Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL

[epicrayban]

I think the Xr was the most disappointing thing. The bezels on that thing are hard to not notice. The bezels on the iPhone X are already rather thick, but the Xr takes it to another level. Interesting it's missing 3D Touch, too (what exactly is "Haptic touch" if not long press with vibration?).

The Xs models are where it's at, but ouch at those price-tiers. The Xs Max is stunning looking when compared to the Pixel 3 XL, and I hate the X's notch. That goes to show just how ugly the 3 XL is; it makes the iPhone and its long notch look that much more appetizing. Sad there's still no Always on Display feature.

And yeah, it looks like Apple is really stepping it up to Google with the camera. Impressive camera presentation.

Overall, I liked what I saw from today from Apple. The Watch 4 is pretty cool, too. The death of the Pixel Watch this year really demonstrates how behind and inadequate Google's hardware is.

 

[Aneres11]

No need to be condescending to potential buyers because they are purchasing what you think is an inferior product.

Must have wandered in from the Apple part.

 

[Cryates]

Must have wandered in from the Apple part.

Looks like it. But that's the weird thing...they come here to bash the Pixel, then in-turn bash an iPhone. iPhone launches bring out the strangest behavior in folks.

 

[Fernandez21]

I think the Xr was the most disappointing thing. The bezels on that thing are hard to not notice. The bezels on the iPhone X are already rather thick, but the Xr takes it to another level. Interesting it's missing 3D Touch, too (what exactly is "Haptic touch" if not long press with vibration?).

The Xs models are where it's at, but ouch at those price-tiers. The Xs Max is stunning looking when compared to the Pixel 3 XL, and I hate the X's notch. That goes to show just how ugly the 3 XL is; it makes the iPhone and its long notch look that much more appetizing. Sad there's still no Always on Display feature.

And yeah, it looks like Apple is really stepping it up to Google with the camera. Impressive camera presentation.

Overall, I liked what I saw from today from Apple. The Watch 4 is pretty cool, too. The death of the Pixel Watch this year really demonstrates how behind and inadequate Google's hardware is.

Yeah, the Apple Watch was the most impressive thing today, will be preordering, now to decide between Silver or Black StainlessSteel.

As for the iPhones, after seeing the dimensions of the iPhone Max, I'm now strongly considering it. It's both shorter and thinner than my Note 9, and only a hair wider. It's basically the form factor I wish the Note had. But do I really want to go back to carrying 2 large phones again? Of course, with the LTE apple watch, I'll be able to leave both behind if i want. Ugh, decisions, decisions.

 

[michael9891]

Must admit, the gold XS Max looked pretty good. Despite hating notches, was thinking about getting one because it seems most phones are heading that way. The gold does look very nice. But at £1,249 for the 256gb I'd want, I'll pass.

The new Pixels really need to spring a few surprises because they'll have a hard time competing against the XR. And with the Mate 20 Pro just after the Pixel announcement, that will make things even harder for Google. At least in Europe / Asia.

 

[epicrayban]

Both the Xs and Xr are going to eat the Pixel 3 for lunch. I think in reviews and most certainly in sales.

Android is the better OS and likely the better camera, but Google just doesn't know how to do much else.

 

[tbayrgs]

I think the Xr was the most disappointing thing. The bezels on that thing are hard to not notice. The bezels on the iPhone X are already rather thick, but the Xr takes it to another level. Interesting it's missing 3D Touch, too (what exactly is "Haptic touch" if not long press with vibration?).

The Xs models are where it's at, but ouch at those price-tiers. The Xs Max is stunning looking when compared to the Pixel 3 XL, and I hate the X's notch. That goes to show just how ugly the 3 XL is; it makes the iPhone and its long notch look that much more appetizing. Sad there's still no Always on Display feature.

And yeah, it looks like Apple is really stepping it up to Google with the camera. Impressive camera presentation.

Overall, I liked what I saw from today from Apple. The Watch 4 is pretty cool, too. The death of the Pixel Watch this year really demonstrates how behind and inadequate Google's hardware is.

I don't know, after initially dismissing the Xr from serious attention thanks to my focus on the Max, the more I stop and consider it, I think the Xr is a sneaky good value for iPhone consumers. Here's my rational:

First, don't focus on the resolution. The average iPhone customer couldn't care less about these sorry of specs. It’s the same PPI as the iPhone 6/7/8 and plenty of people were happy snapping up 8s this past year. As long as it doesn't make your eyes bleed and has pleasant colors, they're fine with it. I’d contend device/display size is much more important.

