The Pixel 2 XL is Google’s latest phone, and it’s been all over our news feeds for the past couple of weeks, with new developments coming in seemingly by the hour. On the one hand, it has the new Google Lens, an on-demand object recognition tool. Lens lets the camera understand what it’s seeing, and connect that to a task. It can recognize the type of flower in a photo, connect you to a home’s Wi-Fi network by snapping a photo of the sticker on the router, or tell you the name of a painting’s artist. Google made a further splash when it announced that Google Lens was going to be backported to the original Pixel devices, not just the model 2 or 2 XL. On the other hand, while Google Lens seems like a pretty nifty addition, the problems plaguing the Pixel 2 XL are varied.
- Some Pixel 2 phones are making strange noises [Engadget] “According to around 100 buyers on Google’s Pixel product forum, the Pixel 2, and to a lesser extent, Pixel 2 XL are emitting clicking and/or high frequency sounds from the call speaker.”
- Pixel 2 XL: What’s up with that screen? [CNET] “Depending on whom you ask — see: Reddit, XDA Developers — the phone’s LG-made P-OLED screen has muted colors, a bluish tint or a blotchy, grainy texture that’s visible when you scroll down webpages. The short answer: It’s basically all true. But after a close comparison of five different phones here in the CNET offices — two Pixel 2 XL, two LG V30 and a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus for comparison — it’s more of a nuanced issue, and less of an open and shut case.”
- Two-week-old Pixel 2 XL displays are already showing burn-in [Ars Technica] “The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the best Android phones you can buy, but boy does the 2 XL have a lot of display issues. In addition to graininess and a weird blue shift at certain viewing angles, the 2 XL is now experiencing burn-in on units that are just a week or two old.”
- Forget the Pixel 2’s display problems, Google’s new flagships are far too fragile [BGR] “Forget about the Pixel 2 XL’s screen issues, which may be fixed via a software update in the future. Not to mention that LG will certainly improve the quality of its OLED displays in the coming years if it truly is fighting for Apple’s business. The Pixel 2 has much worse problems, in my opinion, when it comes to overall quality. A new test shows that the phone will scratch quite easily… and it bends!”
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Google Pixel 2 ain’t heavy, but it’s certainly impressive (ohn, D. (2017, October 10). Google Pixel 2 ain’t heavy, but it’s certainly impressive. Australian Financial Review. p. 24. )
- Google Launches Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 2 Smartphones With Squeezable Sides (Weiss, T. R. (2017). Google Launches Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 2 Smartphones With Squeezable Sides. Eweek, 1. )
- Here’s Everything We Know About Google Pixel 2 So Far (Reisinger, D. (2017). Here’s Everything We Know About Google Pixel 2 So Far. Fortune.Com, 34. )
