Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL: the best camera gets a better phone

When Rick Osterloh, Google's hardware manager, introduced Pixel 3 last week, he did not say the word "Android" once. Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are Google Phones. They swim in a sea of ​​Google data and are committed to using Google machine learning to improve everything they do: photos, unwanted spam and even your "digital well-being".

Google's hardware division is not yet three years old, but Pixel 3 is the third revision of its own smartphone. The production of Google's own hardware is no longer a novelty, and at this point we have had enough time to get an idea of ​​its priorities and design.

But very few people buy a phone because it is a physical manifestation of the future vision of a software company. They buy a phone because they want a good phone – something with a nice screen, a great camera, good battery life. You know, "phone stuff."

This is primarily what I think Google has put at the center of its concerns this year: improve the "telephone functions". The Pixels 3 and 3 XL are great phones that try to answer almost every complaint people had about last year's pixels.

For three years now, Pixel phones have claimed the title of "Best Android Phone", but they have always done so with asterisks. These asterisks concerned the glasses, the quality of the screen or something else. This year, Google aims to claim the same coat with Pixels 3 and 3 XL, minus the asterisks.

Screens

I'm going to talk about the notch on the Pixel 3 XL, that's promised. But not yet, because it's not the most important part of watching this phone. Instead, the biggest improvement this year on both sizes is the quality of the screens. The screens are great.

Both phone sizes use OLED displays, which gives you all the usual advantages of this screen technology: deep blacks, reduced power consumption and rounded angles. But as we learned last year with the Pixel 2 XL, it's too easy to create an OLED screen that looks bad. The screen of the Pixel 2 XL was muddy, the reds looked more like browns and it looked like there was a layer of parchment paper that made it all blurred. There was also a burning alert at launch which caused a lot of drama.

Obviously, I can not speak of break-in yet, but the color problems have disappeared 100% this year. The screen of the Pixel 3 XL is vibrant and bright with colors that appear at any angle of view. Google claims to have spent a lot of time ensuring the quality of these screens this year, from all points of view, including longevity, color accuracy and brightness.

Google defaults to a new color mode called "adaptive," which dramatically increases the vibrancy of most colors without making human skin tones surreal. The colors are not quite similar to those of Samsung, but it may seem dramatic in purple and purple tones. I decided to leave it, but if you prefer a more discreet look, there are also profiles for "Natural" (calibrated sRGB) and "Boosted" (sRGB + 10% saturation).

I also fail to detect a significant difference in screen quality between the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL. Both are excellent and, although they do not match the brightness and color range of the iPhone XS or Galaxy S9, they deserve finally the high prices that Pixel phones offer.

I also like the fact that the screens are bigger on both phones without enlarging the bodies, thanks to smaller frames and larger format reports. Pixel 3, smaller, finally feels like a leading device and much less as a compromise. On the larger Pixel 3 XL, the screen is larger, mainly because it has been extended to the top corners, resulting in a chin and a notch.

Oh, notch.

The notch is there because Google wanted to offer you a bigger screen, front stereo speakers and a wide angle selfie camera. The only question that really matters is: do these features justify the guts?

The screen is actually bigger. In addition, if you view status and notification icons, the main content area may be slightly larger. But while that makes things bigger, Pixel 3 does not offer more information than Pixel 2. By default, I see the same number of emails and lines of text on a webpage as I did before. Yet for a ton of people, the bigger it gets, the better it is. And if you wish, you can increase the density of information by decreasing the font size and scaling the display.

The front speakers are really wonderful. Google claims they are 40% stronger, but I did not hear much extra volume (although I did not use a decibel meter). What I heard is a sound that is significantly better. Increasing the volume to the maximum produces much less distortion than expected.

I will talk a lot more about the camera below, but the wide angle selfie camera is not my bag. However, I say that knowing it a lot will to be something that many people will love. Most people to whom I have shown the phone are really interested in it.

That's all you get, but here's what you lose. The notch offends the sensibilities. It looks worse on the Pixel 3 XL than on the iPhone XS or most other Android phones. The best word I can find to describe it is "doofy". The notch Pixel 3 XL is doofy. It looks like an emoji grin face looking at you from the top of your phone. This means that the rays on the curved corners of the screen are different at the top and bottom. You must turn off the battery percentage if you want to see all your status icons and you can only see three notification icons at most.

