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Release Date (UK): October 2018 |
The Google Pixel 3 boasts one of - if not the - best smartphone cameras around, building on the already-excellent camera in the Pixel 2.
More improvements come in the form of a beautifully rich 5.5-inch OLED screen, packaged in a comfortable and user-friendly casing.
The Pixel 2 was an excellent all-round device and Google have built on that with their latest offering. Arguably, the standout feature of the Pixel 3 is its seriously impressive camera, which is among the best in the industry.
Elsewhere, its 5.5-inch OLED display produces bright and beautiful colours, a marked improvement on its predecessor.
The Verge claims "if you want the best Android experience and the best camera you can get on a phone today, the Pixel 3 is it." Tom's Guide agrees, saying, "the more I use it, the more I'm convinced it's the best Android phone you can buy."
The Pixel 3 looks and feels like a luxury phone. On the front, Google has stuck with the Pixel 2's top and bottom bezels. However, it has reduced the size of both, providing a more modern look and added screen real estate.
On the back, the opinion-dividing glass and metal design on previous phones in the series has been replaced. Instead, the latest iteration features an all-glass design, polished at the top and frosted lower down, enabling wireless Qi charging as well as giving the phone a truly premium finish.
Although some users may miss the headphone jack and microSD card slot, Google have certainly struck a balance between size and usability. Digital Trends says "of all the phones we've used over the last year, the Pixel 3 is the easiest to use one-handed and the most comfortable to handle."
The Pixel 3 has a larger screen than the Pixel 2 (5.5-inch compared to 5-inch) with roughly the same overall measurements, thanks to Google's reduction in bezel size. That's slightly smaller than the 5.8-inch screen on the iPhone XS, but without a notch.
While increased screen size is obviously welcome, the greatest improvements come in the display quality. Thanks to the OLED screen, which individually lights each pixel, the Pixel 3 offers bright colours and true, deep blacks. With a 2,260 x 1,080-pixel resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio, Google have really made the most of the screen's real estate.
Google have plumped for Qualcomm's nearly ubiquitous Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM, to power the Pixel 3.
While some may find the performance specs on paper less than thrilling, the average user will be more than satisfied with the speed of the Pixel 3. The Guardian says "the whole system, from switching apps to pulling up the camera, has a level of polish only matched by Apple's iOS on the iPhone XS."
Moreover, as Digital Trends notes, "the fact that the Pixel 3 is unencumbered by a manufacturer UI, like Samsung's Experience, means that it feels faster and slicker."
The Pixel 3 also comes with a 2,915mAh battery, which may not be as powerful as some users may have hoped for. Heavy use will probably drain the Pixel 3 within a day, but the intelligent Adaptive Battery technology in Android 9 Pie should help long term, as the device learns your usage patterns to limit the power usage of apps you rarely use.
The Google Pixel 3 brings a heavyweight camera that competes - if not beats - the very best in the smartphone market.
It comes with a 12.2MP rear camera with an f/1.8 lens and two front-facing 8MP cameras. The first of the front-facing cameras is fitted with an f/1.8 lens and the other an f/2.2 wide-angle lens, ideal for group selfies.
While the specs might seem fairly normal, the phone's Pixel Visual Core chip and machine-learning software help to elevate photos to a fantastic level of quality. The details are sharper, particularly in scenes with contrasting light, than in the majority of, if not all, smartphones.
In addition, Google has added a number of exciting camera functions to the Pixel 3. A particular highlight is Top Shot mode, which takes a burst of pictures and automatically recommends the best, reducing the chance of an accidental blink or sneeze ruining your shot.
TechRadar claims "the Google Pixel 3 has the best smartphone camera in the world", while Android Central says "photos from the Pixel 3 perfectly walk the line between having eye-catching colors and being accurate."
Google's Pixel 3 is shipped with Android 9 Pie, which brings with it a new set of navigation gestures. It might take a bit of time to get acquainted with the changes, but this should be a simple enough adjustment.
