The display on the Google Pixel 2 XL has been one of the hottest topics in mobile over the past week or so, with reports of muted colors, blue tint, and screen burn-in all surfacing. Today Google came forward with an explanation and a plan for how it’s going to respond.
Google explains that it’s been investigating reports about the Pixel 2 XL’s display and that this has given it “confidence that [its] displays are as great as [it] hoped they would be”. Still, Google will be taking steps to respond to consumer complaints about the screen.
Google plans to issue a software update that’ll add a “saturated” color mode that will make the colors more saturated and vibrant, but less accurate. This way, consumers that feel the Pixel 2 XL’s screen is too muted can punch up the color saturation themselves.
You can read many more details on the Pixel 2 XL's display and its settings right here.
When it comes to burn-in, Google says that its investigations of the Pixel 2 XL’s display found that its “decay characteristics are comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones.” Google does plan to take further steps to fight burn-in, though, and it’s testing an update that’ll add a new fade-out of the navigation bar buttons after a short period of inactivity.
Google is also working with more apps to use a light navigation bar to match the app’s color scheme.
Additionally, the update will reduce the maximum brightness of the Pixel 2 XL’s screen by 50 nits, which Google says will be “virtually imperceptible”. This will reduce load on the display with very little change on its observed brightness.
This update will roll out to the Pixel 2 XL “in the next few weeks.”
Google also touched on the reports that some Pixel 2 phones are emitting some clicking sounds. The company plans to release an update in the coming weeks to address the issue, but until then, it says that Pixel 2 owners can turn off NFC by going into Settings > Connected Devices > NFC.
Finally, Google is extending the warranties on every Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to two years.