[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4cast #565: Google's Pixel 2 is all over the news. Here's why.

Wed Oct 25 10:30:05 EDT 2017

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OPLIN 4cast #565: Google's Pixel 2 is all over the news. Here's why.
October 25th, 2017

[image: Facing a smartphone] The Pixel 2 XL is Google's latest phone, and
it's been all over our news feeds for the past couple of weeks, with new
developments coming in seemingly by the hour. On the one hand, it has the
new Google Lens
<https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/17/google-lens-will-let-smartphone-cameras-understand-what-they-see-and-take-action/>,
an on-demand object recognition tool. Lens lets the camera understand what
it's seeing, and connect that to a task. It can recognize the type of
flower in a photo, connect you to a home’s Wi-Fi network by snapping a
photo of the sticker on the router, or tell you the name of a painting’s
artist. Google made a further splash when it announced that Google Lens was
going to be backported
<https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/24/16533202/google-lens-roll-out-pixel-xl-phones>
to the original Pixel devices, not just the model 2 or 2 XL. On the other
hand, while Google Lens seems like a pretty nifty addition, the problems
plaguing the Pixel 2 XL are varied

   -
   - Some Pixel 2 phones are making strange noises
   <https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/24/pixel2-google-clicks-high-frequency-noises/>
   [Engadget] "According to around 100 buyers on Google's Pixel product forum,
   the Pixel 2, and to a lesser extent, Pixel 2 XL are emitting clicking
   and/or high frequency sounds from the call speaker."
   - a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/pixel-2-xl-p-oled-screen-issue/">Pixel
   2 XL: What's up with that screen? [CNET] "Depending on whom you ask --
   see: Reddit, XDA Developers -- the phone's LG-made P-OLED screen has
   muted colors, a bluish tint or a blotchy, grainy texture that's visible
   when you scroll down webpages. The short answer: It's basically all
   true. But after a close comparison of five different phones here in the
   CNET offices -- two Pixel 2 XL, two LG V30 and a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
   <https://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-s8-plus/review/> for
   comparison -- it's more of a nuanced issue, and less of an open and shut
   case."
   - Two-week-old Pixel 2 XL displays are already showing burn-in
   <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/google-is-investigating-reports-of-pixel-2-xl-display-burn-in/>
   [Ars Technica] "The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the best Android phones you
   can buy, but boy does the 2 XL have a lot of display issues. In addition to
   graininess and a weird blue shift at certain viewing angles, the 2 XL is
   now experiencing burn-in on units that are just a week or two old."
   - Forget the Pixel 2’s display problems, Google’s new flagships are far
   too fragile <http://bgr.com/2017/10/20/pixel-2-bend-test-failed/> [BGR]
   "Forget about the Pixel 2 XL’s screen issues, which may be fixed via a
   software update in the future. Not to mention that LG will certainly
   improve the quality of its OLED displays in the coming years if it truly is
   fighting for Apple’s business. The Pixel 2 has much worse problems, in my
   opinion, when it comes to overall quality. A new test shows that the phone
   will scratch quite easily… and it *bends*!"

*From the Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - Google Pixel 2 ain't heavy, but it's certainly impressive
   <http://proxy.oplin.org:2054/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmh&AN=DOC6X1C5KF7C6CQY3ZF6L>
   (ohn, D. (2017, October 10). Google Pixel 2 ain't heavy, but it's certainly
   impressive. *Australian Financial Review*. p. 24. )
   - Google Launches Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 2 Smartphones With Squeezable Sides
   <http://proxy.oplin.org:2054/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=125536776&site=ehost-live>
   (Weiss, T. R. (2017). Google Launches Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 2 Smartphones With
   Squeezable Sides. *Eweek*, 1. )
   - Here's Everything We Know About Google Pixel 2 So Far
   <http://proxy.oplin.org:2054/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=125494984&site=ehost-live>(Reisinger,
   D. (2017). Here's Everything We Know About Google Pixel 2 So Far.
   *Fortune.Com*, 34. )

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