Indeed, Tom's Guide proclaims that the Android 9 Pie makes the Pixel 3 "the ideal companion that smartphones have always strived to be: delightfully intuitive and easy to live with, yet infinitely capable."
The new operating system also brings with it some handy features including Smart Replies in notifications and Digital Wellbeing. The latter is a particularly useful feature for those wishing to cut down on their screen time, as it shows users how much time they're spending on their devices and lets them set time limits for each app.
The Google Pixel 3 was released in the UK on 1 November 2018.
What the critics say (scores are out of 100)
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Expert Reviews | Nathan Spendelow ..the Pixel 3 is a quietly excellent handset. With a host of clever AI features and a phenomenal camera, Google's third-generation Pixel has a lot going for it....Google is sticking to the same tried-and-tested release formula it's conducted for the previous two years: slightly tweaking the core DNA, while offering a handful of mini-improvements, without radically altering the blueprint. Read full review |
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The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs Inside and out the Pixel 3 is more polished than any other Android smartphone, fully justifying Google's entry into the big leagues. Read full review |
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Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman This is one phone that's worth the investment. There's no question in my mind that the Pixel 3 is one of the best options in the flagship phone market right now. Read full review |
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Alphr | Vaughn Highfield The Pixel 3 may be the device everyone expected in terms of sheer hardware but, in hand, it's undoubtedly the most exciting device the company has produced. Read full review |
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TechAeris | Jason Bouwmeester If you're in the market for a new smartphone, the Google Pixel 3 is a fantastic device, especially when taking into account newer features like Night Sight. Read full review |
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New York Times | Brian X. Chen You should get one if what you care about most is having a phone with a great camera that does the best job of running Google's Android software. Read full review |
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NotebookCheck | Florian Schmitt The Google Pixel 3 XL is too expensive at full price to convince us of its many great features. It just does not do anything to set itself out from the crowd. Read full review |
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Digital Trends | Simon Hill Slick software, unique A.I. features, and a wonderful camera make the Pixel 3 irresistible. Read full review |
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Pocket-lint | Cam Bunton The Pixel 3 had to show the world yet again what Google hardware and software can do in harmony. And it is truly great. In almost every way this phone performs like a true flagship, and in a body that's smaller and more comfortable to use one-handed that most. Read full review |
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The Inquirer | Roland Moore-Colyer The Pixel 3 has plenty of competition. However, we'd pick it over the Pixel 3 XL and if you want the best smallish pure-play Android phone around, then this is the phone for you. Read full review |
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TechnoBuffalo | Brandon Russell I wholeheartedly recommend the Pixel 3 and, as far as I'm concerned, think it's a major contender for smartphone of the year. Read full review |
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Trusted Reviews | Max Parker The Google Pixel 3 not only has the best camera I have ever used on a phone, but it has a lovely design and a handful of great features too. Read full review |
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phoneArena | Corey Gaskin For the Android purist, the Material Design appreciator, and the camera buff these are the Android phones to get right now. Read full review |
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Android Authority | Kris Carlon The Google Pixel 3 takes what's good about the iPhone and applies it to Android. It is one of the best Android phones you can buy right now and quite possibly has the best camera available. Read full review |
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Wired | Lauren Goode The Pixel 3 phone, more than any other Google-designed phone before it, is an example of what sophisticated software can do when the hardware it runs on is incrementally improved. It's not perfect, but that's the thing about a phone that's driven by its software. Read full review |
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VentureBeat | Khari Johnson, Kyle Wiggers Google's Pixel 3 is a powerful, smart flagship phone that is impressive but somewhat predictable in its features. Read full review |
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Tom's Guide | Adam Ismail The Pixel 3 is the ultimate expression of Android and proof that AI done right can make your life easier. Read full review |
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TechRadar | Matt Swider The Google Pixel 3 has the best smartphone camera you can buy today. It's Google's best phone in a smaller size. Read full review |
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SlashGear | Chris Davies What isn't up for question is how polished the overall experience is for both devices. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL wrap that in a far more premium-feeling design, and feel all the more cohesive as a result. Read full review |
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NDTV Gadgets | Roydon Cerejo Overall, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are a marked improvement over last year's models and from what we can see, they don't really have any deal-breaking flaw other than very high price tag. Read full review |
