Shootouts

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL review: Much ado about notching

By Koh Wanzi, Alvin Soon & Ng Chong Seng - 17 Dec 2018

Performance benchmarks

Benchmark results

The 5.5-inch Google Pixel 3 and 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset, with 4GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage. Announced Dec 2017, the octa-core Snapdragon 845 (with Adreno 630 GPU) is manufactured on a 10nm FinFET process and can be found on several Android flagship phones this year, such as the LG G7+ ThinQ, OnePlus 6, Oppo Find X, and Sony Xperia XZ2.

  Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB) Google Pixel 3 (64GB) LG G7+ ThinQ Oppo Find X (128GB) OnePlus 6 (6GB/64GB) Samsung Galaxy Note9 (512GB)
  Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB) Google Pixel 3 (64GB) LG G7+ ThinQ Oppo Find X (128GB) OnePlus 6 (6GB/64GB) Samsung Galaxy Note9 (512GB)
Launch SRP
  • From S$1399
  • From S$1249
  • From S$1198
  • From S$1199
  • From S$868
  • From S$1728
Operating system
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • Android 8.0 Oreo with LG UX 6.0
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • Android 8.1 Oreo with Oxygen OS
  • Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core (4 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4 x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core (4 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4 x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
  • Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55)
Built-in Memory
  • 4GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 6GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 6GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
Display
  • 6.3-inch / 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (523 ppi) / flexible OLED Display
  • Always-On Display
  • 5.5-inch / 2,160x1,080 pixels (443 ppi) / flexible OLED Display
  • Always-On Display
  • 6.1-inch / 3,120 x 1,440 pixels (564ppi) / 19.5:9 ratio / IPS LCD
  • Always-on Display
  • 6.42-inch / 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi) / 19.5:9 ratio / AMOLED Display
  • 6.28-inch / 2,280 x 1,080 pixels (402ppi) / 19:9 ratio / Optic AMOLED
  • Always-on Display
  • 6.4-inch / 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (516 ppi) / 18.5:9 ratio / Super AMOLED Infinity Display
  • Always-On Display
Camera
  • Rear: 12.2-megapixel, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.8; 8-megapixel wide-angle, f/2.2
  • Rear: 12.2-megapixel, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.8; 8-megapixel wide-angle, f/2.2
  • Rear: Dual: 16-megapixel f/1.6, OIS + 16-megapixel f/1.9 wide-angle
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.9
  • Rear: Dual 16-megapixel, f/2.0 + 20-megapixel, f/2.0
  • Front: 25-megapixel, f/2.0
  • Rear: Dual: 16-megapixel (f/1.7, 27mm, 1/2.6", 1.22µm, OIS) + 20-megapixel (f/1.7, 1/2.8", 1.0µm),
  • Front: 16-megapixel (f/2.0, 25mm, 1/3", 1.0µm)
  • Rear: Dual 12-megapixel, dual f/1.5 and 2.4, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, LED flash and 12-megapixel f/2.4, 52mm telephoto, 2x optical zoom
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.7
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 15 (up to 800Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, NFC
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 15 (up to 800Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, NFC
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth v5, NFC, 4G LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth v5, NFC, 4G LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 18 (up to 1200Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
Storage Type
  • 64GB internal storage
  • 64GB internal storage
  • 128GB internal storage
  • Expandable up to 2TB via microSD
  • 128GB internal storage
  • 64GB
  • 512GB internal storage
  • microSD expansion (up to 512GB)
Battery
  • 3,430mAh
  • Fast Charging
  • 2,915mAh
  • Fast Charging
  • 3,000mAh
  • Quick Charge 3
  • Wireless charging
  • 3,730mAh
  • VOOC Flash Charge
  • 3,300mAh
  • Dash Charge
  • 4,000mAh
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • Wireless charging
Dimensions
  • 158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm
  • 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm
  • 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9mm
  • 156.7 x 74.2 x 9.4 mm
  • 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm
  • 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm
Weight
  • 184g
  • 148g
  • 162g
  • 186g
  • 177g
  • 201g

 

SunSpider

SunSpider is a JavaScript benchmark that tests just the core JavaScript language but not the DOM or other browser APIs.

At around 410ms, the Pixel 3’s performance in this benchmark is on a par with what we’ve seen on other SDM845 phones. The iPhones’ JavaScript performance continues to be untouchable.

 

Geekbench CPU

Geekbench CPU is a cross-platform processor benchmark that tests both single-core and multi-core performances using workloads that simulate real-world usage. Geekbench 4 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 4,000 (which is the score of an Intel Core i7-6600U CPU).

No surprise here - the Pixel 3 phones' single and multi-core performances are in line with what we expect from phones with SDM845.

 

3DMark Sling Shot Unlimited

3DMark’s Sling Shot test is an OpenGL ES 3.0 benchmark that tests the full range of API features including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers, and transform feedback. To compare CPUs and GPUs, we run this test offscreen using the Unlimited mode.

Interestingly, the smaller Pixel 3’s scores varied quite a bit across our test runs, usually fluctuating between 5,800 and 6,500. According to 3DMark, the Pixel 3’s CPU clock sometimes went up to 2.3GHz, but sometimes only up to 1.8GHz.

In case you're wondering, the Galaxy Note9’s score is even lower because the one we tested had the Exynos 9810, not the SDM845.

Synthetic benchmarks aside, we don’t think anyone would be disappointed with the Pixel 3 phones' performance in the real-world, be it multi-tasking in apps or fragging enemies in games. The Snapdragon 845 may not be the fastest mobile chip in the world right now, but it’s still right up there and should serve you well over the next three years.

 

Battery life

The 5.5-inch Pixel 3 has a 2,915mAh battery, which is larger than the 2,700mAh pack that came with the 5-inch Pixel 2. On the other hand, the 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL’s 3,430mAh Li-ion cell is slightly smaller than the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL’s 3,520mAh.

We’ve yet to run our full battery test suite (because we’ve been out testing and shooting with the phones), but to you an idea, over the past weekend, the 3 XL had no problem making through one 12-hour outing and providing at least 4.5 hours of screen-on time. When we finally set it down on the Pixel Stand at the end of a long day, it still had about 10% battery life.

The smaller Pixel 3 also survived a similar full day use without us turning to a power bank. When we ended the day at 9 PM on Sunday, it had about 5% battery life left, and that was after recording around 4 hours of screen-on time.

In short: good but not spectacular battery life.

(Note: We’ll update this section as we use the phones more and gather more results.)

Updated on 17th December 2018: We've now run the battery life tests on both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

  • Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
  • Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

The Pixel 3 XL lasted 11 hours and 13 minutes on our video looping benchmark, which isn't bad, but is slightly less than last year's Pixel 2 XL (which lasted 11 hours and 31 minutes). The Pixel 3 lasted 10 hours and 21 minutes.

The Pixel 3 phones are also the first Pixel phones to support wireless charging. You can use any Qi-compatible charger, but to get 10W fast wireless charging, you need Google’s own Pixel Stand, which retails for S$119. (The phones still charge faster with the bundled 18W wired USB-C power adapter.)

You can still do things with the Pixel 3 while it’s charging on the Pixel Stand, including viewing your favorite Google Photos album in a slideshow and listening to music. It also uses ambient lighting that mimics the sunrise right before your alarm goes off to wake you up gently. Of course, you can have Google Assistant tell you your schedule, traffic info, and the latest news. We're glad that Google bothers to make the stand useful.

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