Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL

[tbayrgs]

WARNING: This is going to be a long, likely rambling post so please feel free to skip right past it.

Well, my two week window to experiment with the Pixel 3 XL is coming to an end today and while I really like the device quite a lot, it won’t be moving to my everyday phone line. That being said, I am keeping it and will keep a Mint SIM in it for at least a few months. There are just too many areas in my personal workflow where Android falls short of iOS. The Pixel 3 XL hardware itself has been mostly terrific. This is going to be a lengthy post so..

TL;DR - Very good hardware with a terrific camera. My favorite combination of Android software and hardware to date. My personal preferences and workflow just fit much better on an iPhone.

Hardware

What I like:

• Very good display, much improved over the 2 XL. Not the best but I don’t pixel peep so it works for me
• Very good speakers. Considering Google insisted on putting them on the front and compromising the overall form factor for them, they better be.
• Build quality and feel are very nice, though since I use a case, this isn’t something I ponder on a daily basis
• And of course, the camera is at the top of the heap. It’s pretty spectacular.

What I don’t like as much:

• The notch. I use an iPhone XS Max so I’m well acquainted with a notch. I just notice it on the Pixel 3 XL much more often, likely because of its depth and how it has a bigger impact on Android (notification tray and status icons).
• Rear FP sensor. It works just fine in its biometric capacity—very quick and rarely falters. Using it to pull down the notification tray is inconsistent at best. My issue is that I just don’t like rear FP sensors. I use my phone too much in a dock or flat on a surface and having to reach around to use it is just inconvenient. I’ve set up Smart Lock to recognize any number of pair devices and locations and so often I still have to pick it up to use the FP sensor. FaceID works better for me, for both unlocking the device, but also inregards to app and password security.

Software

What I like better on Android:

• Great customization of home screens and the settings tray.
• Always on notifications on lock screen. Will admit this is generally lost on me though because I wear a smart watch.
• Ability to purchase content (Kindle, Google Play Movies, etc) right in apps
• Split screen apps. Don’t use it much but handy to have as an option.
• Google integration. Nice to have Google making suggestions or recommendations for me on the Google screen to the left of the main home screen and in my notifications.
• Ability to set default apps. Not a huge deal for me personally but there are instances where I like it, ie with Android Auto
• Keyboard, specifically GBoard. Tap typing on it’s iOS counterpart is awful so I have to use both the native iOS keyboard and GBoard for swipe typing. The Android version performs better. I do its implementation of cursor navigation better on iOS though.
• Google Assistant. Pretty well documented how, with some exceptions, she’s far ahead of Siri, or every other assistant for that matter.

What I like better on iOS:

• Widgets. I prefer a single screen accessible from anywhere in the OS, all with a consistent style.
• Control Center. I like having it separate from the Notification panel and it has a few options integrated that I can’t do on Android’s quick settings tray. The differences are subtle though so not a huge difference
• Guestures. They’re just done better on iOS. I’m not a big back button guy and at this point, swipe from the left is nearly ubiquitous across iOS to go back.
• Notification badges with numbers.
• Password manager integration. It is miles better on iOS. Any password field, in any app, not only lets me directly access my logins and passwords from multiple sources (i.e. iCloud Keychain and 1Password in my case) but it gives me direct links to likely matches in either database just above my keyboard as well as the option to manually enter either source and search for it. Many apps in Android do not use the native api for this functionality so I often find i need to manually open 1Password and copy an paste each individual field.
• Wallet. So many more apps automatically integrate with the iOS Wallet app vs. Google’s counterpart (Google Pay). And along those lines...
• Apple Pay. Only 3 of the 6 cards I have in Apple Pay can be used in Google Pay. My debit card, from a very large regional bank, has been available on Apple for years now yet still now available on Google. Plus, a number of my rewards cards use NFC and don’t require a barcode to be scanned on iOS.
• Home (smart home). The way Homekit makes setup much easier and integrates all of my smart home devices into a single, easily/quickly accessible hub is still much better than it is on Android. It’s much easier to set up automations or scenes as well. My garage door opener doesn’t integrate with the Google Assistant unless I pay a monthly subscription , yet on iOS, it’s right there front and center in the Home app and I get notified whenever it opens or closes.
• Shortcuts. I’m just starting to dip my toe in these waters but Shortcuts is adding an entire level of functionality. Yes, I’m aware of third party tools like Tasker and IFTTT on Android but native integration on iOS so far is much easier to implement. I just have my fingers crossed that developers keep adding functionality to their apps that integrate into Shortcuts. It’s far from perfect but so much potential.
• Messaging. Apple Messages vs. SMS/MMS, enough said. Third party solutions are not an option for me—and even if my contacts could accommodate it, I refuse to use the two most popular options since they’re owned by Facebook. (And yes, I no longer have FB or Instagram accounts either).
• Web browsing. I mentioned this somewhere else but Safari is able to meet 4 needs (syncing across devices, integration with password managers, content blocking, ideal navigation shortcuts) I want in my mobile web experience. Chrome and the Samsung browser comes closest on Android but no content blocking on Chrome makes the browsing experience painful at times and Samsung doesn’t have 3rd party password manager integration—that’s a deal breaker. Also, far too much of navigation in Chrome is from the top right corner—not ideal on a device often used in one hand.
• Email. My preferred app is iOS/Mac only - Spark email. I’ve tried probably a dozen and it’s easily my favorite, with features I use than no other app fully replicates. Outlook is probably my second favorite and it’s better on iOS. And regarding app disparity...
• Better apps. Yes, this is still relevant. Great apps like the previously mentioned Spark email, Fantastical, Overcast, Procreate, Halide, Focos, and Pixelmator don’t exist on Android. AnyList finally just arrived in beta and doesn’t match its iOS counterpart yet. Apps like AnyList and TickTick give me the option to integrate directly with Siri and Apple’s reminders app but don’t have the same options with the Google Assistant or Google Reminders. Then there is just the fit/finish/polish and performance. iOS apps get priority over their Android counterparts for so many devs or they just don’t work as hard on their Android versions. Pocket Casts, one of the most used 3rd party podcast apps on Android and much further down that same list on iOS, get a facelift on iOS before Android. Another example, Audible on Android routinely doesn’t sync my last listened position and wants to overright a later listen point with a much earlier position from my Pixel 3 XL. I’m then stuck trying to remember where I was, manually navigate to that position and pick up where I left off. I later pick up where I left off on my Apple Watch or iPhone without incident. However, when I return to the Pixel, many times the same issue happens all over again, or it’ll suddenly remember a few minutes later. My bank’s app has made me re-enter my login ID nearly everytime I go back into the app, even though I’ve checked both ‘Remember User ID’ and ‘Enable Fingerprint’. Google Play Music on Apple CarPlay has far greater capabilities vs. Android Auto. Seriously? I can go on here for a while. So yes, app disparity across platforms is still very real
• And all the other little things...like dates, times, and address showing as links in email and messages, allowing me to quickly create appointments or get directions. Also, on my Pixel, sometimes the Assistant wakes by voice while many times she just ignores me. I verify I have her set up properly but ultimately, I have to reboot the phone to have her wake by voice again. Google’s own Calendar app doesn’t let me edit an appointment to switch it to another calendar on its Android app, but I can do it on Apple’s native calendar app.

