We are now a week away from the official October 4th debut of the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. We do know a good chunk about the smaller Pixel device, but some information on the larger device have been lacking. The latest leaks claim that the Pixel 2 XL will feature something we’ve been asking for since the Nexus 6P.
In 2017, very few smartphones offer dual front facing speakers. It is a feature that was ditched for some reason in 2016, before the shrinking bezels. Last year’s Pixels didn’t offer it, neither did HTC’s device’s this year. That is about to change. According to a source from XDA Developers, the Pixel XL 2 will most definitely have dual front facing speakers.
We have known for sometime that the smaller Pixel 2 will have dual speakers on the front of the device from actual device leaks, but we didn’t hear much about the 2 XL. The 2 XL is expected to follow a form factor like the V30, so there isn’t much room for a speaker on the “chin” of the device. We still haven’t seen the front of the device, but it will be interesting to see how they implement it.
It also seems that Google will follow the trend and offer a “Portrait Mode” on both of this year’s devices. If you recall, Google already does have a similar feature called “Lens Blur”. Since the 2017 Pixel devices won’t have dual cameras, this feature will be done with software. Currently with Lens Blue, once you take a photo, you then have to move the camera upwards. Then Google does the rest. It will be interesting to see if they manage a quicker way to achieve the bokeh effect.
Image courtesy of 9to5Google
Lastly, XDA has gathered some other interesting tidbits. These were originally rumored by the founder of Android Police, but he couldn’t confirm the authenticity of his source. The device’s will feature a new Pixel Launcher, which will have the Google Search bar below the apps in the “dock”. It will also feature “Always On Music Recognition”. It is unknown how this feature will be implemented without an invasion of privacy or draining battery, so we’ll have to wait until October 4th.
