At the tech giant’s fall hardware keynote presentation in New York City, Google revealed its latest pair of flagship smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, following what felt like a never-ending wave of leaks regarding the devices over the last few months.
Both phones are very similar to last year’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, but there are also stark differences on the size and camera front.
The Pixel 3 XL features a 6.3-inch 2,960 x 1,440 pixel resolution display, 128GB of storage, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, Adreno 630 GPU, 4GB of RAM and IP68 water resistance. Further, the Pixel 3 XL’s display has increased 0.3-inches from the Pixel 2 XL.
Google’s Pixel 3, on the other hand, features a 5.5-inch 1080 x 2160 pixel display, a Qualcomm 845 processor, 128GB of internal storage 4GB of RAM and IP68 water and dust resistant. The Pixel 3’s display has increased 0.5-inches from 5-inches with the Pixel 3.
Finally, the Pixel 3 XL as many likely feared, features a display notch, while the Pixel 3 does not.
Google Pixel 3
Google Pixel 3 XL
Display
5.5-inch FHD display, 1,080 x 2,160 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio
6.3-inch Quad HD display, 2,960 x 1,440 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio
Processor
Snapdragon 845
Snapdragon 845
RAM
4GB of RAM
4GB of RAM
Storage
64GB, 128GB
64GB, 128GB
Dimensions (in.)
145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm
157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm
Weight
148g
184g
Rear Facing Camera
12.2-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, EIS)
12.2-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, EIS)
Front Facing Camera
8-megapixel (f/2.2) + 8-megapixel (f/1.8)
8-megapixel (f/2.2) + 8-megapixel (f/1.8)
OS
Android 9 Pie
Android 9 Pie
Battery
2,915mAh
3,430mAh
Network Connectivity
GSM/HSPA/LTE
GSM/HSPA/LTE
Sensors
Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, Active Edge 2.0, proximity sensor, magnetic sensor
Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, Active Edge 2.0, proximity sensor, magnetic sensor
SIM Type
Nano Sim
Nano Sim
Launch Date
November 1, 2018
November 1, 2018
Misc
Colours: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink | IP68 water and dust resistant, U.S. launch date October 18th
Colours: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink | IP68 water and dust resistant, U.S. launch date October 18th
Display
Google Pixel 3
5.5-inch FHD display, 1,080 x 2,160 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio
Google Pixel 3 XL
6.3-inch Quad HD display, 2,960 x 1,440 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio
Processor
Google Pixel 3
Snapdragon 845
Google Pixel 3 XL
Snapdragon 845
RAM
Google Pixel 3
4GB of RAM
Google Pixel 3 XL
4GB of RAM
Storage
Google Pixel 3
64GB, 128GB
Google Pixel 3 XL
64GB, 128GB
Dimensions (in.)
Google Pixel 3
145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm
Google Pixel 3 XL
157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm
Weight
Google Pixel 3
148g
Google Pixel 3 XL
184g
Rear Facing Camera
Google Pixel 3
12.2-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, EIS)
Google Pixel 3 XL
12.2-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, EIS)
Front Facing Camera
Google Pixel 3
8-megapixel (f/2.2) + 8-megapixel (f/1.8)
Google Pixel 3 XL
8-megapixel (f/2.2) + 8-megapixel (f/1.8)
OS
Google Pixel 3
Android 9 Pie
Google Pixel 3 XL
Android 9 Pie
Battery
Google Pixel 3
2,915mAh
Google Pixel 3 XL
3,430mAh
Network Connectivity
Google Pixel 3
GSM/HSPA/LTE
Google Pixel 3 XL
GSM/HSPA/LTE
Sensors
Google Pixel 3
Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, Active Edge 2.0, proximity sensor, magnetic sensor
Google Pixel 3 XL
Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, Active Edge 2.0, proximity sensor, magnetic sensor
SIM Type
Google Pixel 3
Nano Sim
Google Pixel 3 XL
Nano Sim
Launch Date
Google Pixel 3
November 1, 2018
Google Pixel 3 XL
November 1, 2018
Misc
Google Pixel 3
Colours: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink | IP68 water and dust resistant, U.S. launch date October 18th
Google Pixel 3 XL
Colours: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink | IP68 water and dust resistant, U.S. launch date October 18th
In terms of camera, Google has stuck with a single rear 12.2-megapixel shooter with both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The front-facing camera is a different situation, however, with Google opting for what the company is calling a ‘Group Selfie Camera.’
Both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL include two front-facing cameras that measure in at 8-megapixels, with one offering a wider field-of-view. Google specifically says that the wider second camera captures “184 percent more of a scene” when compared to Apple’s iPhone XS’ shooter.
As expected, the Pixel 3 XL and Pixel 3 also run Android 9.0 Pie, the latest version of Google’s operating system. Google also says that the speakers featured in both smartphones are 40 percent louder when compared to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
The Pixel 3 XL and Pixel 3 also include a pair of USB-C earphones, a USB-C-to-3.5mm dongle, a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, a USB-C-to-USB-A dongle, and an 18w USB-C power adapter.
Further, the Pixel 3 is available in three colours, ‘Black,’ ‘Clearly White’ and ‘Note Pink,’ with all three hues coming to the Canadian market.
The Pixel 3 is set to start at $999 CAD for the 64GB version of the smartphone, with the 128GB iteration coming in at $1,129. The Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, starts at $1,129 CAD for the 64GB version and $1,259 for the 128GB model.
Both smartphones are now available for pre-order with a November 1st Canadian launch date. In the U.S. the Pixel 3 is set to launch on October 18th.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.