Pros:
- The camera is fantastic, and even in 2019 is arguably the best smartphone camera on the market
- The display is bright and vibrant, and the screen has a great 2160 x 1080 resolution
- Performance is very smooth and various tasks load very quickly on this phone
- The speakers are fairly good on this phone
- Water-resistance, NFC, and wireless charging are all nice features to have
Cons:
- Battery life is poor on this phone. It will get moderate users through a full day, but many power users will struggle to make it through the day on one charge
- Power users may be disappointed that this phone only comes with 4 GB of RAM (newer flagships come with slightly more RAM)
- There is no headphone jack in the Google Pixel 3 (if you want a headphone jack, you should consider the Google Pixel 3a)
Review summary:
With the Google Pixel 4 coming out soon, we should start to see some good Google Pixel 3 deals. If you find the Google Pixel 3 on sale for around $500, it is definitely a great buy. The Pixel 3 has a great display, great performance, and one of the best cameras. Google comes out with quicker updates than other manufacturers and the Pixel 3 will have some great software support ahead of it. This makes the Google Pixel 3 a very compelling option, especially with the sales that will be going on in the next few months. So if you find the Google Pixel 3 for $500 or less, it is a good buy at that price.
Specs, design, and build quality
The Google Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch display with 2160 x 1080 resolution, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 2,915 mAh battery.
Unfortunately, the Google Pixel 3 does not have a headphone jack. If you are wanting a Google Pixel with a headphone jack, you can get nearly everything the Google Pixel 3 has to offer in the Google Pixel 3a. The Pixel 3a is not water-resistant and has a slower processor, but the Pixel 3a is still a good phone made by Google, and if having a headphone jack is what you need, the Pixel 3a will be one of your only options.
The Pixel 3 only weighs 5.22 ounces, which is very light. With phones getting larger and larger, the Pixel 3 screen does seem a little small at 5.5 inches, but some people will enjoy having a phone that can be easily used with one hand. If you want the Google Pixel 3 experience on a larger screen, the Pixel 3 XL or the Pixel 3a XL are both good options for you.
Screen and display quality
The Google Pixel 3 has a great display.
In comparison to newer phones like the Galaxy S10 and the LG G8, the Google Pixel 3 does fall short.
The LG G8 has a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, while the Google Pixel 3 has a 2160 x 1080 resolution. Honestly though, when you have screens this small you won’t notice these differences.
Yes, technically the Galaxy S10 display is better than the Google Pixel 3, but the Google Pixel 3 still has a nice, crisp, and beautiful display.
This means that videos and books will look crisp and clear, and that is very important for your smartphone.
Performance
The Google Pixel 3 has a Snapdragon 845 and 4 GB of RAM.
If that means absolutely nothing to you and you aren’t very techy, let me just say that the Google Pixel 3 is a very fast performer.
Animations on Android are very smooth and multitasking is very quick.
With some newer flagship phones releasing with 6 GB of RAM or 8 GB of RAM, some people will be sad to see only 4 GB of RAM in the Google Pixel 3. The Galaxy S10 has 8 GB of RAM and even the cheaper Galaxy S10e has 6 GB of RAM, but the craze for more RAM is really overblown in the smartphone world.
After using the Pixel 3 for a few months, I didn’t notice any hiccups in performance in my time with the Google Pixel 3. Most smartphones users won’t use over 4 GB of RAM.
You should be able to multitask with no issues, even with 15 or 20 apps running. So most people shouldn’t have any issues with the Google Pixel 3.
Battery life
The Google Pixel 3 comes with a 2,915 mAh battery, which is a modest size. Most phones come with batteries around 3,000 mAh so it’s a little disappointing to see a small battery in the Pixel 3.
Users with moderate usage on their smartphones should make it through a whole day with no problems, but power-users may struggle to get through an entire day of usage.
For myself, I had some days where I barely made it through the day with battery left, and other days that the phone died by 5 PM.