However, when you use your phone for a while, all these smartphone notches become somehow invisible to the naked eye, and the Pixel 3 XL is no exception. I stopped seeing it after an hour. This seems worse in photos and videos than in person.

So, has Google justified the notch? Of course, I guess. But maybe not his huge size. The facial identity on the iPhone seems to be a better compromise for me, but I'm not crazy about notching; the notch is fine. (In fact, this is the case, and not in the manner This Is Fine.) If you really hate the notch, you can disable it in the developer settings and Google has suggested that a less complicated setting could be present in the future.

If you want a bigger phone, I do not think the notch should stop you from getting it.

Equipment

For the first time, Pixel phones give a thousand dollar impression – which is good because the leading model with maximum storage Is costs a thousand dollars. Last year, Pixel 2 had a kind of false humility in its design, covering its aluminum shell with a finish giving it an almost plastic appearance. This year, the back panel is glass, but more importantly, the overall fit and finish of the phones are much better.

It's a combination of many little things that give these phones a feeling of quality, but they add up. The joints between the glass and the aluminum rail are narrow and the angles of the screens are curved, as are the two sides of the glass that blend together in the other.

This high-end sensation is particularly similar to the Pixel 3, smaller, which looks like the last flagship device it is supposed to be. Phones starting from $ 799 should Feel good, and even if Google has not reached the level of fit and finish of Samsung or Apple, I'm just glad that the pixels are a little less brilliant.

The phones are offered in three colors (with typically cheeky names): "just black", "clearly white" and "not pink". The pink color is the most fun. It's a subtle hue, and it has an orange power button for an accent. I think all three look great, and I'm happy to see that the only logo on the set is a single G on the back.

Most of the "kindness" on these phones is due to the rear window. It has been etched with a matte finish, leaving the top glossy to maintain this classic Pixel look. I love the way the glass feels, and for me, it gives me a little more security in my hand than a purely brilliant phone.

The two glass panels are Gorilla Glass 5, and Google says that they should be as scratch-resistant as any other modern smartphone. But, well, this matte finish on the back is not as scratch resistant as it should be. Many Edge staff members did a basic test: we threw the phones in our pockets with keys and we walked around. The results were subtle scratches and scratches in the matte finish that will not go away.

Now, there has already been some speak about that, so let's go. Most of the initial marks we saw were immediately erased, leaving a flawless finish. C & # 39; was 9to5Google discovery. However, our very normal key situation in the pocket has resulted in permanent marks that will not go away.

Here is Google's statement on scuffing:

We designed Pixel 3 so that it is beautiful and well in your hand. We designed the front and back with Gorilla Glass 5 for added strength and protection. On the back, we've added a special texture to make your Pixel 3 look better, less slippery and much less fingerprint-proof than other phones with glass backs. We added an extra reinforcement step to the manufacturing process of textured back glass for greater scratch and scratch resistance. We submit each item of our phones to extensive reliability testing.

Google also says: "The Pixel 3 lens is comparable to that of other high-end smartphones and conforms to industry standards." But I have a lot of trouble believing that the scratches that we caused on two different Pixel 3 phones (the white and the black) comply with the "industry standards". But the good news is that I only saw these marks on the matte finish, not on the glossy parts.

If there is a "door" for Pixel 3 (there will always be a "door"), it will probably be this. You could argue that it is only the glass equivalent of aging leather, which gives it an aged appearance. But what you really should do instead is simply get a case.

Camera

The Pixel 2, released last year, was the best camera that we could get on a smartphone thanks to the iPhone XS released last month. I will not go around the bush: the Pixel 3 camera is better.

But he also makes aesthetic choices that need to be talked about. I do not think Google has made any wrong choices here, but it moves the photos that the Pixel 3 produces a little closer to where Apple is heading and from where Samsung has always been.

