Google Pixel 2 release date, news and rumors

The next flagship phone(s) from Google look to be less than a month away, and rumors surrounding the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are starting to intensify as we approach the launch.

The search giant is done with the Nexus line and in its place the firm has created a slightly more premium, and far more mainstream range of devices.

We’re talking chiefly about the Google Pixel and the larger Google Pixel XL, two high-end handsets aimed at the same market as the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8 - but it also has the Google Pixel C tablet as well.

The initial Pixel Smartphone parts duo were a strong first try, scoring high in our reviews, but they stumbled in some areas and arguably didn’t quite stack up to their rivals. But Google is sure to learn from its mistakes and make the Pixel 2 even better.

Rumors are promising, and you can read them all below, followed by a wish list of the things we want from the Pixel 2.

Google Pixel 2 release date and price

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL were both launched in October 2016, and it looks like it'll be the same again this year as the Google Pixel 2 launch event is set for October 4.

Google has sent out invites to an event on October 4 which will kick off at 9am PST (San Francisco), 12pm EST (New York), 5pm BST.

Google is yet to officially confirm the Google Pixel 2 release date, but we expect the phone to go on sale by the end of October.

According to one source the Google Pixel 2 will apparently carry a loftier price tag than its predecessors - something we hope doesn't turn out to be true.

The old one started at $649 (£599, AU$1,079), or $769 (£719, AU$1,269) for the XL version, so it was already expensive.

TechRadar's take: The Pixel 2 will launch on October 4, and we reckon the on sale date will be in the same month, but it's unlikely to be cheaper than the original Pixel.

How many Google Pixel 2 phones?

The latest rumors suggest we'll get two rather than three new Pixel phones from Google, as apparently the Pixel 2 XL has been cancelled.

AdvertisementInstead we're in line for the larger taimen (codename) handset, and this could be very, very big - up to 5.99 inches in screen size if the latest leaks are to be believed.

It's thought to be a similar vein to the Motorola Nexus 6 from 2014. Motorola told TechRadar last year it thought the Nexus 6 was too big when it made the phone, but Google wanted the larger screen on the phone so the company made it for the Nexus project.

We expect this will be a similar situation where Google again wanted a bigger product, and given that other handsets are growing in size it's not surprising.

There has also been rumors suggesting we may get three new Pixel phones, as we've heard word of handsets codenamed 'walleye' and 'muskie' - believed to be the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL respectively, along with 'taimen'. But, as mentioned above, the muskie may have been cancelled.

Google Pixel 2 screen

One rumor for the Google Pixel 2 is that the phone may come with a curved display when it launches later this year.

Google has tried to put an order for curved OLED screens with the LG Display Company, which suggests the company is ready to embrace curved screens on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Not just that, a recent rumor states that LG itself might actually be making one of the phones.

Based on benchmarks that have appeared on the web, one of the Pixel 2 phones could come with a 5.6-inch 18:9 screen and a 2,560 x 1,312 resolution.

That 18:9 aspect ratio would make it super-widescreen, like the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8, while the resolution would help with Google Daydream.

However, another source claims that the standard Pixel 2 will have a 4.97-inch screen, while a larger model will land with a 5.99-inch one.

While another source says the Pixel 2 XL will have a 6-inch AMOLED screen, supplied by LG.

Elsewhere, we've heard that this screen might have an always-on function, so you can see the time and notifications at a glance, and that it will have customizable settings, including a new 'Vivid Colors' mode.

Those features combined with the use of AMOLED would give it a lot in common with the Samsung Galaxy S8.

TechRadar's take: QHD or above resolutions on all models are likely, to bring them in line with rivals. The screens may also grow.

Google Pixel 2 design

Our first look at the purported Pixel 2 XL showed a design very similar to that of the Pixel XL, complete with a metal and glass back, but the glass window this time appears smaller and the fingerprint scanner is in the metal part. It also has far smaller bezels than its predecessor.

Interestingly, the latest leak contradicts ones that we've seen previously in one key way: the bezels on the front of the Pixel 2 may not end up being any thinner than what's seen on today's Google Pixel device.

We don't know much about the design of the standard Pixel 2 yet, although we have seen leaked cases supposedly designed for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

They're similar in a lot of ways, showing off a rear-facing fingerprint scanner on both, along with a 3.5mm headphone port (which we'd previously heard might be ditched).

The case images include an insert seemingly showing the designs of the phones, and while the one for the Pixel 2 looks similar to the original Pixel, with slim side bezels but big ones above and below the screen, the Pixel 2 XL case insert shows and almost bezel-free design - though these could just be placeholders rather than accurate designs. Or they could be proof that the above image is speaking some truth.

It's also rumored that the Pixel 2 will come with a waterproof design. A Senior Editor at 9to5Google reported a source has said the phone will be dunkable when it's released.

We've seen newer renders that claim to show off the final design of the Pixel 2 family of phones. Much of it falls in line with what we've seen previously, but the most noteworthy change is the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack.

Further case renders from Olixar (which you can see below) add to the suspicion the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will drop the legacy tech, while separate sources for 9to5Google Managing Editor Stephen Hall add more fuel to the 'no headphone jack' fire.

Google Pixel 2 camera and battery

A source has claimed that the Pixel 2 will have an improved camera - no surprise there and they don't specify how it will be improved.

Elsewhere, we've seen images of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL cases (pictured above), which show different camera cut-outs on the two ipad replacement screen, so they might not both have the same camera.

A benchmark for one of the models lists a 12MP rear camera with 4K video support, and a 7MP front-facing one. That sounds like a similar setup to the 12.3MP and 8MP combo on the original Google Pixel.

While this doesn't add to the potential spec of the Pixel 2 camera, we've seen what appears to the be the much bigger sensor in a recent leak. It's about the size in diameter to the fingerprint sensor, so expect its low-light chops to be even more improved.

We haven't heard any news on the battery yet, but the Pixel 2's is likely to be at least as big as the 2,770mAh one in the Pixel and the Pixel 2 XL's will probably at least match the 3,450mAh one in the Pixel XL.