Google Tries To Fix Pixel 2 XL Display With New Update
Ever since its launch, the Google Pixel 2 XL has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The integration of software, hardware and AI by Google in the Pixel 2 smartphones has been overshadowed by the growing complaints against the Pixel 2 XL’s OLED display. In a new software update, apart from the December security patch, Google has introduced new settings in the display menu, in a bid to improve the user experience.
The software update also contains a security patch for the Wi-Fi “Krack” vulnerability.
The update also contains a fix for the faint clicking noise heard in some Pixel 2s as well as changes to the Pixel 2 XL’s display behaviour to mitigate against potential screen burn-in. About the new update, a Google community manager writes:
As we mentioned in our deeper dive, this update also brings planned UI changes which extend the life of the OLED display, including a fade out of the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen and an update to maximum brightness. These features have been carefully designed so as not to detract from the user experience. Since all OLED displays experience some degree of decay over time, we’ll continue to make enhancements which maximise the life of your Pixel screen.
With the new update, there will be a new set of three different options on both models: boosted, natural, and saturated under the Display settings option. Here is how Google described how the “saturated” setting would look:
The saturated mode puts the display into an unmanaged configuration, similar to how the Pixel 1 operates. The colors will be more saturated and vibrant, but less accurate (similar to most other smartphones which display more vibrant colors): we give consumers the option to choose the colour saturation.
Google’s definition of the saturated setting proves that even though this update has rolled out, the company still doesn’t want its users to use this setting. Google’s intentions are to keep the Pixel 2 XL looking accurate rather than eye-pleasing and unnatural.
