https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/27/the-pixel-2s-dormant-visual-core-chip-gets-activated-in-the-latest-android-developer-preview/

Sadly, not all of the Pixel 2’s surprises have been the good sort since Google’s latest flagship launched. Visual Core is one of the more pleasant ones, though — a custom system-on-a-chip (SoC) that’s just been hanging out in the phone not really doing much of anything.

It seemed that the component simply wasn’t ready for public consumption when the phone hit the market, but the company’s finally prepared to have the chip start earning its keep.