Google Pixel 3 hands-on review

Research Center:

Google Pixel 3

Google’s new phone — the Pixel 3 — doesn’t look like an $800 phone. There’s no futuristic edge-to-edge design here, and the feel isn’t on par with an iPhone XS or a Galaxy S9. You do, however, get a phone with what looks like a great screen, an excellent camera, uncluttered software, and strong performance. There’s a variety of artificial intelligence features baked in as well, so while it’s tough to justify the $150 price jump from last year’s Pixel 2, there’s a lot happening under the hood that makes the Pixel 3 a compelling phone you’ll want to own.

Chunky bezels, but compact overall

The Pixel 3 has the same features as the larger Pixel 3 XL. That means you don’t lose out by going small — a strategy Apple has copied with the iPhone XS and XS Max. That doesn’t mean the Pixel siblings are identical, though. The Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch screen, with a lower resolution and a smaller battery than the XL model. You’ll also notice the Pixel 3 has chunky bezels around the screen, while the Pixel 3 XL has an unattractive notch.

While we’re glad that notch isn’t on the Pixel 3, the chunky bezels look out of place on a top-tier smartphone. They’re slimmer than the edges around the screen on the Pixel 2, but they’re nowhere near as skimpy as the edge-to-edge design on the Galaxy S9. Still, you’ll likely forgive this quibble after a few days of use.

Turn the phone over, though, and it can pass for handsome. Google is sticking with the two-tone look, but instead of mixing glass and metal, it’s all glass on the rear. Google has managed to make the bottom glass matte, so it’s not as slippery as other phones and hides fingerprints better. However, the Pixel 3 XL is less alluring than Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 or Apple’s iPhone XS.

The chunky bezels look out of place on a top-tier smartphone.

The 5.5-inch OLED screen offers 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, and it looks great. It was bright enough to see with direct sunlight shining through windows, though we’ll need to take a better look outdoors. Colors are vibrant and paired with deep black levels in dark scenes.

Dual front-facing speakers make a return. Google says the speakers are 40 percent louder than last year’s Pixel 2. The difference is noticeable. We could hear Google Assistant even over the press event’s cacophony.  Speaking of Google Assistant, you can squeeze the phone to trigger Google’s helper, just like last year.

There’s no headphone jack (again), but Google wins some points for including USB Type-C earbuds in the box, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.

Strong performance, Android Pie, and modest battery

The Google Pixel 3 XL is powered by the common Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM. Navigating Android 9 Pie felt fluid and responsive, with apps launching quickly, and multitasking posing no issue.

Google Pixel 3 Compared To

HTC U12 Plus

Land Rover Explore

Motorola Moto E4

OnePlus X

Acer Liquid Jade Z

Huawei P8 lite

HTC Desire 626

Motorola Moto G (2015)

YotaPhone 2

Mlais M9

ZTE Blade S6

Sprint Vital

Sony Xperia ZL

Samsung Galaxy S4

HTC Droid DNA

While Android 9 Pie on the Pixel 2 XL allowed us to change the method of navigating the phone, we could not find an option to use the traditional Android navigation buttons. That means you’re stuck with using Google’s gesture navigation system, which isn’t as simple as the gesture navigation system on the iPhone XS.

There are software features exclusive to the Pixel 3 that we haven’t been able to try yet. You can place the phone screen facing down to trigger “Shh” mode, which silences all your notifications. A new Call Screening option uses Google’s Duplex technology to let you see whether a call is from a telemarketer. And Gmail’s Smart Compose arrives to write your emails for you.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There’s a 2,915mAh battery in tow, which is slightly bigger than last year’s Pixel 2. That’s good, but we think Google could have upped the capacity. We’re not expecting anything more than a full day of use. Since the phone can wirelessly charge, Google is selling a 10-watt wireless charging stand for $79. The Pixel Stand juices up the phone, and has are a variety of other integrations, such as connecting with the Pixel’s Do Not Disturb mode, and doubling as a digital frame for your photos.

There’s no MicroSD card slot, but there are options for 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. Google is still offering free photo storage to Google Photos in their original resolution, which is a great perk.

