The Unofficial Google Pixel 2 & 2 XL Discussion Thread, now comes with 2-year global warranty

When I first read about the early screen issues (the "muted" colors) I wasn't overly concerned. As someone who regularly uses professionally calibrated monitors geared towards accuracy, I actually prefer that to the oversaturated look of other phones. The viewing angle stuff didn't sound like a huge issue... but the latest reports of burn-in after just a week of use? I'm thinking that may be a deal breaker for me. It was too late to cancel my order as it shipped early this morning, however depending how this situation unfolds over the next few days I may decide to just initiate a return without even opening it (particularly if there's no official statement/conclusion from Google on the burn-in by that time). Another weird issue I've read about recently is that apparently the upper speaker is about 10 decibels quieter than the lower one, which could be irritating during use for those with sensitive ears.

I've been a fan of Google phones since my first smartphone, the Nexus 5. That was an excellent device... sure, it had some compromises (battery life chief among them), but it performed great and was sold for a relative pittance. I went from the Nexus 5 to the 6, and finally to the 6P I'm using now. While the later two were somewhat more expensive, they had far fewer compromises in their design and were still a bargain compared to other flagship phones. Then the first Pixel came out and kind of turned me off with its unusual aesthetic and ridiculous price when taking into account the missing features compared to similarly-priced flagship phones had (water/dust ratings, etc). I was also still a little resentful that Google had cancelled my beloved Nexus line, and so I decided to skip the Pixel, assuming that with a full year (rather than the half year or so they had for the first Pixel) Google could produce a truly stellar flagship with zero compromises.

For the price of the Nexus 5, I was more than willing to accept a few compromises in design for the excellent software experience it provided. For the price of the Pixel 2 XL, I expect zero compromises. It should be using the best OLED that exists, and clearly LG's production process of mobile-sized OLEDs is still working out the kinks. Understandable, given how long it took Samsung, but still unfortunate. I still very much wish Google had simply continued with the Nexus line, but hopefully they can perfect the Pixel in its third version and deal quickly with this supposed burn-in problem.

Regardless, burn-in on a screen after barely a week of use is unacceptable. What will it look like after 6 months or a year? I'm not willing to pay $1000+ to find out; I'll let others take that gamble. If Google responds to this appropriately and corrects the issue, i may get one later on. What makes it most annoying is that the smaller, cheaper Pixel 2 has no such issues; its screen is from Samsung. Using an LG screen on the more premium offering was a mistake, plain and simple; one compromise too far.

As much as i like what Google is trying to accomplish with their Pixel line, they need to stop cutting corners. Excellent software can only go so far, and can only make up for hardware deficiencies up to a point.