What to expect from Google’s Pixel 2 event

Beck Diefenbach | Reuters

Sabrina Ellis, Director of Product Management at Google, speaks about the new Pixel phone during the presentation of new Google hardware in San Francisco, California, U.S. October 4, 2016.

As I said earlier, I think Google’s new smartphones will be the highlight of Google’s event. The company is expected to unveil two new devices including the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, which will follow the Pixel and Pixel XL (pictured above) that were launched last year. Last year’s devices were extremely hard to find in stock, so the hope is Google has bigger plans to sell more units going forward.

It’s been reported that HTC is building the smaller Google Pixel 2 while LG may have been selected to build the larger Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 may have some sort of squeeze feature that allows you to launch application or services by squeezing the sides of the phone — a feature introduced in the HTC U11. I also expect the latest processors from Qualcomm, sharper displays, better cameras and a good deal of discussion about software.