Google took to the stage to announce a few new products, and with the many leaks before hands, we pretty much new most of the details for the new Pixel 3 handsets last week. That being said, there are a few new features of the device that were new to the world, so let’s dive right in and check out the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
The latest devices from Google don’t include any real changes to the overall design compared to last years Pixel 2. This is more of a general refinement on the inside with a spec bump. Both devices are now IP68 instead of IP67 like last year.
Google went with all glass for the back this time around, but kept the matte portion, which is now done by etching on the glass instead. The corners are now rounded and more symmetrical than before and yes, the colored power button is still there, although the new matte Black device simply has a Black power button.
The NOTCH…
Pixel 3 sports a 5.5-inch OLED with 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, and Pixel 3 XL has a 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,960 x 1,440.
The Pixel 3 XL includes a rather large notch. The notch is nothing new, but this time around it can’t be helped to notice just how much space the notch takes up. Google have stated you can remove the notch by blacking out that part of the display. The regular Pixel 3 has a straight forward bezel. The XL does well to thin out the bezel on the rest of the device, but the chin is still fairly big and it’s not completely edge to edge like other devices on the market. The bexel and chin house the front facing speakers, which offer fairly loud and balance audio.
Inside the devices are going from the Snapdragon 835 to the 845 chipset and will have the same 4GB’s of RAM. A nice performance boost, along with the latest Android 9 (Pie) should make for one of the smoothest Android devices around. The Pixel 3 has a 2,915mAH battery and the Pixel 3 XL has a 3,430mAh battery. Both devices support QI fast wireless charging with 10W support.
Camera side of things have a little more focus on the front facing side of things. We have two 8MP sensors, one with the usual lens and f/1.8 aperture and the other with an wide-angles lens and f/2.2 aperture. This aims to offer pretty wide shots for those large group selfies.
The rear facing camera is a solid 12.2-megapixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture. Since Google had one of the best cameras on a smartphone last year, we expect the same status this year.
Camera Tricks
Google are aiming to take their camera crown seriously are are opting for some AI features within the camera app itself. A burst mode for the best shot taken has been around awhile, but Google’s new TopShot uses AI to analyse all of your shots taken the moment you hit the shutter button. This aims to provide you with the best shot based on focus and the subjects (blinking and smiling).
Photobooth works the same, but works even when your noting pressing the shutter and simply analysing what’s on view when the camera is open and takes a snap if it detects an interesting shot.
Night Sight aims to provide better low-light photos, but we have no firm details on when that will arrive as it is not ready for launch. Super Res Zoom uses that tiny camera shake to actually provide you with higher res photos when using the digital zoom. Basically using AI to stitch together pixels as the camera moves.
Google Duplex
Sadly one of the coolest features coming to the Pixel 3 will only launch in the U.S and only some states (New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and San Francisco Bay Area. The feature, much like the demo Google provided earlier this year can set up reservations at restaurants and even screen phone calls for you and provide you with a realtime transcript of the call, allowing you to screen it without having to talk to anyone. The features will arrive to older Pixels in the future as well, and let’s hope internationally as well.
Pricing and Availability
The new Pixel 3 and and Pixel 3 XL arrive on October 18th in the United States and October 21st in most of the world. Their avaialble in White, Black, and slightly Pink colors and will be priced at $799 and $899. Check out some of the launch videos and demo’s of the new features below. Also the new Pixel stand which costs $79 and effectively turns your Pixel device into a Google Home device and provides that huge 10W of wireless charging.
