Google has debuted an ad campaign for an event on October 4th, where it promises to unveil a smarter smartphone. …
Google launched the Pixel and Pixel XL last year on October 4th, and exactly one year later we’ re probably getting a look at the Pixel 2. Google has debuted an ad campaign for an event on October 4th, where it promises to unveil a smarter smartphone. That couldn’ t get any more obvious unless Google just came out and said it was the Pixel 2.
Last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL were the first phones to be completely managed by Google and Google phones. With the old Nexus program, Google shared a lot of the design and marketing responsibilities with OEMs like LG, Huawei, Motorola, and (in the early days) Samsung. The Pixel is a Google phone without any branding from the manufacturer, which was HTC. Google’s control over the process made the Pixel one of the best phones available, taking Google’s cameras from just okay to best in class, and putting other phones to shame with its consistently fast performance.
The ad above offers a few clues as to what Google’s story for the Pixel 2 will be. Assistant will certainly be part of the announcement; that was an exclusive feature of the Pixel phones for several months last time. Google Lens, which was demoed at I/O 2017, will almost certainly debut on the new Pixel phones. This feature can scan photos you take or just scenes you point the camera at, and then offer contextual information. For example, a picture of a busy street could tell you which stores and restaurants are present, and offer up reviews or operating hours.
There have been some substantial Pixel 2 leaks in recent months, which point to Google going with a slightly more Nexus-style strategy of splitting up manufacturing. The smaller Pixel 2 is expected to be another HTC device, and LG will produce the larger XL device. The Pixel 2 is expected to retain the same design style as the original device with a 5-inch display and somewhat large bezels.
The XL2 is a completely different animal, though. If the leaks are to be believed, this phone will step up the design to compete with phones like the Galaxy S8 (see above) . The Pixel XL2 will sport one of the new OLED displays from LG; probably the same panel used on the V30. It will have extremely narrow bezels and a mostly aluminum frame. Both phones are also expected to have a squeezable frame not unlike the HTC U11, a feature that will probably be tied to Google Assistant.
Keep your eyes peeled on October 4th for the Google announcement, but start saving those pennies now if you’ re looking to upgrade. The new Pixels will probably be spendy.
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