Category: Google Pixel 2

The release of the Google Pixel 2 lineup should have gone much better.  The phones were highly touted, packed with a lot of power and Artificial Intelligence.  But it hasn’t been a smooth road.  Users of the phones started reporting screen issues, popping sounds and other issues with the flagship devices.  Google, who began investigating the issues immediately, has now indicated their plan to address the issues.

First, the Pixel 2 lineup will come with a two year warranty.  This is to put people at ease when considering the phone and is one of the longest warranties out there for a smartphone.  Google clearly thinks that the phone’s operations and design are fine and are backing it up.

Second, Google plans to address the popping sound and some of the screen items through software updates.  Those should start rolling out as soon as November.  But it should be said that when Google explained the display issue in their Product Forums, it didn’t satisfy everyone.  The reality is, Google’s response and how they plan to address the issue is spot-on.

Google has updated their Update your Android Version support page with dates and information on the new Google Pixel 2 lineup.  When the devices were launched last month, Google made it clear that both of the second generation Pixel devices would be receiving major Android updates for three years.  The update of this support page confirms it.

Both of the devices will get major Android updates, minor security patches and phone support through October 2020.  That means that these devices, which launched with Android Oreo, will also see Android P, Android Q and Android R before they are out of support.

The update is a change of course from the first generation of Pixel devices and previous Nexus devices.  Those devices received 2 years of major updates and 3 years of security updates.  That means that the original Pixel and Pixel XL will see Android P, but that will be the end of major updates from Google.

Screener, the app that allows you to pop your screenshots into a device frame, has already been updated with frames for the new Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.  The update came almost immediately after Google’s big event yesterday and was a server-side push to the app so no new download or OTA update is required.

If you aren’t familiar with Screener, you’ve seen it in action on virtually every screenshot provided in posts here on the site.  It allows you to take a screenshot as you normally do (Power+Volume Down) and then put it in a frame of a particular device.  It gives your screenshots a much more professional look than just the screen itself.

After digging into the specifications of the Google Pixel 2 phones, it was discovered that both devices support eSIM technology.  But Google was quick to point out that the new electronic SIM will only be activated and used for Project Fi customers for now.

eSIM, as the name suggests, is an electronic SIM card.  It replaces the physical plastic card that you get from your carrier, including Project Fi.  It is a reasonably new standard and the first consumer device to leverage it was the Apple Watch series 3.  That hasn’t gone as smoothly as Apple has wanted which is likely one of the reasons that Google is limiting it to just their own service for now.

Google has officially announced the 2nd generation of Pixel phones, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.  The two phones are updates to last year’s first Pixel lineup and bring a handful of tweaks and improvements to the devices.

One of the most noticeable change is the updated Pixel launcher for the devices.  It has been heavily redesigned with the search bar at the bottom of the display and a more personalized top widget with weather and calendar information.

As for the devices themselves, there wasn’t much of a mystery on either given the leaks about both devices over the course of the past few weeks.  The HTC-built Google Pixel 2  will come in three colors:  Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White.  The first color is very similar to the Ice Blue that was on the Nexus 5X  while the Just Black and Clearly White are similar to the color options on the Pixel today.

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC and is coupled with 4GB of RAM.  It has a 5″ display

The much anticipated Google event to launch the next generation of Pixel phones, the new Pixelbook, the new Google Home Mini and many other things happens tomorrow.  The event kicks off at 9 a.m. Pacific here in the US.  That’s 12 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. London time.  The event is being held in San Francisco.

As they have done with previous events, Google will be streaming the event live on YouTube.

You can go to YouTube and watch it there or you can simply watch it below.  Either way, you can set yourself a reminder to tune in for the event.

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