Second, it’s smaller that the 6/7/8 Plus models with a bigger screen and better battery. It also has the newest main camera, CPU, and all the software side bells and whistles that supposedly help photo quality. Hell, it even has the shallow depth of field features (so why is a second lens necessary on the Xs models? ). It’s missing 3D Touch and while I personally like the feature, I could live without it and most people don’t even know it’s a feature on the phone (see my very intelligent physician wife as a perfect example ). If anything, Apple is actually proving the long-standing criticism that it’s basically a long-press/right mouse click but implementing....a haptic long press to replace it.

Comparing it to the 8 Plus as it was released last year, the Xr has much more screen in a smaller body, the top end CPU and camera, and better battery performance for $50 less. It’s much closer to the Xs than the 8 Plus was to the X for less $.

I’m almost certainly getting a Xs Max but I have to admit, being able to get a Xr with 128GB of storage for $300 less than a Xs Max with 64GB, with some cool ass color options to boot, is not lost on me. Is optical 2X zoom, some extra OLED pixels and 3D Touch worth an extra $300 and less on device storage? For someone with some logical common sense (I have none when it comes to my gadgets), I don’t believe many consumers will agree with my personal choice.

I think the Xr models are going to be the best sellers in Apple’s lineup. I think the smaller Xs will struggle to sell (well, struggle in Apple terms). I’m trying to figure out who will want to pay an extra $250 for a smaller display phone.

 

[epicrayban]

Despite hating notches, was thinking about getting one because it seems most phones are heading that way.

I would also add that the notch has become iconic 'iPhone.'

You have to give it to Apple; they've done it again.

 

[Cryates]

I think it's safe to assume, even before today, that the Pixel was going to get eaten alive in sales vs whatever 2018 iPhone was released. I don't think these iPhones change that all, for better or for worse.

Apple sold like 223mil iPhones in 2017. Pixel sold less than 4mil in 2017.

 

[michael9891]

@Cryates What number did you actually mean? Because 2.7bil was obviously a typo.

 

[Cryates]

@Cryates What number did you actually mean? Because 2.7bil was obviously a typo.

That was a baaaad typo. Should have been 223mil. I think my brain was thinking something else than my fingers.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I think the Xr is a sneaky good value for iPhone consumers.

It is and with computational photography it kills any reason for the average Joe to get a Pixel 3. What could possibly be it's USP?

I’m almost certainly getting a Xs Max

I'll get one in a year's time when it dumps $300-400 dollars in price.

 

[akuma13]

@tbayrgs Pretty much sold the iPhone XR to me lol. For the price and features it’s definitely a great buy. If i was getting a new iphone this year it will definitely be the XR, if i can hold out until next year i’d definitely look into the Max at a cheaper price. Since Apple is now into computational photography there is no compelling reason for me to get the Pixel 3. I’ll just hold onto my Pixel 2 and decided whether i want to upgrade my iphone 8 to the XR or Max.

 

[Macalicious2011]

@tbayrgs Pretty much sold the iPhone XR to me lol. For the price and features it’s definitely a great buy. If i was getting a new iphone this year it will definitely be the XR, if i can hold out until next year i’d definitely look into the Max at a cheaper price. Since Apple is now into computational photography there is no compelling reason for me to get the Pixel 3. I’ll just hold onto my Pixel 2 and decided whether i want to upgrade my iphone 8 to the XR or Max.

To me the Xr wouldn't be a big enough jump from Pixel 2 in tech. I'll hold on to mine for another year.

Then I will have the choice between the Pixel 4, a cheaper Xs Max or whatever the new iPhones will be called.

 

[epicrayban]

Can't wait for Xs and Pixel 3 camera comparisons.

I think this is great competition for Google -- they can no longer just count on their camera advantages. They will have to step up their hardware game, something they should have done this year.

Just like Samsung was competition for Apple to step up their hardware, so will Apple be to Google to step up theirs. Google hardware looks to be painfully behind.

 

[Fernandez21]

Can't wait for Xs and Pixel 3 camera comparisons.

I think this is great competition for Google -- they can no longer just count on their camera advantages. They will have to step up their hardware game, something they should have done this year.

Just like Samsung was competition for Apple to step up their hardware, so will Apple be to Google to step up theirs. Google hardware looks to be painfully behind.

From the camera demos apple showed, it looks like they took the best from Samsung and Googles camera and blended it with their own.

