Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL hands-on

October 09, 2018

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL hands-on

After ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ months of rumors, leaks, and a whole lot of hype, the Pixel 3 is finally here. It’s hard to believe that we’re already on the third anniversary of Google’s rebranding as a true hardware company, but as they say, time flies.

Don’t miss: Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL specs

We’ve just had enough time to get our hands on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL and our coverage is still ongoing, so make sure to check back as we update our posts. Without further ado, let’s go hands-on with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Design and build quality

The design of the Google Pixel 3 is the one aspect of the phone that caused the most controversy among our readers. The smaller Pixel 3 looks incredibly similar to the Pixel 2 XL, just in a smaller form factor and with slightly more rounded edges. Meanwhile, the Pixel 3 XL sports a notch and chin bigger than most any device we’ve seen before it.

The notch of the Pixel 3 XL houses two large 8MP camera sensors, used for the new Group Selfie mode Google is introducing. With Group Selfie, you can zoom out switch to the wide angle camera (97 degrees), so all your friends fit into the frame.

The design of the Google Pixel 3 is the one aspect of the phone that caused the most controversy.

A notch in the top of a phone usually means a fairly minimal bottom bezel, but Google has retained a bezel that looks just as thick as the Pixel 2 XL’s. The notch and chin do retain the front-facing speakers from last year which is as good a reason as any to keep a thick bezel, but judging from the many leaks, readers seem to be a bit disappointed that Google hasn’t put more effort into slimming it down.

Speaking of the speakers, they are louder and richer than last year — 40 percent louder, supposedly — and Google had an award winning production company tweak the sound for the best experience.

The screen is a 1080 x 2160-resolution OLED on the standard model Pixel 3, while the 3 XL variant comes in at 1440 x 2960 (also OLED). The screen sizes of each model are 5.5 inches and 6.3 inches, respectively. While last year’s Pixel 2 XL suffered from a “blue shift” issue on its LG-made OLED screen, the screen on the new P-OLED Pixel 3 XL seems to be massively improved. There is no blue shift to be seen, and the display density is 523ppi. From our brief time with the device, the haptic engine has also been improved significantly.

The backs of the devices look extremely similar to the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, save for the rounded edges where the metal meets the glass panel. This new, more rounded design fits well with Google’s Material Design refresh, which utilizes rounded bubbly elements.

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL feature Gorilla Glass 5, both on the front of the device and the back. The back features the trademark glass “window” we’ve come to know from previous Pixel phones, but this time the effect is achieved by covering most of the glass back with a soft finish. This gives the phones a nice grip. The soft touch also means you won’t see fingerprints nearly as often as last year, and that’s nice considering these pixels have really nice colors.

Google has also retained the single rear camera design from the previous Pixels, which is honestly fine considering the Pixel 2’s portrait mode is still considered one of the best, with the most accurate edge detection of nearly any device. You can also shift the aperture of the image after you take it just like on the iPhone Xs, and you can make the background black and white while giving your subject a splash of color.

To me, it’s clear that Google is now working to make cameras with AI-enabled computers strapped to the back. Google put that much emphasis on the camera this year.

While last year’s Pixels came in Just Black, Clearly White, and Kinda Blue, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are set to retain the black and white options while also adding a new Not Pink color (which is totally pink) with an orange accent on the power button. The white model is set to have a teal-colored power button.

I’m actually a huge fan of all the colors this year, but I think the Not Pink was a nice touch. I’m tempted to pick that one up.

Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Hardware

Google’s Pixel 3 and Pixel XL sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 4GB of RAM, and 64 or 128GB of storage with no microSD card expansion. These specs seem fairly minimal, considering other flagships have up to 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM (or even 10GB), but Google seems confident in their optimization of Android for these devices. This year’s devices sport IP68 water resistance as well.

Last year’s phones didn’t include wireless charging, but the Google Pixel 3 changes that. Google is also launching a new Pixel Stand wireless charger, coming in a variety of colors and a soft rubber finish that looks extremely familiar to the Google Home Mini.

Read: Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC guide: All of Qualcomm’s current SoCs and how they compare

The $79 Pixel Stand is not just a charger. It expands the Pixel 3’s functionality, giving you some of the same features as the new Google Home Hub. These include the ability to display curated images from your Google Photos library as a screensaver, control your smart home devices, act as an alarm clock, and display album art when playing music. If you have other Qi-enabled devices, you can charge those as well, though you obviously won’t get the smart stand experience.

The standard Pixel 3 includes a 2,915mAh battery, while the larger Pixel 3 XL sports a 3,430mAh cell. Neither of these capacities is the highest we’ve seen in a smartphone and we just saw the LG V40 have a hard time with its 3,300mAh battery on a 6.4-inch display, but software optimization can always help smaller batteries perform quite a bit better.

Just like the Pixel 2, the Pixel 3 features an e-SIM in addition to the traditional SIM card tray. This will allow for users of Project Fi to use the network without the need for a physical SIM card, so they can get their phone up and running straight away.

