What can we expect from the next Pixel phones? The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL aren’t that far off…
For Android fans there’s little that’s as exciting as the launch of a new Pixel with pure, unadulterated Android software. And leaks are hotting up for the 2018 Pixel models with a range of rumours already feeding the fire of speculation. The best Android phone: which is the top Android phone to buy today?
Here’s everything rumoured so far about the new Google Pixel devices, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Keen-eyed developers pinpointed an April 2018 mention of “Pixel 3” within the Android source code, Evan Blass added his own take on the new phones and Google too quoted Pixel 3 on its YouTube influencer marketing platform, so we’re pretty sure the launch name will be Pixel 3.
We’re also pretty sure that the Pixel 3 XL will have a notched design due to the sheer number of leaks around this. Google Pixel 3 release date 4 October launch rumoured
Google’s Pixel phones traditionally arrive in the latter half of the year, normally around October. In the past this was synced with a new version of Android – in this case it’s Android P – although with Oreo the software appeared a few weeks before the new phones.
There has been a report to suggest we might see a mid-range Pixel appear this summer, but the two premium devices are destined for October – as Evan Blass says, in a “fall” hardware event from Google.
A leak from Famebit, Google’s own YouTube influencer marketing platform, said: “The Pixel 3 phone is launching October 4th 2018.”
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were announced on 4 October 2017 too, with pre-orders starting immediately afterwards. They began to hit shelves on 17 October so we would expect a similar timeframe for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Design Notch design likely Water resistance probable
HTC was responsible for the Pixel and Pixel 2, while LG designed the larger Pixel XL devices in the past. Subsequently, Google acquired a lot of HTC’s smartphone talent, suggesting more will be done in house. The $1.1 billion deal concluded in January 2018 which means Google now has the team to design its own Pixel smartphones.
However, a report from Bloomberg suggests that Google it going to be looking to Foxconn for the actual manufacture. Foxconn also manufactures the iPhone, so it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise.
There’s no suggestion of the dimensions of this new phone yet, but we’ve seen a credible leak showing what the design might be, thanks to a few images shared to XDA forums. There’s since been a couple of follow-up leaks showing more of the phone, including a white version – all in the gallery below – so we have a good idea of what the Pixel 3 XL might look like from all sides. 1/5 XDA Developers
It appears Google is sticking to a similar design as the Pixel 2, with that rear divided in textures, made up of a top section that’s glossy and a bottom that’s matte. It’s been reported that the Pixel 3’s rear will be all glass however, rather than being metal as it was on the Pixel 2 XL.
That weird logo on the rear – yes, it’s appeared on Google prototypes before. Note that the leaked device appears to be the Pixel 3 XL and we’ve less information on the smaller Pixel 3.
However, leaked display components corroborate with the leaked front design, suggesting a shift to a notched design for the Pixel 3 XL: if the display stays the same size on the diagonal, the handset would be smaller than the old model. But there’s still some chin to the phones, as it looks like dual front speakers are going to stay in place.
Leaker Steve H, otherwise known as @OnLeaks, has dumped a bunch of renders of the new handsets which show the notch well and truly in place on the Pixel 3 XL. This is something we’ve heard about several times before, and the render here shows it very clearly.
The Pixel 3 does still have rather large bezels top and bottom, but much slimmer ones at the sides compared to its predecessor. There’s also a rumour to suggest it will arrive with the squeezable sides we first saw on the HTC U11. It could happen.
Google Pixel 2 review Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Display OLED displays likely Pixel 3 XL should have 18:9 aspect ratio
One of the first details to emerge about the Pixel 3 display comes from a reliable source. Shared via Twitter, Ben Geskin compared the new Pixel 3 with the Pixel 3 XL, showing off a notched display.
This is Google #Pixel3 and #Pixel3XL pic.twitter.com/jd2nBiRb27
— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) May 28,2018
Geskin has a good track record with leaks, but it’s also backed up with other leaks (below), presumably from somewhere in the hardware supply chain.
There’s currently no indication of the size of these displays, but it looks as though the Pixel 3 is shifting from 16:9 to 18:9 (or 18.5:9). According to these leaks, both devices will have a similar display aspect (18:9 or 18:9.5 perhaps), but with the Pixel 3 XL getting a notch. This will allow it to have a greater screen to body ratio, meaning that the handset size doesn’t swell too much.
Pixel 3、Pixel 3XL pic.twitter.com/00RDUbYX5p
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 28,2018
We already know that Android will be accommodating notched displays in Android P. In terms of sizes we’re just guessing, but we’d say something like 5.5-inches for the Pixel 3 and 6.1-inches for the Pixel 3 XL.
There has also been a suggestion that those two openings on the front mean dual front cameras, although we’d treat this with caution: there are a lot of other sensors that would need an opening on the front, so we’re not certain what it might reveal. Google Pixel 2 XL review Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Hardware Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 likely Increase in RAM and storage possible No headphone jack
The Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL all featured the latest respective Qualcomm platform at the time of their launch so we’d expect Google to put the Snapdragon 845 platform within the new Pixel 3.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both feature 4GB of RAM and they both come in 64GB and 128GB storage options, neither of which offer microSD support for storage expansion. With many of 2018’s flagship smartphones offering 6GB or even 8GB of RAM and internal storage options up to 256GB, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL offer at least an increase in RAM.
There have been no hardware leaks as yet for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, but if Google’s 2017 devices are anything to go by, the smaller new Pixel will likely have a slightly smaller battery capacity compared to the larger new Pixel. The Pixel 2 has a 2700mAh cell, while the Pixel 2 XL has a 3520mAh battery so we’d expect at least similar for the 2018 handsets.
The 3.5mm headphone jack was ditched for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL so we don’t expect to see it make a comeback for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, with USB Type-C being the go-to port for all charging and audio needs.