Ultimately, I could deal with most of these differences long term, if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch. It is absolutely the least replaceable piece of Apple hardware I have. I use it for so many things that no other smart watch can fully replicate on Android. Mine is the cellular version and I go without my phone at least 1-2 hours a day thanks to it, all the while able to do the following:

• Receive notifications
• Make/take calls, send/receive messages. Hell, my wife and I actually use the Walkie Talkie functionality at least a few times a week. More than I ever expected to use it.
• Fitness tracking using a number of native and third party apps. Apple’s Health app is a fabulous repository and hub for all health and fitness related data.
• Two factor authentication (I use Authy probably a couple dozen times a day for work)
• Offline podcast and audio book listening
• Offline and online music/radio listening
• Primary method of adding items to lists and creating reminders that sync across all of my devices.
• And God forbid, if I ever take a tough fall (I ride a bike for 1-2 hours a stretch 3 or 4 times a week) or have another emergency, I can reach emergency services (or the watch will do it for me if I’m unconscious).

I am unwilling to forgo all of that and even if I just kept my iPhone plugged in at home, I just don’t get the same experience on Android, and definitely not enough to make me have this frankenstein mobile/watch setup full time.

As I mentioned, I’m going to keep it as there are things I like and considering my frustration with Apple, am hopeful sometime in the next year as more things change that I might be able to move further out of the Apple ecosystem. Plus, I just like to dabble with all kinds of tech and really want to explore the Google Assistant more.

 

[mjschabow]

WARNING: This is going to be a long, likely rambling post so please feel free to skip right past it.

Well, my two week window to experiment with the Pixel 3 XL is coming to an end today and while I really like the device quite a lot, it won’t be moving to my everyday phone line. That being said, I am keeping it and will keep a Mint SIM in it for at least a few months. There are just too many areas in my personal workflow where Android falls short of iOS. The Pixel 3 XL hardware itself has been mostly terrific. This is going to be a lengthy post so..

TL;DR - Very good hardware with a terrific camera. My favorite combination of Android software and hardware to date. My personal preferences and workflow just fit much better on an iPhone.

Hardware

What I like:

• Very good display, much improved over the 2 XL. Not the best but I don’t pixel peep so it works for me
• Very good speakers. Considering Google insisted on putting them on the front and compromising the overall form factor for them, they better be.
• Build quality and feel are very nice, though since I use a case, this isn’t something I ponder on a daily basis
• And of course, the camera is at the top of the heap. It’s pretty spectacular.

What I don’t like as much:

• The notch. I use an iPhone XS Max so I’m well acquainted with a notch. I just notice it on the Pixel 3 XL much more often, likely because of its depth and how it has a bigger impact on Android (notification tray and status icons).
• Rear FP sensor. It works just fine in its biometric capacity—very quick and rarely falters. Using it to pull down the notification tray is inconsistent at best. My issue is that I just don’t like rear FP sensors. I use my phone too much in a dock or flat on a surface and having to reach around to use it is just inconvenient. I’ve set up Smart Lock to recognize any number of pair devices and locations and so often I still have to pick it up to use the FP sensor. FaceID works better for me, for both unlocking the device, but also inregards to app and password security.

Software

What I like better on Android:

• Great customization of home screens and the settings tray.
• Always on notifications on lock screen. Will admit this is generally lost on me though because I wear a smart watch.
• Ability to purchase content (Kindle, Google Play Movies, etc) right in apps
• Split screen apps. Don’t use it much but handy to have as an option.
• Google integration. Nice to have Google making suggestions or recommendations for me on the Google screen to the left of the main home screen and in my notifications.
• Ability to set default apps. Not a huge deal for me personally but there are instances where I like it, ie with Android Auto
• Keyboard, specifically GBoard. Tap typing on it’s iOS counterpart is awful so I have to use both the native iOS keyboard and GBoard for swipe typing. The Android version performs better. I do its implementation of cursor navigation better on iOS though.
• Google Assistant. Pretty well documented how, with some exceptions, she’s far ahead of Siri, or every other assistant for that matter.

