Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL

[Cryates]

BIG difference from the Pixel 2 XL screen impressions. Kudos for rectifying it this time, Google.

I wonder if it's true for the smaller Pixel 3 as well...

Somebody (MKBHD maybe?) hinted at some possible subpixel calibration going on. Dieter Bohn also noted that screen was "clearer" than last years model. If that's the case, that's a BIG deal. That's part of what makes Apple's OLED look so good.

I'll always be keeping my eye on the Pixel line. A good first step for them is correcting all of the QC issues from last years models.

 

[Tsepz]

Sheesh, Google looking to really upset people this year:
- Huge Notch
- Paltry storage amounts without an option to expand memory, at that prices tag!? At least get rid of the pathetic 64GB closed storage model, and make it start at 128GB.

Let me go watch MKBHD's impressions...

Sigh, look up reviews man. Your hate is blinding you...

Lol, you can do better than that. Let's just agree to disagree. If the notch was great Apple would have proudly shown it in the press pictures of these new 2018 models.

It's a horrible feature and I cannot wait for it to be gone.

We have an iPhone X, Mate 20 Lite and Note8 here at home, and I see no benefit with the notch, the experience on the Note8 is far more Immersive whether it be portrait (Instagram TV) OR landscape (YouTube, Netflix etc....)

In happy for those who accept it, but it irked me when reviewing the Mate20 Lite luckily I could turn it off, unlike on the iPhone where I am forced to embrace it.

 

[Tsepz]

The comments on this tweet by Google though
I think Google forget that the people who buy Pixel are mostly not the same as iPhone buyers, yet they act like they are Apple
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1049731483278151682?s=19

 

[epicrayban]

Doesn't appear to be any website crashing or shortage of supplies this year. Google is learning... or there's very little interest.

I think I'm going to hang onto my S9+ a little longer. I wasn't expecting the $799 entry price. The model I want would be $899. Ridiculous.

 

[slitherjef]

XL 2 now starting at 699 (small one 649)

If the 3 xl started there, I'd probably consider pre ordering.

 

[epicrayban]

The comments on this tweet by Google though
I think Google forget that the people who buy Pixel are mostly not the same as iPhone buyers, yet they act like they are Apple
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1049731483278151682?s=19

Comments across the tech blogs are slamming the notch and the pricing. Deservedly so, I say.


IMO, this should've been the pricing:

Pixel 3 XL - $849, $949 128GB.
Pixel 3 - $749, $849 128GB

Pixel 2 XL - Price dropped to $699 (as it really is on their site).
Pixel 2 - Price dropped to $599 (still $649 on their site).

 

[JaySoul]

Comments across the tech blogs are slamming the notch and the pricing. Deservedly so, I say.


IMO, this should've been the pricing:

Pixel 3 XL - $849, $949 128GB.
Pixel 3 - $749, $849 128GB

Pixel 2 XL - Price dropped to $699 (as it really is on their site).
Pixel 2 - Price dropped to $599 (still $649 on their site).

These are the two main problems. Otherwise, to me, everything else about it seems to be on the right track.

One thing: on this thread, everyone keeps comparing the Pixel 3 to the iPhone XR. Why?

Surely the direct comparison should be to the iPhone Xs and Xs Max.

 

[Puddled]

Comments across the tech blogs are slamming the notch and the pricing. Deservedly so, I say.


IMO, this should've been the pricing:

Pixel 3 XL - $849, $949 128GB.
Pixel 3 - $749, $849 128GB

Pixel 2 XL - Price dropped to $699 (as it really is on their site).
Pixel 2 - Price dropped to $599 (still $649 on their site).

Regarding the notch.

It is much thinner than the IPhones, allowing for proper icon and clock placement. I think the trade off in depth is worth it tbh.

 

[epicrayban]

These are the two main problems. Otherwise, to me, everything else about it seems to be on the right track.

One thing: on this thread, everyone keeps comparing the Pixel 3 to the iPhone XR. Why?

Surely the direct comparison should be to the iPhone Xs and Xs Max.

I believe it's being compared to the XR because they're both the more "budget-friendly" option in their respective 2018 lineups.

Otherwise, you're right, the Pixel 3 should be leagues better than the iPhone XR. Heck, I think the Pixel 3 will be a better smartphone than the XS -- better AI, better software, better camera.
[doublepost=1539114506][/doublepost]

Regarding the notch.

It is much thinner than the IPhones, allowing for proper icon and clock placement. I think the trade off in depth is worth it tbh.

True.

Taken at face value, when you are just comparing notches, I don't have any preference between Apple's "long" notch versus Google's "deep" notch. They're both bad design with very little gain (people have to really drink the kool-aid to believe a notch is worth it for "more screen space").

However, looking at the device as a whole, Apple's uniformed side and bottom bezels look better. Google's notch is compounded by the gigantic chin at the bottom for the front-firing speakers. When you look at the 3 XL as a whole, it's a lopsided ugly mess. When you look at the XS as a whole, you just have to deal with a long notch.

