A great device, though with just a few small niggles – Available for £694 via Carphone Warehouse
Towards the end of last year, we’ve got used to seeing an announcement from Google of a new Pixel device. Building on its reputation for artificial intelligence and the use of Android, Google has now brought its third iteration of the handset to market. Leading the features is its rear camera. The Pixel 2 fell just short of scoring 100 on photography benchmarking site DxOMark, and this device has improved things further with a wide-angle selfie lens, ‘Night Sight’ mode and the intelligence to recognise the best moment to capture an image. Another key feature is the device’s artificial intelligence. See something you’d like to buy? Snap it with Google Lens, which will then show you where you can get it. Need to manage your tasks and plan your meeting schedule? Get Google Assistant to help you out. One last feature worth mentioning – though unfortunately it hasn’t hit the UK – is ‘Screen Call’. This service allows the user to get Google to answer suspect phone calls, see a transcript of what the person on the other end of the line is saying, and make a decision on whether to pick up a call.
OS: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Processor: Snapdragon 845
Screen: 6.3 inches
Resolution: 1440 x 2960
Memory: 4GB
Internal storage: 64/128GB
External memory: None
Water resistance: IP68
Rear camera: 12.2 MP
Front camera: Dual 8MP camera (1x 28mm wide angle, 1x 19mm)
Video: 2160p @30fps
Battery: 3,500mAh
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, USC-C, NFC
Cellular Speed: Cat 16
Dimensions: 158×76.7x 7.9 mm
Weight: 184g
Today we’re introducing Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, the new smartphones from Google. Pixel brings you the best of Google in a phone, powered by AI to deliver more helpful, thoughtful and enjoyable experiences. That means a phone that answers for you when a telemarketer calls, a camera that uses AI to make sure you never miss the shot, and a more helpful visual and audio experience while charging, powered by the Google Assistant. We’re taking more photos on our phones than ever before, but we still often miss the perfect moment. Pixel 3 helps you get that perfect shot on the first try. You can save all your favorite moments with free, unlimited photo and video storage in original resolution. AI in Pixel 3 enables new features that make your day-to-day actions simpler. If you want to know more about something you’re looking at, use Google Lens, built right into the Pixel 3 camera. To scan and translate text, find similar styles of clothing, or identify popular plants and animals, you can long press in the Pixel 3 camera to easily open Lens.
enjoyed using the Pixel 3XL – but it comes with caveats. For every stunning image or helping hand from the Google Assistant, there’s a niggle with calls or the position of the power button means I accidentally switch the device off when trying to turn the volume up. Also, when on a phone call, a small ‘bing’ goes off for every little notification and wakes the screen up – a problem if, like me, you have chubby cheeks that are sometimes mistaken as fingers. But this is by no means a poor device. When watching Netflix or YouTube, the settings mean the notch is not visible unless you zoom in. The main event is obviously the camera. A few of the photos I take are poor quality – though I’ll shoulder the blame for that. Otherwise, everything is how you would want it to look and night mode works a treat. The ability to dull bright lights at night and light up darker areas helps the Pixel to really bring the wow factor in a market with many good cameras. And the niggles are just that. Overall, this device is fantastic. The AI is as helpful as ever and the camera is stunning.
[wp-review id=”53788″]
