Since the first batch of Pixel 2 XL review units has gone out, we have been hearing two major issues with the display of the Pixel 2 XL one being the screen burn-in issues and the other is the unsaturated colors. Google was quick to respond, and on 23rd October it mentioned that it had started actively investigating the differential aging or the screen burn-in.
Less than a week since the first report, Google finally has answers for the criticism. In a series of forum posts, the company has tried to address and detail the issues related to the Pixel 2 XL. It says that the display of the Pixel 2 XL is the best and just as the way they intended to be, however, Google said it would take steps to address the concerns.
Talking about the unsaturated colors, Google said that it was their own choice to calibrate the Pixel 2 XL in such way so that it can deliver natural and accurate colors, taking advantage of the new color management support in Android 8.0 Oreo. OLED displays typically have much wider gamut than regular sRGB and the Pixel 2 XL has a Display P3 gamut.
Until Android 8.0 Oreo, Android OS was not bothered about the color space of the content. Encoding image files with an LCD display were typically calibrated to sRGB, and the color management wasn’t a pressing issue. However, with display P3 can render more colors than sRGB because it has a wider gamut. Unaware that the display has a wider gamut than the content, Android OS without color management process the decoded image through to the display.
As a result, the display reinterprets the color values in the wider gamut and stretches the colors, thus displaying more vibrant and saturated colors. But this isn’t what the image was intended to be as he stretching is imprecise. Now with Android 8.0, the OS understands the color space and the actual color intended and shows natural and more accurate images precisely the way they were intended to be. For this though Google says that it will roll out an update that will add a new mode to saturate colors in coming weeks.
As for burn-in is concerned, most OLED panels start aging over a period, the question here is how long before it did. But with Google Pixel 2 XL, the burn-in was noticed within just a week of use, and this is what bothered most. Addressing the same, Google said that “Pixel 2 XL display show that its decay characteristics are comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones.” The company said that it would be rolling out updates to optimize the burn-in further.
Google said that it is currently testing a software update that will enhance protection against this issue by adding a new fade-out of the navigation bar buttons at the bottom of the Pixel screen after a short period of inactivity.
Also, few users have reported that the Google Pixel 2 is producing high pitch frequency sound and clicking sometimes when the screen is on and unlocked with ear up to the device like you are on a phone call. However, Google mentioned that it validating a software update to address faint clicking sounds on some Pixel 2 devices and will be made available in the coming weeks. Users can temporarily turn off NFC in Settings > Connected devices > NFC.