Meanwhile in the UK... we’re selling kidneys to afford one.
Look, the US gets better tech deals and the UK has healthcare. A fair trade on your end, I would say.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL
- Thread starter nviz22
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Look, the US gets better tech deals and the UK has healthcare. A fair trade on your end, I would say.
Look, the US gets better tech deals and the UK has healthcare. A fair trade on your end, I would say.
Touché!!
And our wireless bills are horrible, too.Look, the US gets better tech deals and the UK has healthcare. A fair trade on your end, I would say.
True to a certain extent. We do pay for the healthcare through tax and national insurance contributions though.Look, the US gets better tech deals and the UK has healthcare. A fair trade on your end, I would say.
But do you pay the equivalent of $750/month plus at least a $35 co-pay every time someone sees the doctor? And mine is low low low for what I get. I'm lucky because I'm on my State's plan through my employer.
How well do Samsung wearables work with Pixels/Google Fit/Google Pay? Or should I just save up for WearOS?
Lol this has been my dilemna. I almost bought a Fitbit Versa today. I've heard good things about the Fossil Sport but if rather pay $200 instead of $250.
I don't think Samsungs work with Google Fit/Pay if I remember correctly.
Anyone know why the system is using this much memory? Is it normal? Why does my podcast app keep closing when I'm using it? Can I fix it?
Ok, so I've had the Pixel 3XL since about 4pm on Friday, switching from the iPhone XS Max.
Here are some initial impressions:
- I really like the stock Pixel Launcher and after being on iOS for majority of the last 2 years, give or take a month or two of test driving Galaxy devices, I've really come to realize how outdated the iOS homescreen is. It's 2019 and iOS can't let you put your 4 favorite icons at the bottom of your screen? Also, the Home widget with the date and weather are great. This morning, the date changed to tell me how long my commute to work would be and that there was a 4 minute delay. Amazing.
- I think apps take up less space than iOS. I'm on the 64gb version. Same amount of apps, music, and games. On iOS, I would have had about 16-17gb left. On the Pixel, I have 26gb remaining!
- I've gotten over iMessage already. Had an issue where I wasn't receiving texts at first even after de-registering it. Android Messages is great and I can use it on my work PC so it doesn't look like I'm on my phone all the time. That's a huge plus, lol.
- I was also afraid of what would happen with all 200+ movies I've purchased from iTunes over the last 10+ years. Well I'm happy to report that Movies Anywhere app lets me keep about 80% of them. I also found the greatness of Showbox/AllCast so I can stream a ton of movies to my Chromecast. That's pretty awesome.
- Unfortunately the battery is much worse compared to the iPhone XS Max, especially idle drain overnight with AOD. But I prefer to use the phone with all the features so I haven't shut it off. I have chargers everywhere and have the Pixel Stand at work, so battery life shouldn't be an issue. My only real worry is if I knew I was going to be out or away from a charger for a long time, like at a concert or something. I may need to invest in a small battery pack for situations like that, so that kind of sucks as the iPhone XS Max (or any iPhone really) would give me the piece of mind that I wouldn't have to worry.
- The camera is amazing but I didn't need to tell you that. You knew that already.
- I like the Dark theming on the Google page and quick settings. Wish it was the whole phone but it sounds like that may be coming with Android Q so I'll be patient there, but kind of sucky that you can basically do a dark theme on Samsung devices already.
Speaking of Samsung and to conclude my initial thoughts, I think I'm able to pull of this separation from Apple...but I continue to be tempted by the S10+. In fact, I ordered it, but then had a snafu with my order being cancelled and shipping address being wrong (they actually still have an authorization on my account even though my order is cancelled which really pisses me off). It's a tough call. The Pixel 3XL is basically Google's version of "It just works" and Samsung is Android on steroids. There are a ton of things I love about Samsung devices but I've always found myself getting sort of exhausted by them after a while, but damn, the S10+ looks amazing.
So I think I'm going to hang onto this one for a while and see what the initial reviews look like for the S10. The free Galaxy Buds and super high trade in promotion is really good but I'll wait and see if there are more deals in the coming months...I think...ugh...
Here are some initial impressions:
- I really like the stock Pixel Launcher and after being on iOS for majority of the last 2 years, give or take a month or two of test driving Galaxy devices, I've really come to realize how outdated the iOS homescreen is. It's 2019 and iOS can't let you put your 4 favorite icons at the bottom of your screen? Also, the Home widget with the date and weather are great. This morning, the date changed to tell me how long my commute to work would be and that there was a 4 minute delay. Amazing.
