Google Pixel 3 XL, 128GB, Black, SIM Free

Product Information

More so than even Apple, Google doesn’t talk much about specs when it launches new phones. It prefers to create a story around how the device works, rather than playing up the speed improvements in the processor or amounts of RAM. The Google Pixel 3 is the ideal smartphone for anyone who cares about photo quality and isn’t satisfied with their phone’s picture-taking abilities today. It has the camera smarts and Android Pie-powered AI smarts of the Pixel 3 XL, without the awkward notch cut-out at the top. And, unlike the comparable, one-hand-friendly iPhone XS, it’s cheap – at least by 2018 and 2019 flagship standards. More rounded edges are everywhere on the Pixel 3. Its frame is less boxy than previous Google phones, a trend we've seen from the iPhone and and others. Gone is the harsher silver bevel around the frame and rear fingerprint sensor. It's like Google put the Pixel 2 through a smoothing machine, and we like the results.

You'll still find dual front-facing speakers on the Google Pixel 3. No one else is really doing this anymore (except Razer with the Razer Phone 2), so it's nice to see in a flagship device. You'll also get Active Edge, which allows you to squeeze the sides of the phone to call up Google Assistant. We much prefer this squeeze mechanic as opposed to a dedicated AI button on the frame, like Samsung does with Bixby button (which we often confuse for the volume down button). The Google Pixel 3 XL runs the latest version of Android 9 Pie with the exclusive Pixel launcher on top. This launcher adds in bits like the swipe-up app tray, gesture buttons and the adaptive time/weather widget. Google has just announced the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. For an in-depth look at both phones take a look at our Pixel 4 review: hands on and Pixel 4 XL review: hands on. It does give you more screen, sure, but not to the extent that the 6.3-inch diagonally measured spec suggests. To us, the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and 6.4-inch Note 9 screens feel a bigger and more immersive, and the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus promise to mainstream the punch hole camera for even more screen real estate. Typically we prefer bigger screens, but the Pixel 3 XL has a hard-to-ignore notch cut out at the top of the display - something not only far more sizeable than that in the Pixel 3 but also far deeper than the iPhone XS Max notch.The front set of cameras consist of a pair of 8MP standard and wide-angle sensors. The latter can snap with a 97-degree field of view, giving you a wider sense of your surroundings when taking a selfie. The sensors are sharp and accurate when it comes to color reproduction and skin tones. Most interestingly, while it appears to have barrel distortion in the viewfinder, with post-processing the effect is removed, minimizing the distinctive fish-eye effect we normally see on wide-angle cameras. CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, HSDPA, HSUPA, UMTS, HSPA+, LTE, LTE-A, TD-LTE The Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch 2,160-by-1,080 OLED display that's thankfully free from the scourge of a notch. The resolution works out to a crisp 443 pixels per inch. While we've been seeing higher-resolution screens lately (like the 570ppi Galaxy S9), the Pixel 3 is still plenty sharp for the size. It's crisp enough to easily read text, watch videos, and play games, and you won't notice any real difference in clarity between the two devices. The one thing to note is that, while the screen is certified to support HDR content, it doesn't do any upscaling as we've seen on phones like the Sony Xperia XZ3 and the midrange Nokia 7.1

Thankfully there are no such issues with the 6.3-inch OLED panel here. In fact, I would happily put this alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and iPhone XS Max as one of the best mobile displays out there.Even though the display is big, this isn’t the best phone for media viewing – simply because that notch does get in the way. Some apps, YouTube and Netflix for example, can give you the option to expand video behind the notch or default it to 16:9. However, Google Play Movies has no such option, even though it’s visible on the smaller Pixel 3, so movies play in a small box with lots of wasted space. Google Pixel 3 XL – Performance The Pixel 3's rear camera is capable of recording 4K video at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps. In both cases, video is smooth and stable, buoyed by a mix of optical and electronic image stabilization. We found video to be smooth, with minimal jittering or frame drops. Software and AI The Pixel 3 XL has a 3,430mAh battery that lasted for 8 hours, 10 minutes while streaming video over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness. That's a bit better than the 7 hours, 57 minutes managed by the 2,915mAh Pixel 3, but the difference is fairly negligible. Both can take advantage of fast charging with the included 18W adapter or wireless charging with the 10W Pixel Stand or other Qi-enabled charging accessories. In the above shots, the Pixel 3 focused fast and captured highly detailed images with minimal noise and blur. When it comes to capturing objects like trees and buildings, the Pixel 3 is true-to-life, capturing details like shadows, textures, and crevices without overly smoothing them like the LG V40 or oversaturating colors like the Note 9. That said, we're really getting down to minute details here—all four phones are fantastic shooters. The chin below the display remains and once again this is so there’s enough space for another front speaker.

Like other flagship phones, the Pixel 3 is IP68 waterproof, allowing it to survive in over five feet of water for 30 minutes. It stood up to a thorough dunking and rinsing-off in the kitchen sink without issue. It's the grown up version of last year's phone. The Pixel 3 screen looks richer than last year's Pixel 2, too. The specs note that it has only a few more pixels per inch, but keep in mind the screen is much taller, so there are a lot more pixels spread across a half inch of extra screen. There's noticeably less bezel thanks to it's 18:9 aspect ratio rather than the dated 16:9 look. Last year's oversized bezel, we felt, was the biggest disappointment design-wise about the Pixel 2XL. The Google Pixel 3 fixes this issue. As far as additional audio goes, the front-firing stereo speakers may not be room-filling at maximum volume, but they were more than sufficient to attract the attention of my colleagues when blasting Iron Maiden. The Pixel 3 supports 24-bit audio with the included Pixel Buds. The Pixel Buds are comfortable to wear, come with an adjustable ear loop, and integrate with Google Assistant. I found audio quality to be robust, with a crisp and accurate range, though the LG G7 with its dedicated quad DAC still provides more customization for audiophiles.The Google Pixel 3 XL (128GB) is a good Android phone with 2.8GHz Octa-core processor that allows run games and heavy applications.