Forget the Pixel 2: Google will announce its latest flagships, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, in less than a month. And while we’ve learned plenty about the Pixel 3 XL, there’s still a lot of mystery around its smaller sibling. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
Google’s upcoming phones are almost here, but a constant stream of leaks may have already ruined all the surprises. The company is expected to announce the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL as the successors to the well-received Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL at an October 9 event. Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel 3.
The Google Pixel 2 is still widely regarded as one of the best camera phones on the market, and it looks like the Google Pixel 3 will take the crown again. Leaked images, reportedly from the Pixel 3 XL, show a stunning update to the camera. The images showcase better background image detail along with better color accuracy overall. And it looks like we’ll soon have a chance to see for ourselves, since Women’s Wear Daily is reporting the Pixel 3 was used to shoot multiple November covers for Condè Nast.
Leaks suggest the company is standing firm with a single-rear lens, when the rest of the industry has moved to dual-camera setups. The Pixel 3 will likely have a 12.2-megapixel camera on the rear and two 8.1-megapixel sensors in the front of the phone.
While Google has yet to add a secondary lens to the back of its Pixel lineup, it looks like we will see a dual lens on the front of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. According to 9 to 5 Google, the Pixel 3 handsets have a wide-angle secondary lens for super selfies. In addition to getting more in each shot, this lens can be used to create better portraits while using the front-facing camera.
And while the single rear camera may be a surprise to some customers, Google is apparently making sure it will continue to wow users. 9 to 5 Google is also reporting the Pixel 3 line has an updated Visual Core chip. While we don’t have any details on what the update brings, the Pixel 3 photos we’ve seen thus far appear to have better color accuracy overall when compared to photos from the Pixel 2 lineup.
Camera software also appears to get an upgrade on the Pixel 3. The camera app has been redesigned and modes are now accessible via a carousel, as opposed to the navigation drawer. Face retouching has also been refined in portrait mode with a natural or soft option now appearing. Also, Google Lens will now provide suggestions in real time via the viewfinder when the camera app is open.
Russian tech website Rozetked managed to snag a pre-production model of the Pixel 3 XL ahead of its release and gave the camera a thorough workout. The test shots show another stunning camera on the Pixel 3 XL. Colors are vibrant, yet true, and the low-light images are definitely impressive.
Mobile Review, another Russian tech site, posted a camera comparison between the Pixel 3 XL, Huawei P20 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Since we did not take the shots, we cannot verify the smartphone used to take any of the images below, but we did verify via EXIF data that the images identified as Pixel 3 XL photos have the same megapixel count as leaks suggest. It should be noted that the Note 9 and P20 Pro photos are likely using the artificial intelligence mode, which is why some of these photos might look oversaturated.
The Pixel 3 XL is the most realistic image with nice white balance, and what we presume is solid color accuracy. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 looks a tad oversaturated and overexposed, and there’s barely any depth of field in the shot. The P20 Pro image is a close second, but it also looks a little oversaturated.
In the cityscape shots below, if you look at the clouds in the image you’ll see the Pixel 3 does a great job with depth and accurately representing colors; there’s some nice gray in the clouds that is largely absent in the other shots. Also, the building in the foreground is bright — something that the other two cameras failed to convey. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 does a great job here, too, but it is a little underexposed. The Huawei P20 Pro, once again, is oversaturated, but it does the best job with the building in the background of the photo.
The final shot is of a glass administrative building. The Pixel 3 XL does the best with color accuracy once again. The shot is well lit and the color is even throughout. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes in at a close second, but the image seems slightly distorted if you look closely at the glass on the building. Finally, the Huawei P20 Pro didn’t do well at all in this round; the image is underexposed and the colors are extremely saturated.
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL look like they’re sure to have winning cameras yet again, but we’ll have to wait and see until we can test them ourselves — and we’ll want to put them against the new iPhone devices.
October has traditionally been Google’s month to release hardware, and it seems this year will be no different. After a few rumors concerning the launch date of the new Google Pixel phones, Google has officially sent out invitations for an October 9 event — and it’s a safe bet to assume that’s where the company will launch the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL. The event will take place in New York City.
While we don’t expect Google to veer too far from what makes the Pixel great, we do expect to see some design changes with the Pixel 3. Most of the information we have seen thus far focuses on the Pixel 3 XL. The upcoming flagship appears to share some similarities with its predecessor, but there are a lot of design tweaks that are controversial.
While there have been plenty of leaks and rumors surrounding the Pixel 3, we haven’t had a lot of information directly from Google itself. However, the company may have given us a hint as to what colors you’ll be able to choose from. And while Google’s promo site shows the Pixel 3 in what appears to be three colors, there’s a chance we may actually see a fourth color as well.
VentureBeat’s Evan Blass has taken to Twitter to share a fresh look at a new set of renders of the Pixel 3. The images give us a look at both the front and back of the phone. One item of interest is the response to these renders. Many of the comments on Twitter are less than thrilled at Google’s design choice though others argue that the phone’s looks are secondary next to the user experience.
The Google promo site appears to show the Pixel 3 in black, white, mint. The outlines can be seen below, but if you want to try it out for yourself, simply go to the promo site and click the Google logo on the phone in order to cycle through the colors.
In addition to the three color options on the promo site, source code on Google’s site shows we may be in for a surprise color. Twitter user Can van Dinter found a reference to a pink Pixel 3 variant that may be in the works.
Leaks of the Pixel 3 have been ferocious in the last few weeks, and there’s almost no doubt as to what the phone’s design will be when it finally launches. But that hasn’t stopped the leaks coming in, with the latest being images of a Pixel 3 XL that was — whoops! — left in the back of a Lyft car.
According to Android Police, these images were sent in by a reader who runs their own Lyft vehicle. Apparently, the reader thought it was their own Pixel 2 XL that had fallen into the back of the car — before they noticed the notch around the front, and the Google logo around the back. Thankfully, the Pixel 3 XL is now back with its owner, whose identity has not been revealed, but it’s a heck of a blunder to make, and one that reminds us of the time someone lost the iPhone 4’s prototype after leaving it in a bar.
While we already have a very good idea of the Pixel 3’s looks, thanks to unboxings and other extreme leaks, it’s nice to have more confirmation of the upcoming Google phone’s design. All the usual suspects are here, with the deep notch at the top of the screen, and the weirdly chunky chin at the bottom of the device. One camera lens sits in the top-left of the device, while the Pixel’s unique two-tone design remains.
We now have a good idea of what the standard Google Pixel will look like, thanks to a post on Reddit. The post has a few photos of the phone, which looks quite similar to the Google Pixel 2 in many ways. Unlike the leaks of the Google Pixel 3 XL, it doesn’t seem as though the phone has an edge-to-edge display. Check out the photos below.
The most recent leak of the Google Pixel 3 XL comes from an “unboxing” video from Russian YouTube channel In DIGI, in which the woman in the video shows off what appears to be the Google Pixel 3 XL. First spotted by Android Authority, the video starts out showcasing not only the device, but also the accessories that users will most likely receive with the smartphone — a USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable, USB Type-C earbuds, USB Type-C to headphone socket adaptor, and the ‘Quick Switch Adaptor’ to seamlessly transfer data from one mobile device to another.
The video begins by showing off both the front and back of the phone — we can see a single rear camera, a fingerprint sensor, and what appears to be a glass back.