 

[Ralfi]

lol check out Google Chrome's revamped design- the Tabs are deeper now & resemble the Notch (inverted) on the Pixel 3...

 

[nviz22]

I don't know, after initially dismissing the Xr from serious attention thanks to my focus on the Max, the more I stop and consider it, I think the Xr is a sneaky good value for iPhone consumers. Here's my rational:

First, don't focus on the resolution. The average iPhone customer couldn't care less about these sorry of specs. It’s the same PPI as the iPhone 6/7/8 and plenty of people were happy snapping up 8s this past year. As long as it doesn't make your eyes bleed and has pleasant colors, they're fine with it. I’d contend device/display size is much more important.

Second, it’s smaller that the 6/7/8 Plus models with a bigger screen and better battery. It also has the newest main camera, CPU, and all the software side bells and whistles that supposedly help photo quality. Hell, it even has the shallow depth of field features (so why is a second lens necessary on the Xs models? ). It’s missing 3D Touch and while I personally like the feature, I could live without it and most people don’t even know it’s a feature on the phone (see my very intelligent physician wife as a perfect example ). If anything, Apple is actually proving the long-standing criticism that it’s basically a long-press/right mouse click but implementing....a haptic long press to replace it.

Comparing it to the 8 Plus as it was released last year, the Xr has much more screen in a smaller body, the top end CPU and camera, and better battery performance for $50 less. It’s much closer to the Xs than the 8 Plus was to the X for less $.

I’m almost certainly getting a Xs Max but I have to admit, being able to get a Xr with 128GB of storage for $300 less than a Xs Max with 64GB, with some cool ass color options to boot, is not lost on me. Is optical 2X zoom, some extra OLED pixels and 3D Touch worth an extra $300 and less on device storage? For someone with some logical common sense (I have none when it comes to my gadgets), I don’t believe many consumers will agree with my personal choice.

I think the Xr models are going to be the best sellers in Apple’s lineup. I think the smaller Xs will struggle to sell (well, struggle in Apple terms). I’m trying to figure out who will want to pay an extra $250 for a smaller display phone.

I wouldn't want to pay the extra $ for less storage, 2x optical zoom, OLED tech, and 3D Touch because I don't have the discretionary income for it. Hell, if I had all the $ in the world, I would possibly go XS at best. But I would still go XR to save $.

I think $1100 is absurd for a phone. $999 is crazy as it is too. $750 is really stretching it, but if I use it for 2-3 years? It's a good investment.

I cannot wait to see how much faster Face ID gets and how the XR's display works. Apple has some of the best calibrated LCDs on the market. 828p might seem like a slap in the face, but it won't be a slouch.

 

[Cryates]

828p might seem like a slap in the face, but it won't be a slouch.

Honestly, it'll be good. These mega-high pixel densities are one of the most overrated requests of phones. Some folks will go pixel-peeping, and sure, you'll notice a sublte difference in sharpness doing so. Day-to-day though? Nah.

 

[nviz22]

Honestly, it'll be good. These mega-high pixel densities are one of the most overrated requests of phones. Some folks will go pixel-peeping, and sure, you'll notice a sublte difference in sharpness doing so. Day-to-day though? Nah.

Yeah, resolution isn't everything. I don't mind a drop to 828p as much since the battery life is 1.5 hrs more than the 8+'s quality battery life. If resolution were everything to me? I would have to buy a Sony 4k screen calibrated phone. Let all the judgmental people bash the XR and its owners, but I will be a proud owner since the phone will do what I need and want.

 

[tbayrgs]

I wouldn't want to pay the extra $ for less storage, 2x optical zoom, OLED tech, and 3D Touch because I don't have the discretionary income for it. Hell, if I had all the $ in the world, I would possibly go XS at best. But I would still go XR to save $.

I think $1100 is absurd for a phone. $999 is crazy as it is too. $750 is really stretching it, but if I use it for 2-3 years? It's a good investment.

I cannot wait to see how much faster Face ID gets and how the XR's display works. Apple has some of the best calibrated LCDs on the market. 828p might seem like a slap in the face, but it won't be a slouch.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to have the extra $ to put towards my phone but I get it—it’s a lot of cash.

That being said, and I mentioned this in another thread, I think many of us have a knee jerk reaction to the prices associated with most of these high-end, flagship phones, likely due to the size. We see other, larger pieced of tech that cost less (computers, gaming consoles, TVs, etc) and immediately think ‘why does something so much smaller cost so much?’