What I like better on iOS:

• Widgets. I prefer a single screen accessible from anywhere in the OS, all with a consistent style.
• Control Center. I like having it separate from the Notification panel and it has a few options integrated that I can’t do on Android’s quick settings tray. The differences are subtle though so not a huge difference
• Guestures. They’re just done better on iOS. I’m not a big back button guy and at this point, swipe from the left is nearly ubiquitous across iOS to go back.
• Notification badges with numbers.
• Password manager integration. It is miles better on iOS. Any password field, in any app, not only lets me directly access my logins and passwords from multiple sources (i.e. iCloud Keychain and 1Password in my case) but it gives me direct links to likely matches in either database just above my keyboard as well as the option to manually enter either source and search for it. Many apps in Android do not use the native api for this functionality so I often find i need to manually open 1Password and copy an paste each individual field.
• Wallet. So many more apps automatically integrate with the iOS Wallet app vs. Google’s counterpart (Google Pay). And along those lines...
• Apple Pay. Only 3 of the 6 cards I have in Apple Pay can be used in Google Pay. My debit card, from a very large regional bank, has been available on Apple for years now yet still now available on Google. Plus, a number of my rewards cards use NFC and don’t require a barcode to be scanned on iOS.
• Home (smart home). The way Homekit makes setup much easier and integrates all of my smart home devices into a single, easily/quickly accessible hub is still much better than it is on Android. It’s much easier to set up automations or scenes as well. My garage door opener doesn’t integrate with the Google Assistant unless I pay a monthly subscription , yet on iOS, it’s right there front and center in the Home app and I get notified whenever it opens or closes.
• Shortcuts. I’m just starting to dip my toe in these waters but Shortcuts is adding an entire level of functionality. Yes, I’m aware of third party tools like Tasker and IFTTT on Android but native integration on iOS so far is much easier to implement. I just have my fingers crossed that developers keep adding functionality to their apps that integrate into Shortcuts. It’s far from perfect but so much potential.
• Messaging. Apple Messages vs. SMS/MMS, enough said. Third party solutions are not an option for me—and even if my contacts could accommodate it, I refuse to use the two most popular options since they’re owned by Facebook. (And yes, I no longer have FB or Instagram accounts either).
• Web browsing. I mentioned this somewhere else but Safari is able to meet 4 needs (syncing across devices, integration with password managers, content blocking, ideal navigation shortcuts) I want in my mobile web experience. Chrome and the Samsung browser comes closest on Android but no content blocking on Chrome makes the browsing experience painful at times and Samsung doesn’t have 3rd party password manager integration—that’s a deal breaker. Also, far too much of navigation in Chrome is from the top right corner—not ideal on a device often used in one hand.
• Email. My preferred app is iOS/Mac only - Spark email. I’ve tried probably a dozen and it’s easily my favorite, with features I use than no other app fully replicates. Outlook is probably my second favorite and it’s better on iOS. And regarding app disparity...
• Better apps. Yes, this is still relevant. Great apps like the previously mentioned Spark email, Fantastical, Overcast, Procreate, Halide, Focos, and Pixelmator don’t exist on Android. AnyList finally just arrived in beta and doesn’t match its iOS counterpart yet. Apps like AnyList and TickTick give me the option to integrate directly with Siri and Apple’s reminders app but don’t have the same options with the Google Assistant or Google Reminders. Then there is just the fit/finish/polish and performance. iOS apps get priority over their Android counterparts for so many devs or they just don’t work as hard on their Android versions. Pocket Casts, one of the most used 3rd party podcast apps on Android and much further down that same list on iOS, get a facelift on iOS before Android. Another example, Audible on Android routinely doesn’t sync my last listened position and wants to overright a later listen point with a much earlier position from my Pixel 3 XL. I’m then stuck trying to remember where I was, manually navigate to that position and pick up where I left off. I later pick up where I left off on my Apple Watch or iPhone without incident. However, when I return to the Pixel, many times the same issue happens all over again, or it’ll suddenly remember a few minutes later. My bank’s app has made me re-enter my login ID nearly everytime I go back into the app, even though I’ve checked both ‘Remember User ID’ and ‘Enable Fingerprint’. Google Play Music on Apple CarPlay has far greater capabilities vs. Android Auto. Seriously? I can go on here for a while. So yes, app disparity across platforms is still very real
• And all the other little things...like dates, times, and address showing as links in email and messages, allowing me to quickly create appointments or get directions. Also, on my Pixel, sometimes the Assistant wakes by voice while many times she just ignores me. I verify I have her set up properly but ultimately, I have to reboot the phone to have her wake by voice again. Google’s own Calendar app doesn’t let me edit an appointment to switch it to another calendar on its Android app, but I can do it on Apple’s native calendar app.

Ultimately, I could deal with most of these differences long term, if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch. It is absolutely the least replaceable piece of Apple hardware I have. I use it for so many things that no other smart watch can fully replicate on Android. Mine is the cellular version and I go without my phone at least 1-2 hours a day thanks to it, all the while able to do the following:

• Receive notifications
• Make/take calls, send/receive messages. Hell, my wife and I actually use the Walkie Talkie functionality at least a few times a week. More than I ever expected to use it.
• Fitness tracking using a number of native and third party apps. Apple’s Health app is a fabulous repository and hub for all health and fitness related data.
• Two factor authentication (I use Authy probably a couple dozen times a day for work)
• Offline podcast and audio book listening
• Offline and online music/radio listening
• Primary method of adding items to lists and creating reminders that sync across all of my devices.
• And God forbid, if I ever take a tough fall (I ride a bike for 1-2 hours a stretch 3 or 4 times a week) or have another emergency, I can reach emergency services (or the watch will do it for me if I’m unconscious).

I am unwilling to forgo all of that and even if I just kept my iPhone plugged in at home, I just don’t get the same experience on Android, and definitely not enough to make me have this frankenstein mobile/watch setup full time.

As I mentioned, I’m going to keep it as there are things I like and considering my frustration with Apple, am hopeful sometime in the next year as more things change that I might be able to move further out of the Apple ecosystem. Plus, I just like to dabble with all kinds of tech and really want to explore the Google Assistant more.

This was both an excellent post and huge relief for me as I'm receiving a Pixel 3XL tonight and switching from iOS, and there was really only one thing from your "what iOS does better" that I think will really affect me. And that's the iMessage, but I knew that going into this. I'll post some similar impressions.

I'm more set on switching to Android though and if anything I'm going to have a decision on if Pixel is the right brand for me, or if Samsung is the way to go.

 

[nviz22]

I am hoping the Pixel 3 means Google will be on a better track with the Pixel 4. 4gb RAM and the design language aren't enough to woo me over the S10E.

 

[nospleen]

WARNING: This is going to be a long, likely rambling post so please feel free to skip right past it.