The Pixel 3 will also come with a pair of USB Type-C earbuds in the box. These earbuds maintain a similar look to the original Pixel Buds, utilizing a fabric jacket and retractable loop design to fit snugly in your ears. Just like the wireless version, they are Google Assistant-enabled.

The new Pixels also retain the Active Edge squeeze feature to launch Google Assistant and Pixel Imprint fingerprint reader from last year.

	Google Pixel 3 specs	Google Pixel 3 XL specs
Display	5.5-inch flexible OLED 1,080 x 2,160 resolution 443ppi 18:9 screen ratio Gorilla Glass 5	6.3-inch flexible OLED 1,440 x 2,960 resolution 523ppi 18.5:9 screen ratio Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
GPU	Adreno 630	Adreno 630
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB, 128GB No microSD slot	64GB, 128GB No microSD slot
Cameras	Rear: 12.2MP f/1.8 sensor, 1.4 micron pixels, OIS and EIS, spectral and flicker sensor Front: Main: 8MP standard angle (75 degree FOV) f/1.8 auto-focus sensor Secondary: 8MP wide-angle (97 degree FOV) f/2.2 fixed-focus sensor	Rear: 12.2MP f/1.8 sensor, 1.4 micron pixels, OIS and EIS, spectral and flicker sensor Front: Main: 8MP standard angle (75 degree FOV) f/1.8 auto-focus sensor Secondary: 8MP wide-angle (97 degree FOV) f/2.2 fixed-focus sensor
Headphone jack	No	No
Battery	2,915mAh Wireless charging	3,430mAh Wireless charging
IP rating	IP68	IP68
Other features	Dual front-facing speakers, Active Edge, USB Type-C, single nano-SIM	Dual front-facing speakers, Active Edge, USB Type-C, single nano-SIM
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 2.4GHz + 5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC	Wi-Fi 2.4GHz + 5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
Network	World-wide network/carrier compatibility with: GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10 WCDMA: W1/W2 FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/ 26/28/29/32/66/71 Supports up to CAT 16 (1Gbps DL / 75Mbps UL), 5x DL CA, 4x4 MIMO, LAA, 256-QAM DL and 64-QAM UL depending on carrier support eSIM (Select markets. See your carrier for details) FeliCa (Japan only)	World-wide network/carrier compatibility with: GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10 WCDMA: W1/W2 FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/ 26/28/29/32/66/71 Supports up to CAT 16 (1Gbps DL / 75Mbps UL), 5x DL CA, 4x4 MIMO, LAA, 256-QAM DL and 64-QAM UL depending on carrier support eSIM (Select markets. See your carrier for details) FeliCa (Japan only)
Software version	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie
Colors	Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink	Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink
Dimensions and weight	68.2 x 145.6 x 7.9mm / 2.7 x 5.7 x 0.3in 148g / 5.2oz	76.7 x 158.0 x 7.9mm / 3.0 x 6.2 x 0.3in 184g / 6.5oz
In the box	Quick Switch Adapter USB-C to USB-C cable USB-C 18W Power adapter Pixel USB-C earbuds USB-C digital to 3.5 mm headphone adapter SIM tool Quick Start Guide	Quick Switch Adapter USB-C to USB-C cable USB-C 18W Power adapter Pixel USB-C earbuds USB-C digital to 3.5 mm headphone adapter SIM tool Quick Start Guide

Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Camera

Both Pixels use the same 12.2MP f/1.8 camera on the rear and two 8MP f/2.2 sensors on the front. While there have been a huge number of leaks surrounding the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, the camera quality is one aspect that we’ve yet to see many details on. In the photos we have seen, high dynamic range seems to be the name of the game, giving the final image much more range between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites.

The Pixel 2 is still hailed as having one of the best cameras on the market, utilizing its proprietary HDR+ technology to recover shadows without blowing out highlights. This year, Google has learned from the incredible amount of data they’ve gathered from Pixel 2 to make the camera even better. There is optical image stabilization in the rear sensor as well, leading to sharp images like we saw last year.

The new devices utilize an improved Pixel Visual Core, which will help process photos even faster. Google Lens should be active by default when you have the camera app open, so you can tap on objects to learn more about them.

As expected, Google added a bunch of new software features to help you make the most of your mobile camera. There’s Top Shot, which captures multiple images every time you hit the shutter button and selects the best one, potentially decreasing the number of failed shots. Photobooth lets you snap selfies with just a smile or a funny face. Playground adds a bunch of virtual animated characters to your shots. There are other smaller improvements, including Fused Video Stabilization and Motion Auto Focus.

Read: Here’s what the Pixel 3 XL camera can do

Perhaps the most interesting Pixel 3 camera feature Google teased is Night Sight. This combines data from multiple frames to improve low-light performance. Google says you won’t need to use a flash ever again, but we’ll have to wait for about a month for this feature to roll out.

Search This Blog

Mr Engineer 360