Apple fans have no choice but to embrace it if they want a modern iOS flagship.

 

[Cryates]

Google confirms the notch can be hidden, likely in the retail release.

 

[Tig Bitties]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=pixel 2 xl&sort=rel

Used Pixel 2 XL's selling for like $550 to $600 on CL. But Google only offering $325 to $400 as trade-in value.

Plus the 3 XL already being priced outrageous near $1,000 is insane.

This is tempting me to an iPhone XS Max, and not a fan of iOS.

 

[epicrayban]

Also, no promos this year for pre-ordering early.

Google has got some balls this year!

 

[840quadra]

By the time your phone is 5 years old, not being able to run the latest software will be the least of your issue. Battery, screen, charging speed etc will already be outdated.


iOS 12 is the first Apple update that makes phone faster. For years, devices have been made slower. My iPad 3 which I wiped was unusable when I traded in last year, and there wasn't an option to downgrade software.

The P2 is getting some of the new features from the P3 while the iPhone X did not get computational photography as an update.

At last year's keynote Apple spent 20min waffling about the hardware of the iPhone X camera which has achieved junk status now that it doesn't have computational photography like the Xr, Pixel 3 or even last year's Pixel 2.


Diminishing returns on CPU were reached by Samsung, Apple and other manufacturers last year. Whether you have the this year or last years phone, Instagram, web browsers, WhatsApp and other popular apps run as well. If you are a gamer and like VR then specs are absolutely relevant.

I disagree, new software support is a value, especially for people who hold onto devices for a long time. I also find the contradiction between your post to me, and to Puddled somewhat amusing.


You essentially bash older phones for having old / aging hardware, and in the same post agree that new faster hardware has diminishing returns. Sure the screen tech is older / inferior, and batteries may not charge as fast, but someone with a 5yo phone likely had it since new and should be used to it. Besides that, in the case of the 5S, 6, or even 6S, the overall capacity of batteries is smaller than modern premium phones, so the need to fast charge really isn’t there anyway. If capacity is an issue, take your device to Apple and Spend $29 for a brand new battery, or spend $49 next year if you can’t be bothered.


The Pixel 2 has more hardware thrown at image processing, the Pixel core. And most of the computation happens after you take a picture. If you open a shot right after you take it on a Pixel 2, you can actually see it change / optimize the image before your eyes. The way Apple does it is different and more direct, so the approach likely isn’t as flexible as Google’s (perhaps patented) method. I can only assume (because we don’t have the feature to test yet) that you will be able to watch the same processing happening on the original Pixel when it gets the updates.

When the X was new, Apple (at the time) relied on optics and sensors to make great photos and did a decent job at it. The XS Max has far more processing power (like the Pixel 2 and 3) thrown at on camera processing. I can only guess, speculate, assume, however had those new HDR features been brought to the X, I would feel we would have threads full of people complaining how slow / unresponsive the iPhone X’s camera is, and the update was an intentional bottleneck / slowdown. And doing it post like the Pixel does, just doesn’t fit with Apple’s normal method of doing things, and is quite possibly someone else’s patent.


As an aside, I do fully agree with you on the iPad 3, but that device, like the iPhone 4, and in some cases the iPhone 6, and the original Retina MacBook Pro (without discrete graphics) show one of Apple’s biggest Achilles heels. They were habitual about pushing as many pixels as possible, with as slow of processor as they could. I am sure they had their reasons (perhaps battery life), but it is Something that I hope they don’t continue to repeat.

 

[epicrayban]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/17956202/google-pixel-3-price-expensive-why

Here’s why the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are Google’s most expensive phones ever

Let’s take a quick look at how much many of today’s high-range and midrange devices will cost you and where the Pixel 3 lands:

iPhone XS Max $1,099 64GB / $1,249 256GB / $1,449 512GB
iPhone XS $999 64GB / $1,149 256GB / $1,349 512GB
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 $999 128GB / $1,249 512GB
LG V40 ThinQ: $900 - $980 64GB
Pixel 3 XL $899 64GB / $999 128GB
Pixel 3 $799 64GB / $899 128GB
iPhone XR $749 64GB / $799 128GB / $899 256GB
LG G7 $749 64GB
Samsung Galaxy S9 $719 64GB / $769 128GB / $839 256GB
BlackBerry Key2 $649 64GB
OnePlus 6 $529 64GB / $579 128GB / $629 256GB
Essential Phone $339 128GB
Nokia 6.1 $269 32GB
Moto G6 $249 32GB


I don't agree with the Pixel 3 pricing, but at least it's no iPhone XS pricing. Frankly, I think both the XS and XR are ripoffs. The 3 XL is a rip, too, but that's mainly because I loathe the design. I think the Pixel 3 is overpriced, but I wouldn't call it a ripoff.

The only $1K flagship I find valuable is the Note 9.

 

[Michael Goff]

Galaxy Note 9 w/ 128gb storage is the same price as a Pixel 3XL with the same storage. Wow.

