The Google Pixel 3 XL is the 6.3-inch phablet-sized version of Google's new flagship phone.
On paper, it has all the ingredients for greatness, including a sharp Quad HD OLED screen, the latest specs, impressive camera performance, and useful new AI-powered functionality.
But at $899.99 for the 64GB model or $999.99 for 128GB, it's more expensive than the Pixel 3, which doesn't have a notch in its screen and we feel is a lot more comfortable to handle.
Unless you're a big-screen diehard, we recommend the more compact and affordable Pixel 3 over the XL.
Different Bodies and Screens
The Pixel 3 XL is essentially the same handset as the Pixel 3, so see our review of that phone for specifics related to hardware and software performance.
Here we're going to discuss what's different between the two phones and why that matters.
The biggest difference between the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL is size.
The Pixel 3 XL measures 6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.5 ounces, making it the same size as (but lighter than) the Apple iPhone XS Max (6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, 7.3 ounces), and smaller than the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (6.4 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches, 7.1 ounces).
It's just a bit too wide for me, though I know plenty of people out there like big phones.
Still, it's hard to reach across the screen with your thumb, and despite the relatively minor bezel, it's difficult to reach up and pull down the notification shade.
Obviously the Pixel 3 XL has a bigger screen than the Pixel 3, but it's also sharper.
It boasts a crisp 6.3-inch Quad HD OLED display with a 2,960-by-1,440 resolution in an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
This works out to 523 pixels per inch, sharper than the Pixel 3 (443ppi), the iPhone XS Max (458ppi) and the Galaxy Note 9 (516ppi).
According to Dr.
Ray Soneira at DisplayMate Labs, the Pixel 3 XL has a top-tier display with excellent calibration accuracy and performance that is "visually indistinguishable from perfect." It falls into the same category as the Galaxy Note 9, the Galaxy S9, and the iPhone X/XS Max, earning a DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award, with each screen standing out for its own particular strengths.
The one downside is that the XL has a big notch at the top, which I find distracting because of how deep it is.
It notably cuts into content when scrolling web pages or using apps.
Google has promised you'll be able to "disable" it by blacking out the sides, but that raises the question of why it's there in the first place.
In my opinion, the Pixel 3 manages things a bit more gracefully with some extra bezel at the top of the screen in lieu of a notch.
The stereo speakers seem a bit louder here than on the smaller Pixel 3, though there's not an appreciable difference.
A Lot of the Same
Both phones have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM, though you'll see some minor variation in benchmarks and graphics tests due to the Pixel 3 XL's more demanding Quad HD screen.
In PCMark's Work 2.0 test it scored 9,191, a bit lower than the Pixel 3 (9,358) but still much higher than the Note 9 (7,662).
It handles demanding games like Asphalt 8 just fine, though in GFXBench it scored 20fps in the Car Chase on-screen test, which is notably lower than the Pixel 3 (33fps).
Multitasking, launching new apps, and scrolling web pages is fast and responsive.
Left to right: Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3
As far as the camera sensors and software go, both phones are exactly the same.
They excel in capturing detail, they have a digital zoom enhancement that practically matches phones with telephoto zoom, they're great at snapping bokeh shots, and they boast dual wide-angle selfie cameras that can capture more of your background.
See How We Test Cell Phones
The Pixel 3 XL has a 3,430mAh battery that lasted for 8 hours, 10 minutes while streaming video over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness.
That's a bit better than the 7 hours, 57 minutes managed by the 2,915mAh Pixel 3, but the difference is fairly negligible.
Both can take advantage of fast charging with the included 18W adapter or wireless charging with the 10W Pixel Stand or other Qi-enabled charging accessories.
The Pixel 3 XL runs a pure version of Android 9.0 Pie with at least two years of guaranteed updates.
There's no bloatware aside from Google's app suite.
Out of 64GB of storage on our review unit, we had 51.05GB free for use.
Purchasing either Pixel gets you unlimited lifetime Google Photo storage.
Conclusions
The Google Pixel 3 XL has all the power of the Pixel 3 in a larger form factor.
If you like big phones, the Pixel 3 XL is plenty capable of justifying its $900 starting price.
For $100 less, however, we prefer the standard Pixel 3's more hand-friendly design, especially considering it shares the same powerful hardware and camera capabilities.
We're seeing far fewer one-handed Android phones these days, and so the standard Pixel 3 earns our Editors' Choice.
As far as phablets go, we also like the LG V40 ThinQ for its triple-sensor camera and the Galaxy Note 9 for its tremendous battery life and excellent note-taking capabilities.
For fans of Apple's design and software ecosystem, the iPhone XS Max is a strong, albeit even more costly alternative.
For pure Google, however, you can't beat the Pixel 3 XL.
Pros
Fast performance.
Big, beautiful OLED screen.
Excellent front and rear cameras.
Useful Google Assistant functionality.
Highly optimized software with guaranteed updates.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Pixel 3 XL is a big, powerful pure Android phone that puts all things Google front and center, though we prefer wrapping our hands around its smaller sibling.