Well, my two week window to experiment with the Pixel 3 XL is coming to an end today and while I really like the device quite a lot, it won’t be moving to my everyday phone line. That being said, I am keeping it and will keep a Mint SIM in it for at least a few months. There are just too many areas in my personal workflow where Android falls short of iOS. The Pixel 3 XL hardware itself has been mostly terrific. This is going to be a lengthy post so..

TL;DR - Very good hardware with a terrific camera. My favorite combination of Android software and hardware to date. My personal preferences and workflow just fit much better on an iPhone.

Hardware

What I like:

• Very good display, much improved over the 2 XL. Not the best but I don’t pixel peep so it works for me
• Very good speakers. Considering Google insisted on putting them on the front and compromising the overall form factor for them, they better be.
• Build quality and feel are very nice, though since I use a case, this isn’t something I ponder on a daily basis
• And of course, the camera is at the top of the heap. It’s pretty spectacular.

What I don’t like as much:

• The notch. I use an iPhone XS Max so I’m well acquainted with a notch. I just notice it on the Pixel 3 XL much more often, likely because of its depth and how it has a bigger impact on Android (notification tray and status icons).
• Rear FP sensor. It works just fine in its biometric capacity—very quick and rarely falters. Using it to pull down the notification tray is inconsistent at best. My issue is that I just don’t like rear FP sensors. I use my phone too much in a dock or flat on a surface and having to reach around to use it is just inconvenient. I’ve set up Smart Lock to recognize any number of pair devices and locations and so often I still have to pick it up to use the FP sensor. FaceID works better for me, for both unlocking the device, but also inregards to app and password security.

Software

What I like better on Android:

• Great customization of home screens and the settings tray.
• Always on notifications on lock screen. Will admit this is generally lost on me though because I wear a smart watch.
• Ability to purchase content (Kindle, Google Play Movies, etc) right in apps
• Split screen apps. Don’t use it much but handy to have as an option.
• Google integration. Nice to have Google making suggestions or recommendations for me on the Google screen to the left of the main home screen and in my notifications.
• Ability to set default apps. Not a huge deal for me personally but there are instances where I like it, ie with Android Auto
• Keyboard, specifically GBoard. Tap typing on it’s iOS counterpart is awful so I have to use both the native iOS keyboard and GBoard for swipe typing. The Android version performs better. I do its implementation of cursor navigation better on iOS though.
• Google Assistant. Pretty well documented how, with some exceptions, she’s far ahead of Siri, or every other assistant for that matter.

What I like better on iOS:

• Widgets. I prefer a single screen accessible from anywhere in the OS, all with a consistent style.
• Control Center. I like having it separate from the Notification panel and it has a few options integrated that I can’t do on Android’s quick settings tray. The differences are subtle though so not a huge difference
• Guestures. They’re just done better on iOS. I’m not a big back button guy and at this point, swipe from the left is nearly ubiquitous across iOS to go back.
• Notification badges with numbers.
• Password manager integration. It is miles better on iOS. Any password field, in any app, not only lets me directly access my logins and passwords from multiple sources (i.e. iCloud Keychain and 1Password in my case) but it gives me direct links to likely matches in either database just above my keyboard as well as the option to manually enter either source and search for it. Many apps in Android do not use the native api for this functionality so I often find i need to manually open 1Password and copy an paste each individual field.
• Wallet. So many more apps automatically integrate with the iOS Wallet app vs. Google’s counterpart (Google Pay). And along those lines...
• Apple Pay. Only 3 of the 6 cards I have in Apple Pay can be used in Google Pay. My debit card, from a very large regional bank, has been available on Apple for years now yet still now available on Google. Plus, a number of my rewards cards use NFC and don’t require a barcode to be scanned on iOS.
• Home (smart home). The way Homekit makes setup much easier and integrates all of my smart home devices into a single, easily/quickly accessible hub is still much better than it is on Android. It’s much easier to set up automations or scenes as well. My garage door opener doesn’t integrate with the Google Assistant unless I pay a monthly subscription , yet on iOS, it’s right there front and center in the Home app and I get notified whenever it opens or closes.
• Shortcuts. I’m just starting to dip my toe in these waters but Shortcuts is adding an entire level of functionality. Yes, I’m aware of third party tools like Tasker and IFTTT on Android but native integration on iOS so far is much easier to implement. I just have my fingers crossed that developers keep adding functionality to their apps that integrate into Shortcuts. It’s far from perfect but so much potential.
• Messaging. Apple Messages vs. SMS/MMS, enough said. Third party solutions are not an option for me—and even if my contacts could accommodate it, I refuse to use the two most popular options since they’re owned by Facebook. (And yes, I no longer have FB or Instagram accounts either).
• Web browsing. I mentioned this somewhere else but Safari is able to meet 4 needs (syncing across devices, integration with password managers, content blocking, ideal navigation shortcuts) I want in my mobile web experience. Chrome and the Samsung browser comes closest on Android but no content blocking on Chrome makes the browsing experience painful at times and Samsung doesn’t have 3rd party password manager integration—that’s a deal breaker. Also, far too much of navigation in Chrome is from the top right corner—not ideal on a device often used in one hand.
• Email. My preferred app is iOS/Mac only - Spark email. I’ve tried probably a dozen and it’s easily my favorite, with features I use than no other app fully replicates. Outlook is probably my second favorite and it’s better on iOS. And regarding app disparity...
• Better apps. Yes, this is still relevant. Great apps like the previously mentioned Spark email, Fantastical, Overcast, Procreate, Halide, Focos, and Pixelmator don’t exist on Android. AnyList finally just arrived in beta and doesn’t match its iOS counterpart yet. Apps like AnyList and TickTick give me the option to integrate directly with Siri and Apple’s reminders app but don’t have the same options with the Google Assistant or Google Reminders. Then there is just the fit/finish/polish and performance. iOS apps get priority over their Android counterparts for so many devs or they just don’t work as hard on their Android versions. Pocket Casts, one of the most used 3rd party podcast apps on Android and much further down that same list on iOS, get a facelift on iOS before Android. Another example, Audible on Android routinely doesn’t sync my last listened position and wants to overright a later listen point with a much earlier position from my Pixel 3 XL. I’m then stuck trying to remember where I was, manually navigate to that position and pick up where I left off. I later pick up where I left off on my Apple Watch or iPhone without incident. However, when I return to the Pixel, many times the same issue happens all over again, or it’ll suddenly remember a few minutes later. My bank’s app has made me re-enter my login ID nearly everytime I go back into the app, even though I’ve checked both ‘Remember User ID’ and ‘Enable Fingerprint’. Google Play Music on Apple CarPlay has far greater capabilities vs. Android Auto. Seriously? I can go on here for a while. So yes, app disparity across platforms is still very real
• And all the other little things...like dates, times, and address showing as links in email and messages, allowing me to quickly create appointments or get directions. Also, on my Pixel, sometimes the Assistant wakes by voice while many times she just ignores me. I verify I have her set up properly but ultimately, I have to reboot the phone to have her wake by voice again. Google’s own Calendar app doesn’t let me edit an appointment to switch it to another calendar on its Android app, but I can do it on Apple’s native calendar app.

