A short time ago Google has Launched its much-anticipated smartphones known as the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL in the market. As described by the brand itself the devices are upgraded inside out to deliver a more stable experience. Don’t judge these devices considering their looks because in this section not much has been revamped by the Google designers. Like any other Pixel device, these handsets have the best software support on an Android device. They are reliable and are close to what a perfect smartphone should sound like.
Pixel 3 is released as the successor to the old Pixel 2 and is compact in size. The massive Pixel 3 XL is launched as a direct competitor to iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9. In our today’s story, we will be sharing our review of the Pixel 3 XL. If you are a person who is planning to invest his/her hard earned money in Pixel 3 XL and is still in a fix then this piece of information will be enough to make you take the right decision. So without making any delay let’s know more about the handset.
Design and Looks
After first peek you will come to know that the device from the rear looks quite inspired by the pre-existing Google Pixel 2 XL. Unlike any other device in this segment, Google has opted for a different design approach ignoring that shiny Glass-Metal build. Compared to Pixel 2 XL the device has a bigger display in the front and a major notch appeared to be a sin here. The glass back of the device doesn’t attract fingerprints but some users have complained that it can get scratched easily. The design and feel of the handset look solid, however, we were expecting a far better design job from Google. The major concern about the device is its notch which is probably the biggest on a smartphone.
Display
Google Pixel 3 XL offers a 6.3(inch) P-OLED Display with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels. Some major features that display offers are: Always on panel, HDR, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 523ppi, etc. This display on the Pixel 3 XL seems to be a great improvement over the old Pixel devices and offers more true to life colors. The display on the smartphone contributes up to 82.8% of the screen-to-body ratio which is obviously not the best we have seen but is satisfactory. The accuracy of the display somewhere lies between iPhone XS Max and Galaxy Note 9. Viewing angles are good, sharpness is on point but this new panel still lacks in some departments. The brightness levels of the display are simply not up to the mark and fall short when compared to its competitor. Daylight visibility of the display is poor and this panel offers 362nits brightness.
Performance
Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845(64 bit) Octa-Core processor coupled with an Adreno 630 GPU for Gaming. The device comes with 4GB RAM and will be made available in two variants: 64GB ROM/128GB ROM. The device performs super smooth in all daily tasks, however, the benchmark scores of this device are less than that of its competitors. The cores of this processor have been underclocked a little to deliver a better battery life. As mentioned above the device is scarily fast in loading apps and high-end games. We can expect an even better performance in the upcoming days through a software update.
Camera backed by AI
The biggest surprising fact with the Google Pixel 3 XL is that it comes with a single camera setup in the rear. This time Google has provided a Dual-Camera setup in the front out of which one is a Wide Angle camera. The 12MP rear snapper comes with amazing AI capabilities which is enough to outshine its other competitors. Some great features including Top Shot, Super Res Zoom, Night Sight, etc. The snaps clicked using this device is rich in great dynamic range, an impressive contrast which makes them stand out of the crowd. Other than still photos the device can manage to do great videos with super smooth stabilization up to 4K resolution. Sadly 60fps option is still missing in 4K resolution. The Dual 8MP+8MP selfie shooters are great and deliver impressive results. With a wide angle lens, you can get much more in the same frame. Altogether it is the best smartphone when it comes to still photos you can acquire right now.
Battery and Software
Google Pixel 3 XL is backed by a 3430mAh battery which comparatively is smaller compared to its predecessor. However, the battery life has been not decreased by a considerable margin. Battery life is great and Google is also shipping its wireless Pixel Stand. The device runs on Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and to be honest software of the device is quite impressive. The device comes with a Wellbeing feature which allows you to monitor your smartphone activity.
Conclusion
Pricing of the Google Pixel 3 XL starts at $899(around INR 83,000) and for this price you are getting a great device. If your main concern is getting a camera device then Pixel 3 XL is the name. However in terms of Display and overall value for money Galaxy Note 9 is a great competitor.
