Pixel 2 XL's 2017 Display Flaws Set Tone for 10 Years of Google Hardware Missteps
Updated
Updated · 9to5Google · Oct 1
Pixel 2 XL's 2017 Display Flaws Set Tone for 10 Years of Google Hardware Missteps
3 articles · Updated · 9to5Google · Oct 1
Summary
Google’s 10-year Pixel retrospective casts the 2017 Pixel 2 XL as the clearest early warning of the line’s uneven hardware history, despite an otherwise strong design and camera-led identity.
The biggest failure was the LG-made display, which drew complaints over blue tint, black smearing, graininess, weak viewing angles and burn-in—turning purchases and exchanges into what buyers saw as a panel lottery.
Google tried to contain the fallout with software tweaks and extended warranty coverage, but the episode established a pattern: ambitious hardware swings followed by fixes and course corrections in later generations.
That pattern resurfaced with later Pixels, including Pixel 6 modem problems, before the article argues the 2026 Pixel 11 era finally looks more stable, predictable and mildly successful.