First of all, the basics: Google has not significantly altered the traditional specifications of the camera that you usually have to consider. There is still only one camera in the back, with a 12.2-megapixel sensor behind an image stabilized f / 1.8 lens and linked to a slightly updated Visual Core Pixel chip for image processing . The most important material changes here are the second wide angle selfie camera at the front and a flicker sensor at the back.

This means that the most important changes made to Pixel 3 camera results come from the software. Pixel 3 is still doing the same trick as the HDR + we saw last year: take several pictures and combine them with software in one image. But Google simply better to that, and he has created a bunch of software features to take advantage of these multiple images.

When Google introduced all the features that it added to the Pixel 3 camera, I had a feeling of darkness. Usually, when a smartphone has a ton of features, these are gadgets that you will try once (at most) and that you will never use again. And all too often, it's also distractions from the camera's main mode.

Fortunately, this is not the case for most of the features of Pixel 3. Many of them are just integrated in the Camera application or in the Photo Editor. Of these, I am most impressed by "Top Shot", which suggests a better shot from an automatically captured burst. Top Shot did not fire every time I thought it should happen, but when it worked, it was a lifesaver.

Super Res Zoom is Google's answer to the second telephoto lens you'll find on other smartphones. From a technical point of view, it's impressive: Google uses the extra data it can gather by moving your hand to create an enlarged image that's better than just digital cropping. It works absolutely, but I do not think it's as good as a second dedicated goal.

Portrait mode works slightly better than last year – that's good, but sometimes unreliable. I'm always impressed by the way Google handles hair, for example, and the fact that it can do everything it can with just one lens. You can adjust the blur effect in the background, but the background is not as good as the iPhone XS. One of the places where the iPhone XS tends to do better is that of difficult portraits, where the depth is not so obvious and where the background is very busy.

The wide angle selfie camera is an interesting addition, but I find that the quality is not as good as that of the main selfie camera. For the most part, this simply amounts to not aesthetically loving the amount of lens distortion added. That said, you will get shots that you would not get otherwise. It's easy to be sober about the quality and distortion of the lens, but the selfies are fun and it's also fun to do more. For many people, it will probably be more useful than a telephoto lens on the back of the phone.

But the most important is the quality of his regular photos, and I'm really happy. Before I begin, I want to repeat the sentiment expressed by Nilay Patel in our review on the iPhone XS. All the cameras of this high level of smartphones – the iPhone XS, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note 9, as well as the Pixel 3 – are excellent. They have the kind of cameras that will give you good shots and significant improvements over what you could get a few years ago. It's as much a matter of personal preference as anything else.

Let's look at the pictures.

You can see that the Pixel 3 draws more detail from the shadow than the Pixel 2. It also adopts a slightly warmer tone, especially with the faces. In fact, I think the image he's trying to produce is getting a little closer to the iPhone, but only a little bit. The iPhone XS applies HDR effects too aggressively and illuminates the shadows too much, as it wanted everything to be lit uniformly. For me, it just seems off.

Here is the default selfie camera, zoomed a bit to show you some details. Again, the Pixel 3 has a lot more detail while the iPhone XS seems a little too smooth. I'm not saying that I'm a Beautygate verifier here, but I definitely prefer Pixel 3. He's much more willing to let the light be what it is and not try to flatten it down to the same level.

Aesthetically, this is another place where I think Google has tried to deal with the complaints with the Pixel 2. It's subtle, but the photos of Pixel 3 are comparatively a little less harsh and less contrasted than those of Pixel 2. This means that the photos are a little less dramatic than last year's phone, but the trade-off is that the photos will probably appeal to more people – especially when viewed on the phone screens, what people actually use . For the most part, I prefer Pixel 3 to Pixel 2. But from time to time, I prefer Pixel 2.

Here is another picture in low light. Here again, we need to see how Apple is working aggressively to bring out the shadows at the expense of detail. Just look at the fur of the stuffed animal. Pixel 3 beats both phones when it comes to preserving color.

On a given photo, you may prefer another phone, but overall, I see that the Pixel 3 is more consistent. It is less often confused by complicated lighting and gives more details to the plan without saying too much about HDR effects. Above all: I trust Pixel 3 more. Pixel 2 was the best phone camera for last year and it looks like Pixel 3 will be the best camera for the current year.

