Google Pixel 2, Pixel XL 2 Smartphones Won't Have Snapdragon 836 Processors

Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are expected to be announced next month and are rumored to come with a new Qualcomm processor. However, a new report claims that the rumored Snapdragon 836 processor doesn’t exist and Google’s upcoming new smartphones will be powered by the Snapdragon 835.

The popular rumor right now is that the Google Pixel 2 smartphones will be powered by a slightly more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 processor. This speculation came to be because last year’s original Pixel phones arrived with the Snapdragon 821, while other Android flagships debuted with the Snapdragon 820.

Interestingly, the XDA Developers website claims that this isn’t true at all and that Qualcomm isn’t even working on a Snapdragon 836 chipset. The site’s “extremely reliable” source claims that the chipset doesn’t and won’t even exist at all. XDA’s report was also later corroborated by Android Police, which cited a source “familiar with Qualcomm’s plans.”

With the Snapdragon 836 system-on-chip (SoC) out of the way, it’s now believed that the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will be powered by the Snapdragon 835. The SD835 is a solid chipset that’s already powering flagship handsets from other companies. Smartphones that are powered by SD835 include the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, the OnePlus 5, the LG V30, the HTC U11 and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

This news isn’t that all too surprising. A previous FCC filing did reveal that the smaller Google Pixel 2 would be powered by the Snapdragon 835. At the time, it was believed that only the larger Pixel XL 2 would come equipped with the SD836. Notorious leaker Evan Blass said otherwise claiming that both phones would be powered by the SD836 and currently stands by his previous statements.

Perhaps Qualcomm decided not to make the SD836 after all considering that it would only offer a minute difference in performance over the SD835. The previous rumor on the Snapdragon 836 claims that the chipset would be around 10 percent faster than the 835.

Even if the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 were powered by the Snapdragon 835, it’s still possible that Google could boost its overall performance to make it slightly faster. Google could do this through software optimization or by simply overclocking the SD835.

The second-generation Google Pixel phones are expected to run stock Android, which means a cleaner and snappier user interface. The flagship smartphones are also expected to run Android Oreo, Google’s latest version of the Android mobile operating system.

The Google Pixel 2 is believed to have a 5-inch display and will be manufactured by HTC, while the Pixel XL 2 will have a 6-inch display and will be manufactured by LG. It’s also believed that the Pixel XL 2 will be the only one getting thinner bezels, but both handsets will have a squeezable frame feature called Active Edge.

Google still hasn’t announced anything official about the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2. However, the popular rumor right now is that it might be announced next month, specifically on Oct. 5. The timing seems right considering that Google announced the original Pixel phones last year on Oct. 4.