The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were arguably the best phones you could buy last year.
ThePixel 3improves on its predecessors in every aspect except one: price.
That depends on how much you care about the things only a Pixel can do.
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First up: I really dig the new design, somequibbles notchwithstanding.
The two-tone glass on the rear looks and feels good.
The aluminum frame around the edge of the phone is painted to match your color.
Unlike the anodized aluminum on most phones, the Pixel 3 uses something more like automotive paint.
Its a small detail that helps the phone look like its entirely out of glass.
Also, Im still digging the accented power button.
Weve already talked about thePixel 3 XLs notch extensively, so I wont get into it much here.
Its excessive, but, youll probably get used to it.
The smaller Pixel 3 is an unqualified improvement from its predecessor.
Its the same size but has smaller bezels for a significantly larger display.
I suspect many more people will opt for the petite Pixel this year.
The S9 is close, but Samsung crippled the smaller model this year.
Speaking of displays, Googles made some massive improvements.
Using the default Adaptive Color calibration setting, it can go toe-to-toe with Samsung and Apples screens.
Im glad Google listened; this is truly a flagship-quality display.
In fact, the Pixel 3 XL just score an A+ fromDisplayMate.
Hardware advances mean performance differences are increasingly negligible every year.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 6 offers 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage for $579.
The Galaxy Note 9 goes up to 512b GB at its top configuration and is expandable via Micro SD.
Though such differences dont always affect regular use, theyaremeaningful in some situations.
Ive already used most of the storage on my 64GB Pixel 3.
Thats not to say Google isnt implementing any exclusive features though.
Its a godsend for us introverts.
Battery life has been solid with the smaller Pixel 3.
Its not a marathon gear like the Note 9 or Huaweis P20 Pro, but its surprisingly close.
Of course, the heart of the Pixel 3 is the camera.
Theres a wide-angle selfie-camera on board, which is cool I guess.
More on that in a bit.
But the Pixel 3s best photography features improve the shooting experience with AI.
Heres a rundown of the three biggest ones.
This worked well enough in my testing.
Photobooth:Google automatically detects smiles and other facial expressions for automatic captures.
Sometimes it requires holding an expression for an extra second or two, but it usually worked very well.
Its the ultimate party trick.
Sadly, Google doesnt automatically suggest combining the images into a collage, like a real photobooth.
Its a glaring missed opportunity.
Super Res Zoom:Its impressive.
Ill let the images do the talking.
But the Note 9 always retained more detail.
You know what would have been really nice?
Super Res Zoomanda telephoto lens.
For a phone that starts at $800, I dont think thats asking too much.
Or perhaps more accurately, Googles hardware choices are holding back its softwares potential.
I think Google has the best primary camera on a smartphone.
But the competition is getting closer, and theversatility of additional lenses might trump Googles processing advantages.
At this point, sticking to one camera feels more like misguided pride than a practical consideration.
Same goes for the rest of the phone.
A bigger battery, more RAM, or additional storage wouldve each provided tangible improvements.
For most people, thats probably enough.
And yet, I cant help but wish Google aimed higher.
The Pixel 3 is a great phone that, for the price, couldve been better.
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