The Pixel 2 and 2 XL may not look as good as the competition but do not be fooled, they are beasts

Yesterday Google released the 2017 Pixel smartphone line up aptly named the pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and contrary to that less than grand entry the phones where rumored to be making; you know, hanging on to last years design and all, Google may have struck a gold mine with the 2018 Pixels.

While these devices resemble the original Pixel and Pixel XL, there are many changes both internally and externally that'd make them worth consideration. As far as specs and software go, both phones could be identical, but what sets them apart is the hardware and design.

Google Pixel 2:

not an actual color option

The made by HTC Pixel 2 has a 5inch 1080p AMOLED display and needless to say it looks great but just like the iPhone 8, the lack of an edge to edge display (or something close to it) may ultimately deter potential buyers that have already caught that bezel-less bug elsewhere (did Google not get the memo on what is trending this year?)

The display maintains that regular 16:9 aspect ratio which could appeal to those that are not really crazy about the current 18:9 that most phones now sport. The design is very similar to last year’s Pixel but as far as dimensions go, Google claims it is a little smaller, thinner and also lighter (same with the XL). It no longer has that antenna band running through the back. For color options, Google has gone for a naming convention that is not just funny but rather spot on when it comes to how the Yoruba folk in Nigeria pick Asoebi colors for a wedding. There’s Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue.

Google Pixel 2 XL:

The LG made Pixel 2 XL is where things get a lot more 2017 and what may capture a lot of Pixel hearts out there. It sports a 6inch pOLED Quad HD and an edge to edge display. Before you break out the cheap wine, know that the bezels are a little thicker than the 2017 phones sporting this design (i.e. the likes of the Galaxy S8/S8+ and LG V30 etc), though in Google’s defense, the thicker bezels are necessary to house the dual front facing speakers (so what it lacks or in this case gains in bezels it more than makes up for with front facing stereo speakers). For colors, unlike the regular Pixel 2, the XL 2 has just the Just Black and Black and White. As a cool bonus, the display on the 2 XL has something called a colorizer which allows you to use it even when you’re wearing sunglasses.

As for similarities, both phones have the snapdragon 835 processor that we have been seeing in most of the flagships this year, 4GB of RAM and between 64GB and 128GB storage standard. Both phones are IP68 rated meaning both are dust and water resistant.
What could very well prove the absolute strongest suit of both the Pixel 2 and 2 XL is the feat they have achieved with the camera. To begin with, Google has skipped the current dual lens trend most higher end high end phones are known for and equipped both Pixels with 8MP front facing/secondary cameras and 12MP back/primary shooters that are optically stabilized. Again, neither phone features the dual camera setup but what Google has achieved with a single primary shooter via software tweaking was heretofore thought to be only accomplished via dual lenses and capable of giving the competition a run for its money. In fact, both Pixels are capable of iPhone-esque portrait mode with the blurred out background but done with a single lens.

NOTE: DxOMark, the company behind popular phone camera testing gave the Pixel 2 and 2 XL's camera a whopping 98 out of 100. That's after both the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 received scores of 94 in recent days.

Looks like the market is slowly but surely edging us like cattle towards a 3.5mm jack/port free smartphone existence because the port does not see a comeback on either phone. Guess we either get used to carting an adapter about or embrace and invest in wireless headphones or ear buds.

Thankfully, both have Bluetooth 5.0, so better connectivity and a longer range is guaranteed not to mention better sound quality.

And we all know the Google assistant is pretty hands on as far as assist goes but two of the most noteworthy ways it is implemented on the Google Pixel 2 duo is with the always on display and the Squeeze functionality that has been ported from the HTC U11 to not just the HTC produced Pixel 2 but also the LG produced Pixel 2 XL.

-On other phones with the always on display, their method of implementation is showing you the time, your email, notifications and reminders, with the Pixel's, the Google assistant is incorporated into the always on display in a pretty neat way. Example is how the assistant is aware of your surrounding so that even when you are out in public and a song is playing that you are intrigued by, rather than pull out your phone to possibly google the song, ask the assistant, or use an app to determine what song is playing, all you have to do now is look at your phone screen and you’d already have name of song and artist displayed on screen thanks to the Google assistant. Double tapping the notification takes you in to view further details of the song like accompanying music video and song lyrics etc

-The Squeeze feature has found its way to the LG produced Pixel 2 XL meaning a new way to interact with your phone is now available and also a new way to activate the google assistant.

Google proved more than generous with the provided battery and power capabilities. Apart from the Pixel 2 sporting a 2700mAh battery and the 2 XL a 3500mAh battery, the fast charging is mind blowing. With a mere 15minutes of charge, you are ensured at least 7hrs of battery on both phones. Sadly, there is no wireless charging…so yeah…that sucks….but you can squeeze the phone remember…so yay!!

Both Pixels ship with Android Oreo 8.0 and per Google are guaranteed 3 years of software updates, which means that it will get Android P in 2018, Android Q in 2019 and Android R in 2020 (assuming humanity has not opted for eye implants by then like we do in Black Mirror). Both pixels also ship with an embedded eSIM to connect to Project Fi even without a SIM card.

As far as pricing goes, the Pixel 2 is up for pre-order today and will ship by October 19 in the U.S., and later in October in other countries, starting at $649 (about NGN236k) for the 64GB model and the Pixel XL 2 is up for pre-order starting at $849 (about NGN308k) for the 64GB model, and will ship in late October, early November in the U.S., and later in November in other countries.