The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL started shipping two days ago, and people around the world have started receiving their deliveries. One of these (un)lucky people is a Reddit user who goes by the name ‘MAKES_PEOPE_MAD’, and he just received his brand new Google Pixel 2XL smartphone. All’s great and everything, just that Google forgot to load any operating system on the device.

The Reddit user started a thread on the forum along with an image of his new smartphone showing an error that reads, “Can’t find valid operating system. The device will not start.” However, the internet has come to his rescue (with their sarcasm), and have the best suggestions ever. While user Echojhawke suggested him to switch the phone off and on again, that_90s_guy showed his foresightedness by suggesting him to “download more RAM when you’re at it”.

This thread did take a little turn, but it is definitely word reading. Check out the screenshot below:

Back to the mystery of missing operating system. We checked up the link that the error message shows, and we were taken to Nexus’ Help Forum. According to the forum, there are three kinds of warnings about operating system safety, and unfortunately this one falls under neither of them.

The three category the forum mentions are: One, a case where a device has loaded a different operating system, wherein they will see a yellow caution mark on their device. Second, when it is in an “unlocked” state. This means that your operating system can’t be checked to make sure that it’s safe to use. And this warning is represented by an orange caution mark. 

The third, is a red caution mark, which the case in question has too, but this is supposed to show up the warning “Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted and may not work properly.” Basically, for when a device has been changed or corrupted and is not safe to use. The device may not work properly and could expose user data to corruption and security risks.

While this warning doesn’t read any of the ones mentioned on the forum, going by the color schemes of the warnings, the device received by the Reddit user seems to have been corrupted. BGR India has gotten in touch with Google regarding the incidence, but an official response is awaited.

Online giveaways are the most luring, and also easy to fall for. Especially for highly priced products, these contests manage to garner immense response from people online. While there are some genuine contests, there are many which are fake and many people fall for it. One such event doing rounds is a Google Pixel contest, which has so far managed to get over 4,000 responses on Facebook.

The contest is being held on Facebook by a page very subtly named “Official Google Pixel”. The layout and content on this page appears to be very convincing and believable, which could have led to thousands of people falling for it. The contest was announced on October 25, and the prize was 50 Google Pixel smartphones to 50 winners.

To win a Google Pixel, all one had to do was type ‘PIXEL’ on the comment section without interruption. All the letters should be typed separately in one comment each without any interruptions in between. In addition to this, contestants had to like the page, and share the post to complete the process. The contest was held for 24 hours.

Following the completion, all 50 winners of the contest were also announced. However, after the list of winners was posted on the “Official Google Pixel” page, it didn’t take long for people to realize that it was all fake. Users started commenting saying that the contest is fake. There were some who were still in disbelief, and frustrated over not winning the contest. There’s also a Peter Parker (Spiderman), and South African cricketer David Miller in the winner list. 

The giveaway contest although over, is still managing to get attention with people still commenting on the post. To make things more convincing, the fake page posted pictures of the Google Pixel series, and Pixel 2 series as well. It even tagged the official Google page on Facebook, and shared content from the “Made by Google” page. If you come across posts like these, check if the page is genuine or not. Official brand pages usually have the verified badge, and Google has it on all of its product pages.
{BGR}

Ahead of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL sales, commencing in November, Google on Wednesday announced offers on pre-ordering the devices. The offer starts from Thursday. Users pre-booking the device on Flipkart on or before October 31 will get Sennheiser Bluetooth earphones worth Rs 11,990 for free. Airtel users will get 120GB of additional data for six months and Reliance Jio subscribers will get overall benefits worth Rs 14,999.

Also, users can get cashback of Rs 8,000 on HDFC bank credit card (on EMI transactions only). These offers are applicable across Flipkart and “our participating offline retail partners including Reliance Digital, Croma” and many more across India, the company said in a statement.

Pixel 2, that includes Google Lens, will be priced at Rs 61,000 for 64GB variant and Rs 70,000 for 128GB. Pixel 2 XL 64GB will cost Rs 73,000 and Pixel 2 XL 128GB will be available for Rs 82,000. Pixel 2 comes in just black, clearly white and kinda blue colours while Pixel 2 XL has just black and black and white variants.

The devices will be available in over 1,000 stores across the country and on Flipkart starting November 1 (Pixel 2) and November 15 (Pixel 2 XL). 

In a grim reminder of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle, now, people with review units of Google Pixel 2 XL are reportedly encountering display burn-in issues. Also called screen burn, this issue happens when there is a permanent discolouration on a portion of smartphone’s screen caused by irregular pixel usage.

“The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide colour gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings,” Android Central quoted a Google spokesperson as saying late Sunday.

“We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report.”

