Over the past days and weeks a lot of attention has been reserved for the display on the Google Pixel 2 XL. While this is to be expected (due to this being a new device and the XL version the more premium of the two Pixel 2 options), the attention has surrounding possible issues that may be plaguing the Pixel 2 XL in particular. The most troublesome of which is the suggestion that the Pixel 2 XL suffers from burn-in or as Google refers to its, “differential aging.” However, according to Google, there are no long-terms effects to be concerned about.
This comes from a Google Pixel User Community posting by Mario Queiroz (Google’s VP of Product Management). In the posting, Queiroz looks to not only defend the display but also to alleviate any concerns that current or future buyers might have about the Pixel 2 XL’s display longevity. Firstly, Queiroz notes how after some initial testing the company has not found the Pixel 2 XL to be any more prone to burn-in than any other device. With Queiroz specifically stating that the Pixel 2 XL’s “decay characteristics are similar to OLED panels used in comparable products” and that the “differential aging is in line with that of other premium smartphones.” As a result Queiroz on behalf of Google is stating that owners of the new Pixel 2 XL should not see any impact on their device’s display in everyday usage. More importantly, in spite of the suggestions that have been made so far, the display is not going to exponentially age compared to other devices that use similar screen technology. As an added measure of reassurance though, Queiroz also points out that there are software improvements that have already been included which look to further offset the likelihood of OLED display deterioration, with Queiroz also noting that future updates will come through with a view to maintaining this. In other words, more updates will arrive to help preserve the display as much as possible. As a final additional means of reassurance, the same blog posting does also look to confirm that all Pixel 2 XL sales (and Pixel 2 sales for that matter) “will now come with a two-year warranty worldwide.”
In the same announcement, Queiroz also did address the other issue surrounding color saturation. Noting how any perceived reduction in color vibrancy is international. This is a point which Google made before and one that was reiterated again today with the blog posting explaining that Google was aiming for more natural tones. Which is why the Pixel 2 and 2 XL both come with an option where users can manually activate a 10-percent color boost if more vivid colors are wanted. On that note, the posting does further add that an upcoming update will introduce “a new mode for more saturated colors.”