Google Pixel 2 coming this year, confirms company

Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of hardware at Google, has confirmed the Pixel smartphone will get its successor.

Osterloh in a recent interview with Android Pit said: "There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it. You can count on a successor this year, even if you don't hear a date from me now."

Like the current Pixel and Pixel XL, the upcoming models would also sit among premium devices in the market, said Osterloh, adding: "Pixel stays premium." Although he did not provide details about the specific launch time, he said there would be no Pixel budget model.

Prior to this confirmation, last month Google said it will not stop production of Pixel devices in response to rumours that the company would cease production of its Pixel lineup.

"We're really excited by the demand for the Pixel XL in Canada. Telus is currently out of stock of the Pixel XL. We're working with our partners to restock inventory across our retail channels and we can confirm that production of the Pixel has not stopped," the company told 9to5Google in a statement.

Rumour suggests that the upcoming Pixel dubbed Pixel 2 is expected to receive significant improvements to the camera and processor. The company is said to be working on some low-light photo feature. The phones would "not have large MP size", instead "compensate in extra features".