- I think apps take up less space than iOS. I'm on the 64gb version. Same amount of apps, music, and games. On iOS, I would have had about 16-17gb left. On the Pixel, I have 26gb remaining!
- I've gotten over iMessage already. Had an issue where I wasn't receiving texts at first even after de-registering it. Android Messages is great and I can use it on my work PC so it doesn't look like I'm on my phone all the time. That's a huge plus, lol.
- I was also afraid of what would happen with all 200+ movies I've purchased from iTunes over the last 10+ years. Well I'm happy to report that Movies Anywhere app lets me keep about 80% of them. I also found the greatness of Showbox/AllCast so I can stream a ton of movies to my Chromecast. That's pretty awesome.
- Unfortunately the battery is much worse compared to the iPhone XS Max, especially idle drain overnight with AOD. But I prefer to use the phone with all the features so I haven't shut it off. I have chargers everywhere and have the Pixel Stand at work, so battery life shouldn't be an issue. My only real worry is if I knew I was going to be out or away from a charger for a long time, like at a concert or something. I may need to invest in a small battery pack for situations like that, so that kind of sucks as the iPhone XS Max (or any iPhone really) would give me the piece of mind that I wouldn't have to worry.
- The camera is amazing but I didn't need to tell you that. You knew that already.
- I like the Dark theming on the Google page and quick settings. Wish it was the whole phone but it sounds like that may be coming with Android Q so I'll be patient there, but kind of sucky that you can basically do a dark theme on Samsung devices already.
Speaking of Samsung and to conclude my initial thoughts, I think I'm able to pull of this separation from Apple...but I continue to be tempted by the S10+. In fact, I ordered it, but then had a snafu with my order being cancelled and shipping address being wrong (they actually still have an authorization on my account even though my order is cancelled which really pisses me off). It's a tough call. The Pixel 3XL is basically Google's version of "It just works" and Samsung is Android on steroids. There are a ton of things I love about Samsung devices but I've always found myself getting sort of exhausted by them after a while, but damn, the S10+ looks amazing.
So I think I'm going to hang onto this one for a while and see what the initial reviews look like for the S10. The free Galaxy Buds and super high trade in promotion is really good but I'll wait and see if there are more deals in the coming months...I think...ugh...
3 and 3 XL lite incoming?
https://9to5google.com/2019/02/25/google-pixel-3-lite-fcc/
Also I am becoming increasingly interested in a possible pixel watch. If they did it right, like the first gen Moto 360 but more up to date and didn't cost a ridiculous "Because we can and apple is doing it!" Amount I think I'd be interested.
https://9to5google.com/2019/02/25/google-pixel-3-lite-fcc/
Also I am becoming increasingly interested in a possible pixel watch. If they did it right, like the first gen Moto 360 but more up to date and didn't cost a ridiculous "Because we can and apple is doing it!" Amount I think I'd be interested.
Nice write up! Great job
Thanks! And as you typed that, I got my money back from Samsung. Ugh...such a tough choice...
I hear you on that!
I have the P3 XL and love it! But I also have a S10+ pre-order from Samsung coming. So we will see which one I keep.
These days I'm only keeping one Android phone to go with my Xs Max.
Hard decisions!
I’m currently using a Pixel 3 and mostly love it. I prefer the size - just a bit narrower than the XS, the camera is great although Night Sight despite being amazing isn’t quite as astonishing as I was expecting.
Setting default apps is great and am giving Spotify a try to see if it’s better than Apple Music. The fuss about customisation doesn’t bother me - I have nothing on my home screen except the apps in the dock and date/time at the top.
A few things I miss though:
Gestures not quite as good as iOS.
Seamless integration between iPad, phone and Apple Watch.
Really miss swiping to go back in browsers.
Tapping the status bar to scroll to top.
Sharing Wifi passwords with friends
I keep forgetting I need to use the fingerprint scanner because I’ve totally forgotten about faceid.
Setting default apps is great and am giving Spotify a try to see if it’s better than Apple Music. The fuss about customisation doesn’t bother me - I have nothing on my home screen except the apps in the dock and date/time at the top.
A few things I miss though:
Gestures not quite as good as iOS.
Seamless integration between iPad, phone and Apple Watch.
