Only a handful of details about Google's Pixel 2 phone have emerged, especially in comparison to the flood of leaks involving Apple's iPhone 8 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 8. But we may have just gotten our first glance at what the sequel to the Pixel 2 XL will look like.
The leaked image, purportedly of the 2017 Pixel XL, comes courtesy of Android Police. While the site says some details about the phone's appearance could change between now and when it ships in the fall, it's pretty confident that this photo captures the basic look that Google will bring to its super-sized smartphone.
MORE: Google Pixel 2 Rumors: Release Date, Specs and More
It's the front of the phone that grabs most of our attention. The screen takes up most of the front of this new Pixel, with minimal bezels on the top and bottom. It's not as expansive as the Infinity Display on Samsung's Galaxy S8, but it's certainly in the spirit of the extra-wide screens that are becoming increasingly popular among flagship phones.
Android Police reports that the AMOLED screen on this Pixel takes up 6 inches and offers a 2:1 aspect ratio — similar to the 18:9 aspect ratio on the LG G6 and S8. (The S8's ratio is actually 18.5:9, but that's close enough for government work.) The current Pixel XL features a 5.5-inch display with a more conventional aspect ratio.
The screen will be flat, not rounded, and there looks to be a speaker grill on the top of the phone, which would definitely be an improvement over the original Pixel.
Around back, things look somewhat similar to the Pixel XL that came out last year, though the glossy window area that hosts the rear camera has noticeably shrunk, with the rear fingerprint reader now appearing outside that part of the phone. The antenna band that cut across the bottom of the Pixel XL also seems to have disappeared in this leaked image.
We liked the Pixel XL a lot when it came out in late 2016, particularly for its pure Android experience. But one thing we didn't like about the phone was its fairly pedestrian design. If this image proves accurate, it looks like Google is aiming to spruce things up for the 2017 model.
Android Police slips in one other detail about the Pixel XL 2, though it's not something you'd notice by looking at that leaked image. The phone will allegedly offer squeezable sizes, giving you a new way to control the built-in Google Assistant. That's similar to a feature HTC rolled out in its new U11 flagship.
