The Google Pixel 2 is the second smartphone under the ‘made by Google’ label, and on paper it’s better in every way – almost.
It’s the smaller version of the Pixel 2 XL, and with the backing of the company’s far-reaching search and Assistant capabilities, Google says it’s smarter and simpler.
It’s also more powerful, with an improved camera and new features. Not everything has necessarily changed for the better though, as for example the 3.5mm headphone port has been ditched.
There’s a lot to take on board, but we’ve covered everything you need to know. Read on for full details of every aspect of the Pixel 2.
Google Pixel 2 price and release date
- Starts at $649 / £629 for 64GB model
- Pre-orders are open, arrives in stores on October 19
Google’s October 4 launch event segued into an immediate pre-order phase for the Google Pixel 2 phone in countries like the US, UK, Australia and Canada.
While you can get the phone unlocked in the US through Google, there are pre-orders through Verizon, too.
The actual Google Pixel 2 release date is on Thursday, October 19. That’s when the first shipments of the new phone will begin.
The Google Pixel 2 price starts at $649 or £629 for 64GB version. It’ll cost more for the 128GB option, at $749 and £729.
Google Pixel 2 display
- 5-inch, full HD OLED display
- Always-on display shows a variety of information
- Google Pixel 2 has a 5-inch, 1080p OLED display, which comes in at 441 pixels per inch. That’s pretty standard, but the new feature here is the always-on display.The always-on display can show you the time, date, email and text message notifications and reminders on screen without you having to touch or wake the Pixel 2.
If you’re playing music, the Pixel 2 can also detect the song and display the tune that’s playing on the always-on display as well. This doesn’t even need an internet connection to recognize the tune, as it uses an on-device database of music.
Google Pixel 2 power
The Google Pixel 2 comes with the latest Snapdragon 835 chipset under the hood, giving it plenty of power and matching the setup in the LG V30, HTC U11 and Sony Xperia XZ1.
That’s paired with 4GB of RAM, which combined means you’ll be able to throw pretty much anything at the Pixel 2 and it should run it without issue.
We will, of course, be putting that to the test in our in-depth Google Pixel 2 review in the coming weeks.
You also get the choice of either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, although the price between them is rather vast.Google Pixel 2 battery
- All day battery life
- 7 hours use from a 15 minute charge
Google claims that the Pixel 2 will give you an all-day battery life and fast charging that can give you up to seven hours of use from just 15 minutes of top up time.
The actual size of the battery is 2,700mAh, and we’ll be putting it to the test during our in-depth review process to see if it can really last a day.
Disappointingly there’s no wireless charging support, so you’re out of luck if you were hoping for this feature on the Pixel 2.
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Google Pixel 2 operating system
- Runs stock Android 8.0 Oreo out the box
No surprise here, as the Google Pixel 2 runs the stock version of Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
It’s the latest version of Google’s operating system and the Pixel 2 (and Pixel 2 XL) will be used to highlight the benefits of a pure Android experience.
You’ll also benefit from Google Assistant, providing a wide range of voice-enabled functions and features.
