GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL
Photos and fantastic software are still this phone’s speciality, but there are other upgrades on the table, too
With Google’s latest release, the battle for this year’s best camera phone is about to get very bloody
From £869 store.google.com
Google’s third generation of its own phone hardware continues what we saw with the Pixel 2: a brilliant camera paired with a stand-out version of Android. But the world has moved on in the last year. So the question is, has Google kept up?
Cut it out
Google has tried to make the Pixel phones instantly recognisable with their two-tone textured backings, as you’ll know if you’ve spotted previous Pixels. That same design language is in evidence here, though this time the backing is smoother thanks to it being an all-glass design to enable wireless charging. A matte finish for the lower half means it doesn’t feel slippery in your hand.
We’ve also got a single-lens rear camera and a fingerprint sensor around the back – no in-screen fingerprint reader for the Pixel range yet. The Pixels have never led the pack in terms of hardware design, and the Pixel 3 XL is no different.
As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think this is a really, really fine-looking phone, with one caveat: that deep notch on the front display. It includes twin front cameras, but makes you realise how elegant the wider, shallower notch on the iPhone XS is. Status icons, the time, and other details can feel a bit lost in the big gaps the notch creates at the top of the screen. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it stands out.
The screen of the Pixel 3 XL stretches to 6.3 inches from corner to corner with the help of that notch, though it doesn’t feel as massive as that might initially suggest. If you have relatively big hands you can hold it comfortably, though typing really
needs both hands to do the job justice. The bottom chin is larger than some of its cutting-edge rivals, too.
The 1440x2960 OLED display is sharp and looks fantastic no matter what it’s being used for. Games, apps, videos, social media… It all pops. In addition, the front-facing speakers are powerful and impressive.
The Pixel 3 XL is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, which has been in many a flagship phone this year. Its pure speed falls a little behind the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, but nips along very quickly in reality. There’s no lag or delay in any of the menus, and there are no problems with games or apps, no matter how demanding.
That speed will be partly down the quality of the Pixel 3’s OS. This is stock Android with a few bells and whistles on top, such as the calendar widget that tells you when your next appointment is coming up, and the animated lock screen mode.
After ten years of polishing, Android 9 (‘Pie’) works brilliantly in the pure form included here, and new additions, like the navigation gestures and digital wellbeing tools, are ace.
As with the 2017 Pixels, you can squeeze the sides of the Google Pixel 3 XL to launch Google Assistant or another app. It works well.
The 3,430mAh battery is good enough for a day’s standard use, but it won’t stretch beyond that. If you put your phone through a lot of calls, GPS use and gaming, you’re likely to be hunting for a charger by the evening. The phone does seem to keep its charge well in standby mode, so if your job means the phone mostly sits in a drawer all day, you should have plenty of juice left for a full night.
Pic a winner
Like last year, the camera is perhaps the single biggest selling point for the Pixel 3 XL. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find another phone that takes better shots, despite the single 12MP sensor system on the rear. There’s loads of detail, the colours are gorgeously bright, and overall the results are just breathtaking.
Low-light performance is brilliant, capturing dramatic shots instead of grey murk. Portrait mode also works brilliantly, adding realistic bokeh for stunning headshots.
The dual front camera setup is interesting: two 8MP sensors can combine for a Group Selfie Cam feature, helping you achieve a wider shot that includes more people.
Photography is one area where the Google Pixel phones really do lead the pack, and if photos are important to you, this phone should be near the top of your list when you upgrade.
In fact, it should be on the list no matter what you want from a phone. With a better camera, performance and screen, this is a great upgrade from the Pixel 2, and sits strongly among its peers. We’ve been hugely impressed by the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS, so it’s worth checking those out too before you commit.