Google’s two new Pixel phones are here. You’ve got the regular Pixel, with its 5-inch OLED screen, and the larger Pixel XL with a 6-inch display. These are relatively high-end devices that showcase Google’s Android Oreo software and take on the iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30.

In some ways, the Google Pixel 2 phones bucks the trend; in other ways it fits right in to the latest crazes. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL don’t have super-thin bezels and dual-cameras like the competition. But they do add water resistance like so many top devices, and an uncommon extra — in this case, squeezable sides. And they get rid of the headphone jack, a divisive trend that’s going to upset plenty of people.

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Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL photos: Feast your eyes

They’re also the first phones to launch with Google Lens, a camera feature we loved when we first learned of it back in May. (They’re not, however, the first to launch with Oreo; that’s the Sony Xperia XZ1.)

To Google, the new Pixels’ most important feature is the camera, which is a huge buying factor for many. The same on both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google hopes it can top its best-in-class low light photography of last year’s Pixel and beat out the fine-detail quality and portrait modes of phones that have two camera lenses, by doing the same with one. That’s right, neither of the new phones have dual cameras.

The Pixel 2 and 2 XL are pivotal for Google. As the second-generation of the Pixel family, their success will cement Google’s place in the playing field, and Google’s $1.1 billion deal to basically buy Pixel talent from struggling phone maker HTC. Soft sales could mean more Android fans are switching to other phones — and away from Google’s “pure” vision of Android — in the extremely important holiday season.

As always, it’s impossible to say how good the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are after only seeing them for a brief time. But we do like the sound of camera improvements like better portrait shots and OIS (optical image stabilization), and sides you can squeeze to launch Google Assistant. But the competition is crazy-fierce, from the iPhone 8 and iPhone X to the Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 and even the midprice champ, OnePlus 5, which also have great cameras and an impressive set of high-end specs.

We’ll compare the Pixel 2 and 2 XL to those other heavy-hitters once we get them in for review. For now however, Google hopes that small software upgrades, a powerful camera and Google’s brand cache are enough to sway buyers looking for strong alternatives from the Apple and Samsung mainstream.

Read on for the Pixel 2 sale price, camera, design, squeezable edges and Google Lens feature.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL prices and sale date

You can pre-order both phones starting Wednesday, Oct. 4 in the US and UK. Pre-orders in Australia begin Oct. 20. The Pixel 2 comes in three colors: Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White and the Pixel 2 XL has two color variants: Just Black and Black and White (which reminds us of a tuxedo/penguin/panda).

In the US, they’ll be available in retail stores by Oct. 19 and you can buy them through Verizon, the Google Store, Project Fi and Best Buy. The Pixel 2 costs $649 (64GB) and $749 (128GB). The Pixel 2 XL costs $849 (64GB) and $949 (128GB).

If you pre-order the phone, Google is offering a special bundle with the new Google Home Mini device for free, in some countries like the US.

Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?

In general, the main difference between the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is size, and neither of them are more “advanced” than the other. But the Pixel 2 XL has a higher screen resolution and higher pixel-density. It has a bigger battery to accommodate the larger screen too.  

No headphone jack, but they’re waterproof

For anyone hoping against hope that the Pixel 2 phones will keep the headphone jack, I have some sad news. Alas, like the recent Apple iPhones and Motorola Motos, the Pixel 2s don’t have headphone jacks. (This is especially amusing given that Google originally touted the Pixel with a “3.5mm headphone jack” that is “satisfyingly not new.”)

The company said there were many reasons it lopped off the jack (it makes the phones thinner, allows for a bigger battery, more people are listening using wireless headphones anyway, etc.) and it will include an adapter in the box. Still, no headphone jack can be a dealbreaker for some, especially since carrying around a dongle is annoying.

It’s not all bad news, though. Both audio speakers have been moved to the front now (which probably contribute to the thick bezels) and the phones are now water resistant. Satisfying IP67 waterproof standards, they can be submerged in about 3 feet (1m) of water for up to 30 minutes, meaning you’ll have one less thing to worry about at the beach or pool.