Everything else

Regarding hardware specifications, Pixel 3 is pretty standard. It has a Snapdragon 845 processor, which is fast but not as fast as the A12 of the iPhone XS. You can choose between 64GB or 128GB storage and 4GB of RAM. Android phones with a high number attached to their different specifications already exist and will continue to be published, but the specifications are not the whole story of Pixel 3.

What matters most is the software. Google has set the Pixels 3 and 3 XL to a remarkable degree. I did not complain at all about the performance. The life of the battery is correct, but not better than anything else. Both phones will last all day with moderate use, but the XL model does a little better, thanks to its larger battery. The performance and battery life of the 3 XL are a little better than the ones I get today on my Pixel 2 XL.

There is no 3.5mm headphone jack. You know that, you know that it's the norm for a lot of phones now, and you know – in your heart – that it's annoying. The compromise is now a little easier, because Google finally includes a USB-C headset in the box. Vlad Savov will soon review them separately, but the TL; DR says they are pretty good for the included ear buds. I'd like them to further isolate the noise, but the integration of Google Assistant features is nice.

The Pixel 3 is the first phone to feature Google's built-in digital wellness features, even though it still has the "beta" tag in the settings. Tracking the use of your app can be helpful (I've cut on Twitter), but it's up to you to look at your stats and apply them.

There are other parts of the Digital Wellbeing suite that I love more. The reduction function activates the greyscale of the phone and activates the Do not disturb option. This is a very important reminder to turn off the thing and go to bed. I also like the fact that quick settings allow you to activate grayscale from any location. I used it more than I expected.

Google has also added custom software features for the Pixel Stand wireless charger. By placing your phone on the charger, you open an interface optimized by Google Assistant that allows you to perform quick operations with the help of Google Assistant. But what's more important to me is that it serves as a small photo frame for Google Photos albums. Everything works – and Pixel Support can charge faster with the Pixel than a standard Qi media – but none of this is a reason to buy the phone.

Call filtering is by far the most interesting software feature of Pixel 3 (which also happens at Pixel 2). When a phone call comes in, you can press a button to filter it. When you do, a semi-robotic voice speaks to your caller and asks him why he's calling. You observe this being done by real-time text on your screen and the caller's response is transcribed in the same way for you as and when their conversation.

When the call is in progress, you can press a few predefined buttons to ask additional questions, press a button to answer or a button to hang up. It's really helpful and really impressive. Like everyone else, I get a ton of spam calls and I sometimes feel that these unknown numbers might be real. It is extremely satisfying to know that I force an automated call to speak to a Google robot.

We only have three years of phones manufactured by Google, so it's too early to tell if the company will fall into an Apple-alternating model of alternating between the big year-sighted phones and the "S" updates -year '. following. But for me, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL look a lot like the S-year iPhones.

I really think Google has made a concerted effort to look at all the shortcomings of Pixel 2 and fix them without radically changing its design or approach. Where the Pixel 2 XL had a shit screen, the Pixel 3 XL had an excellent one. Where the smaller Pixel 2 had big dopey glasses, the Pixel 3 has smaller ones. Where the general build quality of Pixel 2 seemed a bit murky, the look and feel of both phones are now top notch (except perhaps, the notching). Where the camera was a little too crisp and blue, the news is more willing to reveal the details of the shadows.

I have only two complaints: the matte finish is too easily scratched and the exclusivity of its carrier to Verizon in the United States. I think Google has become the best Android phone you can get today, but since they will not be in most stores, they will simply not be in many pockets.

Many people sleep on year-round improvements, finding them boring. But I think it's a mistake with the iPhone and an error here. It's better to be on the S cycle: you get a faster phone, a better camera and corrections made after one year with the original design. The Pixels 3 and 3 XL are huge improvements over last year's phones, and that's almost significant.

If you upgrade? It depends on what you have now. If you have a Pixel 2, many of these features will come to you via a software update, which will probably keep you going. And if you have an iPhone, take a close look at your iMessage blue bubbles and iCloud photo groups and think about whether you can really leave them.

But if you want the best Android experience and the best camera you can get on a phone today, that is the Pixel 3.

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