Google's new Pixel 2 feature that identifies things you photograph isn't ready for primetime just yet

One of the features I was most excited to try on the new Pixel 2 smartphone was Google Lens, a visual search engine that comes preloaded on the new phones.

Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype.

First off, it's nearly impossible to find. The feature lives inside the Google Photos app, not the camera app. This means it only works after you've already taken a photo, not as you're taking one, like it may seem.

And therein lies the first major problem with the feature: If the intent is to have Google Lens identify objects you see in the real world, it's a hassle to take a photo, then have to open up the Google Photos app to find Lens. I was fooled - and I suspect many others were as well - into thinking Lens worked in in real time.

More importantly, however, Lens just doesn't work that well yet. Google says that for now, Lens is just a "preview," which may be Google-speak for a beta version. But I expected it to be, well, smarter.

Here's what I mean: