With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL now out of the wild, comparisons are bound to be made as to how the two compares to the other 2018 flagships launched so far. In fact, with the new Pixel range coming close on the heels of the new Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max devices, both seem deserving for a comparison shoot out to find out if one has the edge over the other.
Here is how the respective Apple and Google flagships compare.
Dimension and Display:
To begin with, the Pixel 3 happens to be the more affordable of the Pixel 3 duo, just as the iPhone XS is among the two iPhone offerings. Of these, the Pixel 3 happens to be the smallest and lightest of the lot, with 5.5-inch of display and weighing just 149 grams. In comparison, the iPhone XS offers a 5.8-inch display and tips the scales at 176 grams.
The Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, comes across with a 6.3-inch display and has a weight rating of 181 grams while the iPhone Max is the biggest and heaviest of the lot here with a 6.5-inch panel and a weight of 208 grams.
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- Fullscreen 6.0-inch (152.4mm) displayFHD+ (2160 x 1080) OLED at 402 ppi18:9 aspect ratio
- Camera 12.2 MP Front Camera 8 MP
- Battery 3700mAh
- Experience HD Voice, Video Calling and Simultaneous Voice & Data. Enable Wi-Fi Calling and make calls anywhere you have a Wi-Fi connection.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 2.0GHz + 1.7GHz, 64-bit Octa-Core
However, the story is a bit different when it comes to the display resolution. While the Pixel 3 comes with a 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution, the iPhone XS with its slightly bigger display has a larger 2436 x 1125 pixel count as well. Similarly, the Pixel 3 XL has its screen lit up by 2960 x 1440 pixels while the iPhone Max with a slightly bigger display has a smaller 2688 x 1242 pixel count. That makes the Pixel 3 XL to have the sharpest display among the four.
Processor and Memory:
There is quite a parity here with both the Pixel 3 duo being powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset while it is the A12 Bionic chip that powers the two iPhone devices. Also, all four devices come with a 4 GB memory besides also offering 64 GB of storage on the base versions.
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- Capture stunning photos with features like night sight, portrait mode, and HDR+.
However, while the iPhone XS and XS Max have 256 and 512 GB storage variants as well, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XS maxes out at 128 GB.
Camera:
Again, here is a story of both contrasts and commonality with both the iPhone and Pixel devices having a common camera setup across the range. The iPhone XS and XS Max have a single front-facing camera of 7-megapixel resolution while having a dual rear cam comprising of a standard 12-megapixel sensor and another 12-megapixel wide-angle lens.
With the Pixel 2 duo, both come with a dual lens selfie camera comprising of an 8-megapixel standard lens and another wide angle lens also of 8-megapixel resolution. However, contrary to a popular trend where two, three, four or even five lenses are fast becoming the norm, the Pixel 3 XL comes with a single lens rear camera of 12-megapixel resolution.
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- Create, share and stay connected with this black or white Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone. Its 64GB of storage lets you save important files and apps, and the 12.2-megapixel rear camera has autofocus to take professional-looking photos easily. The 6.3-inch touch screen on this Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone is water-resistant and dust-resistant.
- Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB, 6.3in) Factory Unlocked US Warranty, Brand: Google, Model: Pixel 3 XL Factory Unlocked, GSM MPN: G013C, Operating System: Latest Android 9 Pie (3 years of OS and security updates), Cellular Band: Unlocked, Lock Status: Network Unlocked, Screen Size: Fullscreen 6.3 inches QHDplus OLED at 523ppi
- Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Network: Unlocked World-wide network/carrier compatibility with GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10 WCDMA: W1/W2 Camera Resolution: 12.2MP HDR Support (UHDA certification), 4K Video Recording Rear Camera: 12.2MP dual pixel, f/1.8 aperture, Autofocus and dual pixel phase detection, Optical and electronic image stabilization, Spectral and flicker sensor Dual Front Cameras: 8MP wide angle and normal FoV cameras.
- RAM: 4 GB, Storage Capacity: 64GB, Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz plus 1.6GHz), 64Bit Octa Core Adreno 630 ,Battery: 3430 mAh battery, 18w fast charging, Qi wireless charging, 18w/2A USB Type C charger, Wireless and Location: Wi Fi 2.4GHz plus 5.0GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE Materials: Aluminum frame plus hybrid coating, Style: Bar
Google though has chosen to let its vast expertise in AI to set the rules of the game and offers several pre-set software modes to allow for excellent photos in a varying lighting conditions. It remains to be seen though if the single lens camera can really excel compared to the dual lens camera for the iPhone XS and XS Max.
Battery
So far as battery is concerned, both the Pixel 3 are generously equipped with a 2,915mAh unit powering the Pixel 3. Similarly, a larger 3,430mAh unit keeps things going on the larger Pixel 3 XL. Unfortunately, Apple is yet to release specific battery rating for its iPhone XS devices, only claiming the iPhone XS lasting just about 30 mins longer than the iPhone X while the iPhone XS Max increases the lead to 1.5 hours over the iPhone X. And the iPhone X makes do with a 2716mAh battery.
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- Capture the perfect shot every time, Get things done with the Google assistant, 1 Enjoy an all-day battery, and more.
- Get everyone in the picture with Group selfies Selfie stick required. Snap portraits like a Pro with Portrait mode. Capture smiles, not blinks, for a great photo every time.
- Pixel 3 comes with a battery that charges fast and wirelessly, and lasts all day. It's even smart enough to limit battery usage for the apps you don't use often to keep you Going longer.
- Get help from the Google assistant: reserve a table at your favorite restaurant, buy tickets, get commute times, weather info, and more—all with a simple squeeze, or just by using your voice.
- Screen spam, scams, and other nuisance calls. Get real-time transcription and block unwanted callers so you’ll never hear from them again.
Also while the Pixel 3 duo comes with the universal USB-C port, the iPhone XS and XS Max offer Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. All four contenders here, however, support wireless charging.
Price:
The Pixel 3 range is clearly the more affordable here. The base Pixel 3 sports a sticker price of $799 while its bigger brother, the Pixel 3 XL will set one back $899. In comparison, the base iPhone XS starts at $999 while the iPhone XS Max is priced a cool $1099.
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- Capture the perfect shot every time, get things done with the Google Assistant,1 enjoy an all-day battery, and more.
- Get everyone in the picture with Group Selfies—no selfie stick required. Snap portraits like a pro with Portrait Mode. Capture smiles, not blinks, for a great photo every time.
- Pixel 3 comes with a battery that charges fast and wirelessly, and lasts all day. It's even smart enough to limit battery usage for the apps you don't use often to keep you going longer.
- Get help from the Google Assistant: reserve a table at your favorite restaurant, buy tickets, get commute times, weather info, and more—all with a simple squeeze, or just by using your voice.
- Screen spam, scams, and other nuisance calls. Get real-time transcription and block unwanted callers so you’ll never hear from them again.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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