Thanks to the leaks, we now know that Google’s new Pixel 2 is on its way to us very soon on October 5, 2017. This will also mark the debut of the new Snapdragon 835 chipset.
The previous rumors alleged that Google would take the wraps off two Pixel devices this year. One would be codenamed Walleye and the bigger XL variant will go by Muskie moniker. Then there were reports that said that the company is also working on one more device, labeled Taimen, which is to be larger than the Pixel XL.
But Google apparently changed its mind and will in fact only be releasing two smartphones this year. As reported by Android Police, Google has decided to cancel the Muskie device that makes only Walleye and Taimen available for launch and use.
Walleye (Pixel 2) and Taimen (Pixel XL 2) will offer high-end specs. Rumors suggest that the smaller of the two devices, Walleye is expected to sport a 4.97-inch display with Full HD resolution and a 4 GB RAM. According to a recent FCC listing, the smartphone will run Android 8.0.1 Oreo and will come with an “Active Edge” feature that presumably works the same way as HTC U11’s Edge Sense. This means that you’ll be able to perform numerous tasks such as opening an app just by squeezing the sides of your Pixel.
Rumors also claim that the Pixel 2 might feature two front-facing stereo speakers that would, however, come at the expense of the 3.5 mm headphone jack. This means that you’ll have to plug in your headphones with the help of an adapter. This would likely come included in the box.
The Pixel XL 2 is rumored to be water and dust resistant. It will be either IP67 or IP68 rated, meaning that it will survive submersion in up to 1 to 1.5 meters of water for around 30 minutes. Coming to the phone’s design, not much is expected to be different than the previous Pixel phone. You should hence be prepared to see a metal body, rather large bezels, the two front-facing speakers and a glass panel on the back. The glass will no longer surround the fingerprint reader but will nevertheless still be located on the back of the device.
The camera! A benchmark for one of the models lists a 12MP rear camera with 4K video support, and a 7MP front-facing one. Nevertheless, the camera is going to an improved one but we still don’t know how. There hasn’t been a lot of news on the battery yet, but Pixel 2’s is likely to be at least the same as 2,770mAh in the Pixel and for the Pixel 2 XL, it will probably match the 3,450mAh one in the Pixel XL.
How much will Google’s hyped phones cost?
Well, Google Pixel series was quite unaffordable and was launched at $649 (approx Rs 42,000) for 32 GB variant and $749 (approx Rs 48,000) for 128 GB variant, while the XL variant was sold for $769 (approx Rs 50,000) for 32 GB variant and $869 (approx Rs 56,000 for 128 GB respectively. Upcoming smartphones are usually reasonable these days but one can only hope when it comes to Google. The rumors are that the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are going to be pretty expensive and may cost higher or at least the same as its predecessors. Let’s wait for the big launch with high hopes and crossed fingers!!