Google Pixel 2 XL drama: Google announces two year warranty

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL haven’t enjoyed the smoothest smartphone launches ever, owing to several reported issues.

It’s clear that the Pixel 2 XL has more negative press though, after numerous tech websites reported that their review units were suffering from screen burn-in.

The burn-in was even more glaring as it occurred after less than two weeks with the review units. Now, Google has announced some findings. And you might be surprised with the results…

“Regarding differential aging [burn-in – ed], we put all of our products through extensive quality assurance before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. Thorough testing of the Pixel 2 XL display shows that its decay characteristics are similar to OLED panels used in comparable products,” Google revealed.

“Our current investigation of burn-in, which started as soon as we received the first user report on October 22, confirms that the differential aging is in line with that of other premium smartphones and should not affect the normal, day-to-day user experience of the Pixel 2 XL.”

The company added that it, like other brands, used software to “maximise” the life of the OLED panels, saying it would issue further software updates in this regard.

The Google Pixel 2 XL showed similar burn-in rates to other devices — or so Google claims

“We’re very confident that the Pixel 2 delivers an exceptional smartphone experience, and to give users peace of mind, every Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will now come with a 2-year warranty worldwide.”

Google also looked into criticism that both phones had displays that were less vibrant than the competition.

“One of our design intents was to achieve a more natural and accurate rendition of colours. We know that some people prefer more saturated colours, so both Pixel 2 phones already include an option to boost colours by 10% for a more vivid look,” the company explained. “And based on the recent feedback, we’re adding a new mode for more saturated colours, which will be made available via a software update to both Pixel 2 phones in the next few weeks.”