Google has launched the Pixel 2, its first smartphone with Google Assistant and AR Stickers, and no Sim card. The new phone sports a new family of hardware products, including an all-day battery and Google’s highest-rated camera. In the future, and exclusive to Pixel, the camera will get Augmented Reality (AR) Stickers: users will be able to add playful emojis and virtual characters to photos and videos, or set the scene for their own stories.
Special camera and video
The camera is suitable for high-quality portrait shots with background blurs, from both the front and the back. New motion photos can capture a few seconds of video around the shot. The Pixel 2 camera is powered by computational photography and machine learning (ML) capabilities. Video capture has been improved with both optical and electronic video stabilisation for a smooth experience even on the move. Google said independent camera experts DxOMark rated the camera the best of any smartphone, with a score of 98. The company will again provide free unlimited storage for all photos and videos taken from the Pixel.
Google Lens exclusive
Pixel 2 owners will also get to get an exclusive preview of Google Lens while they search, which uses computer vision and ML combined with Knowledge Graph. People will be able to look up landmarks, books, music albums, movies and artwork by clicking on the Lens icon in Google Photos. Google Lens can also be used to copy URLS and contact info from a picture from a picture of a poster or business card. Google will be adding capabilities in the future, including the use of Google Lens in the Google Assistant.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant will be accessible with a new feature called Active Edge. Users can give the phone a squeeze and ask for the Assistant. The assistant can be used to manage more setting and apps, for example, by saying “turn on do not disturb” if wanting silence, without navigating settings at all. People will be able to control music, smart home devices and find answers to their questions. In the coming weeks, the assistant will be expanded with the capacity to help with daily routines. For example, saying “good night” will make the assistant silence the phone, turn off the lights and set the alarm. Battery The Pixel 2 battery will last all day and charge for seven hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging. It is also water and dust resistant to the IP67 standard. Google also made it simpler to switch to the Pixel, by easing and accelerating how users copy their contacts, apps, messages, photos, and iMessages – in under 10 minutes.
No Sim card
With Project Fi, the new Pixel 2 phones will come with an eSim, or an embedded one that will enable users to connect instantly. This means no need for a Sim to be inserted. The option to use eSim to connect ot the Project Fi network will be on all Pixel 2s.
Specifications and price
The Pixel 2 will come in two sizes: a 5-inch version with a cinematic OLED display in Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue; and a 6-inch Pixel 2 XL version with a pOLED 18:9 display allowing a full screen and immersive viewing, in Just Black, and Black and White. Both phones are powered by Android 8.0 Oreo, with an always-on display. The new Now Playing feature, again exclusive to Pixel, shows what song is playing around you. It can match music to a database stored on the device, without sending any information to Google.
Both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL became available for pre-order in the US on 4 October from USD 649. The products will also be available in the Australia, Canada, Germany, India and the UK. The phones will go later this year to Italy, Singapore and Spain. In the US, the phone will be available exclusively with Verizon, as well as on the Google Store. The phones will also work on the Fi network.
