Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL specs

The Pixels are back, and they're better than last year's models in every way. Manufactured by two companies this time, HTC and LG, there are substantial differences in the way the two phones look, but on the inside they're almost identical.

While Google hasn't overhauled the aesthetics of the smaller Pixel 2, it gains dual front-facing speakers (and loses a headphone jack), benefits from IP67 water and dust resistance, has an improved 1080p OLED display and an upgraded Snapdragon 835 processor, along with a 2700mAh battery.

The larger, tall-but-narrow Pixel 2 XL has a 6-inch 2880x1440 pOLED display with diminutive bezels that keep the overall chassis size to a minimum. Think LG V30 but slightly taller. Inside, there's a 3520mAh battery — bigger than the Pixel XL — along with the same CPU and RAM specs.

What could be the most interesting change from last year is the addition of optical image stabilization (OIS) to augment the existing electronic stabilization from last year. There's still a 12.2MP rear camera sensor, with 1.4μm pixels, laser and phase-detection autofocus, all with an f/1.8 aperture.

Finally, a built-in eSIM is interesting because it opens up the possibility of Google offering Project Fi to any customer who wants it, even without a carrier SIM card installed.