Google's Pixel and Pixel XL have become quite popular in the smartphone market, mainly due to their very powerful rear cameras. Google says that the two devices have the best rear cameras found on any smartphone on the market.
While camera performance is important for a premium phone, there are other features to consider as well. Waterproofing is one of the factors that can really make a big difference when buying the Pixel and Pixel XL.
Some premium smartphones on the market come with IP67 or even IP68 protection against splashes of water and dust, ensuring that the device is not affected when submerged in water, whether accidentally or intentionally.
Last year, Google said that when designing the phone, the company had intended to include waterproof features, but decided to focus on the rear camera performance instead. Apparently, Google thought that waterproofing and high camera performance would push the price up and discourage consumers from buying the phone. This is true to an extent, but water and dust protection is on everyone's wish list when buying a new phone.
Stephen Hall of 9to5 Google recently wrote that the upcoming Pixel device will definitely have waterproofing features. He apparently got the information from a reliable source back in October of last year, but it was only recently revealed. Google will openly confirm this information, considering that the upcoming phone must be very early in the development stage.
Google reportedly only had nine months and one week to design and launch the Pixel and Pixel XL, and it has to be said that the company did a pretty good job, especially in the camera department. We expect Google to release a successor to the Pixel to include underwater capabilities and a plethora of other features, assuming that this time the company won't be pressed for time and can properly focus on the phone's capabilities.
