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| Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL with Daydream View |
The 4th of October was a big day for Google considering the array of launches that they had. The most highlighting one was the unveiling of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The flagship offering from Google are the successor to the popular Pixel devices launched last year and come with the latest operating system i.e Android Oreo. Along with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google also announced the Home mini- a $49 Google assistant, Pixel Buds and Daydream View VR.
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| Google Pixel 2 |
Specifications:
- For Pixel 2 : 5.0 inch 1080p (1920×1080) 16:9 aspect ratio AMOLED 2.5D display with Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
- For Pixel 2 XL : 6.0 inch 2K (2880×1440) 18:9 aspect ratio P-OLED 3D display with Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
- Qualcomm snapdragon 835 SOC based on 10nm with 4 cores clocked at 2.35gHz and remaining 4 at 1.9gHz with Adreno 540 GPU
- 4GB RAM and 64 or 128GB storage
- 12.2 MP rear camera with f/1.8 lens and 1.4 micron Pixel size with laser and dual pixel autofocus.
- 8MP f/2.4 aperture front facing camera
- 2700mAh battery for Pixel 2 and 3520 mAh for Pixel 2 XL
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×MIMO, 2.4 and 5gHz band support, Bluetooth 5, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
- USB type-C port and eSIM support
- IP 67 dust and water resistant
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| Always ON display |
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL comes with Metal unibody design consisting of aluminum. The Pixel 2 has huge bezels on top and bottom along with the 2.5D curved 5.0 inch screen. The screen size remains same as that on the predecessor. It weighs 143g and has a thickness of 7.8mm.
The XL comes with 6 inch display and 3D glass similar to the one on the Samsung S8. The massive display has been incorporated in a metal body with minimum bezels. However, the bezels are quite significant when compared to the Note 8 or even the Samsung S8. It weighs 175g and has a thickness of 7.9mm.
Both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come with Stereo speakers and rear mounted fingerprint sensor with the elimination of 3.5mm headphone jack :-!
They also come with an Always ON display and active Edge feature which was also available on the HTC U11 as the edge sense feature. This feature enables any task like activating the Google assistant by just squeezing the sides or launching the camera and so on.
They also come with an Always ON display and active Edge feature which was also available on the HTC U11 as the edge sense feature. This feature enables any task like activating the Google assistant by just squeezing the sides or launching the camera and so on.
The highlighting factor of the Pixel 2 devices is the camera. It comes with a single lens 12.2MP camera with both EIS and OIS for stabilization while recording videos. At the event, Google did show a demo with both EIS and OIS and it looked quite promising. The camera is capable of shooting 4K at 30FPS, 1080p at 30/60/120 FPS and 720 at 240 FPS max.
The "single" lens camera is capable for capturing Portrait shots and from the sample shots provided by Google, they seem interesting however the dual lens equipped iPhone 8 Plus or even the Note 8 might do well. Like last year, this year too Google has teamed with DxO for camera testing and have a respectable score of 98.
The devices come with Android Oreo 8.0.0 out of the box and Google has claimed software updates for upto 3 years. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be initially released in 7 countries including USA and India. In the US the Pixel 2 will retail for $649 and in India Rs. 61000. The Pixel 2 XL on the other hand will retail for $849 and in India Rs. 73000 for the 64GB variant via Flipkart.
They will be available in BLACK, WHITE and BLUE.
The pricing in USD seems quite competitive considering the recent trend of flagships reaching the $1000 mark. However, the Indian pricing seems quite irrelevant especially for the Pixel 2 considering the huge bezels and not so appealing design. The Samsung S8 is priced lower and seems a better offering overall apart from the UX and awkward fingerprint sensor location. Well these are just mere opinions and ultimately the real world usage matters the most. Did you like the offerings from Google and do you have any plans for upgrading to the Pixel 2 lineup, do let us know in the comments below.
The "single" lens camera is capable for capturing Portrait shots and from the sample shots provided by Google, they seem interesting however the dual lens equipped iPhone 8 Plus or even the Note 8 might do well. Like last year, this year too Google has teamed with DxO for camera testing and have a respectable score of 98.
The devices come with Android Oreo 8.0.0 out of the box and Google has claimed software updates for upto 3 years. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be initially released in 7 countries including USA and India. In the US the Pixel 2 will retail for $649 and in India Rs. 61000. The Pixel 2 XL on the other hand will retail for $849 and in India Rs. 73000 for the 64GB variant via Flipkart.
They will be available in BLACK, WHITE and BLUE.
The pricing in USD seems quite competitive considering the recent trend of flagships reaching the $1000 mark. However, the Indian pricing seems quite irrelevant especially for the Pixel 2 considering the huge bezels and not so appealing design. The Samsung S8 is priced lower and seems a better offering overall apart from the UX and awkward fingerprint sensor location. Well these are just mere opinions and ultimately the real world usage matters the most. Did you like the offerings from Google and do you have any plans for upgrading to the Pixel 2 lineup, do let us know in the comments below.
Images via official website