Ultimately, I could deal with most of these differences long term, if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch. It is absolutely the least replaceable piece of Apple hardware I have. I use it for so many things that no other smart watch can fully replicate on Android. Mine is the cellular version and I go without my phone at least 1-2 hours a day thanks to it, all the while able to do the following:

• Receive notifications
• Make/take calls, send/receive messages. Hell, my wife and I actually use the Walkie Talkie functionality at least a few times a week. More than I ever expected to use it.
• Fitness tracking using a number of native and third party apps. Apple’s Health app is a fabulous repository and hub for all health and fitness related data.
• Two factor authentication (I use Authy probably a couple dozen times a day for work)
• Offline podcast and audio book listening
• Offline and online music/radio listening
• Primary method of adding items to lists and creating reminders that sync across all of my devices.
• And God forbid, if I ever take a tough fall (I ride a bike for 1-2 hours a stretch 3 or 4 times a week) or have another emergency, I can reach emergency services (or the watch will do it for me if I’m unconscious).

I am unwilling to forgo all of that and even if I just kept my iPhone plugged in at home, I just don’t get the same experience on Android, and definitely not enough to make me have this frankenstein mobile/watch setup full time.

As I mentioned, I’m going to keep it as there are things I like and considering my frustration with Apple, am hopeful sometime in the next year as more things change that I might be able to move further out of the Apple ecosystem. Plus, I just like to dabble with all kinds of tech and really want to explore the Google Assistant more.

Such a good post! I swear we are twins. Great recap.

 

[spinedoc77]

Hmm, just picked one of these up, couldn't resist the $750 sale (Target $450 instant rebate + Verizon $300 24mo credit). I have to say I kind of dislike vanilla Android a lot. No dark mode, even Apple has a MUCH better dark mode. I used to love widgets on Android, but now I find iOS widgets superior in ability to give information, although Android widgets most likely continue to be better in functionality. And that notch, holy hell. The only achilles heel to my xs max is the horrible camera when in low or moderate light situations and I am impressed by Night Sight, just have to see if that also works in low/medium lighting where my xs max produces grainy pictures.

Anyway I'm really surprised that it doesn't seem Android has advanced much since I last used it heavily 2 years ago, and in many ways iOS has surpassed it. Google seriously needs someone strong at the helm to unify all this stuff, but they seem to only care about getting their phones out to as many eyes as possible for advertising revenue.

 

[5105973]

Hmm, just picked one of these up, couldn't resist the $750 sale (Target $450 instant rebate + Verizon $300 24mo credit). I have to say I kind of dislike vanilla Android a lot. No dark mode, even Apple has a MUCH better dark mode. I used to love widgets on Android, but now I find iOS widgets superior in ability to give information, although Android widgets most likely continue to be better in functionality. And that notch, holy hell. The only achilles heel to my xs max is the horrible camera when in low or moderate light situations and I am impressed by Night Sight, just have to see if that also works in low/medium lighting where my xs max produces grainy pictures.

Anyway I'm really surprised that it doesn't seem Android has advanced much since I last used it heavily 2 years ago, and in many ways iOS has surpassed it. Google seriously needs someone strong at the helm to unify all this stuff, but they seem to only care about getting their phones out to as many eyes as possible for advertising revenue.

My husband felt very much the same when he got the 2XL last year. But now he loves his 3XL. However it's still not without some aspects that annoy him greatly from time to time.

One thing about the Pixel experience for both of us is that the expression YMMV or Your mileage may vary is all too apt with these phones. It's an inconsistent experience across a large sample of users. Hell, it's an inconsistent experience for one user from day to day. The overall experience needs more polish and refinement. But there is something that makes us use these phones as much as possible. I'd attempt to articulate what that might be, if I were more awake.

 

[mjschabow]

I got mine yesterday and love it so far!

The only rant I have has nothing to do with this phone. I did all the steps to deregister iMessage. Turned it off on the last device before firing this phone up. Even did it online. I get texts from some people but not my girlfriend. She was in a bit of a panic because she had no clue why I wasn't replying to her. I fully blame Apple for this and it honestly makes me to never want to go back to them.

 

[0388631]

I got mine yesterday and love it so far!

The only rant I have has nothing to do with this phone. I did all the steps to deregister iMessage. Turned it off on the last device before firing this phone up. Even did it online. I get texts from some people but not my girlfriend. She was in a bit of a panic because she had no clue why I wasn't replying to her. I fully blame Apple for this and it honestly makes me to never want to go back to them.

It'll probably be a similar ****-show when RCS becomes the standard.

 

[mjschabow]

I got mine yesterday and love it so far!

The only rant I have has nothing to do with this phone. I did all the steps to deregister iMessage. Turned it off on the last device before firing this phone up. Even did it online. I get texts from some people but not my girlfriend. She was in a bit of a panic because she had no clue why I wasn't replying to her. I fully blame Apple for this and it honestly makes me to never want to go back to them.

The only other issue I have is with my carrier. Instead of displaying US Cellular at the top left on the lock screen, it displays "Roaming Indicator Off". Everything works fine for movie data so not a huge deal.