The screen burn-in issue was first highlighted on Twitter by Alex Dobie from Android Central who tweeted: “That’s some pretty wild OLED burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL after maybe 7 days of full-time use.”

“Multiple people have noticed that when you look at the smartphone’s screen with a gray background, you can see faint outlines of the phone’s navigation buttons on the bottom,” The Verge reported.

It could be a genuine screen burn-in problem, say reports, and can become a deal-breaker for potential buyers.

Earlier this month, the Google Pixel 2 product page came with an almost unnoticeable disclaimer suggesting that the unlimited Photos storage for a lifetime isn’t really unlimited forever. This obviously created panic among Pixel users. However, now, Google has confirmed that there is no reason to fret as 2016 Pixels, as well as the recently launched Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will continue to receive the free unlimited original quality photo and video uploads with no time limitation.

Google confirmed to AndroidPolice that Pixel users don’t have to worry about the storage space as the company will keep its promise of supporting this feature for them for life. Last year, Google at the time of launch of the original Pixels told customers that upon buying the phone, they will also get lifetime access for storing unlimited photos in Google Photos in their original resolution and file size.

The confusion, however, stirred up when Google Pixel 2 product page mentioned that the free original-quality uploads are only offered until the end of 2020. ”Free, unlimited original-quality storage for photos and videos taken with Pixel through the end of 2020, and free, unlimited high-quality storage for photos taken with Pixel afterwards,” the company had noted.

After the 2020 deadline, Pixel owners are said to follow the same process that non-Pixel users have to follow with Google Photos. To recap, Pixel users get unlimited storage for photos and videos in their original quality, non-Pixel users get limited storage. In original quality users only get 15GB, but for ‘high-quality’ photos and videos there’s unlimited storage. 

For Google, photos are compressed to save space. If a user uploads a photo that is larger than 16-megapixel, it will be resized to 16-megapixel automatically. Videos higher than 1080p will be resized to high-definition 1080p. Google also notes that a video with 1080p or less will look ‘close to original’.

One of the most sought after features on a smartphone is its camera. Even with budget smartphones, a consumer always expects a decent enough camera. With flagship smartphones, the expectations are even higher. Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 briefly held the crown of the best smartphone camera with a DxOMark score of 94. But they were piped by the new Google Pixel 2, which received a score of 96.

The Pixel 2 smartphones feature a 12.2-megapixel camera with f/1.8 aperture. The rear camera is equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), laser auto-focus, and dual-pixel phase detection. Up front, the smartphone houses an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.4 aperture. Both the rear and front cameras feature Machine Learning-based Portrait Mode for DSLR-like bokeh effects. To prove that its Pixel 2 smartphones are worthy of the high score, Google has shared a host of camera samples.

The photo series includes a total of 24 photos and short videos exploring the Pixel 2′s camera capabilities. Here are a few picked out of the lot showing off what the Pixel 2 is capable of. Firstly, the Portrait Mode on the Pixel 2 brought impressive results and from a single camera. What’s notable here is the pattern set between the subject, and the blurred background which gives a very natural feel and not mechanical or forced upon. 

Photos with a scenic background are also captured with details intact.

These two are my personal favorites. The first photo captured at night captures the details of the intricate designs on the building. You will notice the reflection on the puddle also doesn’t miss out on the details. The second photo looks quite tricky, but manages to catch a glimpse of the onlooker on the glass along with the outside. 

The photos posted here might not do justice to the camera’s true capabilities. As Google’s Pixel hit the shelves, we’ll get a better idea on the camera features. In India, pre-orders for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will begin on October 26 with sales for the Pixel 2 starting on November 1, and November 15 for the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 64GB and 128GB variants are priced at Rs 61,000 and Rs 73,000 respectively. As for the Pixel 2 XL, the 64GB model is priced at Rs 73,000 and the 128GB variant at Rs 82,000. 

Google held its ‘Made by Google’ event where it unveiled a slew of hardware products including Pixelbook, Pixel Buds, Google Clips, Google Home Mini and Google Home Max. But the highlight of the event was undoubtedly the second-generation Pixel smartphones – Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. As Google impressed us last year with the Pixel and Pixel XL, expectations were higher this year with the flagship smartphone bar raised even higher.

While experts give their opinions on how the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL fare in the smartphone race, the internet lot also had its say. Overall, the Pixel 2 duo received praise for being impressive yet again with a few disappointments in between. Here’s a look at how the Twitterati reacted to the launch of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Let’s start on a happy note. The monochrome color scheme continues, but the black and white combination stood out.

