Pixel day is under a week away now and there really isn’t much we don’t already think we know. Sounds silly but we all love leaks don’t we? Today screen protectors for both the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 have been leaked by Slashleaks confirming a few details we already thought we knew.
As seen in the pictures below the Pixel XL 2 made by LG (the good second generation Pixel) will indeed have a curved front display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Similar to the original Pixel XL there is a single front facing camera and a proximity sensor underneath the speaker grill.
The interesting thing about the screen protector for the Pixel XL 2 is that it appears to have dual front facing speakers (we assume stereo) at the very extremes of the front of the display. While the top cutout may well be an earpiece for phone calls (remember, the phones can do those things) but it is a large cutout that matches the lower cutout exactly.
The other screen protector in the images is for the other Google Pixel 2, this one made by HTC. The screen protector shows the crazily massive bezels that we have come to expect from HTC. It is very disappointing that HTC are yet to see the light when it comes to maximising the display to body ratio — it may just have something to do with their dwindling market percentage.
Within these massive bezels are also dual front facing speakers but also what appears a massive front facing camera. This camera aperture is one of the largest we have seen on a smartphone so it will be interesting to see how Google make use of this.
The only thing about the Pixel XL that I don’t like is the single bottom firing speaker. It is too easily covered up by your hand while using the phone. Going back to dual front facing speakers like on the Nexus 6P is a win for all.
As with all leaks and rumours take them with an appropriate grain of salt. It won’t be long until we find out for sure one way or another. This is shaping up to be a long week with the final count down guaranteed to drag as anything else you are looking forward to does. I will be getting up early next Thursday to catch it all live — how about you?
Stay tuned to Ausdroid for all the Pixel information coming next week. We will have Jason on the ground in San Francisco at the event to report everything he sees and hears after the event.
The front panel of the Pixel 2 isn’t really that different to the Nexus 5x, which while it has fancy grills at each end, there was only a single speaker.
But there has been a lot more examples of the ear-piece being used as a speaker these days so the hope can continue.
I was really rooting for a redesigned non-XL this time, despite every rumour suggesting it’s almost identical to last year’s. The XL is a hair too big for me, but the little version looks downright primitive compared to this year’s iPhone X, Essential, Mi Mix 2. If it retained those physical dimensions but with its big brother’s screen ratio, I think that’d be pretty perfect.