Google Pixel 2 XL Update ADDS “Multiple Display Modes” To Ease OLED Issues

Richard Goodwin 07/11/2017 - 9:13am

Not impressed with your Google Pixel 2 XL’s display? Well, from November you’ll have four display mode options to choose from

Google has taken a lot of flack over the Google Pixel 2 XL’s OLED display. Like, way more than I think even its most negative internal analysts would have expected.

But rather than admitting defeat and rolling over, The Big G is doing what it does best instead – issuing and update. Now, to be clear: there has already been a November update for Google’s existing Pixel 2, Pixel and Nexus devices. Just not the Pixel 2 XL.

Why? Simple: it wasn’t quite ready on account of it featuring some new display options – display options which give the user three display mode options.

This update, however, is NOW rolling out to Pixel 2 XL handsets, so if you’re rocking a Pixel 2 XL you should see the update land presently.

Once the update is installed, you will be able to choose between three display modes: Boosted, Natural, or Saturated.

Beyond this, Google has also tweaked the navigation bar; it now kind of greys out when you open an app. The reason? It slows down OLED burn-in issues from happening.

And it couldn’t have landed at a better time too; Apple’s iPhone X is now getting similar treatment over its OLED display. Users are reporting weird hues when viewing the screen from angles and Apple has since gone on to issue an official statement re: the OLED panel:

“If you look at an OLED display off-angle, you might notice slight shifts in colour and hue. This is a characteristic of OLED and is normal behaviour. With extended long-term use, OLED displays can also show slight visual changes. This is also expected behaviour and can include “image persistence” or ‘burn-in,’ where the display shows a faint remnant of an image even after a new image appears on the screen.”

However, as many have pointed out – these issues DO NOT happen on modern Samsung phones, so nor should they happen on $1000 iPhones. This is the main reason why everybody was up in arms about the Pixel 2 XL’s display. Will Apple do something similar and issue an update? I have no idea. But the fact that Google has suggests to me that these OLED teething issues were not foreseen or downplayed internally.

by rgoodwin via Featured Articles