Google Launches The Pixel 2 XL For US$849

Google has finally unveiled the new Pixel 2 XL during its launch event. The Pixel 2 XL is priced at Rs 73000 for the 64GB variant. Google will also bundle a Google Home Mini with every order of a Pixel 2 XL for a limited time.

The Pixel 2 XL has a design similar to the Pixel 2 with a glass window at the back and the placement of the fingerprint sensor at the back is the same as well. The smartphone has a 6 inch 2880 x 1440 px POLED display which translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio. Protecting the display is Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Just like the Pixel 2, the device runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and will receive the Android P update in 2018. Powering the device is a 3520 mAh battery which is larger than the one found in the Pixel 2. Under the hood, the Pixel 2 XL has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa core processor, Adreno 540, 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device but, this time around the “glass window” is smaller.

A new addition is front-firing dual stereo speakers. The big omission is the much talked about 3.5 headphone jack. The Pixel 2 XL also has an always on display for better accessibility. Another feature is the Active Edge feature which lets you squeeze the frame of the phone to launch the Google Assistant. Google has also made some minor changes to the phone’s home screen. The most notable change is that there’s now a search box at the very bottom of the screen. Up top, there’s now an “at a glance” widget, which displays your upcoming meetings, as well as the date and temperature.

On the camera front, Google has decided to go for a single camera setup similar to last year’s Pixel phones. The rear-facing camera is a 12.2 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Google has introduced new features in the camera department like the addition of AR. You’ll be able to add 3D characters and emoji into photos and videos and see them move around as you’re capturing the scene. That includes things like a sleepy coffee cup, but also some recognisable characters. Google is going to be partnering with third parties to add in some famous faces. DXOmark has given the cameras of the Pixel 2 XL a score of 98, highest ever for a smartphone. Google says Pixel 2 XL has greater high dynamic range, optical image stabilisation, and a portrait mode that doesn’t use a second camera but dual-sensor image technology. The Pixel 2 XL uses both OIS and EIS simultaneously for better clarity and stable images and videos.

The Pixel 2 XL will be available online on Flipkart exclusively and at select offline retail outlets. As far as pricing is concerned, the Pixel 2 64GB is priced at Rs 61,000, the 128GB variant at Rs 70,000, the Pixel 2 XL 64GB is priced at Rs 73,000, and the 128GB at Rs 82,000. Pre-orders in India begin from 26th October 2017, the Pixel 2 will be available for sale from November 1 and the Pixel 2 XL from 15th November.