Another stellar camera

The Google Pixel 2’s camera is at the top of our list. The Pixel 3 XL improves on it while maintaining the single-lens camera system on the back. It’s a 12.2-megapixel lens with a f/1.8 aperture, and we experienced almost zero lag when snapping photos. The camera app feels smoother than ever before, and has several slick new features.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google’s still has its impressive HDR+ technology in the Pixel 3 XL, which takes many photos when you tap the shutter icon and combines them all to create a perfect photo. A new feature called Top Shot now alerts you to when someone may have blinked in a photo. And you can peruse through all the photos it captured to choose something better. It’s much like choosing a key photo in Live Photos on the iPhone.

More impressive is Super Res Zoom, which reduces the noise in photos captured by digitally zooming in. There’s no optical zoom, so zooming in to capture a photo on the Pixel 3 still won’t look as good as using the 2x optical zoom on phones like the LG V40, Galaxy Note 9, or the iPhone XS, but the results are still impressive. We were able to make out details of buildings far away after zooming in. It works far better than expected.

The camera app feels smoother than ever before.

There’s now not one, but two front-facing cameras. Both are eight-megapixel cameras, with the main lens having a f/1.8 aperture, and a secondary wide-angle lens with a f/2.2 aperture. You can use the wide-angle lens for group shots, or to simply take in more of the scenery in your selfie. Switching between both cameras is incredibly fluid, and Portrait Mode works with both cameras, so photos can stand out even more. Playing around with both cameras is a lot of fun.

Portrait Mode also looks better than ever before — on the front and the back. It accurately identified the edges of a subject and applied a strong bokeh effect. Details here are incredibly sharp, and these photos often look like they came straight from a DSLR.

There’s even more to the camera, but we didn’t have chance to try every feature during our hands-on. What we saw, however, has us convinced the Pixel 3 XL will remain a favorite among smartphone photographers.

Price and availability

The Google Pixel 3 costs $799, and pre-orders are open now. It officially goes on sale starting October 18. The phone is being sold through Google and Verizon, but if you buy it from the Google Store, you can use it on any major carrier network in the U.S.

The hardware may not call for such a high price, but there’s no other phone with this many A.I. features. We’ll be tinkering with the phone over the coming days to find a final verdict, so stay tuned.

SpamResponse review: A simple way to report spam text messages

Smartphones are a blessing when it comes to keeping in touch with your loved ones, but some calls and texts are definitely not welcome. Mobile SMS spam appears to be on the rise these days, and tracking down the spammers is about as easy as finding a unicorn in the wild.

Fortunately, the Android app ecosystem provides numerous apps that come to the rescue in such situations. One example is SpamResponse, a simple app for reporting unwanted messages.

Tired of receiving junk texts? Use SpamResponse

SpamResponse is super easy to use. Just install it on your phone and launch it to start using it. You’ll get a view of your SMS inbox. From there find the Spam message you want to report and long-press it. Then tap on the red Report Spam button that shows up in the top right of the display. Another way to do it is to simple swipe right and tap to undo the action.

The cool thing about this app is that it filters out your contact’s messages so that you don’t accidentally report from friends and family. However, we should note that reporting spam does not remove the message from your device. So you’ll still be able to view them when accessing your messaging apps.

Once you report a message, the team behind SpamResponse will investigate the message, and if a threat is identified, they will work with their network of digital service providers to disable consumer access to the threat.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll stop receiving Spam texts altogether. SpamRepsonse is part of an industry-wide effort to combat Spam messages, therefore the more you participate the more you help improve the service.

The app is quite minimalist, so apart from letting you report spam messages, it doesn’t come with a lot of features. You also get the option to view the messages your reported by going to Settings>Report History.

SpamResponse is free to download and use. Also, it’s not plagued by any annoying adds.

Download SpamReponse from the Play Store

Google Pixel 3 cameras: Here’s what they can do

Much of the interest in the new Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL (I’ll just use ‘Pixel 3’ through the article to keep it simple) has to do with the improved camera setup, mostly because the Pixel 2’s camera was so great. Many consider it to be the best in the business, and some would even say it’s even better than the recently launched iPhone XS (please argue in comments appropriately).

With the third-generation Pixel smartphones, Google aims to deliver the perfect photo on the first try. Let’s have a look at what it offers.

Don’t miss: This is the Google Pixel 3 XL

The refreshed camera app now includes a new way to switch between different camera modes. You can also double twist your wrist to switch to the front camera. Of course, like with the Pixel lineup all this while, the Pixel 3 also offers unlimited storage on Google Photos for photos and videos in their original quality.

Front camera

Finally, Google goes for dual cameras!