Other features
The Pixel 3 comes with water resistance and wireless charging. The Pixel 3 also has decent sound and better speakers than I expected.
Software
One important feature of the Google Pixel 3 is the software.
Google controls the Android operating system, so it only makes sense that Google phones would get more Android updates, faster Android updates, and a relatively better Android experience.
As new features for Android release, the Pixel 3 should get them faster than other smartphones.
Phones like the Galaxy S10 come preloaded with many Samsung apps that your phone simply doesn’t need. You can’t get rid of these apps or uninstall many of them. Another word for these apps you can’t get rid of is “bloatware”.
The Google Pixel 3 doesn’t have a bunch of unnecessary apps like a Samsung phone would. This means that the Google Pixel should have more free space, and it should be easier for you to locate the apps you want to use on your phone.
Overall, having a better display or having an extra GB of RAM is nice for some tech people, but a smooth software experience is a lot more important in my opinion, which makes the Google Pixel 3 a really good option.
Good bang for your buck?
Simply put, if you can find the Google Pixel 3 for $500 or less, it is a great bang for your buck. You will see a lot of sales on the Google Pixel 3, especially with the Google Pixel 4 coming soon.
What are the differences between the Google Pixel 3a and the Google Pixel 3?
You may wonder what the differences are between the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3a.
Here are a few minor differences between the two phones:
- The Google Pixel 3 has a slightly better display than the Google Pixel 3a
- The Google Pixel 3 has a faster processor than the Google Pixel 3a
- The Google Pixel 3 has water-resistance and wireless charging
- The Google Pixel 3a has a headphone jack
- The Google Pixel 3a has slightly better battery life
- The Google Pixel 3a retails at $400
- The Pixel 3 retails at $800
Who should buy the Google Pixel 3?
If you want the latest and greatest in tech, you will probably prefer the Google Pixel 3 over the Pixel 3a, simply because it has a faster processor and a better display.
Even if you don’t want the latest and greatest of tech, you may prefer the Google Pixel 3 if you need your phone to be water-resistant, or if you need your phone to be capable of wireless charging.
Who should buy the Google Pixel 3a?
Your average user won’t really notice the difference in performance between the Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3a. The Pixel 3a performs admirably and will perform similarly to the Google Pixel 2.
Even with a little less performance and a slightly worse display, the Pixel 3a actually has better battery life than the Pixel 3 and has a headphone jack.
The Pixel 3a retails at half the price that the Pixel 3 retails at, and with nearly the same performance and some unique features, I think most users should buy the Google Pixel 3a over the Pixel 3.
Sales will complicate your decision
For most users: If you see the Google Pixel 3 for $800 and you see the Google Pixel 3a for $400, the decision should be very easy for you. In that situation, I think nearly everyone should buy the Google Pixel 3a.
With that being said, if you see the Google Pixel 3 on sale, this might complicate your decision.
The Google Pixel 3 has some perks over the Google Pixel 3a. The processor is faster in the Pixel 3, and features like water-resistance might be a must for you if you have a child that spits up on you all the time.
If you see the Pixel 3 for $500 and you see the Google Pixel 3a for $400, in my opinion, it should really be a toss-up for you.
Do you want a faster phone with water resistance? Or do you want a headphone jack and a slightly larger battery?
If you want a slightly faster phone with water resistance, you may want to get the Google Pixel 3 if you can find it for a good price.
If you want a headphone jack with a slightly larger battery, the Google Pixel 3a might be better for you, even if the Google Pixel 3 goes on sale.
Where to buy
As of today (prices may change) Best Buy has the unlocked Pixel 3 for $499 with no strings attached. If you activate it with a carrier, you can save even more money. Just click “activate today” when you are checking the unlocked version out.
If you chose to buy the carrier version, Best Buy currently has the Verizon Pixel 3 for $16.66 per month, which is only $400.
These prices may change in the future.
Click here to view the Google Pixel 3 at Best Buy, who knows, they may have a deal going on!
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