 

[tonybarnaby]

OnePlus 6T is far and away the better phone over both pixels. Crazy value.

 

[Harthag]

OnePlus 6T is far and away the better phone over both pixels. Crazy value.

For you and some others. Not for me. Won't get into the laundry list of things I don't like about the 6T, but "value" is different for everyone. I value getting immediate software and security updates, IP68, and wireless charging, to name just three things, and am willing to pay for that. I will never switch to an inferior carrier (T-Mobile, in my area, is a spectrum starved disaster) just for a phone. Being on Verizon, the Pixel ticks all the boxes for me.

 

[tonybarnaby]

For you and some others. Not for me. Won't get into the laundry list of things I don't like about the 6T, but "value" is different for everyone. I value getting immediate software and security updates, IP68, and wireless charging, to name just three things, and am willing to pay for that. I will never switch to an inferior carrier (T-Mobile, in my area, is a spectrum starved disaster) just for a phone. Being on Verizon, the Pixel ticks all the boxes for me.

I’m on Tmobile and loved my op3. I really wanted to get my first pixel, but the 3xl is too rich for my blood considering any android phone I get will be secondary to my iPhone and Apple Watch setup. The 6T will be great, but I honestly think the 7 is probably going to be a bigger leap with 7nm 855, and potential 5g.

 

[Michael Goff]

OnePlus 6T is far and away the better phone over both pixels. Crazy value.

Unless you're on a CDMA network, then the 6T is basically worthless.

 

[5105973]

I still have not gotten to see or read much. I can’t really judge. Honestly a Pixel 3 or 3XL was never going to be on my wish list anyway. Because of series 4 Apple Watch, I went all in on iPhone and I am “cautiously optimistic” about the Xr.

I will enjoy reading everyone else’s reviews and impressions when you get it.

I am not shocked at the prices. I thought they were too high last year for the level of workmanship and materials and design you got. That’s not to say I thought last years phones were unappealing. Obviously not, since I liked the Panda and my white Pixel 2. But they really felt more like mid range phones in the hand.

I must say they look nicer this year. But what happened to the mint color? I thought that was on one of the leaks. That was pretty cool. I’d rather have seen that than that blush color they did release. That one is too close to white so it seems almost pointless. But I’m sure somebody will like it.

 

[Aneres11]

£739 for the smaller Pixel 3 here in the UK so just a fraction cheaper than the XR.

However, I picked my Pixel 2 up just before Christmas from CarPhoneWarehouse last year and it was £499 WITH a free Google Home Mini.

So I’m going to wait it out if I do want to jump on the train.

 

[Baldilocks]

The 4GB of RAM is the big negative here. I used the Pixel 2 XL for a while and even on Android Pie, the RAM management was terrible. I can't see the 3 XL being any better.

 

[Rum_Becker]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/17956202/google-pixel-3-price-expensive-why

Here’s why the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are Google’s most expensive phones ever

Let’s take a quick look at how much many of today’s high-range and midrange devices will cost you and where the Pixel 3 lands:

iPhone XS Max $1,099 64GB / $1,249 256GB / $1,449 512GB
iPhone XS $999 64GB / $1,149 256GB / $1,349 512GB
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 $999 128GB / $1,249 512GB
LG V40 ThinQ: $900 - $980 64GB
Pixel 3 XL $899 64GB / $999 128GB
Pixel 3 $799 64GB / $899 128GB
iPhone XR $749 64GB / $799 128GB / $899 256GB
LG G7 $749 64GB
Samsung Galaxy S9 $719 64GB / $769 128GB / $839 256GB
BlackBerry Key2 $649 64GB
OnePlus 6 $529 64GB / $579 128GB / $629 256GB
Essential Phone $339 128GB
Nokia 6.1 $269 32GB
Moto G6 $249 32GB


I don't agree with the Pixel 3 pricing, but at least it's no iPhone XS pricing. Frankly, I think both the XS and XR are ripoffs. The 3 XL is a rip, too, but that's mainly because I loathe the design. I think the Pixel 3 is overpriced, but I wouldn't call it a ripoff.

The only $1K flagship I find valuable is the Note 9.

I'm happy with my Essential phone that I picked up Brand New for $240 Canadian last christmas, the camera kinda sucks but I have my DSLR for serious pics.

All these phones are too much, but Apples phones are just ridiculously expensive.

 

[Fernandez21]

I'm happy with my Essential phone that I picked up Brand New for $240 Canadian last christmas, the camera kinda sucks but I have my DSLR for serious pics.

All these phones are too much, but Apples phones are just ridiculously expensive.

Yup, I’ll stick with my essential phone for stock android for now, unless there is a huge sale. Still my favorite design on an android phone (my black small iPhone X/Xs is my most favorite).

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I ordered the smaller (aka normal size) Pixel 3 tonight. The higher price made me consider waiting for OnePlus 6T, but the size was the deciding factor for me. I really just don't want anything larger than my S8. The camera quality makes me feel better about the expense, though, because I don't have any camera other than what is in my phone.