The Google Pixel 3 packs a front-facing dual-camera setup with an 8MP wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture (97-degree field of view; fixed-focus) and an 8MP standard camera with f/1.8 aperture (75-degree field of view; autofocus with phase detection).

For video recording, it supports: 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 30fps, and 480p at 30fps.

Rear camera

There’s still a single camera at the back!

The Google Pixel 3 packs a 12.2MP dual-pixel camera with 1.4μm pixel size and f/1.8 aperture. There’s autofocus with dual pixel phase detection as well as spectral + flicker sensor. The rear camera offers 76-degree field of view.

The Pixel 3 packs in both optical and electronic image stabilization (OIS + EIS).

When it comes to video recording, it allows:

• 1080p at 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, Auto
• 720p at 30fps, 60fps, 240fps, Auto
• 4K at30fps

There’s also something for those who want to shoot videos like a pro. Google calls it Fused Video Stabilization. It works only on the rear camera, although there’s digital video stabilization enabled for the front camera that locks onto faces. While it’s possible to have stabilization in resolutions up to 4K, Google suggests that shooting in 1080p will yield the best stabilization results.

Highlights

The Pixel 3’s camera comes with HDR+ on by default. The camera captures up to eight frames and merge them together for better photos in all light conditions without any shutter lag.

There’s a new Top Shot mode to capture the perfect action shot by recommending the best shot from the moment you captured. The feature uses on-device machine learning to find better shots around your photos where people are smiling with eyes open.

To use Top Shot, you need to set the Motion to “On” or “Auto.” Google says that the feature works best in candid scenarios where it’s easy to miss a shot (playgrounds, picnics, or parties), although it will recommend shots in most motion photos. In Google Photos, swipe up and tap “Shots in this photo” to pick a shot.

Photobooth Mode allows you to snap a photo with just a smile. After you press the blue button to start, Photobooth recognizes smiles and funny faces to capture photos automatically.

With the dual cameras at the front, the Pixel 3 captures 184 percent more area of the scene (as compared to the iPhone XS based on EXIF data from each camera) with the new Group Selfie mode, so you don’t need a selfie stick to capture a large group or yourself in front of a scene that you want to include.

To take a Group Selfie, open your camera and “zoom” out to the wide-angle lens to get more people in the photo by pinching out, tapping the slider, or clicking on the zoom slider at the bottom of the viewfinder. Google claims that the camera corrects the “fisheye warp” that is often found in wide-angle photos from other smartphones.

Playground lets you make your photos and videos come to life with Marvel superheroes, animated stickers, and fun captions. It’s an evolution of erstwhile AR Stickers. Playmoji characters react to each other and to you, including your facial expressions. You can share your Playground photos and videos directly from the camera app.

Finally, there’s support for RAW files. If you are a professional photographer or an enthusiast, you can now save RAW files in addition to JPEG for tinkering around later.

Coming soon

One of the camera features that was announced is the Night Sight that will help take bright, detailed, and colorful shots in the dark — like at a bar or around a campfire. It’s not available at launch, and would come as an update next month to Pixel 3 and later to older Pixels.

Google claims that Night Sight makes the Pixel 3 the best smartphone camera in low-light. We’ll have to put that to test later.

Gallery

Here’s the link to a few photos in high-resolution that I clicked just after setting up the new Pixel 3. This is just to give you an idea about the camera prowess of Google’s latest flagship smartphone. More in our complete review later, of course!

What do you think of the camera on the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL? Do you think it has enough in it to take latest flagship smartphones as well as the upcoming ones in 2019? Tell us in the comments!

• Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL announced
• Google Pixel 3 pricing and availability
• Google Home Hub is here: Google’s in-house smart display
• Google Pixel Slate announced: Revamped Chrome OS and more

No longer a gaming novelty, VR gets acceptance letter from Arizona State

Charlie Leight/Arizona State University

Students at Arizona State University are getting an unexpected added extra for their tuition money this semester: A virtual reality headset for the duration of their course. Building on its reputation as one of the U.S.’ most innovative schools, the decision to embrace virtual reality is proof of how VR is no longer simply a novelty for gamers, but a valuable educational tool, as well.

At present, Arizona State is targeting its VR initiative at biology students, who will use the technology to complete assignments. For one part of the curriculum, students will use virtual reality to analyze fictitious plants and animals on other planets. For another, they must work out how to build a space station without causing harm to a planet’s biodiversity. The use of VR is available to both students on campus and also those who are accessing Arizona State’s learning modules online.

