Google Pixel 2 release date, news and rumors

Update: There might only be two Pixel 2 handsets after all, with rumors suggesting the Pixel 2 XL has been cancelled, but that we'll still get the even larger phone, codenamed taimen.

What's more, we've heard a rumor that this taimen smartphone will be made by LG, which hasn't made a Google phone since the Nexus 5X.

The next flagship phone(s) from Google likely won't arrive until late 2017, but we're already thinking about what the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL may have in store for us.

The search giant is done with the Nexus line and in its place the firm has created a slightly more premium, and far more mainstream range.

We’re talking, of course, about the Google Pixel and the larger Google Pixel XL, two high-end handsets aimed at the same market as the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7.

They were a strong first try too, scoring high in our reviews, but they stumbled in some areas and arguably didn’t quite stack up to their rivals. But Google is sure to learn from its mistakes and make the Pixel 2 even better.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next of Google's Pixel phones
When is it out? Late 2017, possibly October
What will it cost? A flagship price is all but guaranteed

Google Pixel 2 release date and price

Key points:

Pixel 2 release date likely to be October
Expect a flagship price tag too

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL were both launched in October 2016, so we’d expect to see the Pixel 2 roughly a year later, in or around October 2017.

Although the Pixel line is new, it’s building on the now defunct Nexus range, which also tended to have a new handset in around September or October of each year.

Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of hardware, has confirmed there will be a new Pixel this year, though he didn't get any more specific than that.

Pre-register for Google Pixel 2
UK: Carphone Warehouse

According to one source the Pixel 2 will apparently carry a loftier price tag than its predecessors - something we hope doesn't turn out to be true. The old one started at $649 (£599, AU$1,079), or $769 (£719, AU$1,269) for the XL version, so it was already expensive.

How many Google Pixel 2 phones?

There may in fact be three new phones , as we've heard word of handsets codenamed 'walleye' and 'muskie' - believed to be the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL respectively, but also the 'taimen', which is thought to be a larger phablet-sized handset.

However, the latest rumors suggest the Pixel 2 XL may have been cancelled, but that the larger taimen still exists, so there may just be two handsets after all, but the large one could be very, very big - up to 5.99 inches in screen size if the latest leaks are to be believed.

It's thought to be a similar vein to the Motorola Nexus 6 from 2014. Motorola told TechRadar last year it thought the Nexus 6 was too big when it made the phone, but Google wanted the larger screen on the phone so the company made it for the Nexus project.

We expect this will be a similar situation where Google again wanted a bigger product, and given that other handsets are growing in size it's not surprising.

Google Pixel 2 news and rumors

Hottest leaks:

The new Pixels will be waterpoof
There's a third Pixel in the works
Improved chipset and camera
No headphone jack

One rumor for the Google Pixel 2 is that the phone may come with a curved display when it launches later this year.

Google has tried to put an order for curved OLED screens with the LG Display Company, which suggests the company is ready to embrace curved screens on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Not just that, a recent rumor states that LG itself might actually be making one of the phones.

Based on benchmarks that have appeared on the web, one of the Pixel 2 phones could come with a 5.6-inch 18:9 screen and a 2,560 x 1,312 resolution.

It's also rumored that the Pixel 2 will come with a waterproof design. A Senior Editor at 9to5Google reported a source has said the phone will be dunkable when it's released.

They also revealed that the Pixel 2 will feature an improved chipset and camera, which could go some way to justifying the rumored higher price.

The same source then got back in contact with 9to5Google to reveal that the search giant is currently testing a budget Pixel handset which will have down-graded specs, but a smaller price tag.

This rumor has since been refuted by a Google exec, so it's looking unlikely - though the exec refers specifically to Pixel, so it's always possible that a budget Google handset will land without Pixel branding.

We've also heard that a true phablet might be landing, alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, so we could see at least three Pixel handsets this year.

That phablet may have been benchmarked, as a phone going by 'Google taimen' has appeared on Geekbench with a 1.9GHz (likely Snapdragon 835) chipset, 4GB of RAM and strong benchmark scores.

