There used to be a reason why back in the day, screensavers were widely used. It is because it is to prevent display burn ins where static pixels left in a position for too long could literally burn itself into the display of the monitor, thus leaving a permanent mark on it. These days this is an issue with mobile devices as well, and now some Pixel 2 XL users are reporting the issue.
According to the media who have received review units of the Pixel 2 handsets for review purposes are reporting that they are experiencing burn in problems with the display. There have also been reports of customers who have bought the phones who are experiencing it as well, particularly in the software navigation buttons.
Well, hello there. I have burn-in on my 2 XL. Not as bad as some, but this is maybe 10 days of not even being used as a primary device. pic.twitter.com/g600Gw1GdK
— Stephen Hall (@hallstephenj) October 22, 2017
Google has since acknowledged the issue and in a statement provided to The Verge, they claim to be investigating it. “The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide color gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings. We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report.”
As to what Google plans to do once this investigation is over remains to be seen, but in the meantime if you are affected by it, you’ll probably want to send your unit back for a replacement one.