Google on Thursday said it will be launching new smartphones on October 4, without sharing any more details. In a teaser on its Made by Google site, the company asks “Thinking about changing phones? Stay tuned for more on October 4.” The company is widely expected to launch Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, the upgrade to its last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.
The Android-maker’s teaser comes two days after its stark rival Apple announced three new iPhone models – the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X. Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are also expected to be top-of-the-line flagship smartphones. The company also began to put up billboards in Boston this week. The search giant is also making sure no-one misses the teaser, by placing a teaser (seen below) on the Search home page as well, saying “Ask more of your phone. Oct. 4”
google pixel october 4 search teaser Google Google Pixel Google Pixel 2 Google Pixel 2 XL Smartphones Mobile Google Pixel 2 Launch Google Pixel 2 XL Launch iPhone X iPhone XL LG G6 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Chromebook Pixel
If one clicks through the Search home page’s teaser, the URL (web address) mentions the word Pixel, corroborating the obvious – that the new smartphones from Google will be Pixel smartphones. The company has separately published a video teaser, which can be seen below. The video teaser imagines users typing in several questions about their smartphones into the search engine, lamenting poor battery life, blurry photos, lack of storage, dumbness, inability to auto-update, and bad performance, indicating the Pixel 2 series will not be affected by any of these common problems.
Not much is known about the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 supposed smartphones, but according to recent reports, the Pixel 2 – said to be made by HTC – could have a “squeezable frame” like the HTC U11. This would allow users to perform a range of actions by just how tightly they hold the phones.
The supposed Google Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL smartphones are expected to be powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC, the best-in-class offering from Qualcomm, which recently said Android smartphones are always first to get new features, taking a jab at Apple. There has been some chatter that Google’s upcoming Android smartphones might house Snapdragon 836, with some doubting that the said mobile processor doesn’t exist.
At least the Pixel 2 XL is expected to be made by LG and feature a 6-inch bezel-less display, similar to what we have seen in LG’s own G6 and V30 smartphones, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone X.
The teaser notably doesn’t mention anything about a new variant of Google Home and Google Assistant-powered earphones, two products the company is reportedly planning to launch soon, too. Google is also expected to refresh its Chrome Pixel laptop lineup.