Rick Osterloh, SVP of hardware at Google, has confirmed that Google will indeed be launching a Pixel 2 this year and it will continue being a “premium” handset. 

Considering Google’s marketing push and resources it used for the original Pixel’s launch, the launch of its successor for later this year is not surprising. What, however, will disappoint many is that the Pixel 2 is also going to be a “premium” handset. By this, Osterloh was possibly hinting at the price tag of the handset.

The Pixel and Pixel XL were praised widely last year when they launched, but their price point has been seen as one of their biggest downsides. However, despite the criticism that it received, Google plans on continuing to charge a premium for the handset’s successor as well. There were rumors of Google launching a cheaper version of the Pixel for emerging markets, but if the statement made by Osterloh is anything to go by, that does seem unlikely.

As for when will the Pixel 2 launch, Osterloh said that Google is following the “annual rhythm in the industry” which means that we should see the handset being released sometime towards the end of Q3.

Are you looking forward to the Pixel 2? Will you buy the handset if it features a price tag similar to that of the iPhone? Drop a comment and let us know!