Google Pixel 2: Rumoured price, specs and launch date

 Google confirmed during the MWC 2017 that its Pixel loyalists can expect a successor to the Pixel and the Pixel XL smartphones later this year. The smartphones, particularly the upcoming ‘Pixel 2’ has been in rumours since Google’s confirmation. We have already got a glimpse of what it might look like from leaks and what specifications it could carry. Although the official launch date hasn’t been confirmed, here is what we know about the Pixel 2 so far.
Google Pixel 2 design and display got a fair idea of how the upcoming Google Pixel 2 XL will look like, courtesy a render image from Android Police. On the basis of the image it won’t be hard to imagine how its smaller version, the Pixel 2 will look like.
Like mentioned for the Pixel 2 XL, the rumoured Pixel 2 may also sport a large display, something on the lines of Galaxy S8/S8+ and LG G6. The device is said to feature an LG-made 6-inch AMOLED screen with 2:1 aspect ratio. Since there are minimal bezels on top and bottom, one could expect the smartphone to also feature on-screen navigation buttons. There is no branding at the front but only a single speaker above the display along with sensors and the front-facing camera.
The alleged Google Pixel XL 2 still seems thicker than other flagship smartphones, for instance the Galaxy S8. However, from the looks of it, the device could be slimmer than its predecessor.
Based on the image (seen above), the back of the smartphone shows a completely new design as compared to the current-generation Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. It has a dual- LED flash on the top left corner along with a larger single-rear camera on its right. This setup, however, brings the ‘asymmetrical’ factor into play as the fingerprint sensor is placed at the middle in line with the ‘G’ logo at the bottom.
The handset could retain the half-metal half-glass design at the back but with less area covered with glass.
Though so far there is no word on who will be the original manufacturer of the forthcoming Pixel smartphones, the report says that the handset will have a ‘Squeezable’ frame like what we’ve seen in HTC U11. This also gives a subtle hint that HTC could this time as well be making the Pixel smartphones. The current-generation Pixel and Pixel XL are also made by HTC. The squeezable frame triggers Google Assistant in HTC U11.
Google Pixel 2 specifications
According to a recent report by Android Headlines, Google’s upcoming flagships will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 processor, which will be quite similar to the Snapdragon 835 but will have higher CPU and GPU clock speed.
The report adds that the Pixel 2, codenamed ‘Walleye,’ will retain the 4.97-inch Full-HD display from the original Pixel. It is supposed to be powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 processor with 4GB of RAM. However, internal storage could be bumped to 64GB in the base model.
The 3.5mm headphone jack won’t be present in the Google Pixel 2. This, in all likelihood, will make the smartphone thinner.
The bigger Pixel XL 2, codenamed ‘Taimen,’ will be the more premium variant of the two smartphones and have an LG-made 5.99-inch OLED QuadHD (1440×2560 pixels) display. While the screen resolution remains the same as the Pixel XL, the XL 2’s screen size will be 0.5-inch more.
Google Pixel 2 price Speculating about the price of Google Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 is a long shot for now. Google launched its Pixel and the Pixel XL smartphones in India with starting price of Rs 57,000 and Rs 66,000 respectively. Based on this, one can expect the base price of the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 go beyond Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000.
Back in March company’s senior vice president Rick Osterloh at Mobile World Congress 2017 (MWC 2017) in Barcelona, Spain reportedly said that the upcoming successors of the Pixel handset will stay ‘premium’.
Google Pixel 2 launch date
Google has not yet given a confirmed launch time for the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 smartphones. However, we can at least assume them to arrive ‘later this year’ during the month of September, October or November. Google launched its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in early October last year. It could follow the same time frame this year as well. The company however, might not want to launch the devices late given the market will have some other powerful rivals by that time such as the LG V30, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the Apple iPhones.