The most leaked phones ever are now official, with Google taking the wraps off the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL overnight. Not that there was much too much to reveal, given that the phones had been leaked to the point where some ended up in stores before they had even been announced.
Google's announcement wasn't without surprises though. For the first time ever, Pixel smartphones are no longer a Telstra carrier exclusively locally. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be available on a plan from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, and outright through Google, JB Hi-Fi, and Harvey Norman. Pre-orders start today ahead of a November 1 release date.
Compare Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL plans here.
The Pixel 3 starts at $1,199 for a 64GB model, while the Pixel 3 XL is a little more expensive at $1,349. Add $150 to either price if you'd prefer a 128GB model instead.
So what's actually new? Once again, there's two Pixel devices: a 5.5-inch Pixel 3, and a 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL. Both have moved to glass backs with a two tone finish, and the Pixel 3 XL has a rather deep camera notch on the front. The move to glass backs mean the pair can now be charged wirelessly.
Surprisingly, both Pixels have just in a single camera on the back - a brave move in the face of escalation from rivals like LG and Huawei who now have as many as three rear-facing cameras. Google is however pretty confident in its camera software which has a whole host of new capabilities. These include:
- Top Shot: If you've taken a burst, Top Shot will select the best image and will weed out pictures that are blurry or where someone blinked.
- Super Res Zoom: Rather than including a second rear camera with a dedicated zoom lens, the Pixel 3 will use software smarts to sharpen photos you've taking using digital zoom.
- Night Sight: As the name might suggest, Night Sight is a night camera mode that is meant to improve the quality of your low light photos. Much like the Huawei P20 Pro, it does this by taking multiple photos at different exposures. This won't be available at launch, and will instead rollout as a software update before the end of the year.
- Improved Portrait Mode: The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are still doing portrait mode with just one camera, and this time around, you can adjust the amount of blur behind your subject, or even make the background monochrome while keeping your subject colourised for extra pop.
While you don't get a second camera on the back, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL do however have two front-facing 8MP lenses: one for standard selfies, one for wide-angle group selfies.
One super cool feature that won't be available locally at launch is call screening. Whenever you get a phone call that's suspected to be spam, you'll be able to tap "screen call", which will prompt Google Assistant to answer it for you. It will ask the caller to state their name and response for calling, which will be transcribed to you in real time. We're certainly hoping this feature comes to Australia, as it sounds amazing.
Here are the key specifications for both phones:
Key Specifications
| Pixel 3 | Pixel 3 XL | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch 1080p+ | 6.3-inch 1440p+ |
| Processor | Snapdragon 845 | Snapdragon 845 |
| Storage | 64GB or 128GB | 64GB or 128GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Rear-Facing Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Front-Facing Camera | 8MP + 8MP | 8MP + 8MP |
| Battery | 2,915mAh | 3,430mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IPX8 | IPX8 |
| Price | From $1,199 | From $1,349 |
Neither the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL have a headphone jack, but you get USB Type-C buds in the box this year though, in addition to a 3.5mm dongle.
You'll be able to bet both models in a choice of "Just Black", "Clearly White", or "Not Pink". Customers who grab a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL before the end of the year will get a bonus six-month YouTube Music Premium subscription, provided they don’t have a current, active subscription.
Alex Choros
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