Are The Google Pixel 2 Processor Rumors True?

Early rumors that Google’s next Pixel smartphones would be the first devices powered by a brand new processor from Qualcomm have been negated by a pair of reports.

It was previously suggested that both the Pixel 2 and the larger Pixel 2 XL, rumored to debut on October 5th, would contain the Snapdragon 836 and offer a small performance upgrade over the Snapdragon 835 found in top-tier 2017 Android phones including the Samsung Galaxy S8, OnePlus 5, Moto Z2 Force, LG V30, and Galaxy Note 8. But there’s a problem with that possibility: this yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon processor doesn’t actually exist. It’s not a real thing.

Google’s second-generation Pixel handsets, powered by Snapdragon 836 SoC’s, will be unveiled on October 5th.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 24, 2017

Both XDA Developers and Android Police are reporting that the upcoming Pixel handsets — reportedly manufactured by HTC (regular Pixel 2) and LG (XL model) — won’t have a Snapdragon 836 among their hardware specs. Instead, it’s far likelier that both will simply stick to the 835. That’s also backed by a recent FCC filing for the Pixel 2, which essentially confirmed that at least the smaller phone would use the same processor as most other flagships released this year.

Whatever the case, both stories seem fairly confident that Qualcomm isn’t working on any Snapdragon 836 processor. Reputable leaker Evan Blass, however, is sticking to his original claim:

Re: SD836, I haven’t heard anything further since my initial tweet, and since the source has proven accurate time after time, I stand by it.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 6, 2017

With last year’s original Pixels, Google got first dibs on the Snapdragon 821, which offered very slight improvements over the 820 processor inside most other premium Android phones at the time. But it seems that despite Google’s late-in-the-year release timeframe, that fresh silicon advantage won’t repeat this time around. No big deal. Considering what a great performer the Snapdragon 835 has proven itself to be and how fast the first Pixels remain to this day, this news really shouldn’t disappoint.