It is unclear how many people will take advantage of this feature, but Google has clearly taken time to make the squeezable phone concept into a much more useful feature.
The real selling point is the camera, and as Google’s Mario Queiroz, VP product management, states the team has “reimagined smartphone photography.” They gave the Pixel 2 to DxO for early testing, while iPhone 8 Plus managed to achieve a score of 94, the Pixel 2 managed a record-setting 98, making it one of the most impressive phone cameras to date.
The Pixel 2 line of devices will also come with the new Pixel Launcher, along with improved AR and Google assistant abilities, along with Google Lens to help users contextualize images they have taken on the built-in 12 Mega Pixel optically stabilized camera. They are also offering a new portrait mode that allows the user to capture a very shallow depth of field, similar to what you get with a full-size DSLR.
The Google Pixel 2 will ship in three colours: blue, black, and white, while the Pixel 2 XL will ship in two: black and two-tone black/white. The Pixel 2 will start at $649 USD ($899 CAD) for the 64GB, the XL will start at $849 USD ($1,159 CAD), with pre-orders beginning today. Shipments for the Pixel 2 should start by October 17, with the Pixel 2 XL shipping by December 2017. Every order will also come with a free Google Home Mini to sweeten the deal, at least for now.
Liked this article and want to read more like it? Check out more stories from Brendan Frye, such as the Future of Xbox One – an interview with Xbox Head of Operations, Dave McCarthy, and his interview with Destiny 2 Art Director, Jesse Van Dyke!
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