Google Pixel 3 review

31 October 2018
Bringing the small Pixel into the now with a tall display and less wasted space, we have this year's Google Pixel 3. Updated glass build and a couple of selfie cameras mark the other key changes compared to the 2017 vintage.

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"The number of Pixel 3s sold will very likely be a fraction of the major competitors' figures, but does that make the Pixel 3 a bad phone? We reckon not."

So why can't the Xperia phones that are similar in this situation also be treated nicely?!
I bet there will be more Xperia XZ3 sold than Pixel 3, and sales or not, the former is clearly ahead of the newest Pixel phones, with a display that's easily competing with the best of Samsung and Apple, and a camera that's as competent as the Pixel 3's, yet they don't get the love and attention that it deserves.
Sony is like that always-bullied super talented young boy in school, but the other students and teachers will always notice that one good-looking guy (Samsung, Apple, Huawei, etc.) with less impressive talent and inferior academic performance.

    • A
    • Anonymous
    • I%$
    • 01 Nov 2018

    What the hell is happened with the Audio Quality?
    Noise Level -71db, Dynamic Range 83db?
    How can they be below 90 as a 2018 phone?

      • d
      • dudecool
      • x%x
      • 01 Nov 2018

      Just not enough PROS for me to consider this phone..

      I love the dimenions, pure android...

      I don't like that the Camera has barely improved, battery life is pretty average, CPU throttling isn't great either since Android needs all the power it can get and means Google didn't want to spend any time coming up with a better thermal design, 4GB is pushing it IMO when we are about to enter 2019.

      Its still a great phone, I think at 100-200 less both the 3 and 3 XL would price it perfectly.


      And I felt like half of the photos shot on an iPhone XS were better than the Pixel 3, they had a more natural look, will be even better once they fix the smoothing issue.


        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • 0Cc
        • 01 Nov 2018

        I can't see the point of this phone, really. Average in all areas with a good camera and a price for which you can do a whole lot better.

          Battery life. Google and their so-called optimizations. Pathetic! Never buy a stinking Pixel or iPhone! OnePlus all the way!

            -Glass back - all have glass back now..don't know what are you talking...wireless charging ring a bell to you?
            -Restricted wireless charging for non-google compliant wireless chargers - that's an wise decision. they can't tell if all chargers out there will not damage the phone, they need to be tested and certified. look at iphone cables...it will tell you that's not a genuine cable...and some it will ruin your iphone.
            -Poor battery life - that's not true at all.
            -Questionable hardware decisions like 128gb only, no mSD port, 3.5mm jack. they are pro cloud services they will give you unlimited space till 2022 what for you want more than 128Gb local storage? if you give 900 euros in this phone i bet in 2022 you will buy another phone so memory is not an issue here...again.
            -And finally, the whole concept of a Google-branded phone - didn't get this one....

            -Stock Android is still way more restrictive than Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi or most OEM Android tweaks - true, but still faster than the rest and will get updates sooner if you care about that..having 6month earlier than the rest or 1 year in most cases (pie only have 1% on android devices) of hundred of new features and tweeks that's a good thing not a bad thing in my book.
            -Others have way better navigation and full-screen options than Google - that i agree, and normal. if not what's the point of tweeking an software if not for the best.
            -Biggest con, update policy" - this you dont get it. they only give updates for 2 years because that way they are free to go in any direction of android in 2 years window. If they want to change radical android they can think ahead 2 years and make that decision and those decisions may not be compatible with existences devices, so will slow them down their decision. apple is same thing 10 years..same icons..90% same navigation (stole from BB10 swipes and meego) and it will be same thing 5 year more in this current update policy. so It will be same dull IOS that we all know and love/hate (that back button 10km away from the finger kills me).

              • M
              • MdN8
              • 3@f
              • 01 Nov 2018

              Night Sight is impressive, in some other reviews even more than here. I hope other makers start working on their own versions, if they haven't already. It's the first camera-related breakthrough in a long time and it would be a shame if it remained available only on one phone.

                • T
                • T M
                • kM0
                • 01 Nov 2018

                Charge a premium price, expect premium experience. Underclocked 845, laughable 4gb ram, and absurd battery life. This is such a lazy effort.

