The Google
Pixel 3 and
Pixel 3 XL have the same industrial design language and are available in the same colors as well -- Clearly White, Just Black, and Not Pink. The two phones obviously differ in their form factors, however, due to the differing screen sizes.
The Pixel 3 is the smaller of the two devices. It features a 5.5” FullHD (1920x1080) flexible
OLED screen, measures 145.6mm x 68.2mm x 7.9mm, and weighs in at only 148g. The Pixel 3’s form factor makes it roughly the same size as a Samsung
Galaxy S9, though it feels more balanced and dense in the hand.
As its name suggests, the Pixel 3 XL is the larger of the two phones. It is outfitted with a 6.3” QHD+ (2960x1440) OLED display, measures 158mm x 76.7mm x 7.9mm, and weighs roughly 184g. Those dimensions make the Pixel 3 XL a touch shorter than the
Galaxy Note 9, but a bit taller than something like the
LG V40 ThinQ.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL has similar design cues and impeccable build quality. The front of both phones is all glass, save for the cutouts and perforations for the dual, front-firing speakers. Up front, at the top, a pair of 8MP selfie-cameras are present, one standard cam with a f/1.8 aperture and 75° FoV and a wide-angle cam a f/2.2 aperture and 97° FoV. On the Pixel 3, both front-facing cameras are hidden in a simple, straight bezel, but the Pixel 3 XL’s are situated in a rather large notch that protrudes a full 8mm down from the top. That's one big notch...
The backs of phones are nicely styled. The 12.2MP camera, sensor, and flash reside at the upper-left corner with the fingerprint sensor centered about an inch below. The backs of the phone are dual-textured glass; the top edge is glossy and the bottom is an etched, matte finish. A simple “G” logo is present about an inch from the bottom edge, that balances out the look with the fingerprint sensor.
Along the bottom edge of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, you’ll find the
USB-C charge / sync port and SIM tray. Unfortunately, that tray is only for the SIM because the phones do not offer any local expandable storage. You can sync photos and personal files to the cloud of course, but if you'd like to have the option to expand a phone with a larger micro-SD memory card, it’s not possible on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL. There is also no 3.5mm audio jack, though Google does include a USB-C adapter with the Pixel 3s.
The left side of the phones is completely bare. The top has a single microphone port. The right side houses the power / lock button, which is colored green, orange or black, depending on the color of the rest of the phone, and a volume rocker. The buttons are somewhat thin and require a fair amount of force to press, but are rock-solid with very little play whatsoever.
An aluminum frame wraps around the phones, sandwiching the 2.5D Corning
Gorilla Glass 5 and both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are IP68 dust and water resistant. Overall, the build quality of the phones is impeccable. Tolerances, fit and finish are tight and everything just feels premium.
The displays on both phones are also very good. The 5.5” FullHD Flexible OLED in the Pixel 3 has excellent brightness, contrast, and color saturation. Its 443ppi pixel density and FullHD resolution are somewhat lower than other flagship phones, but for its form factor, it will be sure to please mainstream consumers. In practice, the Pixel 3’s screen was great. The Pixel 3 XL’s larger 6.3” QHD+ OLED offers a 523ppi pixel density and is every bit as accurate and punchy. We wouldn’t say it is the best smartphone display we’ve seen to date – that distinction belongs to the Galaxy Note 9 – but the Pixel 3’s display is top-notch nonetheless. The notch will take some getting used to, though.
We should also mention that the front firing speakers on the phones are surprisingly good. You won't get deep bass out of the tiny drivers on a smartphone, but the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL output excellent audio for a smartphone at volume levels that could easily fill and office or medium sized room.
