Google is investigating an issue with the Pixel 2 XL display (GOOG)

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October 23, 2017 8:47 AM

The issue is not affecting the smaller, HTC-made Pixel 2, but only the LG-made POLED display of the Pixel 2 XL.

Numerous reports over the weekend mentioned issues with the Pixel 2 XL's display.
The issue is seemingly affecting the LG-made POLED display of the larger Pixel 2 XL only, not the smaller, HTC-made Pixel 2's.
Google is "actively investigating" the issue.

Google is "actively investigating" the reports that, over the weekend, mentioned a number of issues with the display of its flagship Pixel 2 XL smartphone, namely screen burn-in, The Verge reports.

Screen burn-in is an issue that organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays encounter, where an image resting for too long on the screen causes it to leave a somewhat permanent "ghost image" underneath.

The Pixel 2 XL, which runs Google's version of Android, uses software navigation buttons, which stay at the bottom of the screen unless content that requires a full-screen view (such as games, or a video) comes in.

That's some pretty wild OLE... @ Alex Dobie

Over the weekend, Pixel 2 XL owners (mostly tech reviewers) started noticing that, by displaying something with a white background, the phone would display a faint — but still visible — outline of the navigation bar.

This is not the only problem people have encountered with the LG-made POLED display of the Pixel 2 XL; others have mentioned bad colour balance, as well as a weird graininess shown with white backgrounds.

The (separate) burn-in problem, however, is actually fairly typical of all displays (and display types), but it still becomes visible only after months or even years of use; certainly not days or weeks.

When reached out for comment (by The Verge), Google had this to say:

"The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide color gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings. We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report."

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