Google Pixel 3 XL First look: Expected yet unexpected

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have finally unveiled. With a lot of renders and rumours, there is not much to be surprised about in terms of specs on paper. And yes there is no Pixel-Ultra. It reminded me of the time the iPhone 4 was leaked all those years ago creating havoc in the tech world. Like same way, the leaks should have killed our excitement but the Google Pixel 3 XL is still one of the most interesting phones you will use this year. Among the two smartphones, the Pixel 3 is the smaller one.T he smartphone which is got most of the attention is Pixel 3Xl with its spectacular spec within. The feature which made everyone attentiveness towards it is its bigger screen.

The Pixel 3Xl available in India market on November 1 and it will be sold at Rs 83,000 for the base version. This would be great that we would get the Pixel 3 XL from Google. We only had a few hours to use it before Google actually unveiled Pixel phones. Let’s get into details of the smartphone in deep.

Design & Build

The first thing I supposed to talk is about the back panel of the smartphone. It is sure It surely feels premium with the soft and silky material on the back but through a close look what it had found is that glass material. It has a dual tone back, same as what we saw on the previous generation Pixel phones, albeit for the new glass back. The back of the phone curves into the frame giving it a comfortable grip.

On to the screen, the smartphone has a 6.3-inch offers 2960 x 1440 pixel resolution. We do not know who manufactured the display, but it looks bright and colourful.. Thanks to the much larger screen-to-body ratio, the Pixel 3 XL feels much more comfortable to hold in the hand compared to the Pixel 2 XL.

This year, Google has gone with rounded edges compared to the flat sides of the Pixel 2 XL. The polished aluminium looks and feels like ceramic.

Pixel 3XL has a notched display, Unlike the iPhone that justifies the notch with its Face ID, the notch on the Pixel 3 XL has a second wide-angle camera for clicking group selfies. And this might the first dual camera setup phone on the front but this is Google camera. Where it smoothens skin tones in the portrait images.

The overall placement of buttons is similar to last year’s Pixel and I found myself hitting the volume rocker instead of the power button very often. This should be resolved with a little more practice and is not troubling in the slightest. The Google Pixel 3 finally has the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so you can take it for a brief swim, or give it a rinse now and then.

Performance, battery

The Google Pixel 3 XL is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. Sadly, it doesn’t have microSD support.

The navigation between the apps is going in a smooth manner. And the Apps are launched quickly. And coming t software, it runs on Android Pie out-of-the-box along with September security patch, which should very soon be updated. Aside from this, you also get features like unlimited cloud storage for photos. You are also guaranteed a new update with features such as Night Sight, Fast Pair 2.0, and Google has been very generous in terms of the retail box contents too.

The smartphone got some new features such as Screen Call which let Google Assistant take care of annoying calls – only in the US for now.

There’s a 3,430mAh battery inside, which is actually smaller than last year’s Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 3 XL has support for the new Pixel Stand which not only charges it wirelessly but also transforms it into somewhat of a smart display.

Cameras

A large thanks to the incredible camera, The Pixel 3 XL has the single-lens camera setup on the back, similar to the Pixel 2 XL.Don’t be downhearted, The camera is as good as you expect. The camera is far better than the one in iPhone XS.

The 12.2MP rear camera is joined by a pair of cameras on the front, both of which are 8MP. In contrast to what was originally thought to be for some kind of face unlock, the second camera on the front is actually used for super wide-angle selfies, which supposedly fits 184% more than what the iPhone XS does, and much more than any other smartphone camera. The primary sensor on the front also has auto-focus. Google said it had improved work on this even more and Portrait mode photos, in particular, will be better on the Pixel 3.

Early verdict

The Pixel 3 XL appears to be a better device than last year’s Pixel 2 XL. Features like an OLED display, uncluttered software experience and the camera makes the Pixel 3 XL shine among the competition. But what that all this going to cost you? Well, Pixel 3 XL starts at Rs. 83,000. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for Google this year, considering how competing flagships from Samsung retail for much less these days. The Pixel phones have always been about the camera but when you go this high up the price bracket, people are looking for the best all-round experience, which Google needs to nail. If it is all about step up in its design and the way they feel. The question is, are they worth it?

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