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Mobile Syrup | Igor Bonifacic The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL improve on their predecessors in all the ways that count. There's not been a moment where the Pixel 3 hasn't surprised or delighted with some aspect of its user experience. Read full review |
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Coolsmartphone | Simon Hill If you want the best Android experience and you prefer something you can use one-handed, the Pixel 3 is tailored for you. Read full review |
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Android Central | Andrew Martonik Google's charging a lot for its Pixel 3 and 3 XL, but it's warranted. It's true these phones aren't large upgrades from their predecessors, but that doesn't change the fact that these are exceptional phones. Read full review |
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Engadget | Cherlynn Low With the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, it doesn't feel like Google has made great leaps on hardware, nor is it making as big a splash as it did with last year's cameras. But it's definitely built a solid foundation for its software to shine on. Read full review |
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CNET | Lynn La The Pixel 3's truly exceptional cameras and AI-powered call screening give it an edge on the other great phones in 2018's crowded winners' circle. Read full review |
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ZDNet | Matthew Miller If you are looking for one of the best flagship Android phones today, it is tough to beat the Google Pixel 3. It is not inexpensive though and there are still a few software updates needed. Read full review |
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CNET UK | Lynn La The Pixel 3's truly exceptional cameras and AI-powered call screening give it a slight edge on the other great phones in 2018's crowded winners' circle. Read full review |
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The Verge | Dieter Bohn ...if you want the best Android experience and the best camera you can get on a phone today, the Pixel 3 is it. Read full review |
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AndroidPit | Christopher Gabbert The price for Pixel 3 is especially steep for users with large memory requirements. Those who are aware of the weaknesses and still want a Pixel 3 will not be disappointed. Read full review |
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Know Your Mobile | Damien McFerran The best option for anyone who doesn't want a massive phone, the Pixel 3 combines slick software with powerful hardware and boasts one of the best smartphone cameras we've ever seen. Only a lack of RAM and some problems with LG's OLED screen tech sully the experience. Read full review |
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Android Headlines | Nick Sutrich If you want a no-nonsense phone that just works, this is what you buy. There's very little here that makes sense to get over just about every other flagship phone that has been released this year. Read full review |
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Mashable | Raymond Wong Google's Pixel 3 and 3 XL are showcases of how AI can improve the hardware and software in significant ways not immediately noticeable at first. Read full review |
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IT PRO | Adam Shepherd The Pixel 3 doesn't stand out in any specific areas - and lags behind in one or two - but what it does do is bring together all of its functions to form a whole that feels genuinely smart, deploying clever AI and software tweaks to create something that's genuinely useful. Read full review |
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Gadgets Now | Aabhas Sharma So, if the camera is the primary reason you want to buy a phone, you won't do much better than the new Pixel. Granted, that it is steeply priced but the camera experience is certainly memorable. Read full review |
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AnandTech | Andrei Frumusanu Here really the only exciting part about the Pixel 3 is its excellent performance as well as its new Night Sight camera mode. If that's enough for a user to justify the price, then the Pixel 3 will surely enable a good user experience. Read full review |
Every day, we search through thousands of tariffs and offers from UK online retailers to find the best Google Pixel 3 deals and contracts across a selection of price points and needs.
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145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm 5.73 x 2.69 x 0.31 in |
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148 g 5.22 oz |
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Size: 5.5 inches diagonal Resolution: 2160 x 1080 pixels Screen Density: 439 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 78.6 % |
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Built-in Storage: 64GB, 128GB Expandable Storage: Not Available |
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Main Camera: 12.2 megapixels dual pixel with LED flash Secondary Camera: 8 megapixels wide-angle + 8 megapixels telephoto |
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IP68 Rating: Protection from contact with harmful dust, and protection from immersion in water up to a depth of 30m for up to 30 minutes |
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Capacity: 2,915mAh
Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: Not Available |
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Official website |
We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the Google Pixel 3 camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the Google Pixel 3.
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