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Software giant Google announced the launching of their second generation pixel phones, Google Pixel 2 XL and Google Pixel 2 on October 4, 2017. Yes, we are now living in a time where Google is serious about her mobile phone and we are loving it. The Google Pixel 2 smartphones were developed in partnership with HTC and we are not surprised some of the features on the HTC U 11 made a comeback on the Google Pixel 2. The Edge sense feature is the most glaring of them all. Google Pixel 2 XL is not only the bigger version of the Pixel 2. It also comes with a whole lot of features upgrade compared to its smaller sibling. The Pixel 2 XL is ideal for lovers of large screen devices, with its massive 6-inch screen. Making it taller than the Pixel 2, but not necessarily wider. Key Specs of Google Pixel 2 XL Design The second generation pixel phone comes with a totally new feature called Active Edge. This allows you to squeeze the sides of the Pixel 2 XL phone to easily launch the Google Assistant. Weighing 175g, the Pixel 2 XL is not a light phone and it measures 157.90 x 76.70 x 7.90 mm in dimension. It comes in the fashionable colours of black and white, unlike the Pixel 2 which has "Blue" a variant. Looking at the Pixel 2 XL photos, you will notice the similarities with last year's Pixel XL especially with the exterior. With the "G" logo sitting at the back, the power and volume button at the right side and the rear-facing fingerprint sensor, which Google in their own words claims it “unlocks faster than any other smartphone”. Display The Pixel 2 XL boasts a 2,880 x 1,440 P-OLED display to match with its 6.0inch which translates into 538 Pixels per inch (PPI) and an 18:9 aspect ratio. There is also very slim bezels around its screen, which is obviously touchscreen. To prove it's just not like any other smartphone. The Pixel 2 XL also comes with a new feature, the Always-On Display. This feature will enable you to continue listening to audio playing around you. All you need to do is tap on the title of the song from the Always-On Display. And Google Assistant will do the rest by bringing up the appropriate information relating to that song. Operating System Of course, it runs on Android OS, with Google debuting the 8.0. Oreo OS on the Pixel 2 smartphones. The Android 8.0 Oreo comes with a lot of upgrades to last year's Android 7.0 Nougat and Google Pixel 2 XL is among the first smartphones to run the Google's latest operating system which is totally no surprise at all. Hardware and Performance Well Google is now into hardwares full time and they didn't disappoint in the Pixel 2 XL, as it runs smoothly with an octa-core 2.35 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor make, an Adreno 430GPU, and a massive 4GB of RAM. In addition, there is a 64GB storage space for all your files. Which you can't upgrade because there's no microSD card slot. Camera If you are using the Pixel XL right now and think you have the best phone camera, you need to think again. No doubt, last year's Pixel phone has a great camera but Google had to step up their game, as many smartphone manufacturers were bringing their A game. The LG V30 and the Samsung Note 8 are the best camera phone before now, so let's wait to see how the new Google Pixel will perform compared to other good camera phones out there. Trust me, the camera on the Pixel 2 XL will totally blow your mind. Dubbed the highest-rated camera on any smartphone, with a 1/2.6-inch 12.2 MP sensor at the back with flash, phone critics are saying the camera on the Pixel 2 XL smartphone is in a league of their own. The Google Pixel 2 XL got a camera score of 98 on DxOMark, which is far better than the iPhone 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which received a 94 score. And with an 8MP front camera for selfies, the Pixel 2 XL camera is going to be extremely hard to beat. Connectivity It has Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and the latest Bluetooth version (v 5.00). You will probably be a little bit disappointed if you like dual sim phone. As you can only use one sim at a time on the Pixel 2 XL (Nano-SIM). 3G and 4G/LTE available. Sensors on the phone are Barometer, Compass, Magnetometer, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope and Barometer. Unfortunately, there's no Temperature sensor. Water Resistant Yes, the Pixel 2 smartphones are water resistant. Google fans were a little disappointed when last year Pixel smartphones didn't come with the feature. This means Google does listen to their fans as the Pixel 2 XL come with water and dust resistance ratings of IP67. Furthermore, the Pixel 2 XL can survive in up to 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Battery Powering the device is a non-removable battery capacity of 3520mAh. The device is bundled with a fast charge which can fill the device from 0% to 100% in less than 2 hours. Price and Availability The Pixel 2 XL was launched on the 4th of October 2017 and is now available for pre-order for around $849, that's about N310,000. Google Pixel 2 XL Full Specifications NETWORK GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE ・2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / CDMA 800 / 1900 ・3G bands: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100/ CDMA2000 1xEV-DO ・4G bands: LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 32(1500), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500), 66(1700/2100) ・Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (3CA) Cat15 800/75 Mbps ・GPRS: Yes ・EDGE: Yes DESIGN ・Dimensions: 157.90 x 76.70 x 7.90 mm ・Weight: 175g ・SIM: Nano-SIM card & eSIM - IP67 certified - dust and water resistant - Water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes DISPLAY ・Type: AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours ・Size: 6.0 inches ・Resolution: 2,880 x 1,440 P-OLED display (538PPI pixel density) ・Multitouch: Yes ・Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 - Always-on display - 95% DCI-P3 coverage HARDWARE ・CPU: Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) ・GPU: Adreno 540 ・Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 ・RAM: 4 GB ・Internal Memory: 64 GB/128GB ・External MicroSD: No ・Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer SOFTWARE ・OS Version: Android 8.0 Oreo CAMERA ・Primary: 12.2 MP, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash ・Features: 1/2.6" sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama ・Video: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps ・Secondary: 8 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.2" sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, 1080p CONNECTIVITY ・WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot ・Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD ・GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO ・NFC: Yes ・Radio: No ・USB: 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector (PowerDelivery 2.0) AUDIO ・Alert types: Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones ・Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers ・3.5mm jack: No - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - Type-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter BATTERY ・Battery Type: Non-removable 3520mAh Capacity ・Fast Charging: Yes MISCELLANEOUS ・ MP4/H.264 player ・ MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player ・ Photo/video editor ・Document editor