This phone is fast though and I really enjoy how it feels about half the weight of the iPhone XS Max

 

[Aneres11]

Had another look at the 3’s today when I was in CPW looking at the S10.
I still can’t get past that notch, but I prefer the bigger XL over the normal 3.

I still love the understated design of the Pixel series though. The pink one in particular - sorry, ‘not pink’ - is gorgeous although i would probably end up opting for black just for how clean it is.

The Pixel 3 hasn’t had a price reduction over here for months now. I think we had a before Christmas reduction to a more affordable price but since then, nothing.
I know I’d be half tempted if they reduced them again. But I’d use it in conjunction with my XR as I wouldn’t want to part with it I love it so much. Maybe like a weekend phone haha.

The Pixel 2 got reduced very quickly after launch and ended up being reduced for almost the majority of the year before the 3 came out.

I’m surprised we have hardly seen any price movement but it must mean it’s doing well enough to not warrant it.

 

[Wildo6882]

My husband felt very much the same when he got the 2XL last year. But now he loves his 3XL. However it's still not without some aspects that annoy him greatly from time to time.

One thing about the Pixel experience for both of us is that the expression YMMV or Your mileage may vary is all too apt with these phones. It's an inconsistent experience across a large sample of users. Hell, it's an inconsistent experience for one user from day to day. The overall experience needs more polish and refinement. But there is something that makes us use these phones as much as possible. I'd attempt to articulate what that might be, if I were more awake.

I kind of think there's annoying things with every piece of tech these days. I'm still not content with my iPhone X that I spent $1300 on last year. It's a solid phone but things about it annoy the crap out of me all the time. I'm sure Android would do the same. But I'd suffer through it if it wasn't for losing iMessage.

I got mine yesterday and love it so far!

The only rant I have has nothing to do with this phone. I did all the steps to deregister iMessage. Turned it off on the last device before firing this phone up. Even did it online. I get texts from some people but not my girlfriend. She was in a bit of a panic because she had no clue why I wasn't replying to her. I fully blame Apple for this and it honestly makes me to never want to go back to them.

On that note, this is why I stay locked in, even though Apple ****es me off with how this works. I know it was on purpose. The messages should just come right through. But it makes people stay in fear of losing out on messages. Smart and shady all at the same time.

 

[nviz22]

Had another look at the 3’s today when I was in CPW looking at the S10.
I still can’t get past that notch, but I prefer the bigger XL over the normal 3.

I still love the understated design of the Pixel series though. The pink one in particular - sorry, ‘not pink’ - is gorgeous although i would probably end up opting for black just for how clean it is.

The Pixel 3 hasn’t had a price reduction over here for months now. I think we had a before Christmas reduction to a more affordable price but since then, nothing.
I know I’d be half tempted if they reduced them again. But I’d use it in conjunction with my XR as I wouldn’t want to part with it I love it so much. Maybe like a weekend phone haha.

The Pixel 2 got reduced very quickly after launch and ended up being reduced for almost the majority of the year before the 3 came out.

I’m surprised we have hardly seen any price movement but it must mean it’s doing well enough to not warrant it.

It just dropped to $600 USD for the regular Pixel 3. Not a bad alternative to the S10E, but not enough to sway me. If it was like $400, I would consider the Pixel 3.

 

[mjschabow]

This might be an unorthodox opinion, but I actually think I like the gesture navigation more than iOS after a day. Especially the multitasking. I multitask a ton and this definitely suits my needs better then swiping up holding for a half a second and then swiping.

 

[tbayrgs]

This might be an unorthodox opinion, but I actually think I like the gesture navigation more than iOS after a day. Especially the multitasking. I multitask a ton and this definitely suits my needs better then swiping up holding for a half a second and then swiping.

You know you don’t have to swipe up to quickly switch apps on iOS...just swipe left to right along the bottom of the iPhone and right to left to quickly move back.

 

[mjschabow]

You know you don’t have to swipe up to quickly switch apps on iOS...just swipe left to right along the bottom of the iPhone and right to left to quickly move back.

I know.

 

[csurfr]

I got mine yesterday and love it so far!

The only rant I have has nothing to do with this phone. I did all the steps to deregister iMessage. Turned it off on the last device before firing this phone up. Even did it online. I get texts from some people but not my girlfriend. She was in a bit of a panic because she had no clue why I wasn't replying to her. I fully blame Apple for this and it honestly makes me to never want to go back to them.

Yeah it probably has to do with your girlfriend keeps all of her messages from you, so the phone still thought you had iMessage, whereas anyone that sends you a brand new message knows that you don’t.

Did you tell her to just press and hold on the message and choose “send as sms”? Once she does that (maybe once or twice) it will work correctly.

When I switched from the XS Max to the 3XL, I turned off iMessage and FaceTime on my iPhone about 20 minutes or so before swapping my sim, and didn’t have any issues. That’s just the way iMessage works, you’re sending through the Apple servers, and not the carrier like sms/mms.

I’d be curious to know how pictures your girlfriend sends you from her iPhone look on your pixel. Especially any Live Photo’s. In my experience the quality has been greatly degraded by the carrier and ultimately caused me to put my pixel in a drawer. I wasn’t going to ask anyone to use a 3rd party app like messenger, WhatsApp, etc just to send me pictures.

 

[mjschabow]

Yeah it probably has to do with your girlfriend keeps all of her messages from you, so the phone still thought you had iMessage, whereas anyone that sends you a brand new message knows that you don’t.

Did you tell her to just press and hold on the message and choose “send as sms”? Once she does that (maybe once or twice) it will work correctly.

When I switched from the XS Max to the 3XL, I turned off iMessage and FaceTime on my iPhone about 20 minutes or so before swapping my sim, and didn’t have any issues. That’s just the way iMessage works, you’re sending through the Apple servers, and not the carrier like sms/mms.

I’d be curious to know how pictures your girlfriend sends you from her iPhone look on your pixel. Especially any Live Photo’s. In my experience the quality has been greatly degraded by the carrier and ultimately caused me to put my pixel in a drawer. I wasn’t going to ask anyone to use a 3rd party app like messenger, WhatsApp, etc just to send me pictures.