Those specs are in line with other recent flagships, so they're believable, especially as the Snapdragon 835 has been rumored for all three Pixel 2 handsets - though it's a configuration that might not be quite so cutting-edge by the time the Pixel 2 launches.

Very similar benchmark specs have appeared on the web more recently, so it looks as though the internals of the Pixel 2 phones are coming into focus.

The benchmark also highlights its use of Android O, which we're fully expecting to see on the phone.

Elsewhere, we've heard that the Pixel 2 might ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, which seems odd given that Google actively highlighted its presence in advertising for the original Pixel.

The Pixel 2 is also likely to build on what came before and add missing features – don’t be surprised if it’s water resistant this time around as has been rumored, and the screen on the standard Pixel 2 could be boosted to a QHD resolution.

That would bring it in line with the Pixel XL, which would be handy, especially as Google has positioned the range as built for its Daydream VR platform, for which those extra pixels would really help the visual experience.

Google also heavily marketed the Pixel on its camera skills, so further improvements there are likely, but the company may stick with what works – which could mean the same 12.3MP sensor - indeed there's evidence of a 12MP rear camera and 7MP front-facing one.

What we want to see

The above is what we’re expecting to see, but the following is what we’d like to see, if the Google Pixel 2 is to really impress us.

1. A lower price

The Pixel and Pixel XL are high-end phones, but they have beyond high-end prices, with the XL costing more than just about anything outside the iPhone 7 Plus, and the standard Pixel rivaling other flagships in price, despite not quite matching all their specs.

If Google really wants to make these phones mainstream, then for the Pixel 2 it needs to slash the price. Apple is a big name in hardware already, so it can get away with wallet-worrying prices, but Google’s Pixel brand still needs to grow.

2. A sharper screen

The original Pixel has just a 1080p screen, which isn’t quite a flagship spec when most rivals (including the Pixel XL) have QHD ones. It’s also problematic when the Pixel is positioned as a VR-friendly phone, yet doesn’t quite have the pixels to back that up.

So we’d like to see a QHD screen on the Pixel 2, and perhaps even a 4K screen on the Pixel 2 XL – though only if it doesn’t destroy the battery.

3. A stylish build

The Google Pixel has a high-end and distinctive look, with a metal and glass back, but it’s also a slightly unusual and divisive one, so we’d like to see it rethought for the Google Pixel 2.

There’s nothing wrong with glass, or metal, or even both together, but the design needs to be cohesive, where on the Pixel it looks a bit like they’ve just combined the two materials for the sake of it.

4. Water resistance

Water resistance still isn’t a feature of all flagship phones, but it’s increasingly heading that way, with even the iPhone 7 sporting a certain amount, so the Pixel having none (beyond being splash-resistant) was unfortunate.

Hopefully that will be changed for the Google Pixel 2, and we’ll get a phone that at least matches the best waterproofing on current phones – that means IP68 certification, but if it can go even further and be fully waterproof, then all the better.

5. Better battery life

It seems like we’re asking for better battery life from almost every phone, but the Pixel is particularly in need, often requiring a top-up midway through an evening.

That’s not great at any price, but especially not on a flagship, so we want to see vast improvements in life from the Pixel 2.

6. Stereo speakers

As with waterproofing, this is another thing that not all flagships have, but it’s certainly something we like to see, or hear.

While we’d always rather use headphones for audio on a phone, that’s not always practical, so a beefy pair of stereo speakers can make all the difference. Hopefully the Google Pixel 2 will have them.

7. Assistant improvements

Google Assistant was one of the main selling points of the Pixel, but while it’s certainly impressive, it doesn’t feel quite like the 2.0 upgrade to Google Now that it was billed as.

Among other things we want it to consistently pick up on the ‘OK Google’ wake command the first time we say it, and to be able to understand what we’re asking every time, even when we speak fast or in loud environments.

It’s pretty good now, but the times when it fails make us wish we hadn’t asked at all.