First impressions on the Google Pixel 2

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

We have new Google Pixels coming! These are still premium devices and apparently in short supply (some are already out of stock). For this year, Google has made the Pixels water resistant and it has improved the quick charging functionality.

New OLED displays are brighter and more saturated and the Pixel 2 XL has a lot of the display technology from the LG V30, including a semi bezel-free screen with no notches. Design has been refined with a slimmer body and more rounded corners but at the expense of a headphone jack. Google will include a USB-C adapter for headphone jacks.

The Pixel 2 colours this year are rather striking and the kind of blue is really attractive. The Pixel 2 XL is more austere with a new black and white (panda) colour. The new Pixel 2 phones look and feel premium, but not at the level of a Samsung Note 8 or an iPhone 8.

Still, they seem durable, are designed for one-handed use and also feature a new UI which features truly stunning live wallpapers that simulate video.

There are now front-firing stereo speakers, no doubt a feature suggested by HTC which used to market these as BoomSound speakers. I didn't have much time to test the camera, but in the poorly lit demo room conditions, I don't think I could get a real sense of what it could do.

Google says they can enable portrait mode photography without needing two cameras. Using their computational photography as well as machine learning, the Pixels can now recreate 'bokeh' accurately for both the rear and front camera. I have not doubt this camera is exceptional. While DXO Mark is suspect, there must be some veracity to the high rating an I will certainly look forward to testing the Pixel 2 camera at length.

It is interesting to note that Google rarely discussed Android, apps or Oreo during its keynote. The whole message was that the company is going beyond the limitations of mobile. The Pixel family may be the pinnacle of Android devices in terms of hardware and software but also AI and machine learning, which is more powerful. 

Exclusive features like Google Lens and being able to squeeze the sides of the Pixel 2 to invoke Google Assistant set the Pixel apart from the gaggle of premium smartphones.

For the Pixel 2 devices to really resonate in the market, they need to be readily available and accessible (an issue that hounded the original Pixels, something that Google VP Rick Osterloh noted during his keynote). 

Both Pixels look like solid, well-realized devices. IF marketed properly and made available widely, they should propel Google's mobile strategy forward nicely.