Google's Pixel 3 And Pixel 3 XL: What We Know So Far
We have been hearing about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL for many weeks now, and have even seen some supposed leaked images. If the past is any indication, Google launch its new Pixel devices in early October. Until then, we are left to speculate and sift through all the rumors. So, what do we know about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL so far?
For one thing, we have both leaked photos and what look to be official looking press renders showing a display notch on the larger Pixel 3 XL, similar to the iPhone X (and a growing number of Android phones). The regular Pixel 3, on the other hand, does not have a notch. Both phones appear to dual front facing cameras and front facing stereo speakers.
A @MobileSyrup reader spotted this possible Pixel 3 XL photo in the wild on the streetcar in Toronto, Ontario today. Our team thinks the photo is legitimate, especially given the big notch and substantial chin. Do you think this is a photo of the Pixel 3 XL? pic.twitter.com/nPTGHmIVUO
— MobileSyrup (@MobileSyrup) August 16, 2018
More recently, purportedly real life images of the Pixel 3 XL in action found popped up online, courtesy of MobileSyrup. The consensus is that they are legitimate photos (though of course we can't know for sure).
The camera arrangement is one of the more interesting aspects. Around back, Google appears to be bucking the recent trend of using dual camera sensors and going with a single camera instead.
One of the earlier leaks pointed to the Pixel 3 featuring a 5.3-inch display and the Pixel 3 XL going bigger with a 6.2-inch display. If the measurements are accurate, the notch on the Pixel 3 XL will extend 23.8mm wide and 8.1mm high at its longest points (the sides are curved). Overall, the Pixel 3 is said to measure 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm, and the Pixel 3 XL checks in at 158 x 76.6 x 7.9 mm.
Various pictures show the Pixel 3 having slimmer bezels than the Pixel 2, though exactly how much is not yet known.
Let's talk specs and performance. A leaked prototype seemingly confirmed that Google's upcoming Pixel devices will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of Samsung LPDDR4X memory. They will also have 64GB of built-in storage. Of course, there could be multiple SKUs, so it would not surprise us if Google also released models with 6GB of RAM and 128GB or more of onboard storage.
The Pixel 3 XL with 4GB of RAM found its way to Geekbench, supposedly, where it scored 2,426 in the single-core test and 8,355 in the multi-core test. That is right in line with other flagship phones in the Android camp, like Samsung's Galaxy S9+ and LG's G7 ThinQ. We plotted the leaked benchmark scores with our own collection of Geekbench scores, shown above.
Finally, one thing we can say with supreme confidence is that the upcoming Pixel phones will ship with Android 9.0 Pie underneath the hood. There have been leaks to suggest this, but more importantly, Google has a delightful habit of outfitting its newest devices with the most recent version of Android, and keeping it stock.
