In the course of 2018, in the section of Bench Tests of THE COUNTRY Showcase we analyse the main smartphone of high range that were coming to the market. But we were missing one, the Google Pixel 3, which is available from the end of last November and whose aspiration is to become a benchmark in photography with mobile (as it was its predecessor, the Pixel 2.
This last version, in addition to other enhancements, with special emphasis on the software your camera includes a night mode to capture pictures with very little light allowing you to capture portraits with adjustable depth and integrated approach to tracking of objects, among other features.
Analysis and evaluation
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ONLINE PURCHASE Google Pixel 3 XL available on eBay
The Pixel 3 is available in two versions —regular and XL—, whose characteristics are exactly the same except for the screen size: 5,5 in front of 6.3 inches. It is an important difference, since while the first is in a few dimensions, the second (which we tried for a little over a month) is quite large and it is impossible to handle with a single hand.
technical specs
Display : 6.3 inches, QHD + OLED 523 ppp
Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 2.5 GHz + processor, 1.6 GHz, 8-core and 64-bit, Adreno 630, Pixel Visual Core and Module security Titan M
Storage : 64 or 128 GB
RAM : 4 GB
operating System : Andriod 9 Foot
Battery : 3430 mAh
Sensors : fingerprint sensor rear, accelerometer/gyro, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, barometer, hub sensors Android, X-axis
Camera : the rear, with sensor and spectrum flicker, 12 MP, record 4K video at 30 fps. The front-facing camera, dual -, wide-angle and telephoto lens of 8 MP, video recording 1080p 30 fps
Connectivity : Wifi 2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, NFC, and Google cast
Dimensions : 158 x 76.7 per x 7.9 mm
Weight : 184 grams
Other : USB Type-C, viewer Google Daydream View to virtual reality
it is Not a quality that we have caught, since your overall design is very similar to the previous version. Account, yes, with subtle variations with a major impact on the feelings that we experience when you have it in hand. The main one is that has changed the finish, and in place of polycarbonate, it uses a crystal much more pleasant to the touch. In this way, the division between zone matte and glossy back cover is better integrated and is more nice to the view. We have been surprised that the traces are not too marked; something very rare in surfaces of this material. And as an added benefit, allows the wireless charging.
we Said that the screen size is the only difference between the two versions of the smartphone, but we have to make a point related: the biggest has a notch, and it is one giant, quite a bit more bulky than the other models on the market. For all practical purposes —taking into account that the sides are only used for the icons in the status bar—, you will not find much sense.
OLED and vibrant colors
With OLED technology, native support for HDR and a resolution of 2.960 x 1440 pixels, the display Pixel 3 XL offers a magnificent experience, at the height of the best. Thus, and thanks to vivid colors and good brightness and contrast levels, causes us to forget by full of the problems that had the Pixel 2. In our opinion, is the best of this phone.
This surface is furthermore, the element essential to interact with him; a task that is performed exclusively through gestures. The funny thing is that they are gestures of their own, and not those that had been widespread in other models such as the swipe from top to bottom to close an application, for example. In this case, this movement opens the view multitasking, a longer one opens the drawer of apps… It takes a little time to catch them the trick and the confusion at the beginning causes that the management is not all fluid as we would like.
The use of Android 9 with the layer of personalization Pixel Launcher also allows you to put the phone face down to silence, for example, and makes it possible to enjoy a application for the camera with an intuitive use and an interface which is more attractive in that it switches between the different modes (photo, video, portrait…) by sliding to one side or the other. The only thing we are missing is the manual mode.
Follow the movement
The reality is that, without it, the results are already very good. So much so, that the Pixel does justice to his reputation as one of the best mobile photo. To this end, we employ the algorithm of computational photography, which enhances the color, exposure and other settings of the images, and they also get traps with effect portrait with a single camera. So, with good lighting, images are always crisp and sharp, with adequate levels of exposure and contrast, and natural colors (our favorites are those made with the HDR mode+ enabled). The portrait mode of the Pixel 3 XL, in addition, shows that there are necessary two cameras to achieve natural results and with the edges well-resolved.
To the left, image taken of the day and with the automatic mode of the Pixel 3 and, to the right, the image of night with the same mode. Laura Pajuelo
During the night enters in scene mode, Night Sight, indicated for night-time photos: take multiple images and dark but crisp and combines them to create a more luminous. This mode can be activated manually, but, in a smart way, the own smartphone alerts you if there is little light in the scene and it is advisable to use it. The results are really positive, allowing you to take shots brighter without increasing the exposure time or the ISO, and avoiding, therefore, the noise and the blurry photos. Note the improvement with respect to the previous version of the phone although they are still not perfect images, and it is common to find noise or details softened.
Among the possibilities of the camera, also worth mentioning is its auto focus system, capable of tracking people and objects to always come out sharp and clear: tap on the screen the item that you want to keep in focus, and even if you move or edit the frame, as follows.
competition
Sony Xperia XZ3 (799 euros). Six-inch, OLED technology, QHD resolution+, support HDR… These are some of the features of the screen this willdevices, one of the best for enjoying multimedia content.
Huawei P20 Pro (437,99 euros) . Excels at photography and the use of three Leica cameras in your rear.
Samsung Galaxy S9 (495 euros). It offers stereo sound and take photos very bright thanks to a camera capable of adapt to the environment to get the best shots.
iPhone XS (1.109 euros) . Your processor is as powerful as a computer, so that allows for a very fluid out of the terminal.
LG G7 ThinQ (375 euros). Thanks to its intelligent features and the use of IA allows you to control all the smart devices connected to the home network.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro (354 euros). Moved the fingerprint reader to the screen, allowing a design more uniform and a surface of the display with virtually no frames.
Fly
The Pixel 3 XL has a configuration very similar to that of the rest of the high ranges Android. It is headed by a Snapdragon 845, which accompany 4 GB of RAM. This figure is somewhat lower than what we expected and, despite this, is nothing to notice in the day-to-day, in which we have always gotten a very fluid when using any app, game, use the multitasking or viewing multimedia content.
as with the RAM, the battery is below what is ideal on paper. In this case, we have to say that yes note: a larger screen and a lower capacity to that of the Pixel 2 make the autonomy to be very fair. If you make a use intensive of the terminal, we have always managed to get to the end of the day, but in the days more intense, calling for the charger to cry out to the middle of the afternoon. On the positive, and thanks to the fast charge (charger included), with only 15 minutes plugged to the mains you will get the 20% load; in half an hour 40%; and in two hours, the 100%.
The best, the worst and conclusion
best: quality of the screen display, night pictures, and overall performance.
What’s worst: the notch is too large, and the autonomy is adjusted.
Verdict : with subtle differences in the exterior compared to its predecessor, it stands out for a wide screen that looks so great, and a performance at the height of the best. Additionally, even if your camera is not perfect, it is still a benchmark in the moving picture.
ONLINE SHOPPING
Google Pixel 3 XL* . Dimensions of 158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm and weight of 184 grams; screen of 6.3 inches with OLED technology, native support for HDR and a resolution of 2.960 x 1440 pixels; processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845; 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage memory.
By 711,61€ on eBay
*this Is the lowest price that we have found between all of the shops ‘online’ with which THE COUNTRY has affiliation agreements. Here you can read our commercial policy.
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