Yes that ended up being the fix. So I basically told anyone I know that has an iPhone to delete the old messages and start fresh. I did get one picture from my girlfriend and it actually looks just fine. I don't think she had a live photo on though but the quality was good.

 

[tbayrgs]

I know.

What aspect of the Pixel 3’s app switching do you prefer? In both you can swipe right or left from a home area or swipe up to see the carousel of previously used apps. To me, they are nearly identical. If anything, I found the way the app switcher could ‘accelerate’ through the apps when engaging from the home pill would have me sometimes overshoot the app I wished to switch too. Regardless of that though, I found the methods nearly the same.

 

[mjschabow]

What aspect of the Pixel 3’s app switching do you prefer? In both you can swipe right or left from a home area or swipe up to see the carousel of previously used apps. To me, they are nearly identical. If anything, I found the way the app switcher could ‘accelerate’ through the apps when engaging from the home pill would have me sometimes overshoot the app I wished to switch too. Regardless of that though, I found the methods nearly the same.

I really enjoy the scrolling bar, how you can basically hold down the slider. You're right. They are nearly identical but for whatever reason I didn't want to use multitasking on iPhone as much to where in one day I've probably used it more than the last 8 months combined. Haha!

 

[Awesomesince86]

It'll probably be a similar ****-show when RCS becomes the standard.

RCS will never become the standard until Google takes it out of the carriers hands. Google needs to build it into the OS and have it enabled on their servers. The carriers have shown they have no interest in making it a priority.

 

[noobinator]

If you share videos between iOS and Android I recommend sharing links through google photos or they will look like potato videos.

 

[Macalicious2011]

WARNING: This is going to be a long, likely rambling post so please feel free to skip right past it.

Well, my two week window to experiment with the Pixel 3 XL is coming to an end today and while I really like the device quite a lot, it won’t be moving to my everyday phone line. That being said, I am keeping it and will keep a Mint SIM in it for at least a few months. There are just too many areas in my personal workflow where Android falls short of iOS. The Pixel 3 XL hardware itself has been mostly terrific. This is going to be a lengthy post so..

TL;DR - Very good hardware with a terrific camera. My favorite combination of Android software and hardware to date. My personal preferences and workflow just fit much better on an iPhone.

Hardware

What I like:

• Very good display, much improved over the 2 XL. Not the best but I don’t pixel peep so it works for me
• Very good speakers. Considering Google insisted on putting them on the front and compromising the overall form factor for them, they better be.
• Build quality and feel are very nice, though since I use a case, this isn’t something I ponder on a daily basis
• And of course, the camera is at the top of the heap. It’s pretty spectacular.

What I don’t like as much:

• The notch. I use an iPhone XS Max so I’m well acquainted with a notch. I just notice it on the Pixel 3 XL much more often, likely because of its depth and how it has a bigger impact on Android (notification tray and status icons).
• Rear FP sensor. It works just fine in its biometric capacity—very quick and rarely falters. Using it to pull down the notification tray is inconsistent at best. My issue is that I just don’t like rear FP sensors. I use my phone too much in a dock or flat on a surface and having to reach around to use it is just inconvenient. I’ve set up Smart Lock to recognize any number of pair devices and locations and so often I still have to pick it up to use the FP sensor. FaceID works better for me, for both unlocking the device, but also inregards to app and password security.

Software

What I like better on Android:

• Great customization of home screens and the settings tray.
• Always on notifications on lock screen. Will admit this is generally lost on me though because I wear a smart watch.
• Ability to purchase content (Kindle, Google Play Movies, etc) right in apps
• Split screen apps. Don’t use it much but handy to have as an option.
• Google integration. Nice to have Google making suggestions or recommendations for me on the Google screen to the left of the main home screen and in my notifications.
• Ability to set default apps. Not a huge deal for me personally but there are instances where I like it, ie with Android Auto
• Keyboard, specifically GBoard. Tap typing on it’s iOS counterpart is awful so I have to use both the native iOS keyboard and GBoard for swipe typing. The Android version performs better. I do its implementation of cursor navigation better on iOS though.
• Google Assistant. Pretty well documented how, with some exceptions, she’s far ahead of Siri, or every other assistant for that matter.

What I like better on iOS:

