Preview: Google Pixel 2

Google’s new Pixel is downright squeezable.

- Sascha Segan

The 5-inch Pixel 2 is a good-looking Android phone built by HTC that fits well in one hand and should run speedily on all U.S. networks. (Verizon is the only U.S. carrier that will have the phone in stores, but the unlocked model will work on any U.S. carrier.) Its differentiating feature is that you can squeeze the phone to trigger Google Assistant, giving you exclusive features that you can’t get anywhere else. We spent some time with the Pixel 2 ahead of its release; we’ll follow with a full review and rating.

STANDARD SPECS

The Pixel’s basic specs are par for the course for a 2017 flagship smartphone. You get a 5-inch 1080p screen; 1080p might sound unimpressive, but it looks fine, because the screen is smaller. As a 16:9 phone, though, it’s the same width (2.7 inches) as the Samsung Galaxy S8, which has a much bigger screen; the S8 is taller and narrower and lacks the large top and bottom bezels on the Pixel 2. The Pixel 2 looks a bit behind the times.

The matte metal-and-glass back feels like a warm ceramic, with a pleasant interplay of textures. The phone comes in black, white, or blue-gray. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB of storage. It’s also IP67 water resistant (which means it can withstand water immersion between 15cm and 1 meter for half an hour) and supports fast charging, with a 2,700mAh battery.