There were hardly any surprises at Google’s hardware event earlier today as the tech giant rolled out the red carpet for the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They are essentially the same phone, by the way, except the latter has a bigger notched display and battery.
They also cost much more than their predecessors. The Pixel 3 starts at $799 (roughly P43,277), making it $150 (P8,125) pricier than the Pixel 2 at launch. On the other hand, the Pixel 3 XL, with a starting price of $899 (P48,693) — $50 (P2,708) more than last year’s model — is the most expensive smartphone Google has ever built.
Official product video: Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
The two devices will be available in the U.S. from October 19 and Europe beginning November 2. They come in glass bodies with IP68 certification for water resistance, with three colors to choose from — black, white, and pink.
We’ve seen the flagships in every conceivable angle prior to their unveiling, and we got a rundown on their specs and features days ago. That said, today’s announcements sounded like more of a formality, or just a part of the process. But to be fair to Google, it did tuck in a few surprises on the software side of things, mainly in the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL’s camera app.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 3 XL beats Apple iPhone XS Max in early camera test
If there’s anything Google has been consistent about since launching the first Pixel phones, it’s that Pixels can take pretty pixels. Google makes killer camera phones — the best on the planet for some. And that may be true for a lot of people this year. So let’s start with the cameras.
Rear camera
Though it’s still 12 megapixels, the rear-facing unit of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL uses a newer dual-pixel sensor. The company says it can capture greater dynamic range. And because it specializes in software and machine learning, it can extract enough depth information using a single sensor to effectively blur out the background and make the subject stand out.
New this year is the option to adjust the level of background blur after the fact by moving a slider, just like on the Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9. There’s also the Motion Auto Focus feature that ensures the subject stays as clear and sharp as possible while shooting stills or video. It helps that both rear and front cameras come with video stabilization to keep footage steady during movement.
Motion Auto Focus ensures the subject stays as clear and sharp as possible while shooting stills or video
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL also have impressive low-light capabilities, thanks to the added Night Sight feature, which takes multiple exposures to reduce graininess in pictures shot at higher ISO settings. The downside is that the handset needs to be held steady until it’s done shooting; the subject should also remain in place.
Super Res Zoom, meanwhile, uses a similar software trick to produce a higher-quality zoomed-in image without the need for a telephoto lens. The drawback, again, is that it demands the smartphone and the object it’s aiming at to be extremely steady while taking a shot.
Selfie camera
Google insists it doesn’t need to add more lenses to the main camera unit, but the front-facing system is another story. For the first time, the new Pixels flaunt two cameras for selfies and video chat.
READ ALSO: Google Pixel 3 XL review up 2 months ahead of expected launch
Both sensors are 8 megapixels, but sit behind different lenses — one for wide-angle shots, the other for close-ups. The wide camera features an aperture of f/2.2 and a 97-degree field of view, while the regular one is f/1.8, with a 75-degree field of view.
Screen
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are equipped with taller OLED panels that support HDR and always-on functionality for notifications and displaying the name of the song that’s currently playing. Their bezels are a lot smaller, too.
The regular Pixel 3 doesn’t have a notch, unlike the XL model.
The regular Pixel sports a 5.5-inch, 18:9 display and offers 10 percent more surface area compared to its predecessor. It also doesn’t have a notch, which the Pixel 3 XL has — and what a deep notch! The Google Pixel 3 XL upgrades to a 6.3-inch diagonal with 1,440 x 2,960 resolution, for an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.
There’s practically no change in sharpness from previous models, so the biggest takeaway here is that the screens are bigger — probably nicer as well — but have zero impact on the overall form factor.
Internals
In terms of specs, Google has equipped the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL with a slightly underclocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 for better cooling and sustained peak performance. The processor is coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of native storage without expansion options.
That’s the same amount of memory as the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and it’s quite baffling that the company doesn’t sell a greater variety of configurations in an age when just about every flagship phone gets at least 6GB RAM and can stretch to 512GB storage.
SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone XS Max fails to unseat Huawei P20 Pro in camera rankings
Granted, there’s still the bonus of unlimited photo storage at original quality until January 31, 2022. Android 9.0 Pie is in tow as well, though older Pixel devices have had the option to upgrade to Google’s latest mobile platform for a while now.
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have bigger batteries this time, too — 3,430mAh and 2,915mAh, respectively. Both phones have fast-charging circuitry built in, as well as wireless charging for the first time. Google says users will get 7 hours of usage after just five minutes plugged in.
The smartphones’ page on Google Store U.S. can be found here.
Google Pixel 3 specs
- 5.5-inch OLED display, 1,080 x 2,160 resolution (18:9)
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB or 128GB non-expandable storage
- 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and LED flash
- Dual 8-megapixel front cameras with f/1.8 and f/2.2 aperture and wide lens
- Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
- 2,915mAh battery
- Android 9.0 Pie
Google Pixel 3 XL specs
- 6.3-inch OLED display, 1,440 x 2,960 resolution (18.5:9)
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB or 128GB non-expandable storage
- 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and LED flash
- Dual 8-megapixel front cameras with f/1.8 and f/2.2 aperture and wide lens
- Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
- 3,430mAh battery
- Android 9.0 Pie
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