Last October, Google released its first set of smartphones, Google Pixel and Pixel XL. In no time, they became tough competitors to other dominating smartphones such as Samsung’s S7 and S7 Edge and Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Both Google Pixel and Pixel XL made a huge impact on the Smartphone world for having a fantastic camera with outstanding performance and for giving its user’s a smooth software experience. The phones had their fair share of success, but still needed some room for improvement.
On October 4, 2017, Google announced they will be releasing a new set of Smartphones, Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL as successors to Google Pixel and Pixel XL. The two most anticipated Android phones of the year were released on October 19, 2017.
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Google Pixel 2 Vs Pixel 2 XL: Specs, Features, Price & Review
Now, let us take a look at some of the key specifications of Google pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL:
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Pixel 2 & Pixel 2 XL –Notable Features
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Design
In appearance, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL does not look far off from their predecessors.Instead of making their smartphones eye-candy, Google has aimed at keeping them user-friendly. Both devices have an aluminium body, where one-fifth of the rear is covered in a glass panel on top which is a notable change from Google Pixel, where the glass panel covered almost one-third of its back.
The aluminium body on Pixel 2 feels very different from the previous model, as this one provides more grip to your phone. The rear camera looks slightly bigger than the previous models. Right below the glass panel sits the fingerprint sensor, which Google claims “Unlocks faster when compared to any other phone”.
The “G” logo is placed at the bottom of the phone’s back, while the volume and power buttons are on the right side of the phone. In comparison, Google Pixel 2 XL looks much better than Google Pixel 2 after all the changes.
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No Headphone Jack
Google decided to ditch the headphone jack from their phone this time. Users are provided with a slot for SIM card and a USB-C port for charging. However, it comes with a headphone Adapter to connect a 3.5mm jack to your Pixel. This might be the most controversial change.
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Camera
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL offer the best camera among all other smartphones that are available in the market right now. Instead of a dual camera setup, which other manufacturers have opted for and implemented on their smartphones, Google Pixel has done the exact opposite, by bringing new software solutions to a single camera.
The new camera has optical image stabilization as well as a wider, faster f/1.8 lens. It has a smart camera with dual-pixel autofocus that changes your photos to a whole new level. With a 1/2.6-inch 12.2 MP camera sensor and combined with machine learning, the Pixel 2 camera is extremely hard to beat.
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Always-on Display
Imagine how many times when you were out with friends/family or at a restaurant or anywhere that matters, a catchy song plays near you, and you have wondered “What song is that?”, and made efforts to find it. Now, with Google’s new smartphone you don’t have to worry about that. Both Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come with a smart always-on display. The phone will continuously listen to any audio playing near you and displays it on the screen. You can get more information about the song just by tapping on it. This feature can be enabled/disabled according to your preference.
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Water and Dust resistant
Both Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are water and dust proof. The phones are water resistant with an IP67 rating. You can go underwater up to 1 m or 3.3 feet for an hour.
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Squeeze Your Phone
Google Pixel 2 comes with Active Edge feature. This means that you can now squeeze your phone to quickly launch Google assistant. This can also be done to silence the incoming calls.
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eSIM
Google’s new smartphones come with an embedded SIM. With this option, you are no longer required to carry a physical SIM. Google Pixel comes with an inbuilt SIM, which requires you to connect to “Project-fi”, a carrier option that comes directly from Google. No other Carriers can access the eSIM.
According to me, Google Pixel 2 can be a great game-changer in the world of smartphones but still needs some tweaking to become the best smartphone in the market.