I can only speak for myself but I spend more time on my phone and get so much more utility out of it vs. any other item in my day-to-day life. It’s my primary camera, point of all my communication (messaging, calls, email for both personal and work), used for most of my daily audio playback (music, audiobooks, podcasts), navigation, research, web browsing, YouTube and other video when I’m not home, my smart home management, our family calendars, list and to do management, etc. I could keep going. No other piece of tech or device comes close to the utility I get from my phone—not any computer, TV, appliance (well, maybe my fridge ), arguably not even my car. Consequently, I’m willing to pay for the best experience I can get.

Just my perspective.
[doublepost=1536893757][/doublepost]

Yeah, resolution isn't everything. I don't mind a drop to 828p as much since the battery life is 1.5 hrs more than the 8+'s quality battery life. If resolution were everything to me? I would have to buy a Sony 4k screen calibrated phone. Let all the judgmental people bash the XR and its owners, but I will be a proud owner since the phone will do what I need and want.

Yeah, I’ve been wrestling with the decision to purchase a Xs Max much more than I expected because of how much better the Xr is than I expected it to be. If it had managed to be 1080 vs 828, I think I’d almost certainly forgoe the Xs Max. I know it’s not really that big a difference but it’s a virtual barrier in my mind, logical or not.

 

[epicrayban]

What's crazy to me is:

So iPhone Xs has dual cameras on the back to achieve bokeh and portrait mode, but the Xr also has these features in a single camera.

Pixel 3 will also pull this sort of stunt. It'll have dual-cameras on the front for "super-selfies," which I assume will involve portrait mode, but single camera on the back that Google is going to try to convince us is good enough for all the portrait needs there.

What the heck?

Also, no 3D touch in the Xr. Think it's gone for good in next year's new lineup? Apple is basically admitting that you shouldn't need to force push non-tactile surfaces to do something software can already do and do better, something I've always argued. It was always the weirdest thing to me. It complicated the hardware, cost a lot, and made the interface harder. Good riddance. But again, odd decisions... 3D touch will be in the Xs (and the iPhone 7 and 8 models). Why? You've just proven you don't need it with the Xr.

I wish Apple would just make iOS flexible and more open. Add Always on Display and really prove the camera chops are as good as Pixel and I would come back.

Cause right now, Google's painful inadequacies in hardware make it hard to want the Pixel.



Edit: Boom.

The iPhone XR shows how unnecessary 3D Touch has always been
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbre...4/iphone-xs-max-3d-touch-waste-features-apple

Where are all those I used to argue with...

 

[corriewf]

What's crazy to me is:

So iPhone Xs has dual cameras on the back to achieve bokeh and portrait mode, but the Xr also has these features in a single camera.

Pixel 3 will also pull this sort of stunt. It'll have dual-cameras on the front for "super-selfies," which I assume will involve portrait mode, but single camera on the back that Google is going to try to convince us is good enough for all the portrait needs there.

What the heck?

Also, no 3D touch in the Xr. Think it's gone for good in next year's new lineup? Apple is basically admitting that you shouldn't need to force push non-tactile surfaces to do something software can already do and do better, something I've always argued. It was always the weirdest thing to me. It complicated the hardware, cost a lot, and made the interface harder. Good riddance. But again, odd decisions... 3D touch will be in the Xs (and the iPhone 7 and 8 models). Why? You've just proven you don't need it with the Xr.

I wish Apple would just make iOS flexible and more open. Add Always on Display and really prove the camera chops are as good as Pixel and I would come back.

Cause right now, Google's painful inadequacies in hardware make it hard to want the Pixel.

This is what I am struggling with myself. It upsets me that google isn’t being original with its designs and can’t even get its copy right. The chin is really really bothersome. What’s the point of tolerating a notch if you also have to tolerate a chin? Either you do something right or don’t do it at all. Period. Also what scares me is the pixel 2 launch. Their quality control was garbage on that launch and it’s not easy to return a pixel as it is heading to an Apple store for me. Having a hold put on my account while they wait for my device to be shipped back has always annoyed me.

If you’re gonna buy a cheap knock off, might as well get the real thing.

 

[tonybarnaby]

What are the chances the 3xl is not $950 or more? I’ve heard $800, but that seems way too low.

 

[Cryates]

Looks like the Pixel 3/XL colors are confirmed. Black, white/turquoise and a mint/turquoise.

https://9to5google.com/2018/09/14/google-pixel-3-colors-hint-teaser/