By Raunak Haldipur
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 draws its design from the 1st generation Google Pixel with little changes. The glass back has been made narrower and Google has let go of the headphone jack like Apple did for the iPhone 7. At the same time, Google has come with their own wireless earphones called Pixel Buds. The Pixel 2 is five inches and the Pixel XL 2 stands at six inches, slightly larger than the 1st generation Pixel phones. Both the phones come with Android 8.0, dubbed as Oreo, which is the latest Android OS that was released in September.
The specifications
The Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 64/128GB storage and 4GB RAM. The Pixel 2 comes in four colours- Just Black, Clearly White, Kinda Blue, and Black & White. The battery capacity of the Pixel 2 is the same as last year’s Pixel, but this year the Pixel XL 2 has a capacity 100 mAh higher than last year’s Pixel. The new Pixel has a better camera and Google claims it to be the highest-rated camera ever, just like they claimed with the 1st generation Pixel last year. This year we have seen a lot of smartphones like the iPhone 7 Plus, OnePlus 5, and Xiaomi’s Android One phone. However, Google has stuck to a single camera and claims it to be superior to dual camera phones. The Google Pixel 2 has a smart camera with a dual-pixel autofocus, which makes the photo quality superior. It is not only the hardware but the software of the camera that makes the pictures stand out.
This time, the Pixel 2 is also water resistant and it also comes with Google Lens built in it, using which users can learn about landmarks, and look up books, movies, albums and artwork. This time, the Pixel 2 comes with stereo speakers. Unlike the previous Nexus and Pixel phones, Google is promising three years of security updates. The rest of the features of the Pixel 2 are available even on the 1st generation Pixel such as Google Assistant, Fast Charging, and Unlimited Photo backup on Google Photos.
Is it worth the upgrade?
Honestly speaking, if you already own the 1st generation Pixel, the Google Pixel 2 isn’t worth the upgrade. There have been only a few incremental changes to the specifications and the camera. Nothing ground-breaking has been introduced in the Pixel 2, except for the fact that they have done away with the 3.5 mm headphone jack. However, if you are looking for a pure android experience phone, then do go for the Google Pixel 2.
Google Pixelbook
We all knew of the Chromebook Pixel 2, which was launched two years ago. Now, Google is bringing their premium Chromebook under the name of Pixelbook. This can be used as a laptop, a tablet, and can also be folded 360 degrees. It is 10.3mm thin and has an aluminium unibody. If one looks closely, it resembles the Google Pixel phone because the Pixelbook also has glass shade on the back for the WiFi antennas.
Earlier, Chromebooks used to come with 16GB internal memory and 2 or 4GB RAM. For these standards, the Pixelbook has really high specifications. The base model of the Pixelbook starts at $999 and comes with 128GB internal storage, 8GB RAM and an Intel i5 processor. The top model comes with a tag of $1,650, with 512GB internal storage, 16GB RAM, and i7 processor. The Pixelbook will come with Google Play Store pre-installed and users can download Android apps and use them on the Pixelbook. The Pixelbook comes with 2 USB Type-C ports which can be used for charging just like the Google Pixel phone. If one has a Google Pixel, then it can automatically recognise the Pixelbook and tether data to it. Google has also built in Google Assistant into the Pixelbook by having a dedicated button for it just like Cortana on a few Windows 10 PCs and Siri on MacBooks.
A new way to create
The Pixelbook comes with a 12.3 inches full touch-screen display and it would be a shame not to have it fully utilised. Like the Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro, Google has also come up with a stylus called the Pixel pen for the Pixelbook, which is powered by AAA batteries, and supports both pressure and angle. It comes with the same price tag as the Apple Pencil, at $99. However, it is not clear as to how many Android apps will support the stylus. The Pixelbook is already out for pre-order and will be shipped in the US, UK and Canada from October 31st onwards.
Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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