“We are introducing the ability for students to access the simulations we use in the courses in virtual reality,” Philippos Savvides, manager of Learning Technologies for EdPlus at Arizona State University, told Digital Trends. “The simulations are available to all students who take BIO 181 General Biology, BIO 394 Cell and Molecular Biology, BIO 321 Ecology, and BIO 361 Animal Physiology. BIO 394, 321 and 361 are lab courses required by the fully online degree program in Biological Sciences. In addition to the browser, the simulations are available to Daydream-ready headsets and phones, and we are currently loaning the Lenovo Mirage Solo to students.”

The decision to embrace virtual reality comes about as part of a partnership with Google and VR company Labster. Arizona State has worked with both organizations for several years, although this marks the first time that VR has officially been used as a core component of the university’s classes.

“The online Biological Sciences degree is appealing to STEM degree-seeking students all over the world, and offering the lab requirements using virtual simulations is a solution that is both accessible and scalable,” Savvides continued. “Pedagogically, the simulations provide on-demand unlimited practice to experiences that are not possible in a physical space.”

If these classes prove to be a success, hopefully it won’t be long before VR is introduced to other courses. After all, from medicine to music creation to ancient history, there are plenty of virtual reality scenarios that would be great for learning. Plus the possibility of a virtual keg party or two!

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google is making it easier for students to run lab tests in virtual reality
• Best Gear VR apps and games
• The best Oculus Rift games available today
• The best PSVR games available today
• This heavily discounted headset offers virtual reality at a realistic price

3DMark’s new Night Raid benchmark gives integrated graphics their own test

A new benchmark aimed at integrated graphics systems like laptops, tablets, and desktops that lack a dedicated graphics card has been added to the classic 3DMark benchmarking utility. The free update is based on the same Time Spy characters and setting that we’ve seen in recent additions to 3DMark, but offers simpler visuals with less intensive demands, making for more nuanced results for those running systems without powerful graphics cards and processors.

UL Benchmarks, formerly Futuremark, has been operating and expanding its 3DMark application for almost 20 years, and it has remained one of the toughest tests for modern graphics cards as each generation of both hardware and software was released. In recent years, however, it has expanded into markets beyond the high-end, offering tests targeting midrange hardware, VR-capable systems, and smartphones. Night Raid is the latest addition to that range, specifically targeting systems using integrated graphics on Intel CPUs and AMD APUs, as well as the ARM chips found in Windows Always Connected PCs.

The benchmark is much less demanding than other 3DMark tests like its Time Spy benchmark, but still renders at 1080P resolution and contains one CPU and two graphics tests, pumping out a score for both and a combined score at the end for comparison with other integrated-graphics gaming systems around the world.

The purpose of the benchmark goes beyond measuring your system against your peers though. UL Benchmarks notes that a reasonable laptop PC should be capable of around 5,000 points in Night Raid. That sort of score should equate to more than playable frame rates in popular games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or DotA 2, meaning that Night Raid could prove a great way to test whether your next laptop will let you game above 60 FPS.

Night Raid also adds a new stress test to the existing collection and makes it easier to test cooling and battery life performance of laptops and tablets without falling back on much more demanding benchmarks. Although that part of the test will be limited to 3DMark Advanced and Professional Edition versions, the basic Night Raid testing can be performed using 3DMark free, and is available on Steam and the UL website.

If you do decide you want to buy one of the more comprehensive versions of 3DMark, to enjoy the additional tests in Night Raid and some of the more intensive benchmarks designed with heftier hardware in mind, UL Benchmarks has 3DMark at 75 percent off until October 15, giving it a price tag of $7.50

For more information on the specifics of the Night Raid benchmark, check out UL Benchmark’s technical guide.

Editors’ Recommendations

• New 3DMark benchmark will support Nvidia’s RTX 20 Series possibly this October
• Leaked benchmark shows the RTX 2080 outperforming the GTX 1080 Ti
• Intel i9-9900K storms ahead of competition in potential early benchmark
• Apple’s MacBook Pro throttling fix seems to be working
• We tested Nvidia’s RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. Are they a worthy upgrade?

