Ever since the bootloop issues on the Google Nexus 5X as well as some LG G4, LG V10 and even last year’s LG G5 and LG V20 units, many smartphone buyers no longer trust LG’s mobile division.
While the response from Google’s side with respect to the Nexus 5X was more than positive, many people were not happy with LG’s reaction to the same, especially those who did not buy the phone directly from Google. In fact, it’s for this reason the case ended up in court and apparently, the story could be the same with respect to the new Google Pixel 2 XL.
For the few weeks the LG-made Pixel 2 XL has been around, a multitude of issues have been flying all over, but most of them had everything to do with LG’s side of the deal. As you know, the Pixel 2 XL might be a “Made by Google” phone, but it’s LG that did the dirty job, with Google’s major task being the software end of things. Given that a lot of what has been happening has had everything to do with the hardware used on the Pixel 2 XL, specifically the LG-made 6-inch pOLED display screen, many have been pointing the finger at the South Korean tech giant, however, the latest developments may suggest otherwise.
As it turns out, LG is not the only culprit here. If anything, it seems the whole team behind the Google Pixel 2 XL is to blame for a thing or two that is happening to the phone. The fact that the LG V30 is also experiencing just about the same display screen issues as the Pixel 2 XL, yet the two use the same display screen, suggests that the LG-made pOLED panel in question could be one of the problems. Google has also admitted that software tweaks could be the problem and thus it will be pushing updated versions with fixes in future.
In a new turn of events, it appears that some Google Pixel 2 XL units are shipping without an operating system. Yes, you read that right! Some buyers of the $1000 phone are getting it without an OS, which is quite surprising if you ask me. All these issues suggest that the Pixel 2 XL team did a rush job, in general, and it’s a bad thing for a phone posing as a premium.
The Google Pixel 2 phones had been in development for months before their launch. Since Google decided that it’s ready for the premium market, you’d expect that all products go through thorough quality inspections to ensure that none hits the market with any major issue. In fact, for a company of Google’s caliber, this should be a norm, but looking at the Pixel 2 XL issues, it’s obviously not.
So, if you end up with a Google Pixel 2 XL smartphone with no OS, your best bet is to ship it back and hope that the replacement comes with a valid OS.