Google Pixel XL 2 to Feature Always on Ambient Display, Display Profiles, More

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Published 14 Jul 2017

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Google Pixel XL 2017

After getting a look at the beautiful Pixel XL (2017) via a render earlier this week, more details about the handset have leaked online. The leak reveals the possible new features that the Pixel XL 2 will ship with including an Always On Display and as other rumors have pointed, a squeezable frame.

Google has included Ambient Display on its handsets right from the Nexus 6, though it has kept tweaking it every year. With the Pixel XL 2 this year, the company is planning to offer an Always On Ambient Display mode similar to what we see on the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8. It’s likely that the Always On Ambient Display mode will be similar to what is seen on existing Pixel devices and display unread notifications and time, though it will always be on.

Google will also be offering support for Display Profiles on the Pixel XL 2, with options like “Vivid Colors” and sRGB mode. The latter has been available right since the Nexus 6P days but was tucked under the hidden Developer Options menu.

Providing more details on the squeezable frame of the handset, XDA sources say that the squeezable frame will be used to launch Google Assistant irrespective of whether the display is on or off. The squeezing intensity can also be adjusted, with Google planning on adding additional functionality to the frame like the ability to silence incoming calls.

Other miscellaneous tidbits related to the Pixel XL 2 include the handset possibly coming with a new system font and a darker SystemUI color.

The Pixel XL 2 is shaping up to be among the most anticipated phones to launch in the second half of 2017 after the Galaxy Note 8 among enthusiasts. While the original Pixel did not sell in huge numbers, it was widely praised for its performance, camera, and other features. With the Pixel XL 2, Google seems all set to raise the bar even higher this time around.

[Via XDA]