Google Unveils The Pixel 3 And Pixel 3 XL

Google has unveiled the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones. The Pixel 3 sports a 5.5-inch OLED panel (2,160 x 1,080 resolution), while the bigger Pixel 3 XL has a 6.3-inch OLED display (2,960 x 1,440). Both have an industry-norm aspect ratio of 2:1, aka 18:9. The front-facing stereo speakers are apparently 40 percent louder this year, and you can test this claim with your free 6-month subscription to YouTube Music.

On both new Pixels, you get two 8-megapixel selfie shooters. One's more suited to standard mugshots (f/1.8), while the other features a wide-angle lens (f/2.2). Two front-facing cameras can be found on many smartphones and both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have a single, 12.2-megapixel sensor (f/1.8) on the back. Naturally, unlimited cloud storage on Google Photos remains a Pixel perk, if only for three years (or rather, until the end of 2021).

Like the Pixels that have come before this new duo, the core qualities are identical across both sizes of device. Both are powered by Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 845 chip -- an expected upgrade over last year's 835 -- and 4GB of RAM (unchanged from the Pixel 2 and 2 XL). There's a new Titan M security chip for added peace of mind, too. Front of house is, of course, Android 9 Pie. Storage options come in at 64GB or 128GB, and no, you can't expand that with a microSD card. Also, the headphone jack hasn't made a return this generation.

One of the truly new hardware features on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is Qi wireless charging, complementing wired, 18W fast-charging that will apparently give you seven hours of juice in just 15 minutes. Wireless should top up the 2,915/3,430mAh batteries slightly faster than it does on some other phones, too, since the Pixels support 10W power transfer compared to the common 7.5W ceiling. You can achieve these kind of speeds with the new $79 Pixel Stand accessory. 

The new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are available to pre-order in the US starting at $799 and $899, respectively, with shipping commencing October 18th. Both sizes will come in regular white and black finishes, as well as more flamboyant pale pink. On October 21st, the new phones will hit 12 other markets, including Canada, Australia, several European countries including the UK, as well as parts of Asia.