Pixel 2, XL 2 Launch Date Leaked By Mysterious Google Billboard

Google is now believed to be launching its Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones this October after a curious billboard hinting at the devices’ launch event was installed in Boston. What makes this leak interesting is it strongly suggests that the Mountain View giant could unveil its new handsets exactly a year after the original Pixel and Pixel XL were announced.

According to 9To5Google, a billboard that was recently spotted in Boston may be the biggest clue as to when exactly Google is planning to launch its new Pixel-branded phones. The large outdoor board appears to be shrouded in mystery since it does not really mention anything about the Pixel phones. Instead, it has the “Ask more of your phone” tagline, the “Oct. 4” date and Google’s multi-colored “G” logo.

The original Pixel handsets were launched on Oct. 4 of last year. Since the billboard does not have any indication that it is teasing for an upcoming event for this year, it’s easy for passersby to conclude that it’s an old advertisement for the 2016 Pixel phones. Fortunately, Droid-Life contacted local shops and confirmed that the billboard is really new and it’s not a promotional material from last year.

If famous leaker Evan Blass is to be believed though, Google could be launching the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 on Oct. 5 and not a day earlier as the billboard suggests. Oct. 5 falls on a Thursday, and the first Pixel installments were announced on the same day.

But then again Blass did not get the processor of the new handsets right, so he could be wrong about the exact launch event, too. He previously claimed Google’s 2017 smartphones will be powered by the Snapdragon 836, but as it turns out, Qualcomm has no plans for an 836 chip yet.

Google is still mum on the exact date of its press event for the second-generation Pixel phones. If last year’s timeline is any indication, the company could be making an official announcement regarding the event’s date very soon.

Another new discovery about the upcoming Pixel devices suggests that LG is the one tasked to manufacture the Pixel XL 2. An FCC filing happens to contain clues that confirm the involvement of the V30 maker in manufacturing the bigger Pixel handset, according to Android Police.

Based on several leaks, the Pixel XL 2 is going to debut with a 5.9-inch screen that has an 18:9 aspect ratio. Recent reports also claim that the device is going to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the same one found inside LG’s V30 and Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 flagship devices.

As for the Pixel 2 flagship phone, rumors claim that its camera technology will include laser-detect autofocus and that it will come with the Google Lens software feature. The former will help in making the back camera perform better in shaky and low-light conditions, while the latter is going to transform the device’s camera into an advanced information hub.

There are also reports stating that the new Pixel smartphones will have an IP68 rating, so they will be highly dust- and water-resistant. In addition, Google is said to have bumped up their storage capacity such that the base model would have 64GB of internal memory. Last year’s base models came with 32GB of internal memory. Finally, there are rumors claiming a new color variant (slate gray) is joining the white and black color options of the second-generation Pixel phones.