Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL First Impressions: Worthy Flagship?

Google has launched the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL phones in India; here’s what they offer.

Google Pixel 3 XL gets a 6.3-inch OLED screen. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Google has revealed the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones that will start selling in India from 1 November. However, you’ll be able to pre-order either of the devices from 11 October itself.

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been priced at Rs 71,000 and Rs 83,000 in India respectively. You’ll be able to choose between the 64GB and 128GB storage variants.

These devices will compete against the latest iPhone XS and XS Max, and also the Galaxy Note 9 from Samsung, that can be bought for Rs 67,900 in the Indian market.

In terms of design, the Pixel 3 is quite similar to its predecessor. It has never been Google’s mission to talk about the phone’s look and feel, even though buyers will be paying a premium to own one of them.

In terms of the hardware, Google claims to have made some improvements, apart from the notch on top of the screen of the Pixel 3 XL – a trend that has become a standard by now.

The Pixel 3 sports a 5.5-inch display, while the 3 XL gets a 6.3-inch screen and both of them are using OLED panels that are fairly bright and sharp, with a punch in the colours.

Both the devices also get IP68 protection, making them dust and water resistant. They will also come with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 coating on both sides, which is expected to offer better durability to the phones.

In terms of other specifications, you’re still getting the octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor on the Pixel 3 series, with only 4GB RAM on offer. And, as mentioned earlier, the devices will offer a 64GB and 128GB storage variant with no expandable storage.

Unlike the new iPhones, the Pixel 3 and even the 3 XL do not support dual-SIM connectivity. You get a single slot that can fit a nano SIM. 

Talking about the headline feature of the Pixel 3, you’re still getting a single rear camera unit with 12.2-megapixel and aperture of f/1.8 on board. But what Google does brilliantly with its software and AI ensures that Pixel 3 could easily become the standout camera phone in the market. We’ll be testing out the phone in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that.

At the front, the Pixel 3 gets dual cameras, with the main unit packing an eight-megapixel camera with aperture f/1.8 and the other a wide-angle camera for group selfies.

And finally, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL come loaded with a 2915mAh and 3430mAh battery respectively. In addition to this, the phone’s wireless charging will be taken care of by the new Pixel stand, which will start selling in India at Rs 6,900.