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Pixel 2 XL leak shows off new launcher and front-facing speakers

Justin Herrick

Update (2:00PM ET): Evan Blass has posted another image of the Pixel 2 XL, and this time it’s without a case.

Original (1:54PM ET): We’re less than two days away from Google announcing the Pixel 2; however, the latest flagship coming from the Mountain View-based company just can’t stay hidden. Evan Blass, VentureBeat‘s mobile industry insider, managed to get his hands on a press render of the phone in a case. It shows the larger model, known as the Pixel 2 XL, in black and protected by a black case.

Check out the image, courtesy of Evan Blass on Twitter:

LG will be making the Pixel 2 XL, and that’s noticeable in the design of the phone shown in the leaked image. There’s a resemblance to the G6 and the V30. Those phones, as well as this one, have all-screen fronts. Google would like its phone, at least the larger model, to have a quality that is standard among the most popular flagships on the market.

The leak also further confirms that Google will bring back front-facing stereo speakers to its devices. Google’s Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X all had the feature. With last year’s Pixel, the company dropped it and moved one speaker into the bottom of the phone. Both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have front-facing stereo speakers to offer users an enhanced experience for watching videos, listening to music, and playing games.

Having front-facing stereo speakers would explain why the Pixel 2 XL’s top and bottom bezels, while thinner than its predecessor’s, are thicker than what you may have expected.

Finally, it appears that Google will be changing the Pixel Launcher when its new phones arrive. Above the on-screen navigation buttons is a dedicated Google Search bar followed by the row of docked apps. On the current version of the Pixel Launcher, Google Search is tucked away in a ‘G’ button at the top left of the home screen. You’re also able to see information displayed at the top rather than just the date and weather.

Google will make the Pixel 2 and other devices official during its big launch event this week in San Francisco.