The Pixel 2 achieves the highest DxO score of any smartphone ever, beating out Note 8 and iPhone 8 http://t.co/fUfmHzRYOj #MadeByGoogle pic.twitter.com/uMOGiV0ErV

— WIRED (@WIRED) October 4, 2017

That black and white Pixel 2 was sweet as fudge pic.twitter.com/CUdpFSFAfj

— Eduardo Pires (@Eduardo66297020) October 5, 2017

So the new Google Pixel 2 has better specs than the iphone 8 in just about every way possible and yet the Pixel cost less...

— Nick (@siscoen) October 5, 2017

The new Google Pixel 2 is here. How is it different from last year's model? http://t.co/LW4cNSnTKQ pic.twitter.com/i7r5At3V7u

— Lifehacker (@lifehacker) October 5, 2017

*sees google pixel 2*

*looks at my iphone*

me: pic.twitter.com/2PvXPF0709

— C i r i ✨ (@pointtaryn) October 5, 2017

The Pixel 2 smartphones were heavily compared with the latest iPhone 8 series and the iPhone X as well tempting many Apple fans.

Holy shit the Google Pixel 2 looks so sexy! Sign me up! Move over iPhone X

— Woodsy (@WoodsyYouTube) October 5, 2017

So wow, that Pixel 2 looks awesome. 😍 If it weren't for iMessage, I'd be tempted to switch.

— Joey Banks (@joeyabanks) October 5, 2017

After frequenting rumor rounds over the past few months, the second-generation ‘Made by Google’ smartphones are finally official. Successors to last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL, the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come with improved design, under the hood hardware upgrades, latest Android 8.0 Oreo OS and more. The first-gen Pixels were impressive, and as the flagship smartphone landscape has completely changed this year with glass design, edge-to-edge displays and dual-camera setups.

Last month, Apple released three smartphones – the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with dull and boring looking design similar to iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7-series. The third device, the iPhone X, comes with a more futuristic design with edge-to-edge display, FaceID facial recognition and more. Even the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 and LG V30, to name a few, have impressed with their design and hardware offering. With the competition setting the bar so high, let’s take a look at how Google’s new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones fare.

Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL design

Talking about the Pixel 2, the front is dominated with the display, with thick bezels along the top and bottom. You have the front camera module and earpiece, above the display, whereas a slit for speaker grill sits below the display. The earpiece also doubles as a stereo speaker for enhanced multimedia experience.

The back continues to feature a two-tone design, just as the Pixel, with the top half housing the LED flash and the camera module. The bottom half is made from metal and also features a circular fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication. The power / sleep button and volume rocker is placed on the right, whereas the USB Type-C port is at the bottom.

The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, comes with a tall display with 18:9 aspect ratio, and thin bezels along the top and bottom. The earpiece and front camera module sit on the top, whereas a slit for speaker grill is at the bottom. Similar to the Pixel 2, the back has a dual tone finish with the fingerprint sensor placed in the lower half. However, the placement of camera module and LED flash has been changed. The buttons and ports placement remains the same. 

Featuring a 5-inch full HD OLED display, the smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB / 128GB on-board storage. The Pixel 2 camera has logged highest DxOMark score of 98, leaving the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus behind. It sports a 12.2-megapixel camera of aperture f/1.8 with optical image stabilization (OIS), 4K video recording capabilities and Machine Learning-based Portrait mode to add DSLR-like bokeh effects to your photos without the dual-camera setup. The mode also works on the 8-megapixel front camera. With an all-day battery live, connectivity options include 4G LTE with VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The smartphone also comes with IP67 certification for water and dust resistance.

The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, comes with a taller 6-inch P-OLED QHD+ display running at a resolution of 1,440 x 2,880pixels and pixel density of 538ppi. Just the Pixel 2, the Pixel 2 XL is also powered by Snapdragon 835 octa-core SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB / 128GB on-board storage. The camera specifications of the smartphone also remain the same. With slightly larger battery, the rest of specifications remain the same as the Pixel 2.

Both Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL also feature always-on display to show you notifications and the song that is playing on your smartphones. The smartphones also include squeeze feature (similar to HTC U11) to quickly access Google Assistant.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones have been launched in two variants each. The Pixel 2 64GB variant is priced at Rs 61,000, while the 128GB variant is priced at Rs 70,000. The Pixel 2 XL 64GB variant is priced at Rs 73,000, and the 128GB variant is priced at Rs 82,000. The smartphone will go on-sale in six countries, including India, with pre-orders starting October 26. The devices will go on sale starting November 15, and will be a Flipkart exclusive. You can choose from four color options including Just Black, Kinda Blue, Clearly White and Black & White.

Last of the biggies, Google, will be unveiling its flagship smartphones tonight. Successors to the ‘Made by Google’ smartphones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, Google is expected to launch the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The launch event will take place in San Francisco at 9:00AM PT which would be 9:30PM in India. Google will be live streaming the event through a dedicated YouTube channel.

