Google acquired the HTC team that built the new Pixel 2 - let's see what the search giant bought for a billion dollars. Strangely enough, the smaller of the two devices hasn't changed much, but the larger Pixel 2 XL is much more in step with modern flagships.
Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_2_and_pixel_2_xl-review-1665.php