When the Pixel 2 XL was first launched, it was heavily criticised for its sub-par OLED display which suffered from a significant blue shift when viewed at less than perfect angle. There were other issues with the display as well like image retention but it was the blue shift that bothered users the most as Google managed to solve most of the issues to a certain extent with software updates.

A few months down the line, it looks like Google has rectified the blue color shift on newer Pixel 2 XL units to a certain extent. There is a great degree of difference in terms of blue color shift in certain Pixel 2 XL units. They are not necessarily from the latest batch of the handsets either and they all continue to feature an OLED panel from LG.

https://twitter.com/vladsavov/status/952842443954774016

While some Pixel 2 XLs shipped in October do not have the annoying blue shift, others shipped in December continue to have the blue shift. At this point, it is more of a lottery. You might or might not get a Pixel 2 XL with an annoying blue shift if you buy one right now.

It is unclear why certain displays of the Pixel 2 XL do not have the inherent blue shift while others do. Sadly, there is not much you can do if you plan on buying a Pixel 2 XL. You can head over to your nearest store and go through a few units to ensure you get the one with a slightly better display but that won’t be always possible. As a consolation and from someone who uses a Pixel 2 XL on a daily basis, I can say that the blue shift and the overall sub-par display will stop bothering you within a few days of using the phone thanks to its superb camera, battery life and the overall experience.