At an event in SFO in USA, search giant Google has launched second generation Google Pixel 2 manufactured by HTC and Pixel 2 XL manufctured by LG. These smartphones will compete with recently launched flagship phones such as iPhone 8, 8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy 8 and Galaxy 8 Plus.
On the specifications front, Google Pixel 2 features a 5-inch (1920x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Pixel 2 XL sports a 6 inch (2880 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD+ pOLED display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and protected with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Both the phones are powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor mated with 4GB RAM and internal storage of 64GB and 128GB which can be further extended upto 256GB. The Pixel 2 is packed with 2700mAh battery whereas the Pixel 2 XL gets its juice from 3200mAh battery. According to Google, the batteries can be charged up to seven hours in just 15 minutes. These phone are also water- and dust- resistant to the IP67 standard.
Both the phones run Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box and will be the first devices to get monthly security updates.These phones sport dual speakers at the front. These phones have fingerprint sensors at the back. These phone are encased with Aluminum unibody with hybrid coating. These phones have an Active Edge for quick squeeze to perform various tasks and also launch Google Assistant. This type of feature was seen in HTC U11.
The home screen on these phones have been revamped. Search box has been given on the bottom of the screen. It has always on display support for viewing notifications and time.
For photography, both the phones are equipped with revamped cameras in the front and back. These phones are mounted with 12.2MP rear camera with LED flash, OIS, EIS, f/1.8 aperture, Laser and Dual pixel phase detection, 4K video recording capability. For selfies, it is equipped with an 8MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture. Both the front and rear cameras incorporate features of portrait shots with background blurs. The cameras of these phones also support Augmented Reality Feature including AR Stickers. You can add 3D characters and Emojis in photos and videos and when capturing a scene, you can see these characters moving.
Google is also providing free unlimited storage for photos and videos taken on Pixel phones, in the highest resolution.
Google is also bringing preview of Google Lens on the newly launched Pixel phones. Initially, you will be able to look up landmarks, books, music albums, movies, and artwork, right from Google Photos on your Pixel. You can also take an action like asking Google Lens to copy URLs and contact information from a picture of a poster or business card. In the next few months, Google will add more capabilities, as well as the ability to use it in the Google Assistant as stated by Google.
For connectivity, these phones provide features of Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS, USB Type-C and NFC.
India Pricing
The Pixel 2 comes in Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue at a price of Rs. 61,000 for 64GB and Rs. 70,000 for 128GB variants. The Pixel 2 XL comes in Just Black and Black & White colors at a price of Rs. 73,000 for 64GB and Rs. 82,000 for 128GB variants. Pre-orders will start on 26th October 2017, and Pixel 2 will be available for sales in over 1000+ stores across the country and online starting November 1st. Pixel 2 XL will be available for sales in 1000+ stores and online starting November 15th 2017.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL will also be available online, exclusively on Flipkart.
At the launch event, Google has also announced Google Pixelbook, Google Home Mini, Google Home Max and refreshed Daydream VR headset which can be paired with Pixel 2 or any Daydream-ready phone for high-quality virtual reality. Google has also launched new cases and accessories including cables, headphones made by more from 25+ partners in “made for Google” program.
