We’re now living in a time where Google makes its own smartphones (with some help from other manufacturers) to compete head-to-head with the other devices dominating the Android space. Now Google is back with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, perhaps two of the most-anticipated phones of the year. So let’s have a look at the Pixel 2 features that Google has to offer.
Google Pixel 2 features: Specifications
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processors, offer 4 gigs of RAM and either 64 or 128 gigs of storage, and unlike last year’s phone, are water and dust resistant. The Pixel 2’s 5-inch screen measures 1920×1080 pixels, and the 6-incher on the XL gives you a whopping 2880×1440. Both are OLED screens, which offer deeper blacks and a more dynamic picture. The Pixel 2 features charging via USB-C, but doesn’t have wireless charging—Google felt the tech doesn’t charge fast enough yet. In general, they’re top-notch, high-end, bleeding-edge, super-good smartphones. They’d better be, for the price: the Pixel 2 starts at $649 and you’ll spend at least $849 for the XL.
While the design of the devices may differ, the Google Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 2 features are basically the same under the hood, save for a few specifications.
See here – Google pixel 2 & pixel XL release date
Both devices feature an octa-core 2.35 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform, an Adreno 430 GPU, and 4 GB of RAM. While neither device comes with a microSD card slot, the onboard storage options have been bumped up this time around. Both phones come in 64 and 128 GB models.
New Pixel 2 Features
However, the best part about the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is the novel features that Google has put into their second generation Pixel phones.
First, the headphone jack. Given Google’s mockery of Apple for removing the headphone jack in its own Pixel advertising last year, this seems a ridiculous decision but may be mitigated by the simultaneous launch of Google Assistant equipped wireless earbuds.
Pixel 2 features: water and dust resistance
One of the biggest things that set Google’s Pixel devices apart from the other 2016 flagships was their lack of waterproofing. Many users were upset with Google’s decision to forgo the feature, even though the search giant says it didn’t have enough time to include it.
Apparently, Google spent a little more time on this year’s devices, as both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come with water- and dust-resistance ratings of IP67. That means the Pixels can survive in up to 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a time.
The Pixels each come in a couple of colors: Clearly White, Just Black, and Kinda Blue for the smaller model, and Just Black and Black & White for the larger. The Black & White might be the best-looking model of all, with a black glass stripe at the top, an all-white aluminum body, and a loud orange power button.
The Pixelated Camera: the most applauded Pixel 2 features
The most important feature does work across both models: the camera. Google’s using a new 12-megapixel system for the Pixel 2, with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization. The biggest upgrade comes in the software, though. Google trained its algorithms on faces of people and says it can now take soft-background photos akin to the iPhone’s Portrait Mode without needing a second camera to do so. A special sensor in the rear camera adds some depth information to the equation to make the effect even better, but the Pixel 2 can do portrait-style shots even with the selfie cam. Google’s also updated its HDR+ algorithms, introduced a new feature called Motion Photos that is absolutely identical to Apple’s Live Photos and combined optical and electrical image stabilization to make video smoother.
Just making a great phone won’t help Google take over the world. It has to keep them in stock and market the bejeezus out of them. But a killer phone with a killer camera is a good start.