                  • R
                  • RS
                  • EP%
                  • 31 Oct 2018

                  I am not against single-lens cameras. If a single lens can match/better the results of dual and quad lenses, why not. Single lens at the back is aesthetically more pleasing than all those phones that look like mythical multi-eyed monsters.

                  That said, the Pixel 3 has way too many shortcomings for people in charge to have okayed it.
                  -Glass back
                  -Restricted wireless charging for non-google compliant wireless chargers
                  -Poor battery life
                  -Questionable hardware decisions like 128gb only, no mSD port, 3.5mm jack
                  -And finally, the whole concept of a Google-branded phone

                  If the Pixel line is supposed to be the showcase for Android it is severely flawed as an Android flag-bearer
                  -Stock Android is still way more restrictive than Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi or most OEM Android tweaks
                  -Others have way better navigation and full-screen options than Google
                  -Biggest con, update policy

                  Even budget to mid-range devices have two OS updates and two to three years of security updates, though they may not roll out on the very first day. So why does Google have to restrict Pixels to only 2 OS updates and three years of security updates, when a 2013 iPhone 5S gets the latest OS. The Pixels should have had unrestricted OS updates till the hardware can handle it.

                  It makes no sense to get a pure Android, made-by-Google device if Google itself refuses to support the phone for longer than 2 OS updates. Support your phones like Apple and then it has a case. Having Apple-like hardware compromises and prices doesn't make it an Apple competitor.

                    Why on earth would you even list Single rear camera under CONS? This single rear camera beats your dual or quad camera setups hands down and that's a CONS now? Is this a joke? Almost all the sites I have read review thus far, including sample shots on DPReview, it's quite clear that the camera is much better than the likes of Note 9 or iPhone Xs on most occasions! Something is wrong in the review, the tone of it was unnecessarily negative.

                      even an army of youtubers can't make this phone look good...

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • LQw
                        • 31 Oct 2018

                        Tee, 31 Oct 2018Seriously why did Google ever release this phone? Mediocre ... moreAbout the storage, it depends on each user.

                        I have a flagship because it brings better features than midranges. But even with all G apps, UI apps and those I have installed on my phone it does not reach 17Gb after I clean cache data.
                        I have more than 70 apps.

                        My card is 4Gb, just mp3 files there.

                        For many users, even 32Gb is more than enough. I think all companies should offer 32, 64 and 128.
                        If I need 32, why do I have to pay for 64 or 128?

                          • P
                          • Pkpkpk
                          • kp1
                          • 31 Oct 2018

                          I purchased a Pixel 3 and in less than 2 weeks some sensor is bad - takes over 6 minutes to boot and screen gets dark and does not wake up, rendering phone not useable, unless you do a hard reset and wait 6+ minutes for boot. Frustrating. Any one else face issues like this? Is it a bad hardware design or was I the lucky, chosen one?

                            • H
                            • Hoffmann
                            • 8s{
                            • 31 Oct 2018

                            According to this review, the Pixel 3's camera is rather disappointing.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • am6
                              • 31 Oct 2018

                              Well...
                              That sure was anticlimactic :\

                                Very disappointing endurance. And NEVER EVER underclock the S845. . .

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • LQt
                                  • 31 Oct 2018

                                  Wishlist for Pixel 4/ XL

                                  - Of course SD8150 will be there.
                                  - 6Gb Ddr5
                                  - 64 and 128 Gb with slot SD card
                                  - Notcheless screens
                                  - 5.5 " and 6.2" both oled from Sharp
                                  - New colours and no dual tone rear panel
                                  - Virtual buttons option
                                  - 16MP + 1/2" + 26mm RGB, 12MP + 1/2.3" + 26mm monochrome
                                  - 8MP/22mm + 8mm/18mm selfies
                                  - 3200 mAh and 3850 mAh
                                  - 4K HDR recording
                                  - No squeeze
                                  - Sided FPS


                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • thw
                                    • 31 Oct 2018

                                    wtf with those battery life.... lol

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • BWy
                                      • 31 Oct 2018

                                      That battery life lololol

                                        • r
                                        • r33fd
                                        • ajQ
                                        • 31 Oct 2018

                                        Why not compare the camera software king to the camera hardware king: Mate 20 Pro ?