Best Pixel 3 cases and covers

If you plan to buy one of Google’s Pixel 3 smartphones, then you had better look into protecting it. The glass back, which enables Qi wireless charging to work, is also going to be breakable, so it’s a smart move to safeguard it. We’ve had a quick peek at the available options and these are the best Pixel 3 cases so far for the brand-new phone.

Incipio NGP Case ($20)

If you’re a fan of the Pixel 3’s look and you don’t want to cover it entirely, then you might fancy this translucent offering from Incipio. Crafted from its proprietary Flex2O material, this is a lightweight but highly durable case for the Pixel 3. The bottom portion of the case echoes the Pixel’s two-tone finish to add a touch of style, but it’s a fairly plain offering with accurate openings, button covers, raised bezels to protect the screen, and a subtle Incipio logo on the side. It offers protection against scratches and drops from up to 3 feet.

Buy it now from:

Incipio

Spigen Neo Hybrid Case ($30)

Here’s a relatively tough case that combines malleable TPU with a hard polycarbonate frame for solid protection from knocks and falls. The matte, textured finish on the back enhances grip and won’t pick up grubby fingerprints. There’s also an extended lip around the screen to prevent it from touching down on any surface. Tapered openings for the fingerprint sensor and camera and well-defined button covers round out a good case.

Buy it now from:

Spigen

Totallee Thin Case ($25)

For people who hate thick cases and prominent branding, the Totallee Thin case could be ideal. It’s extremely thin at 0.02 inches thick, it’s so light you’ll barely feel it, and it has no logos or garish patterns. The matte black version is pictured, but it also comes in frosted clear and glossy clear varieties. You can’t expect solid drop protection from a case this slight, but it will guard against scratches and minor bumps.

Buy it now from:

Totallee

Ringke Fusion Case ($9)

This crystal-clear case from Ringke is very affordable, but still offers reasonable protection with a hard, transparent polycarbonate back panel and a flexible, clear TPU bumper. The corners are reinforced for impact protection and there’s a lanyard hole for anyone who wants to attach a strap. You’ll find accurate cutouts and thin button covers offering easy access to everything. You can also pick up this case with a smoke black translucent bumper.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

VRS Design Label Case ($20)

You may like the eye-catching, ridged look of this Single Fit Label Series case from VRS Design. It’s like a small, tough suitcase designed to envelop your Pixel 3 and guard it from drop damage or scratches. It features raised edges around the screen, tactile button covers, and beveled openings for the fingerprint sensor and camera. You can pick it up in white or black and each case features a burst of color in the red/orange label tag.

Buy it now from:

VRS Design

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best Pixel XL cases and covers
• The best Google Pixel 2 XL cases and covers
• The 25 best Galaxy S7 cases to safeguard your Samsung smartphone
• The best Galaxy S8 Plus cases and covers
• The best LG G7 ThinQ cases

Pixel 3 XL vs. Pixel 2 XL vs. Pixel XL: Which XL is best for you?

If you’re looking for the best possible Android experience on a big screen then you won’t get much better than Google’s Pixel XL phones. But it’s not that simple; the recent reveal of the Pixel 3 XL has increased the number of available XL models to three, giving you a range of choices.

So with three Pixel XLs available, which one is best for you? While the Pixel 3 XL is the latest iteration of Google’s phone, the other two still offer great performance, at a lower price. Don’t stress yourself out with the agony of choice — we’ve compared the three so you have a better idea of which one to pick.

Specs

Pixel 3 XL
Pixel 2 XL
Pixel XL

Size
158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm (6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches)
157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm (6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches)
154.7 × 75.7 × 8.5 mm (6 × 2.9 × 0.3 inches)

Weight
184 grams (6.49 ounces)
175 grams (6.2 ounces)
168 grams (5.93 ounces)

Screen size
6.3-inch P-OLED
6.0-inch P-OLED
5.5-inch AMOLED

Screen resolution
2,960 x 1,440 pixels (523 pixels per inch)
2,880 x 1,440 pixels (538 pixels per inch)
2,560 x 1,440 pixels (534 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 9.0 Pie
Android 9.0 Pie
Android 9.0 Pie

Storage space
64GB, 128GB
64GB, 128GB
32GB, 128GB

MicroSD card slot
No
No
No

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay
Google Pay
Google Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821

RAM
4GB
4GB
4GB

Camera
12MP rear, dual 8MP lenses front
12MP rear, 8MP front
12MP rear, 8MP front

