The Pixel 3A and 3A XL weren't necessarily updates to the existing Pixel 3. Rather the two phones were an expansion Google made to appeal to a wider audience with more affordable handsets (just like the new Pixel 4A and recently discontinued Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL). The lag in the same-name phones introduced support for Google Assistant (which was later removed but not before catching out other running devices — notably the LG V20 and Xiaomi Mi5 — with the AI assistant, who had to be enabled from the settings menu).
The new phones, by contrast, are completely different. Both are made by LG, but the Digital Smart Enabler (Drum) and Digital Tone (Tap to Call) 12-speaker phones are easily distinguishable by the colors. Meanwhile the design adds a notch on the side, which eventually will be part of the entrance to the camera sensor.
Why Black Friday?
It's not hard to see why Google is introducing the new phones on Black Friday, though to be clear, the Pixel 3 exists like it is wholly separate from the shorted Pixel 3 and 3XL iPhone 7/7 Plus.
The Pixel C was a low-cost Cruiser also released as new Black Friday for 2015. Rick Rashid/Digital Trends
Screen size, OLED vs. PMOLED
In its own quite significant development over the course of the last year, Google has moved from glass to IPS LCD. That should only add up to a very great phone and also a more likely target screen size over the years — while taking into account the very different needs of a high-end handset: Pixel over a Galaxy S8. What's really interesting is viewing the two older display types side-by-side, with we also see that the Pixel 3 and its screen is the best of the bunch — and the best smartphone screen we've ever tried to photograph. Pixel scores 5'34" in our Joaquin Reyes test, the best screen review score we've yet had offered ever for a phone that's not a new generation smartphone, even better than last year's Galaxy S7 Edge that would normally have taken first place (press, not tech reviewer, score: 5'33", standing tall in paper).
This match-up is also interesting because an OLED display wouldn't serve Pixel as well in terms of visuals — lenticular and the HDR display are used so much right now for improved motion in indoor navigation, specifically and Google's vertical grocery shopping apps. While the Pixel 3 has it's own strengths, it's not top of the list. The Pixel 3 XL is an interesting comparison, even though we wanted the bigger phone, because the Pixel 3 device only packs a 6-inch display. Samsung's Galaxy S8 display only has a
The new phones, by contrast, are completely different. Both are made by LG, but the Digital Smart Enabler (Drum) and Digital Tone (Tap to Call) 12-speaker phones are easily distinguishable by the colors. Meanwhile the design adds a notch on the side, which eventually will be part of the entrance to the camera sensor.
Why Black Friday?
It's not hard to see why Google is introducing the new phones on Black Friday, though to be clear, the Pixel 3 exists like it is wholly separate from the shorted Pixel 3 and 3XL iPhone 7/7 Plus.
The Pixel C was a low-cost Cruiser also released as new Black Friday for 2015. Rick Rashid/Digital Trends
Screen size, OLED vs. PMOLED
In its own quite significant development over the course of the last year, Google has moved from glass to IPS LCD. That should only add up to a very great phone and also a more likely target screen size over the years — while taking into account the very different needs of a high-end handset: Pixel over a Galaxy S8. What's really interesting is viewing the two older display types side-by-side, with we also see that the Pixel 3 and its screen is the best of the bunch — and the best smartphone screen we've ever tried to photograph. Pixel scores 5'34" in our Joaquin Reyes test, the best screen review score we've yet had offered ever for a phone that's not a new generation smartphone, even better than last year's Galaxy S7 Edge that would normally have taken first place (press, not tech reviewer, score: 5'33", standing tall in paper).
This match-up is also interesting because an OLED display wouldn't serve Pixel as well in terms of visuals — lenticular and the HDR display are used so much right now for improved motion in indoor navigation, specifically and Google's vertical grocery shopping apps. While the Pixel 3 has it's own strengths, it's not top of the list. The Pixel 3 XL is an interesting comparison, even though we wanted the bigger phone, because the Pixel 3 device only packs a 6-inch display. Samsung's Galaxy S8 display only has a
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