Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL announced with larger screens and improved cameras

Google just unveiled the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, its latest flagship Android smartphones. There was little left to “unveil” after months of leaked images and videos offered a comprehensive preview of both devices well ahead of the company’s press event today in New York. But after all that, today we’re finally getting the whole story on the new hardware and software features that are exclusive to the Pixel 3. “For life on the go, we designed the world’s best camera and put it in the world’s most helpful phone,” said Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh.

The Pixel 3 starts at $799 for 64GB, with the 3 XL costing $899. Add $100 to either for the 128GB storage option. Core specs for both include a Snapdragon 845, 4GB RAM (there’s no option for more), Bluetooth 5.0, and front-facing stereo speakers. Also inside is a new Titan M security chip, which Google says provides “on-device protection for login credentials, disk encryption, app data, and the integrity of the operating system.” Preorders for both phones begin today, and buyers will get six months of free YouTube Music service. The Pixels will officially launch on October 18th.

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL both feature larger screens than last year’s models thanks to slimmed down bezels — and the controversial notch in the case of the bigger phone. The 3 XL has a 6.3-inch display (up from six inches on the 2 XL), while the regular 3 has a 5.5-inch screen (up from five inches). Overall, though, the actual phones are very similar in size and handling to their direct predecessors.

Google has stuck with a single rear 12.2-megapixel camera on both phones, continuing to resist the dual-camera industry trend. But it’s a different story up front. Both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have two front-facing cameras; one of them offers a wider field of view for getting more people or a greater sense of your surroundings into a selfie.

The Pixel 2 earned a reputation as perhaps the best camera on any smartphone, and Google is looking to carry that momentum forward with new software features that bolster the new camera performance with AI enhancements. A new Top Shot option will select the best image from a burst series of shots. Like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9, it will weed out pictures that are blurry or snaps where someone blinked. Super Res Zoom uses multiple frames and AI to deliver a sharper final photo even without optical zoom.

As expected, both phones are coming with a near-identical set of front-facing and rear-facing cameras that are powered by artificial intelligence. That allows them to do all sorts of algorithmic work behind the scenes, all powered by what Google calls its new Pixel Visual Core chip.

Among the new AI features built into the Pixel 3 camera are two new shooting modes called Top Shot and Photobooth. Top Shot uses Google’s work in image and object recognition and computer vision to analyze photos and pick the best shots in a given batch. With Top Shot, you’ll be able to capture a number of photos before and after the moment you press the virtual shutter button, while the software will pick out the best shot. It’s similar to Google’s Motion Photos feature that creates GIFs from short snippets of video. You can still browse through the alternates to pick out others, Google says. Photobooth, like you might expect, takes a bunch of photos of you or your friends using the front-facing camera, but only when it recognizes that the subjects of the photo are making a funny face or smiling. You don’t need to even press the shutter.

Google also announced a feature called Super Res Zoom, which uses a burst of photos to amp resolution when you zoom into a subject, and Night Sight, which uses machine learning to artificially brighten dark spots in photos. For Pixel 3 XL owners, you’ll be able to access a wide-angle lens for a feature Google is calling Group Selfie Cam.

Some of the AI-powered software here, specifically a feature like Photobooth, was built initially for Google Clips, the company’s square-shaped photo and video capturing device that automatically operates on its own to let parents capture moments of their kids. Now, it appears that Google has taken a lot of the knowledge there and integrated it into its Pixel devices to help ease the pain of picking a photo or tinkering with all the settings to capture the perfect shot.

Since the original Pixel, the defining feature of the device line has not been its design or the relatively spartan stock Android it runs, but the camera. Using its advancements in artificial intelligence, Google was able to achieve a staggeringly capable camera that has only improved with last year’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. So it makes sense that Google has put more resources toward improving the Pixel 3 camera and positioning it as one of, if not the most important, reason why you’d pick its device over an iPhone XS or a Samsung Galaxy S9 / Note 9.

For the first time, the new Pixels will support wireless charging (at up to 10 watts), and Google is introducing its own charging stand — the $79 Pixel Stand — as an optional accessory. The Pixel 3 devices recognize when they’re sitting on Google’s charger and show custom UI elements like information from Google Assistant. The wireless charging is made possible by Google’s move to an all-glass back. But the devices still have a two-tone matte/glossy finish thanks to a new etching process.

The latest Pixel phones ship with Android 9 Pie and Google’s digital wellness features out of the box. They also ditch Android’s traditional trio of virtual buttons (back, home, recents) in favor of the gesture navigation introduced as part of Pie. Google Assistant and Google Lens are designed to be core parts of the software experience.

There’s one very useful new trick this year: the Pixels 3 introduce a feature that will allow Google Assistant to screen spam calls and let you decide whether to block a caller or get a reminder to call back later. The phone answers itself and provides a real-time transcription of whatever the suspected spam caller says. Call Screen will also come to the previous Pixel models.

Speaking of which, Verizon Wireless will remain the exclusive carrier for the new Pixels in the United States. This is the third consecutive year of that exclusive partnership. The phones can also be purchased unlocked directly from Google, and you can order them through the company’s Project Fi mobile service.