Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL details leak ahead of unveiling

MANILA, Philippines – On October 4, US time, Google will be unveiling the successor to their Pixel phones, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. Last year’s phones were very much well-received for their combination of strong specs and features and a palatable price tag. 

This year, everyone’s looking forward to seeing how Google will be improving upon the new phones. But as is the case with any high-profile launch, details have been leaked out prior to the official reveal, which give us, at the very least, an approximation of the final product.

One of the more reliable leaks so far come from Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii, whose source was able to test a unit to be packed with a subscription to US telecommunications company Verizon. Russakovskii tweeted a wealth of details about the new phones, which we’ve lined up below: 

• It will not have a dual lens system like the one found in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X
• It will have a “Portrait Mode” like the new iPhones, which adds software-powered soft-focusing and bokeh features. Very intriguing because Google’s camera software has, more often than not, been praiseworthy
• New Google launcher. The search bar, usually seen on top of Android phones, has been moved to the bottom. The Google Home Page is said to have been completely overhauled
• It will listen to music all the time in order to provide you with song information (title and artist) on your lockscreen
• It has squeezable sides like the HTC U11, the pressure sensitivity of which can be adjusted too. The default function of the squeezable sides is to summon Google Assistant
• Stereo speakers return on the Pixel 2, which were last seen on Google’s Nexus 6P from 2016
• Unlike the iPhone’s 2.5D glass, and Samsung’s edge displays, the Pixel 2’s screen will be flat 
• The headphone jack is gone like Apple first did with the iPhone 7. Last year’s Pixel phones had a headphone jack and Google, in their promotional materials, subtly poked fun at Apple for ditching the jacks. 

So far, there hasn’t been anything groundbreaking to see in the leaks and rumors so far for Google’s next phones.

The new phones appear to be more polished versions of the originals, with several key tweaks here and there. Still, it’s one of the last major phone releases of the year, along with the much-awaited Huawei Mate 10 phone, so this one is surely worth keeping an eye on. – Rappler.com