Pixel 3 by Google will not surprise you, but you may be delighted

All the leaks and prejudices in preparation for launching Google's Pixel 3 this week remind me of how the original Pixel has made its way into the world. Two years ago, Google's flagship phone set a new record for leaks before the announcement. The original Pixel was also a mischievous slab of large-format electronics, and the new Pixel XL does not do much better, arguably having the ugliest and most intrusive notch – a hotly contested prize – that we do not have. have seen again.

New Pixels look as innocuous and everyday as their predecessors. They do not have sliding camera modules or iridescent paint jobs, and their new color this year seems almost reluctant to admit that it's pink. I will understand if you find yourself depressed.

But have not we already made the mistake of judging things too quickly? Many of us have been scared of the face of the iPhone X, but Apple's iPhone sales have hardly been thwarted. I made fun of the unattractiveness of Apple AirPods when they were first announced, and then swallowed my words. And when the original Pixel arrived home for review, I'll never forget it, I found its design so bland that I left it in its box and that I rather spent time with the Sony Xperia X, forgivable but prettier, no matter the time. .

When I had the chance to view the Pixel, it's safe to say that it changed my mobile life. There is a clear break between the pre-pixel era of my phone photos – characterized by liberal use of filters, modifications and transformations from applications like Prisma – and those I've had. started taking with Pixel. It was the first phone that could legitimately compete with the quality of DSLR cameras while remaining a respectable modern smartphone. Unlike the 808 PureView of Nokia or the Lumia 1020, the two previous great cameras, the Pixel was equipped with the latest and best edition of Android. So it was a device that I wanted to use actively for everything that was next to the images.

I thought the second-generation pixel could not improve the camera from the first, and it was really not necessary. When Google reduced the size of the pixels (ironic or what?) On the Pixel 2's imaging sensor, I was worried that the situation would worsen, but the Pixel 2's turned out to be significantly higher to the original. This year, I used the Pixel 2 XL exclusively to capture all my photos from the Paris and Geneva auto shows. And all my photos from Photokina in Cologne. Oh, and every shot of Computex in Taipei. I also visited Tokyo for the first time and my Pixel was the only device I needed: both to find its way in the most complex transportation system in the world and to capture local curiosities.

Every year before the Pixel, I took a few hundred photos on my phone. Since I switched to Google's phone, I've shot over 20,000 photos. The quality of the camera has encouraged me to keep trying new, more challenging scenarios – but one often overlooked feature of Pixel's rigidity for its users is the free cloud storage that Google provides for the high-resolution photos and resolutions taken with the device. It's been a long time since I've exceeded the 15 GB default free storage space obtained with my Google Account, but since I only shoot Pixel content, that does not count in my quota.

pictures: recalls

Stop and think about the possibility that Google actually improves the Pixel Camera 2. The same camera that has replaced my professional camera. The same that erases the best Apple iPhone camera. I refuse to be so jaded as not to recognize how exciting the Pixel 3 phenomenon is. Improving the Pixel camera would raise the bar for the most used type of photography at the moment: take pictures with our phones.

It may sound like a broken record shouting the praises of the Pixel, but people who say that the Pixel does not matter, keep repeating that not many people know it. And they are right. Google has not sufficiently distributed its devices, limiting availability to a handful of mostly English-speaking countries, which sometimes limits the choice by opting for exclusive offers on operators. Pixel is the best combination of smartphone and camera that the world has ever seen, but Google makes it extremely difficult for much of the world to see it in person. So here I am hitting the drum to make everyone pay attention.

We have seen enough Pixel 3 to know that it will not be beautiful. But Google's hardware business is selling pretty pixels, not pretty pixels.