Google is rumored to release two upgraded Pixel phones this 2017 but it appears the more interesting would be the handset codenamed Taimen. A new report claims the Pixel XL 2 will come out of the LG production line and will boast of a sprawling AMOLED display in near all-screen design.
According to Android Police, the second-generation Pixel XL will represent a huge leap from last year in terms of industrial design. The front panel is tipped to sport a 6-inch AMOLED display made by LG. And since the Pixel XL 2 glass display will be sourced from LG, the same report assumed that mass assembly of the device has been awarded to the Korean device maker, which is in line with earlier rumors.
As mentioned, the Pixel XL 2 will have a near all-screen display or minimal screen bezels, which is especially true for the top and bottom display margins. As shown in the render included in the report, the handset's glass display is pushed as far as possible to the right and left edges but strip of spaces were left on the top and bottom portions to accommodate the camera sensor and stereo speakers.
The report said while Google supersized the Pixel XL 2017 edition, the general design is clearly minimalist. The handset has a 2:1 aspect ratio with rounded corners, which Android Police said in an approach that is identical to Samsung's Galaxy S8 and the LG G6.
It's not unusual that LG will model the Pixel XL 2 after the G6 as the company did the same in the past. When Google tapped LG for a number of Nexus projects, the latter was seen to have repurposed its flagship models to come up with a Pure Android version. It seems that the same will happen with Pixel XL this 2017.
But the same report made clear that while the Pixel XL 2 will employ 3D glass effect on the front panel "the screen itself is flat," so there will be no curved panels to expect.
On the camera side, the render indicated of rear camera lens that is slightly protruding as seen in the iPhone 7, which should be far from a deal-breaker, the report said. Of note too is the antenna bands that are less visible that likely were blended with the body color of the handset.
One last feature highlighted in the report is squeezable frame or the same functionality with the HTC U11 that was designed for users to easily interact with Google Assistant. It's unclear for now if there will be bits of variation for the Google Pixel XL 2.
Android Police said it's highly likely Google will unbox the device bearing a different name but the regular Pixel model is seen to take the same name. The report said the smaller Pixel 2 will be largely unchanged externally and will serve as the cheaper option while the XL 2 will be the more premium offering.
However, the insides of both Pixel 2017 models are expected to get the same hardware upgrades - headlined by Snapdragon 835 chip with up to 6GB of RAM support. The storage configurations will be 64GB and 128GB with no provision for memory expansion.
The Pixel 2017 release date is expected to simultaneously happen with the debut of Android O (rumored to be called Oatmeal Cookie) in October or November this year.