Overall, the Pixel 2s look like a tidier, cleaner version of last year’s phones. There are fewer lines and visible bands going around the phones, and the glass shade on the back (which is now made out of the more durable Corning Gorilla Glass 5) is better integrated, running right up to the phones’ edges. But unlike last year there’s a camera bump now, and the top bezel and bottom chin on the Pixel 2 are especially thick. This isn’t a huge deal, but now that thin bezels are in, this makes the phone look slightly dated.

Now Playing: Watch this: Google shows off its second generation Pixel phones

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Still single-lens camera, with “better” portrait mode and OIS

The Pixel 2s don’t have a dual-camera setup, unlike most major flagship phones (with the exception of the Galaxy S8, though the more recent Note 8 has two rear shooters). But Google insists that its single-lens camera  is still the best around, and its Portrait Mode feature (renamed from last year’s Lens Blur) works just as smooth with one lens as other phones that use two.

Using a combination of facial algorithms and a depth-mapping image sensor, the Pixel 2’s camera renders blurred backgrounds for a dramatic, short depth-of-field effect. When we used Lens Blur last year, it was patchy and wasn’t impressive at all. It’ll be interesting to test how Google will execute it this time around, while still using a single lens (but with more advanced tech). You can take bokeh images with the front-facing camera too, but because only the facial training is built into that shooter, it will only work on faces and not objects.

Google also added lots of tech for image stabilization. In addition to optical image stabilization (OIS) for photos and video, the camera uses data from the gyroscope and peeks at the video frame ahead to stabilize footage. When we took a look at it applied to a video of a person tumbling down a sand dune, footage looked steady and smooth, without that dreamy, drone-like effect we noticed on the original Pixel.

Other things: 

• The camera’s aperture bumped a full f-stop from f/1.8 to f/2.0. This lets in more light, which is everything in photography.
• Motion Photos (similar to the iPhone’s Live Photos) records a video for 1.5 seconds before and after a single shot. It then trims them and loops them into a giffy, “live” picture.
• Google claims that it improved its HDR+ in the Pixel 2 with increased dynamic range and better noise reduction. 
• The camera is optimized and calibrated to support AR and comes with AR stickers. They work like regular photo stickers you add to your photos and video, but they’re 3D elements and characters that move around and interact in real-life environments.

Squeezable sides and Google Lens

Google Assistant debuted in last year’s Pixels and now there’s a whole new way to launch it on the Pixel 2s: Squeezing the phones’ sides with your hand. 

This takes a page from this year’s HTC U11, with a difference. While you could squeeze the U11’s edges in a long or short press to launch just about any app of your choosing, the Pixel 2 only opens Assistant with a short squeeze. (Well, you can squeeze the Pixel 2’s sides to quiet the ringer if it goes off, but that’s pretty much it.) After Assistant opens, you can then tell it to do other things like snap a selfie or play music.

In addition, both Assistant and the camera’s Photo app are integrated with Google Lens. Introduced at Google I/O 2017, Lens scans what it sees through your camera lens to tell you more about the world around you. It’s a lot like Samsung’s Bixby Vision app on the Galaxy S8 and Note 8.

For instance, say you’re at Edvard Munch exhibition at the SF Museum of Modern Art. If you wanted to know more the painting “Moonlight,” take a photo of it (if the museum permits, that is), tap the Lens icon and Lens will call up info about it. It works on art, landmarks, books and it can scan business cards to auto-populate a Contacts card. Lens will debut first in the Pixel 2 and 2 XL through Photos and then Assistant, but will roll out to other Android devices afterward.

Other things to know about the Pixel 2 and 2 XL:

• They run Android Oreo 8.0. 
• Music Detection is a Pixel-exclusive feature that runs continuously in the background. Whenever the phone picks up a song (for example, in a store or a car), it’ll look up the artist and song and list it on your lockscreen. Tap the listing and Assistant will show you options to buy the track on Google Play or watch the YouTube video. This feature works offline and on Airplane Mode, but if you’re uncomfortable with your phone “always listening” you can disable it. 
• The Google Search bar has been moved from the top of the phone to the bottom.
• In its place is At a Glance, which displays pertinent info about your day like calendar events, traffic, flight status and more.
• The phone has an Always On lockscreen, showing missed notifications and messages even when the screen is off. 
• The Pixels supports Google’s ARCore for AR/VR content developers and is compatible with Google’s AR/VR platform Daydream.

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