Both models reached their planned end-of-life date in October 2020; their final security update was released in December 2020.

In early March 2017, Google's Rick Osterloh confirmed that they would bring a "next-gen" Pixel smartphone later that year.

[10][11] The PVC was custom design by Google's consumer hardware team with collaboration from Intel.

With this, the Google Assistant can be launched by squeezing the phone's sides, similar to the HTC U11's "Edge Sense" feature.

This phone was also released with the new Google Lens app, which is designed to bring up relevant information using visual analysis by the camera.

The "Now Playing" feature allows the device to automatically detect music through its microphone, and identify the song on the lock screen.

[22] On October 4, 2017, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were granted an extended warranty period which guarantees Android version updates for them until October 2020, 3 years from when they were first available on the Google Store,[23] and free unlimited storage for all photos and videos taken on the phone in original quality through the end of 2020, with unlimited high-quality storage continuing afterwards.

However, news outlets noted that because USB-C is a standard interface, unlike Lightning, there are a variety of third-party adapters that retail for less than Google's official one.

[39][40][41] YouTuber JerryRigEverything, who performs durability tests on various smartphones, criticized Google for their design choice with the antenna lines on the sides of the handset.

[42][43][44] The design of the smaller Pixel 2 was regarded as plain, and its big chunky bezels were not well received, considering that earlier 2017 phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 had moved to nearly bezel-less screens.

Using Night Sight the Pixel 2 takes superior low light photos than newer 2018 flagships such as the iPhone XS and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

[73] According to IDC Senior Research Director Francisco Jeronimo, Google shipped 3.9 million units in 2017, twice as much as Pixels sold in 2016.

[74] On March 21, 2018, Google did a temporary offer where, if a consumer financed a Pixel for 2 years, they would receive a $200 cashback.