Various rumors and leaks about Google Pixel 2 have left little to the imagination. We now have a clear picture of what the flagship device would look like and what new features it would bring. The original Pixel phones had an ordinary design, but they had the best smartphone camera out there. According to DxOMark, the Pixel had the highest score for any smartphone camera until the arrival of HTC U11. Fresh Google Pixel 2 renders show the phone’s overall design as well as the camera placement.
Check out the Pixel 2 renders
A few days ago, prolific tipster Evan Blass of VentureBeat posted a couple of pictures showing the front and back of Google Pixel, which is code-named “walleye.” Even though the new Google Pixel 2 will target the premium segment, Blass said the device would lack many features found in other flagship smartphones. He added that neither Pixel 2 nor Pixel XL 2 would feature a curved bezel-less display.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/893502380783923203
Though impressive, the resolution of Evan Blass’ images was not that great. So, Reddit user ApSciLeonard created high-resolution Google Pixel 2 renders based on Blass’ photos. This year’s Pixel phones will be a minor upgrade, at least in terms of hardware design. The renders show a smartphone with a regular display and thick top and bottom bezels. That’s quite surprising considering almost every premium smartphone vendor is moving to a bezel-less display. There is no physical home button.
There are some new features as well. The Google Pixel 2 renders sport stereo speakers on the front to enhance the audio experience. The stereo speakers were near the top of our wishlist for the Pixel 2 smartphones. The phones will have a single camera on the back, unlike flagship devices from other vendors that sport a dual camera system. Google may still improve the camera quality through algorithm changes.
The Google Pixel 2 renders reveal that the volume rockers and the power button will be placed on the right side of the device. It will have the same two-tone metal and glass back as the original Pixel, but the glass cover on Pixel 2 appears to be much smaller than it was on last year’s Pixel. As a result, the fingerprint sensor now sits on the metal part of the back panel.
The Redditor has imagined the device in four colors. One of them is black-gray combination, the same colors as Evan Blass’ photos. The other three colors – red, brown, and silver – merely appear to be guesswork. All the devices have black bezels, except for the silver one, which has white bezels. According to XDA Developers, the smaller Pixel 2 would measure 4.97-inch while the Pixel XL 2 would sport a 5.99-inch display.
The Pixel 2 display will stick to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio while other vendors are switching to a larger 18:9 aspect ratio. The smaller Pixel 2 will be produced by HTC, which built the last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL. This time, the larger Pixel XL 2 variant has gone to LG Electronics. Google’s upcoming phones are said to have a squeezable frame similar to HTC’s Edge Sense technology.
Google Pixel 2 live images leaked
Folks at GSMArena have published a live photo of Google Pixel 2. They obtained the pictures from an anonymous tipster. The photos show the pre-production units. You can see a number of stickers on the back panel. The glass covered nearly one-third of the original Pixel’s back panel. On Pixel 2, it covers only about 20%. There is also a two-tone LED flash next to the single camera.
GSMArena said their tipster had confirmed that there was no 3.5mm headphone jack on the device. The in-hand feel was far superior to the original Pixel. We reported a few days ago that Google was planning to ditch the audio jack from the Pixel 2, despite having publicly criticized Apple for dropping the feature from the iPhone 7. It is unclear why Google is dropping the headphone jack, but there could be several reasons including making the device waterproof.
Google Pixel 2 live photo gives us a closer look at the front and back https://t.co/RNv2vrkwJU pic.twitter.com/kqTvDaj4rn
— GSMArena.com (@gsmarena_com) August 7, 2017
The Pixel 2 is rumored to run Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 836 chipset, which will be an improved version of the Snapdragon 835. It will be the first smartphone to run Google’s Android O operating system. The rumor mill expects the new Pixel phones to offer 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The Pixel 2 phones could also feature an Always-On display.
Google Pixel gets a major price cut
The Google Pixel 2 will likely be unveiled in October. Last year’s Pixel phones were also announced in October, right before the holiday shopping season. Ahead of the new phone’s launch, the search engine giant has slashed the price of its current phones. The larger Google Pixel XL is listed at $569 on Google Store under the Back to School program. It’s flat $200 off its regular price of $769.
The smaller Pixel’s price has also come down from $649 to $524. The company has further sweetened the deal by offering a free Google Daydream View VR headset to buyers.