Really miss swiping to go back in browsers.
Tapping the status bar to scroll to top.
Sharing Wifi passwords with friends
I keep forgetting I need to use the fingerprint scanner because I’ve totally forgotten about faceid.
I don't use AOD and find the P3 XL battery to be pretty good. It seems the more I use it the better battery gets?
It is no where near the Xs Max though
I never use AOD either. Now I’m considering the 3XL, it would need to be pretty close to the 2XL in battery life as that was always excellent. The Max has been the best performer out of any phone I’ve had though.
I’d never usually look at getting a phone that’s a few months old and I can’t say anything bad about the Max. But the Note 10 & Pixel 4 are such a long way off!
Personally I think the P3XL battery is better than the P2XL by quite a bit
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:
What I don’t like as much:
- 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.
Software
- 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.
What I like better on Android:
What I like better on iOS:
- 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.
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:
- 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
- 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.
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.
- 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).
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.
I haven’t been to this pixel thread for a while coz i skipped pixel 2 ... haha
After my pixel OG i went to iphone x and bought the apple watch 3 now with s4 stainless hahaha i went to store this afternoon to try the pixel 3 the small one im inlove again..
I miss that camera i forgot phone photography when I moved to iphone x ...
i wish android have a reliable smart watch...
I like the size of the smaller pixel 3 slimmer than my ipX..
I think only this apple watch is the reason why i cant go back to android as my main phone....
In fairness to Apple, they made significant improvements to their cameras and software last year and iPhone XS, XS Max and Xr are very competitive with the Pixel 3 camera now. They do a beautiful job properly exposing a scene with fewer crushed blacks than Pixel photos sometimes have or blown out highlights as previous iPhones going back to iPhone 8 were putting out. So if you want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, an upgrade to the 2019 iPhones (or finding a deal on the 2018 iPhones when this year's models are released) is worth your consideration.
While I am a huge fan of my Pixel 3Xl, I've watched my husband smack down some irritating glitches this week on his, so I would have to say that the Pixel path needs more refinement. I like what I'm experiencing enough to plan on investing in an upgrade to Pixel 4. But when I see others struggling to decide between iPhone and Pixel right now, or feeling they're missing something staying with iPhone, I feel compelled to point out where the experience needs work. Because I want people who do switch to do it as an informed decision and not get any nasty surprises and go back to iOS thinking that's it, Android sucks, never going to try that crap again. That's not an accurate view either. Pixels are headed on an upward trajectory and just need a few more pieces to fall into place to really rival iPhone. And I really want that to happen because Apple grew complacent in so many ways and needs a wake up call to get hungry again. It took awhile to become fully apparent but they are now running the very kind of business Steve Jobs cautioned against in more than one interview.
If you truly are interested in trying Android, keep an eye out on developments in wearables this year and next. There are indicators Google is about to get serious in this space.
I myself will be trying out Samsung's latest watch release. It looks like it will do enough to replace my Apple Watch (if I need it to) but I am keeping only "cautiously optimistic" on that point. The Apple Watch is indeed very compelling and a tough act to follow.
Formerly jlp2979 on here...wanted to change the old user name...for me I think the AOD drains the battery much more than on my old P2XL. After a 17 or 18 hour period off the charger I see close to 10% battery use from the AOD alone on my 3XL. I do really love AOD so I'm fine with it. The thing is, in my experience, there are huge variances in battery life among devices out of the box and I have no idea why that is. I've personally seen it on my old 2XL. The original one had terrible battery life, Google wouldn't RMA it because they said it was normal. So I sold it and bought another one. It was night and day, the new one was much better. My 3XL reminds me of the original 2XL I had with horrible battery life.
What other glitches have you observed?
He's had some crashes. Honestly I can't say specifically what they were because we have been preoccupied with a family emergency, but one specifically I saw was he was not able to reboot his phone for minute or two . He was holding down the power button and the toggle to choose reboot option would flash on and off the screen too fast to be selectable. The phone was lagging badly off and on for the past couple of weeks. Reset did not help this long term. He is probably going to have to do a factory reset and set it up again at some point. But we don't have the opportunity right now. A lot going on. I'm a bit rushed at this moment myself, but will try to get back later with a post detailing more what he's seen. I've seen nothing yet but my phone is a month newer.
Sorry to hear of family issues hope all goes well.
I've not experienced anything like that (yet) with my 3XL.