These past few months have treated us with multiple leaks and rumors about the next generation Pixel smartphones. Both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are expected to come with improvements and upgrades under the hood, as well as design. In addition, Google is also expected to launch two more products from its hardware bank. These include a Google Home Mini, and a new Pixelbook. Here’s a detailed look at what we can expect from Google’s event tonight.

With the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL last year, Google entered the hardware space where it controls everything from the design, specifications and features to the software, just like Apple does with iPhones. A year later, Google is all set to launch the successors of these smartphones – the Pixel 2, and the Pixel 2 XL. The event is set to take place in San Francisco on October 4. Google will also live stream the event on YouTube, which will kick off at 9:30PM IST.

This year, in particular, has been pretty interesting with flagship smartphones featuring bezel-less displays and dual camera setups. The recently launched iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus do not bring much to the table in terms of design, but Apple has been talking all about performance boost compared to earlier generation iPhones. With that being said, a lot has already been leaked about the new Pixels, right from the design to specifications and more. Let’s go ahead and take a closer look at what to expect.

To compete with the current flagship smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, LG G6, LG V30 and Xiaomi Mi MIX to name a few, Google is also set to join the bezel-less revolution. As we can see in the leaked renders, the Pixel 2 XL is set to get taller displays, but unlike last year where both Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones shared same design with difference in screen size, this time, there will likely be some difference. 

To begin with, let’s talk about the Pixel 2 first. Based on the leaked renders, the front will be dominated with the display, with thick bezels along the top and bottom. Just above the display, there is a front camera module, followed by the earpiece, which is also expected to double as a stereo speaker. Below the display, we can see a slit for speaker grill, just as we have already seen on the Nexus 6P. From the look of it, the Pixel 2 is unlikely to come with a taller display.

Turn to the back, and you have the two-tone combination with the top half housing the LED flash and the camera module. While the top half seems to retain the glass casing, the second half is likely to be made from metal. It also houses a circular fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication. In terms of buttons placement, the power / sleep button and volume rocker is placed on the right, whereas the USB Type-C port is expected to be at the bottom. Rumors also hint that the Pixel 2 will ditch the 3.5mm audio port. 

Moving on to the Pixel 2 XL, renders hint at a tall display with 18:9 aspect ratio, and thin bezels along the top and bottom. Just like the Pixel 2, the Pixel 2 XL renders also show off the earpiece and front camera module on the top, whereas a slit for speaker grill at the bottom. Turn to the back, and while it retains the dual tone finish with fingerprint sensor placed in the bottom half, the placement of camera module and LED flash is a bit different in this case. The right edge still houses the power / sleep button (orange color) with volume rocker below it.

According to details obtained by Android Authority, the Pixel 2 will bring under the hood upgrades compared to last year’s Pixel smartphone. It is expected to feature a full HD display, but there is no word on the screen size. Based on previous leaks, it is expected to be 5-inch or 5.1-inch panel. With Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core SoC, 64GB and 128GB onboard storage and 2,700mAh battery. The smartphone is also expected to come with an e-SIM slot in the US and other supported markets. Google is likely to offer three color options – Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue.

The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, is expected to come with a larger QHD display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is likely to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core SoC paired with 64GB and 128GB storage options. The Pixel 2 XL is also expected to be armed with a 3,520mAh battery with support for fast charging.

Both smartphones are expected to come with improved IP67 certification for water and dust resistance. The Squeeze feature that we saw on HTC U11 is also expected to be present on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. Also, both smartphones could pack the same resolution front and back cameras, but unlike the competition, Google is set to miss out on the dual camera setup. We really hope Google adds some neat software tricks to compensate for the same. 

Leaked information hints that the Pixel 2 64GB variant will cost $649, which is approximately Rs 42,700, whereas the 128GB storage variant will cost about $749, which is approximately Rs 49,200. The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, could set you back by $849, which is roughly Rs 55,800 for the 64GB storage variant, whereas the 128GB storage variant is likely to be priced at $949, which is approximately Rs 62,300. Indian pricing is likely to be higher after the taxes and import duties.

Rumors also hint that Google might announce new and improved Google Home speakers. Recently, Amazon announced a bunch of Echo devices across multiple price points, and Google is also expected to do the same, with Google Home Mini rumored to be one of them. It is expected to come with same features as the Google Home, but without the premium speaker experience.

Google could also announce a new Pixel branded Chromebook, called Pixelbook. If Google does end up announcing this one, it could be the company’s third Chromebook, focused on highlighting the upcoming changes in the Chrome OS. Lastly, rumors also hint at new and improved Daydream VR headset announcement too.

Now, what all Google ends up announcing remains to be seen. We are excited about the Pixel event tomorrow, and if you are looking forward to it too, let us know about your expectations in the comments section below.

{BGR, AndroidAuthority}