• Widgets. I prefer a single screen accessible from anywhere in the OS, all with a consistent style.
• Control Center. I like having it separate from the Notification panel and it has a few options integrated that I can’t do on Android’s quick settings tray. The differences are subtle though so not a huge difference
• Guestures. They’re just done better on iOS. I’m not a big back button guy and at this point, swipe from the left is nearly ubiquitous across iOS to go back.
• Notification badges with numbers.
• Password manager integration. It is miles better on iOS. Any password field, in any app, not only lets me directly access my logins and passwords from multiple sources (i.e. iCloud Keychain and 1Password in my case) but it gives me direct links to likely matches in either database just above my keyboard as well as the option to manually enter either source and search for it. Many apps in Android do not use the native api for this functionality so I often find i need to manually open 1Password and copy an paste each individual field.
• Wallet. So many more apps automatically integrate with the iOS Wallet app vs. Google’s counterpart (Google Pay). And along those lines...
• Apple Pay. Only 3 of the 6 cards I have in Apple Pay can be used in Google Pay. My debit card, from a very large regional bank, has been available on Apple for years now yet still now available on Google. Plus, a number of my rewards cards use NFC and don’t require a barcode to be scanned on iOS.
• Home (smart home). The way Homekit makes setup much easier and integrates all of my smart home devices into a single, easily/quickly accessible hub is still much better than it is on Android. It’s much easier to set up automations or scenes as well. My garage door opener doesn’t integrate with the Google Assistant unless I pay a monthly subscription , yet on iOS, it’s right there front and center in the Home app and I get notified whenever it opens or closes.
• Shortcuts. I’m just starting to dip my toe in these waters but Shortcuts is adding an entire level of functionality. Yes, I’m aware of third party tools like Tasker and IFTTT on Android but native integration on iOS so far is much easier to implement. I just have my fingers crossed that developers keep adding functionality to their apps that integrate into Shortcuts. It’s far from perfect but so much potential.
• Messaging. Apple Messages vs. SMS/MMS, enough said. Third party solutions are not an option for me—and even if my contacts could accommodate it, I refuse to use the two most popular options since they’re owned by Facebook. (And yes, I no longer have FB or Instagram accounts either).
• Web browsing. I mentioned this somewhere else but Safari is able to meet 4 needs (syncing across devices, integration with password managers, content blocking, ideal navigation shortcuts) I want in my mobile web experience. Chrome and the Samsung browser comes closest on Android but no content blocking on Chrome makes the browsing experience painful at times and Samsung doesn’t have 3rd party password manager integration—that’s a deal breaker. Also, far too much of navigation in Chrome is from the top right corner—not ideal on a device often used in one hand.
• Email. My preferred app is iOS/Mac only - Spark email. I’ve tried probably a dozen and it’s easily my favorite, with features I use than no other app fully replicates. Outlook is probably my second favorite and it’s better on iOS. And regarding app disparity...
• Better apps. Yes, this is still relevant. Great apps like the previously mentioned Spark email, Fantastical, Overcast, Procreate, Halide, Focos, and Pixelmator don’t exist on Android. AnyList finally just arrived in beta and doesn’t match its iOS counterpart yet. Apps like AnyList and TickTick give me the option to integrate directly with Siri and Apple’s reminders app but don’t have the same options with the Google Assistant or Google Reminders. Then there is just the fit/finish/polish and performance. iOS apps get priority over their Android counterparts for so many devs or they just don’t work as hard on their Android versions. Pocket Casts, one of the most used 3rd party podcast apps on Android and much further down that same list on iOS, get a facelift on iOS before Android. Another example, Audible on Android routinely doesn’t sync my last listened position and wants to overright a later listen point with a much earlier position from my Pixel 3 XL. I’m then stuck trying to remember where I was, manually navigate to that position and pick up where I left off. I later pick up where I left off on my Apple Watch or iPhone without incident. However, when I return to the Pixel, many times the same issue happens all over again, or it’ll suddenly remember a few minutes later. My bank’s app has made me re-enter my login ID nearly everytime I go back into the app, even though I’ve checked both ‘Remember User ID’ and ‘Enable Fingerprint’. Google Play Music on Apple CarPlay has far greater capabilities vs. Android Auto. Seriously? I can go on here for a while. So yes, app disparity across platforms is still very real
• And all the other little things...like dates, times, and address showing as links in email and messages, allowing me to quickly create appointments or get directions. Also, on my Pixel, sometimes the Assistant wakes by voice while many times she just ignores me. I verify I have her set up properly but ultimately, I have to reboot the phone to have her wake by voice again. Google’s own Calendar app doesn’t let me edit an appointment to switch it to another calendar on its Android app, but I can do it on Apple’s native calendar app.

Ultimately, I could deal with most of these differences long term, if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch. It is absolutely the least replaceable piece of Apple hardware I have. I use it for so many things that no other smart watch can fully replicate on Android. Mine is the cellular version and I go without my phone at least 1-2 hours a day thanks to it, all the while able to do the following:

• Receive notifications
• Make/take calls, send/receive messages. Hell, my wife and I actually use the Walkie Talkie functionality at least a few times a week. More than I ever expected to use it.
• Fitness tracking using a number of native and third party apps. Apple’s Health app is a fabulous repository and hub for all health and fitness related data.
• Two factor authentication (I use Authy probably a couple dozen times a day for work)
• Offline podcast and audio book listening
• Offline and online music/radio listening
• Primary method of adding items to lists and creating reminders that sync across all of my devices.
• And God forbid, if I ever take a tough fall (I ride a bike for 1-2 hours a stretch 3 or 4 times a week) or have another emergency, I can reach emergency services (or the watch will do it for me if I’m unconscious).

I am unwilling to forgo all of that and even if I just kept my iPhone plugged in at home, I just don’t get the same experience on Android, and definitely not enough to make me have this frankenstein mobile/watch setup full time.

As I mentioned, I’m going to keep it as there are things I like and considering my frustration with Apple, am hopeful sometime in the next year as more things change that I might be able to move further out of the Apple ecosystem. Plus, I just like to dabble with all kinds of tech and really want to explore the Google Assistant more.

Awesome review. I worry that I will feel the same as you after I collect a Series 5 Apple Watch from my life insurance company at the end of this year.

I gave my GF a free Series 3 I was given last year. However the only moved back to iOS last month and just like you, she can go 1-2 hours without touching her phone.

 

[0388631]

RCS will never become the standard until Google takes it out of the carriers hands. Google needs to build it into the OS and have it enabled on their servers. The carriers have shown they have no interest in making it a priority.

Some have allowed Google to do it. You're thinking of Sprint and TMobile who are doing their own RCS. Google isn't the only company who'll be running it behind the scenes for the greater good.

 

[tbayrgs]

Awesome review. I worry that I will feel the same as you after I collect a Series 5 Apple Watch from my life insurance company at the end of this year.

I gave my GF a free Series 3 I was given last year. However the only moved back to iOS last month and just like you, she can go 1-2 hours without touching her phone.

It’s not that I don’t touch my phone for 1-2 hours, but rather I actually leave it at home for at least that long. I workout, take my dogs for hour long walks, or ride my bike for a couple hours without my phone and I stay connected (calls/messages), stream music, listen to podcasts or audio books. I’ll sometimes just run errands without my phone. It’s just nice not having to lug around my phone when I’m doing something active.

But you’re also spot on with the rest of the day. Having the watch on has me looking at my phone far less. I use the ‘ping my phone’ feature an awful lot because I’ll go so long without grabbing my phone that I forget where I put it down.

 

[mjschabow]

First camera impression is "Holy cow".

I saw that the Galaxy S10 preorder stock was replenished and that I could trade this device in and pay less than $500. But I don't know that I'd be happy knowing what this camera is giving me.