For once bigger isn't better.
The Google Pixel 3 XL is the 6.3-inch phablet-sized version of Google's new flagship phone.
On paper, it has all the ingredients for greatness, including a sharp Quad HD OLED screen, the latest specs, impressive camera performance, and useful new AI-powered functionality.
But at $899.99 for the 64GB model or $999.99 for 128GB, it's more expensive than the Pixel 3, which doesn't have a notch in its screen and we feel is a lot more comfortable to handle.
Unless you're a big-screen diehard, we recommend the more compact and affordable Pixel 3 over the XL.
Different Bodies and Screens
The Pixel 3 XL is essentially the same handset as the Pixel 3, so see our review of that phone for specifics related to hardware and software performance.
Here we're going to discuss what's different between the two phones and why that matters.
The biggest difference between the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL is size.
The Pixel 3 XL measures 6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.5 ounces, making it the same size as (but lighter than) the Apple iPhone XS Max (6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, 7.3 ounces), and smaller than the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (6.4 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches, 7.1 ounces).
It's just a bit too wide for me, though I know plenty of people out there like big phones.
Still, it's hard to reach across the screen with your thumb, and despite the relatively minor bezel, it's difficult to reach up and pull down the notification shade.
Obviously the Pixel 3 XL has a bigger screen than the Pixel 3, but it's also sharper.
It boasts a crisp 6.3-inch Quad HD OLED display with a 2,960-by-1,440 resolution in an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
This works out to 523 pixels per inch, sharper than the Pixel 3 (443ppi), the iPhone XS Max (458ppi) and the Galaxy Note 9 (516ppi).
According to Dr.
Ray Soneira at DisplayMate Labs, the Pixel 3 XL has a top-tier display with excellent calibration accuracy and performance that is "visually indistinguishable from perfect." It falls into the same category as the Galaxy Note 9, the Galaxy S9, and the iPhone X/XS Max, earning a DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award, with each screen standing out for its own particular strengths.
The one downside is that the XL has a big notch at the top, which I find distracting because of how deep it is.
It notably cuts into content when scrolling web pages or using apps.
Google has promised you'll be able to "disable" it by blacking out the sides, but that raises the question of why it's there in the first place.
In my opinion, the Pixel 3 manages things a bit more gracefully with some extra bezel at the top of the screen in lieu of a notch.
The stereo speakers seem a bit louder here than on the smaller Pixel 3, though there's not an appreciable difference.
A Lot of the Same
Both phones have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM, though you'll see some minor variation in benchmarks and graphics tests due to the Pixel 3 XL's more demanding Quad HD screen.
In PCMark's Work 2.0 test it scored 9,191, a bit lower than the Pixel 3 (9,358) but still much higher than the Note 9 (7,662).
It handles demanding games like Asphalt 8 just fine, though in GFXBench it scored 20fps in the Car Chase on-screen test, which is notably lower than the Pixel 3 (33fps).
Multitasking, launching new apps, and scrolling web pages is fast and responsive.
Left to right: Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3
As far as the camera sensors and software go, both phones are exactly the same.
They excel in capturing detail, they have a digital zoom enhancement that practically matches phones with telephoto zoom, they're great at snapping bokeh shots, and they boast dual wide-angle selfie cameras that can capture more of your background.
See How We Test Cell Phones
The Pixel 3 XL has a 3,430mAh battery that lasted for 8 hours, 10 minutes while streaming video over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness.
That's a bit better than the 7 hours, 57 minutes managed by the 2,915mAh Pixel 3, but the difference is fairly negligible.
Both can take advantage of fast charging with the included 18W adapter or wireless charging with the 10W Pixel Stand or other Qi-enabled charging accessories.
The Pixel 3 XL runs a pure version of Android 9.0 Pie with at least two years of guaranteed updates.
There's no bloatware aside from Google's app suite.
Out of 64GB of storage on our review unit, we had 51.05GB free for use.
Purchasing either Pixel gets you unlimited lifetime Google Photo storage.
Conclusions
The Google Pixel 3 XL has all the power of the Pixel 3 in a larger form factor.
If you like big phones, the Pixel 3 XL is plenty capable of justifying its $900 starting price.
For $100 less, however, we prefer the standard Pixel 3's more hand-friendly design, especially considering it shares the same powerful hardware and camera capabilities.
We're seeing far fewer one-handed Android phones these days, and so the standard Pixel 3 earns our Editors' Choice.
As far as phablets go, we also like the LG V40 ThinQ for its triple-sensor camera and the Galaxy Note 9 for its tremendous battery life and excellent note-taking capabilities.
For fans of Apple's design and software ecosystem, the iPhone XS Max is a strong, albeit even more costly alternative.
For pure Google, however, you can't beat the Pixel 3 XL.
Pros
Fast performance.
Big, beautiful OLED screen.
Excellent front and rear cameras.
Useful Google Assistant functionality.
Highly optimized software with guaranteed updates.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Pixel 3 XL is a big, powerful pure Android phone that puts all things Google front and center, though we prefer wrapping our hands around its smaller sibling.
