Google released its first-ever smartphone last year with the Pixel, and now, its successor, the Pixel 2, is starting to get the full-blown flagship leak treatment, just like its top two competitors the iPhone and Galaxy Note 8.
The latest leaked pics of the device come from pre-release case renders sent to us by MobileFun, a UK-based online retailer that’s known for dropping speculative case designs well before the final version of the devices are unveiled. The site has now staked its claim on what it believes will be coming with the next generation of Google phones, with identical images of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
The images show off a pair sleek devices that echo the design of the first Pixel phone while simultaneously embracing the trends of the current generation of flagship devices — extra tall 18:9 displays with minimal bezels — which kicked off with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.
The new Pixel 2 images don’t depart much from other leaks we’ve already seen, further cementing the design we’ve come to expect from the LG-manufactured devices. The phones’ screens are larger, the bezels at the top and bottom of the display are smaller, and the phone’s rear sports a fingerprint sensor, just like the first generation.
There’s not much to be gleaned from the MobileFun renders in regard to features, but the website’s reps told us the cases “confirm suspicions that Google will be dropping the headphone port.” There aren’t any visible ports in the images, most notably at the top of the phone where the first Pixel’s jack was located, but we’ll wait to “confirm” anything until the finalized design is revealed at launch.
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The Pixel 2 is expected to rock a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip and 4GB of RAM, like the Galaxy S8, and maybe even a squeezable frame to be used as a shortcut to launch apps.
We’re not exactly sure when to expect the phone, since this is just the second version of the Pixel and Google hasn’t yet built up a consistent release cycle. The first version of the phone dropped last October, though, so the smart money puts the Pixel 2 announcement and launch then too.
MobileFun has also showed off pre-release renders of the iPhone 8 and Galaxy Note 8, posting the cases for pre-order long before the phones’ designs have been finalized. The first test for the retailer comes later this month, when Samsung unveils the final design for the Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 23.
