Eighteen months after first becoming available, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are now declared dead. They're still very much capable devices, to be sure, but Google has pulled them off its online store.
Users who click on a link for the Pixel 2 are now taken instead to the newer Pixel 3. Other retailers may still have the phone in stock. Best Buy is currently selling a Pixel 2 XL, for instance, and there could be several product listings on Amazon, as well.
Android Police was the first to notice. This should perhaps come as no surprise, as the writing was on the wall. Back in October, Verizon officially ended sales of the smaller variant upon the announcement of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. A smartphone lifespan seem to be shorter nowadays as new phones are pumped out yearly.
Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL Dead
Google announced the Pixel 2 and its larger sibling in October 2017, which went on sale later that month. They were phenomenal phones that ran into a handful of quality problems, particularly with the display, which were found to have dull colors. Google later rolled out an update that lets users tweak saturation so the screen could look more vibrant. Both phones had one of the best cameras on a phone at the time, and the images hold up to this day.
Making Way For The Midrange Pixels
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 aren't entirely dead, though. Google will still update them with Android Q this summer, although it's not clear if they'll receive more updates afterward. By moving both phones out of its store, Google can now focus on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. More importantly, this also paves the way for the rumored midrange Pixel phones called the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, which have already passed through the Federal Communications Commission and are expected to come out within the next several months.
