Google Pixel 2 release date reportedly set for October, will debut Snapdragon 836 chip

Google will mark the one year anniversary of its celebrated Pixel smartphone range by revealing its second-generation flagship phones. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be unveiled at an event dated for 5 October, according to renowned tipster Evan Blass.

In a tweet earlier today, Blass leaked the alleged reveal date while also claiming that the Android duo will be the first smartphones to sport Qualcomm's latest high-end chipset, the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 836.

Blass's claims are backed by a recent report that acknowledged the new 'Google phones' will enjoy minor speed and battery-life improvements.

The report noted that the Snapdragon 836 only offering a slight processor bump over the standard Snapdragon 835 found in most of 2017's current crop of elite Android devices.

Considering that the first Pixel smartphones launched on 4 October 2016 and included a similarly modest processor improvement, the stars appear to be in full alignment for Blass's claims.

Smartphone leaks are an inevitability in the current market. Even so, Google's next-gen phones appear to have suffered more than most, with the design, specification, feature list and now release date all seemingly confirmed.

For those not up to speed, Google is readying two handsets – a regular Pixel 2 with help from HTC, and a larger, LG-made Pixel 2 XL. Unlike Google's first post-Nexus flagships, the two are expected to differ greatly in areas other than just size.

Judging from unofficial renders, the standard Pixel 2 won't look too dissimilar to its predecessor, while the phablet-sized Pixel 2 XL will take cues from LG's own flagship, the G6, and introduce an edge-to-edge OLED display to Google's smartphone family.

Recent rumours have suggested HTC could add some of its own unique flair however, with leaks revealing an "Active Edge" feature that sounds like the squeezable tech found on HTC's U11. There's also the controversial topic of the headphone jack, or, we should say, the potential lack of it.

If Google does hold an event in October, the search giant may also use it as an opportunity to unveil those rumoured Google Assistant-powered headphones and/or its miniaturised Home smart speaker.