Video
2,160p at 30 fps, 1,080p at 120 fps, 720p at at 240 fps
2,160p at 30 fps, 1,080p at 120 fps, 720p at at 240 fps
2,160p at 30 fps, 1,080p at 120 fps, 720p at at 240 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C, headphone jack

Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Yes

Water resistance
IPX8
IP67
Splash resistant

Battery
3,430mAh

Fast charging

Qi wireless charging

3,520mAh

Fast charging

3,450mAh

Fast charging

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Colors
Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink
Just Black, Black and White
Very Silver, Quite Black, Really Blue

Price
$899
$699
Around $400

Buy from
Google
Google
Amazon

Review score
Hands-on review
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Looking for a powerful phone? You’re in the right place. The Pixel 3 XL is equipped with the super-powerful Snapdragon 845, giving top-level, smooth performance. While the Snapdragon 835 and Snapdragon 821 chips in the Pixel XL 2 and Pixel XL are still powerful chips, they pale when compared to the modern chip in the Pixel 3 XL. All three offer silky smooth performance in day-to-day tasks, but the Pixel 3 XL is more future-proof, and capable of handling more advanced games.

The Pixel phones have rarely exceeded a day’s battery life, and it seems that tradition is set to continue with the Pixel 3 XL. In fact, the newer phone actually has a slightly smaller battery than the older models. We’ll have to see how it holds up in our tests. Super-fast charging is included on each phone, but the Pixel 3 XL is the first Pixel XL phone to come with wireless charging.

Despite possible issues with battery life, the Pixel 3 XL completely runs away with it, thanks to the additional power from the new processor.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Beauty is undoubtedly in the eye of the beholder, but we’re still going to take the original Pixel XL’s chunky bezels out the running, leaving just the Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 3 XL. The Pixel 3 XL is arguably the more modern of these two, with a notched display and further slimmed bezels. However, if you’re not a notch fan then the notch-less design of the Pixel 2 XL may appeal.

You’ll find a similar level of physical durability on each phone, thanks to glass bodies on each. Like before, the lack of water resistance on the Pixel XL disqualifies it — the Pixel 2 XL comes with IP67 water resistance, while the Pixel 3 XL rocks IPX8, giving the newer phone no protection against protrusions, but solid protection from immersion in water.

It’s a tough one to judge for many reasons — the notch being high among them — but the improved water resistance on the Pixel 3 XL clinches it.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Each Pixel phone has an excellent OLED display with deep, inky blacks, and vibrant colors. While they haven’t quite reached some competitors in sheer screen quality, they’re still amazing displays. However, they’ve not been without their issues, including blue tinting and burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL’s 6-inch P-OLED display. While Google claims to have fixed the issues now, it was a black mark against the phone for some. We imagine that Google won’t be making the same mistake again with the Pixel 3 XL.

It’s an exceptionally hard category to call, since all three displays are utterly stunning. However, the Pixel XL’s 5.5-inch screen is somewhat small by today’s standards, and the Pixel 2 XL’s screen had some real issues — making the Pixel 3 XL’s display the winner by default.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

While some manufacturers are just adding more lenses onto their phones, Google is content with perfecting the single 12-megapixel lens on the rear of each Pixel. The Pixel XL and Pixel 2 XL were both among the best smartphone cameras on launch, and we’re expecting much the same from the Pixel 3 XL. Does that mean the Pixel 3 XL will be the best camera of the bunch? Absolutely — the improvements to the Pixel 3 XL’s Visual Core chip have supposedly pushed the camera’s performance beyond even that of the Pixel 2 XL.

It’s a similar story with the front-facing camera too. While you will find an 8-megapixel selfie lens on each Pixel XL, the Pixel 3 XL has doubled the fun by adding an extra 8-megapixel wide-angle lens for “super selfies”. Video capabilities will be similar between each phone, with the ability to take 240 frames-per-second slow motion video at 720p, as well as 4K video at 30 frames-per-second.

While each Pixel XL has come with a stunning camera, Google has continued to refine and improve its formula with each year. The Pixel 3 XL’s improved camera takes this.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Pixel range is one of the best ways to experience Android, and outside of a few Pixel-specific additions, you’ll find an experience extremely close to stock Android. Google’s close integration of software and hardware means that Android is at its smoothest and fastest on a Pixel — so regardless of which you pick you’ll find a buttery smooth Android 9.0 Pie.

