Google Pixel 2 XL

It was no secret going into Google’s October 4 event that the company planned to announce its second generation smartphones without headphones jacks. To not alienate owners who still preferred wired headphones, Google chose to include a USB-C to 3.5mm port dongle in the box.

According to one man who just bought his Pixel 2 from Verizon, it looks like Google had considered including wired headphones in the box…

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Since last week’s launch, the Pixel 2 XL has faced an onslaught of issues with its display. There are complaints about the screen’s lack of vibrancy, as well as burn-in issues already cropping up. Today, Google released a statement addressing the problems, as well as how they will be remedied.

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Google’s Pixel 2 XL has a huge 6-inch OLED display, but the company’s decision to use LG for this year’s panel isn’t working out all that great with an array of issues. Today, Samsung has posted an ad to remind everyone how great its screens are.

Coincidence? I think not!

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One thing on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL that irks me to an extent is the way colors are displayed. Google opted to go for more natural colors and restrict the phone to an sRGB color space, and that’s something we’re not used to on modern devices. Thankfully, a developer has figured out a solution.

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One of the flagship features that arrived with the Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL is something called Now Playing. When turned on, Now Playing identifies songs playing in the background automatically and lists the song’s name and artist on your lockscreen. Unfortunately, though, when that information disappears from your screen, it’s gone forever. ‘Now Playing History’ fixes this problem…

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While the Pixel’s performance both this year and last have blown us away, even the best Qualcomm chipsets pale in comparison to what Apple has been doing lately. Today, the first speed test between the Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 8 Plus has gone live, and the results are actually quite interesting.

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Google Lens has a ton of potential, and the bits Google showed off with it at I/O this May and GDD in September are incredible. However, basically none of that is live right now, and functionality is incredibly limited within the Photos app. Over time it’s going to improve, though, and a couple of Googlers have hit Twitter to give us more information.

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Google made a lot of strange decisions when it comes to the software on the Pixel 2, but as more people start using the phones, we’re noticing even more bizarre changes. Today, it’s been spotted that a handy Wi-Fi feature has disappeared from Google’s new phones.

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The Pixel 2 and 2 XL haven’t even been out for a full week, and the latter of the two is already experiencing a slew of different problems, most of which pertain to the display.

Now that a good number of units have shipped, we want to know if you’re experiencing any of the problems we and many others have been dealing with…

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The Google Pixel 2 XL has been getting lots of flack for its display being, well, subpar. Some are reporting burn-in, others have complained about the phone’s blue tint/discoloration when viewed at an angle, and yet others have weird green lines, overall graininess, and dead pixels. Then there’s the display’s general lack of vibrancy, which can attributed to Google’s tuning of the display to sRGB.

But there’s another problem, albeit one that’s minor in comparison to the others. We’ve found that the phone’s “black smear” — a phenomenon that’s familiar to OLED displays in general — is far worse than an average OLED display on a phone in this price range.

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Google’s Pixel 2 XL is a great phone, except for one key element — the display. Between terrible viewing angles, burn-in issues, and just overall poor quality control, people aren’t happy. And they shouldn’t be; this is an $849 phone.

Now that “burn-in gate” has really started to affect early Pixel owners, many are asking if it’s worthwhile to check out the smaller Pixel 2 instead — so let’s take a closer look.

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The Pixel 2 XL has been hit hard with criticism for a variety of problems, mostly related to its LG-made pOLED display. Now we’ve discovered another problem with Google’s new flagship, this time with its dual front-facing speakers. It seems the top speaker has been tuned down a bit, something that’s ever-so-slightly noticeable on occasion when watching videos or listening to music.

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Let’s just say things have only gotten worse and worse over the last couple of weeks for the Google Pixel 2 XL and its display. In our initial review, we gave the display perhaps not the most flattering description (“honestly pretty mediocre”), but it seems it might actually be worse than we thought.

After just a week or two of most press reviewers using the phone, there’s apparently a problem with screen burn-in from the software nav buttons. Reports of early buyers of the 2 XL having this problem are flooding in on social media, and yes, our units have the issue too.

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After spending hundreds of dollars on your smartphone, you probably want it to last a while before breaking. The Pixel 2 thankfully has a pretty grippy build, but you’re probably going to drop it at some point. If a case isn’t your thing, you’ll want to know how tough the phone is naked. Thankfully, the first drop test has arrived to answer that question.

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In addition to phone cases, the Made for Google program includes screen protectors from InsivibleShield to help protect your brand new Pixel 2. The thing is, though, these tempered glass screen protectors could use some improvements, especially with its $50 price tag…

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Most “bezel-light” devices on the market make their much larger displays more manageable by adopting a thinner, more one-hand friendly 18:9 aspect ratio. In some cases, that doesn’t play well, especially with 16:9 video. Now, YouTube has a native way to adapt to that ratio for Google’s new flagship.

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When looking at case options for your new Pixel 2, it’s always ideal to find something that is a mix of drop protection and style, and is a part of the Made for Google program. Thankfully, Speck has made three different Presidio cases that provide protection from 10-foot drops and come in distinct styles to match your personal taste…

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