Google’s Pixel 2 XL troubles don’t seem to be getting over anytime soon. After the display issues, clicking issues, and QA issues, now the reports are coming in that the company has shipped some Pixel 2 XL units without a functioning operating system (OS), i.e. without working Android. Imagine getting an Android phone without Android on it.

A Reddit user going by the screename ‘pdoubleyou’ posted a few days ago that after turning on his brand-new Pixel 2 XL, he was greeted with “Can’t find valid operating system. The device will not start.” message. He isn’t the only Pixel 2 XL buyer to encounter this issue, other Reddit users commented on his post saying that they too had faced the same problem. There have been other reports on Reddit as well as on other forums with the same issue, so this is not one isolated incident.

Google has since released a statement saying the issue has been resolved, but just the existence of such problems raises serious doubts about how ready the company is to become a hardware maker. Over the last couple of years, Google has been steadily increasing its hardware offerings and it even acqui-hired over 200 engineers from HTC to work on the Pixel devices. So, every mishap the company has with its hardware products only cements the concerns like ‘the whole hardware thing being a fool’s errand’ for Google. (via Android Police)

HTC U11+ was originally intended to be the Pixel 2 XL: Report

In more Pixel 2 XL news, The Verge is reporting that HTC was originally supposed to make both Pixel 2 smartphones and the just unveiled U11+ was actually going to be the Pixel 2 XL. Although Google hasn’t officially said anything to confirm The Verge’s claims, but during the early days of Pixel 2 development, a smartphone codenamed ‘muskie’ was sighted in the Android source code, which never materialized and we ended up getting LG-made Pixel 2 XL, which carries the codename – Taimen. It is quite possible that muskie was the phone that we are seeing as HTC U11+ today.