Pixel 2 XL prototype unit appears online, offering an insight into why Google chose LG over HTC for its flagship smartphone of 2017

Google has been fond of thick bezels in recent years, even if the ones in the Pixel 4 series had their uses. Nonetheless, a Pixel 2 XL prototype has shown what HTC offered to produce for Google for a few years ago. The Pixel 2 had noticeably thicker bezels than the Pixel 2 XL, despite being released by the same company. However, the prototype Pixel 2 XL produced by HTC show that thick bezels were more of an HTC thing than a Google thing.

In short, the HTC-made Pixel 2 XL has huge bezels, even by 2017 standards. The device, codenamed muskie, had the same design as the Pixel 2 XL that Google would eventually release though, which it contracted LG to produce. Unsurprisingly, the muskie looks like a larger Pixel 2, with its front-facing speakers a long way from the edges of its display.

Calyx Hikari has not offered many details on the muskie, but we presume it must have a smaller display than the LG-made Pixel 2 XL to fit within the same shell. Overall, we think that Google made the right choice by releasing the Pixel 2 XL that LG produced. There is simply too much unused space on the HTC version, in our opinion, especially compared to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

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