Updates will be lightning fast, coming straight from Google. It’s fair to expect the Pixel XL to stop getting major updates soon though, and the Pixel 2 XL to not be too much further behind that. Android Q is possible, but expect to see the older handsets start to filter out of updates eventually. The Pixel 3 XL will keep getting updates for a lot longer — at least three years — so it wins this by default.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The original Pixel XL was content with leading the way with the best possible experience with Google Assistant (at the time), but the Pixel 2 XL went further, adding the Active Edge squeezable sides that trigger Google’s A.I., as well as a bunch of other fun features like Now Playing, which identifies music playing near you.

The Pixel 3 XL will bring back the squeezable sides, but it also adds some additional fun features. Along with wirelessly charging your Pixel 3 XL, the Pixel Stand also turns your phone into a smart speaker, complete with one-touch shortcuts and more voice commands. The Pixel 3 XL will also be getting access to Call Screen — an A.I.-powered ability that allows Google Assistant to answer and transcribe your calls to help you filter out spam.

We expect the best of Android from the Pixel range, and it seems that Google’s pushing that with additional smart functionality. The Pixel 3 XL takes everything the other phones had, and adds even more.

Winner: Pixel 3 XL

Price

While the Pixel XL began life at around $670, it has since been discontinued by Google. As such, you can only find it on sites like Amazon now, but it’s seen a considerable price drop, to the point where you can pick one up for under $400. Prices for the Pixel 2 XL start from $699, and you can buy it unlocked from Google. The Pixel 3 XL starts from $899, and will release on October 18. All Pixel phones are compatible with all major U.S. carriers.

Overall winner: Pixel 3 XL

Surprise surprise — Google’s latest Pixel XL comes out the strongest, with the most powerful specs, the best camera, and a modern look that’s worthy of a 2018 flagship. If price is no object and you simply want the best phone, then the Pixel 3 XL is the way to go.

However, that’s not to say the other two phones are bad. On the contrary, they’re exceptional phones that will provide smoother performance and excellent usability if you’re looking to save some money. The excellent Pixel 2 XL has seen a significant price cut to $699, while the Pixel XL can be picked up for the price of a current midrange phone, which makes them both solid options if you’re watching your bank balance. But in a pure head-to-head battle, the Pixel 3 XL is stronger.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Pixel 2 XL: Flagship face-off
• Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Everything you need to know
• Common Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL problems, and how to fix them
• The best Pixel XL cases and covers
• Here’s how to buy the new Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL

Google Pixel Slate vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

With Google just revealing its Pixel Slate tablet, there’s plenty to wonder on how it stacks up against the Microsoft Surface Pro 6. From the design, keyboards, or operating systems, there is a lot that is initially similar—but also different— between the two.

In this side by side comparison piece, we stack the two newest tablets against each other helping you decide which one is best for you.

Design

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google’s Pixel Slate is thin and light, crafted with rounded corners and coming in at 1.6 pounds. The Surface Pro 6 keeps a similar simplistic design but is slightly heavier at 1.7 pounds without the keyboard. Google wasn’t specific on what material the Pixel Slate is made with, but it looks to be a solid piece of midnight blue aluminum, whereas the Surface Pro 6 is magnesium.

Just as with the iPad Pro, the other key differentiating element between the two devices is the kickstand. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 has a fully articulating kickstand with movement up to 165 degrees, but the Google Pixel Slate depends on its keyboard cover to stay propped up. In both cases, the keyboard is separate, $199 for the Pixel Slate, and $159 with the Surface Pro 6.

Finally, with the display, both Google and Microsoft are packing in plenty of pixels for an impressive viewing experience. Google promises that you’ll get a resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 with the 12.3-inch display on board the Pixel Slate, adding up for 293 PPI. The same size screen on the Surface Pro 6, though, gets you 2,736 x 1,824 resolution, for 267 PPI. Both are at a 3:2 aspect ratio, but Google is packing more pixels into the Pixel Slate screen, so it wins out there.

Performance

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

All similarities between the Pixel Slate and the Surface Pro 6 end with the performance, specs, and operating systems. Google’s Pixel Slate is powered by a new touch-focused version Chrome OS which looks a lot like Android. The Surface Pro 6, on the other hand, is powered by Windows 10 and comes in different processor and RAM configurations for better performance across the OS.

