Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL – India Launch, Price And Availability

The second generation of Google’s Pixel phones were launched yesterday at the Google Event. After many speculations and even more leaks, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were officially unveiled. This time Google has concentrated on a combination of AI, software and hardware in the second generation of Pixel phones.

The latest Pixel smartphones promise to elevate the smartphone experience to another level and will showcase the best Google has to offer. The company claims to have created the world’s best smartphone camera for the newest Pixel duo.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL – Specifications and Features

Other than differences in size, screen size, design and battery capacity, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL share the same set of specifications.

Design and Build

Both the smartphones are housed in an aluminium body, with Pixel’s signature glass patch carried over from the previous generation. Pixel 2 has been manufactured by HTC, whereas the bigger phone, Pixel 2 XL has been made by LG. Both of these have ‘Always On’ feature that will display live notifications.

Display

The Pixel 2 sports a 5.0” Cinematic, full HD 1080×1920 pixels display. The bigger Pixel 2 XL sports a 6.0” Quad HD+ (2880 x 1440) P-OLED display with a pixel density of 538ppi and an 18:9 display ratio. Both the displays come with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

“Squeeze” Feature

Both the devices feature the “Squeeze” interaction technology called Active Edge. For now, it launches Google Assistant on squeezing. But this may be user-programmable with future software updates.

Hardware

Both the phones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM. This combination can easily handle all day-to-day tasks with ease.

Software

Both, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will run the latest version of Android Oreo 8.0 out of the box. Being Google branded smartphones, they will offer pure Android experience coupled with lightning fast updates. The new Pixel phones will combine AI with software and hardware elements to offer a new and efficient smartphone experience.

Storage

Both these smartphones will be available in two storage variants, 64GB and 128GB. As usual, there is no support for expandable storage.

Camera

The cameras on both these smartphones are identical. Both will sport a 12.2 megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture and optical and electronic image stabilization. Up front, both the phones will sport an 8.0 megapixel shooter with an aperture of f/2.4 and support 4K video recording. This camera has scored a DxOMark rating of 98, the highest for any smartphone camera ever!

SIM Support And Connectivity

Both these smartphones will support e-SIM in addition to regular SIM cards. It has all the requisite sensors on board, and then some. But, the 3.5mm headphone jack has received the axe on both of them. So, it’s going to be a single USB Type C port for both, charging and listening to music.

Battery

The Pixel 2 packs in a 2,700mAh battery, while the Pixel 2 XL houses a bigger 3,520 mAh battery.

Google Lens

The Pixel 2 smartphones will feature Google Lens, which will let you search for places of interest or places to eat nearby using AR technology. It works with the help of automated object recognition, which in turn uses Google’s AI technology to detect elements in the camera in real-time.

India Price

Google has announced the India prices of both these phones which will be available here starting next month.

Google Pixel 2

• Rs. 61,000/- for 64GB variant.
• Rs. 70,000/- for 128GB variant.

Google Pixel 2 XL

• Rs. 73,000/- for 64GB variant.
• Rs. 83,000/- for 128GB variant.

India Availability

Both these smartphones will be available for pre-orders in India from October 26. The Pixel 2 will go on sale from November 1 and the Pixel 2 XL will go on sale from November 15. Flipkart is going to be the exclusive online seller for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Both phones will also be available offline at official retailers.