Google is said to launch two smartphones in the Pixel 2 series codenamed ‘Muskie’ and ‘Walleye’.
Google’s head of hardware Rick Osterloh confirmed at the MWC 2017 expo that Google will be launching the second generation Pixel smartphones this year. He also said the smartphones would remain in the premium segment. The Pixel 2 smartphones have been rumored to be codenamed ‘Walleye’ and ‘Muskie’. Walleye was spotted running on Android OS on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) confirming the codename while Muskie came through a leak. Muskie has also been spotted on AOSP confirming the codename and is said to be the larger variant of the two.
AndroidPolice spotted Muskie on AOSP, like it did for Walleye. In addition to these two codenamed Pixel 2 smartphones, the third rumored Pixel smartphone codenamed ‘Taimen’ was also spotted in the report. Although it is advisable to take this information with a grain of salt, it is in line with Google’s trend over the years of choosing aquatic animals as codenames for smartphones. Other than the codenames of the rumored Pixel 2 devices, there hasn’t been any definite information revealed as yet. What can be confirmed, however, is that HTC will manufacture this year’s Pixel 2 series. It is also reported that along with HTC, companies like LG, TCL and Coolpad are said to be in the race for the order of the Google Pixel 3 smartphones, with LG reportedly in the lead.
While there isn’t any information on the specifications of the Pixel 2 series, there have been rumors revolving around what developments can be expected with the Pixel 2 smartphones. Google is expected to improve the camera hardware for the Pixel 2 series and its main focus would be on low-light photography. While there may not be a boost in the megapixel count, there would be new features added to make even the standard megapixel count deliver maximum results. The Google Pixel is known to have one of the best smartphone cameras with a 12.3-megapixel rear camera featuring 1.55μm pixels and f/2.0 aperture. More features include PDAF and laser detection auto-focus technology. Up front, the Google Pixel houses an 8-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.4 aperture and fixed focus. ALSO READ: Google Pixel, Pixel XL use camera software originally developed for Google Glass
It was also reported that Google would be ditching the 3.5mm audio jack in the Pixel 2 series. With the Pixel and Pixel XL, Google’s inclusion of the headphone jack was claimed as a better offering over the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The removal of the headphone jack by Apple caused havoc in a serious and funny way. It remains to be seen what Google will finally agree to do with the headphone jack. ALSO READ: Google Pixel 2 to reportedly drop the 3.5mm headphone jack