Crazy Phones: Waiting for Pixel 2 XL? Sketchy leaked images point to ‘Ultra pixel’ phone

Friday, 29 September 2017

Waiting for Pixel 2 XL? Sketchy leaked images point to ‘Ultra pixel’ phone

We’re just days away from the October 4 reveal of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, yet hints of a completely new phone, dubbed the ‘Ultra pixel’ have emerged.

YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss received images and video from an anonymous, unverified source who claimed to have seen Google’s upcoming phones. The shots and footage show what appears to be presentation slides or marketing material on a computer screen, referring to a phone called the ‘Ultra pixel’.

This isn’t a name we’ve come across before in relation to the Pixel 2, so we’re skeptical. And even if the images are authentic the name could be referring to the camera, given that Google is strongly rumored to be working with HTC on the phones, and HTC makes ‘UltraPixel’ cameras.

The actual images of the phone look somewhat like the leaked shots of the Pixel 2 XL we’ve seen, complete with minimal bezels around the screen, so there’s not much new there, and not much to suggest this is anything other than a Pixel 2 XL. But there are some interesting hints at ways you might interact with the phone.

One of the slides says “the future of Android is fluid”, which could mean a focus on gesture controls rather than buttons. That could make sense if Google wants to maximize the screen space, but it’s not something we’ve heard before, which as with other things in this leak we’d think we would have by now.

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There’s also a mention of a new type of fingerprint scanner, which the YouTuber reckons might mean an under-display one, which the likes of Apple and Samsung have supposedly been working on and so far failed to deliver.

If true that could be a big win for the Pixel 2, but it’s more likely referring to an improved version of the standard fingerprint scanner, especially as leaked shots of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL show a scanner on the back.

In short, while there are multiple ways to interpret this information the most likely is that this is simply the Pixel 2 XL, and with nothing much new shown, other than hints of gesture controls.

It’s also very likely that this is fake though. Indeed, reputable leaker Evan Blass has said as much, quoting “someone who knows.” So we really wouldn’t read much into it. Either way, we’ll know the truth soon.