FCC filing confirms the Pixel 2's squeezable sides

[midian182]

According to industry rumors, this year’s successor to Google’s Pixel XL will be manufactured by LG, while the Pixel 2 will once again be made by HTC. Now, an FCC filing has confirmed that not only will the Taiwanese company be building the smaller handset, but it will also boast a feature found in one of the firm's other smartphones: a squeezable frame.

The filing made by HTC includes screenshots that reveal the Pixel 2’s ‘Active Edge’ squeeze functionality. The feature is found in the company’s well-received HTC U11 handset and is rumored to also be present in the larger Pixel 2 XL. In this setup, applying pressure to the phone’s sides launches Google Assistant by default.

As noted by 9to5Google, the Pixel 2’s storage is listed at 50.66GB free when 21% is used, meaning a likely 64GB capacity. And the 8998 codename in the “Baseband Version” suggests the presence of the Snapdragon 835 or 836 platform.

The screenshots also show the Pixel 2 running Android 8.0.1 with an August security patch. This version of the OS (thought to be called Oreo) hasn’t arrived yet, but it’s predicted to rollout next week.

The Pixel 2 is expected to feature a 4.97-inch 1080p display and 4GB of RAM. Last month, new renders suggested both handsets would become the next smartphones to abandon the 3.5mm headphone jack. It now seems this will almost certainly be the case, with the Pixel 2 sporting a set of front-facing, BoomSound-style stereo speakers instead of the long-used port.

Both new Pixel devices are expected to be released sometime this October.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70597-fcc-filing-confirms-pixel-2-squeezable-sides.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

So now they're squeezable. Hopefully next year they'll be shaped like teddy bears so we can all feel warm and glowing about cuddling and squeezing them because no matter what phone you buy today, they all look exactly the same as any other smartphone we could buy last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that... infinitum.

 

[OutlawCecil]

Squeezable? Ok this could mean multiple things. squeezable meaning it would be similar to a large button, maybe turning on the screen when you grab your phone? Or it could mean squeezable as in making it easier to hold since it would bow inward slightly when held. Hmm. I agree it's an odd feature / selling point. I'd still rather stick with my OnePlus 3T with 6GB ram non-squeezable...

 

[dogofwars]

I can just imagine the prank you could do with the "squeezable" phone.

 

[p51d007]

More gimmicks, less INNOVATION.
It's still nothing more than a rectangular slab of plastic, metal & glass.

 

[gusticles41]

It's still nothing more than a rectangular slab of plastic, metal & glass.

You just described 99% of electronics

 

[p51d007]

You just described 99% of electronics

Yeah, I know, but, other than thinner, fancy colors and a couple gimmicks, I don't really see how the smartphone
pricing continues to INCREASE to the point that a "typical" so called high end phone can demand upwards of $700-1000 dollars...other than people are sort of "willing" to pay that. Carriers...gotta love them (not). Got rid of the 2 year contract, where people overpaid for the phone, now, they sell you the phone "over time", which of course is more expensive than buying it outright, but, for some it's easier to justify spending a little each month, versus a whole lot, and then before the end of the contract, some will upgrade again, paying an "upgrade fee" for the pleasure? Then, don't get me started on what they charge for LTE data here in the USA...it's nuts, but, oh well, what are you going to do? I use an MVNO, 8gb/month for less than 50 bucks, ALL TAXES AND FEES included, continue to use at&t's towers (better in my area than the others). It's amazing what the at&t/verizon/sprint bunch gets away with. They'll sell you a phone plan, for say 50 bucks, but by the time you add this fee or that fee, it ends up costing closer to a hundred bucks.
I just wish the cost versus retail price of the phones would react like most consumer electronics, over time, they improve the quality/features/performance, but, the price comes down. But, unlike a lot of consumer electronics, the shape/size of phones seems to change with each model...oh well, maybe one day people will say enough is enough...I don't need a faster processor and brighter display. Once it cools off, the price will have to come down, to stay in business.