Google Pixel 2 Will Arrive Later This Year, Stick to Premium Segment: Rick Osterloh

Google's newly appointed hardware lead Rick Osterloh was at MWC 2017 and spoke to a few journalists out there divulging some details on the newly launched Pixel brand. After the Chromebook Pixel series statement, Osterloh is now reportedly talking about the next Pixel smartphone. In a roundtable, he said the Pixel was not a one-off experiment, and that a successor is in the offing.

Speaking to Android Pit's Eric Hermann, Osterloh said that next-gen Pixel devices are coming this year, although no time frame was announced. "There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it. You can (also) count on a successor this year, even if you don't hear a date from me now," he told Hermann.

This means that, like Apple, Google will also follow the pattern of releasing its smartphone after the one-year cycle is over. Last year's Pixel devices were launched in October, and we can expect the same launch time frame this year as well. Furthermore, Osterloh also refuted all claims of an affordable Pixel smartphone in the offing, and said that the Pixel will be positioned in the premium segment. Some reports even claim that the Pixel 2 will be more expensive than original Pixel smartphones.

Google appointed ex-Motorola employee Osterloh to helm all the hardware work for Pixel. While the Pixel devices got a decent review, there have been numerous glitches that have been reported by early adopters, and new bugs keep cropping up even now.

With the Pixel 2, Osterloh and his team is expected to bring upgrades and reduce these bugs. Further, the Pixel 2 is tipped to come with an improved camera and processor, and be water resistant as well.