The fervor around the Google Pixel 2 XL's display has died down somewhat following Google's detailed explanation of how it plans to handle the screen going forward, and now we're seeing software hitting the phone that reflects Google's intentions. With the latest update, nominally carrying the November security patch, Google has made multiple changes to improve the Pixel 2 XL's display.
First, it has implemented a change to the color profiles. Now rather than simply toggling on "vivid colors" in the display settings, you have three options: "boosted," "natural" or "saturated." It looks to us like the "boosted" option is more akin to the old "vivid colors" option of before, which didn't seem to make a huge difference in the look of the display, while "natural" is self-explanatory and "saturated" makes the biggest difference to our eyes.
Even with "saturated" set, don't expect the Pixel 2 XL's display to all of a sudden come alive and look like a Galaxy Note 8 with "adaptive display" turned on. You'll get a bit more color than the other two settings and an all-around punchier range, but it's clear that Google's intentions are to keep the Pixel 2 XL looking accurate rather than eye-pleasing and unnatural.
The latest update is also making changes to other display aspects, focused on limiting the amount of burn-in the Pixel 2 XL's display suffers from. These changes include a small reduction in the maximum screen brightness, as well as a navigation bar that now fades out after periods of inactivity. Both of these changes were previously included in the Android 8.1 Developer Preview, but it's great to see Google already implementing them in stable builds. The hope is that together these changes will reduce the strain on the screen and keep it from deteriorating faster than usual.
In an explanation on the Pixel User Community, Google says that further enhancements for the Pixel 2 XL's display will come alongside the December security patch as well. The updates, while of course focused on fixing complaints around the Pixel 2 XL, is also available on the standard Pixel 2. Also included is a supposed fix for the Pixel 2's "clicking" issue in the earpiece.
How are you finding your Pixel 2 XL's display after the latest update? Let us know in the comments!
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