Google is usually the last among smartphone giants to launch its flagship handset every year. Now, that Apple has finally taken the wraps off its new iPhone range comprising of iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, smartphone enthusiasts are pretty eager to know what Google has lined up for 2017.

The search engine giant is expected to unveil the next generation Pixel phones, possibly dubbed as Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2, sometime next month. Notably, the first generation Pixel handsets represented the very best of Android. So, undoubtedly there’s a lot of hype for the upcoming phones.

First Pixel 2 picture gets leaked accidentally

According to Alphr, Google recently launched an updated version of its Data Transfer Tool app, which allows users to switch from iPhone to Android handsets. The Data Transfer app showed an illustration of a smartphone that very much looks like the Pixel 2. The device in the screenshot had a slimmer bezel around the display and featured dual front-facing speakers. Interestingly, the upcoming Pixel 2 smartphones are also rumored to get the same two features.

However, Google was fast enough to take down those screenshots and replace them with a more generic version that cites Nexus hardware.

Expected specs and features

Talking about the next-gen Google Pixel 2, the upcoming handset is expected to feature an edge-to-edge OLED display, a squeezable chassis similar to one found in HTC U11, an always-on display mode, laser detect autofocus, USB Type-C charging and audio port, two front-facing stereo speakers, 4GB RAM coupled with 64GB of native internal storage, Android Oreo operating software and IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

In addition to the features rumored for the Pixel 2 smartphone, the Pixel XL 2 device is also expected to get a dual rear camera setup. Both the smartphones are likely to get Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and not the previously rumored Snapdragon 836 SoC. According to a report from Know Your Mobile, the handsets might be launched without the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The display sizes of the upcoming devices are likely to remain the same as the 2016 iterations at 5 inch and 5.5 inches.

As far as release date is concerned, Google is expected to take the wraps off the new Pixel range of devices on October 5 alongside the next-generation Google Home speaker. Notably, the search engine giant has not yet announced anything official about the upcoming smartphones.
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