Google Pixel 2 wants you to give it a squeeze

If tapping a screen or shouting a keyword was just that little bit too much trouble, you’ll be chuffed to learn Google’s Pixel 2 has a new way of waking up its virtual assistant: squeezy sides. Touch-sensitive Active Edge panels can also take selfies with the updated 12MP rear and 8MP front cameras, which have learned new tricks like Portrait mode – without needing two sensors to work out all that tricky depth information. There’s a super-speedy Snapdragon 835 CPU and 4GB of RAM underneath the 5in, 1080p OLED screen that’s purpose-built for Daydream virtual reality, and it’s running Android Oreo with a tweaked Pixel launcher that makes the Assistant even easier to access. Google has ditched the headphone socket, though – it’s a USB-C adapter or Bluetooth wireless all the way for music fans now. The phone is going up for pre-order today for £629 in Just Black, Kinda Blue and Clearly White colours. And we very much like those names.