Fresh leak of the upcoming Google Pixel 2 confirms our fears

Thanks to an anonymous tipster, we now have a clear idea of what the upcoming Google Pixel successor will look like.

We got our first peek at the upcoming Pixel 2 smartphone just few days ago, and it was clear that Google wouldn’t be adopting some of the increasingly common features found among high-end smartphones with its smaller flagship this year. Well, another day, another leak: GSMArena got its hands on two new live images of the upcoming Google Pixel 2, and it’s just as we expected.

As you can see above, the back of the Pixel 2 looks almost identical to the back of the Pixel XL 2 that leaked a few weeks ago. The glass window is much smaller this year, and the fingerprint reader now sits outside of it, as a part of the aluminium body. The new photo shows two LEDs right next to what seems like a brand-new camera sensor, and while it’s not visible here, previous reports claim that the phone will also have a laser sensor below the flash.

The front, for better or worse, confirms what we saw in the first leak. The top and bottom bezels are thick (too thick for my liking), and they seem to sport two front-facing speakers à la HTC. When Google announced the Pixel smartphones last year, their bezels were a bit of a controversial topic, and especially now with most manufacturers going “bezel-less,” the Pixel 2 is set to be an equally divisive phone, if not more.

Google’s design choice for the regular Pixel is particularly interesting given that the Pixel XL successor is expected to feature minimal bezels and a large 2:1 OLED screen with rounded corners. The regular Pixel, however, looks more like a pre-2017 smartphone. Whether that’s a good thing or not is a matter of personal preference, of course, but Google may have a harder time justifying the Pixel’s price tag if it’s above $500 like last year’s model.

Other than that, the tipster claims the in-hand feel is much better with this year’s Pixel phone, probably thanks to the slight curves on the front and back and adds that indeed, Google will ditch the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Obviously, the devices in these leaked images are dev units, so the search giant may make last-minute modifications before the official unveiling later this year, but if what we’re seeing here is any indication of the final product, they confirm our worst fears: thick bezels and no headphone jack.

What are your thoughts on the Google Pixel 2? Will you be buying one or are you getting the larger Pixel XL 2? Let us know by leaving a comment below!