Google Pixel 2: Here are the 5 features that we want to see on Google's upcoming flagship smartphone

Google Pixel 2: Here are the 5 features that we want to see on Google's upcoming flagship smartphone

The first Google Pixel had some features that stood out in 2016 — the rear camera was stellar, Google Assistant was the best assistant on a phone, and the unlimited, uncompressed photo storage was a god-send.

But beyond this, the Pixel was pretty much a dull phone — and we don't just mean in appearance. It is true that the focus of any phone Google has made — Nexus or Pixel — has been on delivering the best Android software experience. But it is natural for a consumer to make comparisons, especially when purchasing a phone as expensive as the Pixel or Pixel XL.

And so, here are five things that the Pixel 2 better have in 2017, if it wants to compete with the best of Android — like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the LG G6, and the 10th anniversary iPhone.

Better Design

There have been two consistent opinions on the Internet about the design of the Pixel phones -- one is that they look a lot like the iPhone, and the other that they’re plain boring when compared to curved-glass phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The first criticism is hard to deny -- if you were to look at the front side of the Pixel and an iPhone 7, the resemblance can’t be denied. Not to mention HTC, the company contracted to manufacture these phones, also built its own iPhone clone not too long ago, which coincidentally also looks similar to the Pixel. All in all, the Pixel phones look like something Google put together in a hurry.

The second part of the complaint, although subjective, deserves some credibility because when people are expected to shell the kind of money to buy one today, the device better not be as mild-looking. Personally, the squarish chunk of glass right above the aluminium back feels out of place. Oh, and that glass panel apparently breaks rather easily too. Finally, the huge bezels at the top and bottom are also not appreciated by many, as the space could’ve been reduced to make the phone more handy.

We can only hope that the Pixel 2 will have a better design than the first Pixel.

Proper Water Resistance

Google reportedly did ‘run out of time’ to make the first Pixel phones truly water and dust resistant. This is said to be the reason why they are IP53 certified, and not IP67 or IP68. In layman terms, IP53 means the Pixel phones available today can survive casual splashes of water, but there are less chances of it surviving if dipped inside water than an IP67 or IP68 certified phone.

Now, very few people will willingly want to dunk their smartphone inside water. But here are the facts -- almost every flagship phone today, be it the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the LG G6, etc -- are better prepared for survival if they’re submerged accidentally. So Google may have ran out of time to get it right in the first go, but there are no excuses for the Pixel 2 to not have a better water and dust resistance rating.

Stereo Speakers

The lack of stereo speakers in the Google Pixel and Pixel XL was a complete surprise, given that its spiritual predecessor — the Nexus 6P — had a pair of front-firing speakers. A single bottom-firing speaker is not the most ideal position, especially when you’re watching videos with the phone held sideways. There’s a good chance your finger might block the output, and you also need to cup the speaker to listen to the many videos on the Internet that don’t have optimised audio.

Having two speaker grilles on either sides of the display gives you a neat stereophonic effect. An issue with having two grilles on the face though is that it ruins the clean appearance that the Pixel phones of today have. To mitigate this problem, phone makers like HTC and Apple ended up using the earpiece as the second speaker grille, with the secondary speaker placed at the bottom. This may not be the most ideal setup, but it at least ends up being usable for the times when you don’t have earphones handy.

Dual rear camera setup

Apple wasn’t the first to feature a two-camera setup on the iPhone 7 Plus, but it sure has put the concept on the map. The dual lens setup allows for 2x zooming without losing detail. The arrangement is also used to blur the background, effectively making the subject in a portrait stand out, popularly known as the bokeh effect.

On the other hand, you have the LG G6, which also features a two-lens setup, but with different functionality. Next to a typical 13 MP sensor is a secondary one with the same resolution, but a 125-degree wide-angle lens. While the iPhone 7 Plus lets you get closer to a subject without moving, this takes a wider photo without having to move backwards. Imagine you’re standing in a narrow lane and want to capture a wider frame, the G6’s secondary camera will let you do exactly that.

The first Pixel phones deserve a pat on the back to go toe-to-toe with the best that Apple and Samsung had to offer in terms of imaging. I sincerely hope Google employs a multi-lens setup, simply because the use cases mentioned above are highly useful.

Not as buggy as the first Pixel

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL have bagged many headlines in the last five months post launch — but mostly for the wrong reasons. Almost every week, there would be reports of some or the other issue that Pixel owners are facing. Just to cite a few, these premium smartphones were plagued with microphone failures, image distortion issues, unintended lens flare, and many, many more. It’s really a shame since HTC has been making smartphones for nearly 20 years now. And Google is no stranger to hardware either — it has partnered with several manufacturers in the past to create the Nexus line of smartphones.

Phones made by the likes of OnePlus or Xiaomi may be forgiven to have an issue or two, considering they’re selling them at price points you can’t possibly argue with. Also, no device is perfect, and even the best of phones have had their hardware issues — we don’t need to remind you of Samsung’s Note 7 fiasco, or the iPhone bendgate or antennagate. But for a premium-positioned device like the Google Pixel, having a plethora of issues leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Conclusion

If you’ve read until here, you may be glad to know that this rant is over. It is obvious that the Pixel can’t possibly have every feature on the planet — but the ones mentioned above have become mainstream enough to warrant an inclusion. Now that the company has taken the bold move of competing with their longtime partners, if the Pixel effort is to mean anything, Google better give everything it’s got to this product line, no holds barred.