With the Google Pixel 2 XL coming this fall along with the iPhone 8 and Galaxy Note 8, a lot of smartphone buyers are trying to get the best look at these still-unannounced devices before they’re revealed officially. The Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8 have been very leak prone while the Pixel XL 2 has had competing rumors all summer long. Now, a Reddit user has purchased an unofficial Google Pixel 2 XL case that has already been listed online in order to see the design for themselves. Of course, this case design is based on rumors but we often see case manufacturers leak the final design before it is officially revealed and they are often our best source for design leaks. With that in mind, let’s see some of the images:
As you can see, the user compared the case with some other devices to get a better sense of the size of the Google Pixel 2 XL case. It’s likely the size will be very similar to last year’s Pixel XL. You can see that the Nexus 6P is very similar in size to this case so we can draw some conclusions from there.
One very interesting part of this case design is the cutout for the 3.5mm headphone port at the top of the device. The status of the headphone port on the Pixel 2 XL is still in question with a different answer seemingly being provided every single week. One week we hear that Google is moving ahead without a headphone port. Then we hear the headphone port is back. Then it’s gone again… You get the idea. This Google Pixel 2 XL case design seems to suggest the headphone port is alive and well but I don’t know what to believe any more. I want the headphone port to stick around – especially after Google took shots at Apple just one year ago for removing the headphone port. How are you going to go after Apple and then do the exact same thing one year later? You’ve got to stick to your morals. Also, I just really don’t want to have to buy new headphones.
From this case design we also see that the fingerprint sensor is staying on the back of the device. This is one feature that hasn’t been in dispute very much and Google seems to like that positioning on their devices ever since the Nexus 5X and 6P. The camera cutout is much larger than we saw on Pixel XL cases last year. From some renders it appears that the re-positioning of the flash module has something to do with this larger cutout. I had originally thought that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL would feature dual camera sensors like a lot of flagship smartphones coming this fall but it appears that the devices will only have a single camera sensor. That may be difficult for some people to take when the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8 are both launching with dual camera sensors but we also know that camera software is just as important as the number of sensors. Great sensors are only as great as the software behind them. Hopefully Google has some awesome camera features in store to make up for the fact they are only launching devices with one sensor.
Aside from this, there’s no much to tell from the Google Pixel 2 XL case that has already been made available online. Like many other smartphones coming this fall, we are hoping to see a nearly bezel-less design which allows for more screen real estate without having to increase the size of the device. Beyond the physical design, we also expect to see a Snapdragon 835 inside with 4GB of RAM. Beyond that, Google has done a pretty good job of keeping their flagship devices under wraps. The competing leak information has only made things more confusing. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait long for an official reveal. Of course, Google could do what Apple did and accidentally leak a bunch of information through firmware for an upcoming product. That’s not likely but us tech writer can dream, right?
Image source: Reddit