The entry-level $599 Pixel Slate comes with an Intel Celeron Processor, with 4GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. That sounds great, but in the long term, those specs might not hold up and the processor will slow you down when multi-tasking. On the other hand, the entry-level $899 Surface Pro 6 starts with an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage. Picking those same specs on the Pixel State would cost you $999, so it’s obvious that the Surface Pro 6 wins here.

Pricing aside, Google does look to get a lot done with Chrome OS on the Pixel Slate. There are the millions of apps on the Google Play Store, and Google promises they are working to get more apps optimized for Chrome OS. A revamped launcher, full-blown Chrome browser, multi-tasking, and Google Assistant integration also make the budget level Pixel Slate worth considering as well for casual tablet usage.

Both the Surface Pro 6 and the Pixel Slate come with pens that are separate $99 purchases. The Google Pen has an Aluminum rear body, poly-carbonate front body and button, and glass-filled  tip. Google didn’t share any new information about changes to the pen, so tech jargon aside, both look to be good for the price.

Portability

Coming down to portability, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Google Pixel Slate are equally portable. The Pixel Slate comes in at 11.45 inches x 7.95 inches x .27 inches. The Surface Pro 6, on the other hand, is 11.5 inches x 7.9 inches x 0.33 inches. The slate is somewhat shorter, but the differences are very subtle. Both look like easy devices to throw in a back and travel around with.

As for battery life, Google is promising that you will get up to 12 hours with mixed usage. Microsoft also sings the same song, saying that you’ll get 13.5 hours of battery. We haven’t yet tested either number yet, but a small difference in battery life won’t be a reason to turn down either of the two devices.

Keyboards are also considered for portability too, and again, both look to be similar across the two devices, down to the way they connect with POGO-like ports. The Surface Pro keyboard is one of the best, but Google is giving that a challenge with the Pixel State Keyboard. That keyboard comes features circle rounded keys, and an extra large trackpad and Googe teased that it is pretty silent when typing.

Coming down to connections when on the Go, the Surface Pro 6 offers up mini-Display Port and USB 3.0, and the Google Pixel Slate gives you two USB-Cs for charging 4K display output and quicker data transfer. That’s much newer tech than what is on the Surface Pro 6, but it also means you’ll have to embrace dongles in order to connect older accessories.

Asides from that, the Surface Pro 6 has a microSDXC card reader, and a headphone jack, all of which are not there on the Pixel Slate. Though you’ll need a dongle or Bluetooth to enjoy headphones with the Slate, it does feature dual-firing speakers for better surround sound. That makes for some amazing audio, whereas the Surface Pro 6 has a 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium.

Finally, with security, you’re getting a Fingerprint Sensor onboard the power button on the Pixel. On the Surface Pro 6, you’re getting Windows Hello, which uses your face for login. Both are solid options and make your device secure.

The Surface Pro 6 wins on paper

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Surface Pro 6 looks like the better option on paper. It offers more power at a slightly lower price, and Windows 10 is a more compelling operating system than Chrome OS (in most situations, at least). We think most people will lean towards the Microsoft device for those reasons.

Yet the Pixel Slate isn’t hopeless. It has a better display resolution and will likely be the better tablet overall, due to its redesigned Chrome OS and compatibility with Android apps from the Google Play Store.  You might prefer it if portability or tablet use is your primary concern.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Surface Pro 6 vs. iPad Pro
• Google takes on iPad Pro and Surface Pro with its new Pixel Slate
• Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Laptop 2
• Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Go
• Everything you need to know about the Pixel Slate

It’s alive! Scientists create ‘artificial life’ on a quantum computer

Here is a sentence that sounds like it’s come fresh off the pages of a Michael Crichton techno-thriller: Scientists have created “artificial life” on a quantum computer for the first time ever. And that could turn out to be kind of a big deal.

The work was achieved by researchers from the University of the Basque Country in Spain. With the aid of an IBM QX4 quantum computer, they created tiny simulated life forms capable of carrying out many of the behaviors seen in real-world life forms — including reproduction, mutation, evolution, and death. They hope that doing so will help researchers to better understand the origins of life and whether it can be explained through quantum mechanics. This is something that has been hypothesized for decades, dating back to Erwin Schrödinger’s influential 1944 book What is Life?

“Our research connects two previously unrelated areas as are artificial life and quantum computing,” Lucas Lamata, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “The former is an extensive research field where the aim is to reproduce biological behaviors in artificial systems, while the latter is an area that is growing fast in the past few years and could revolutionize computation and communication. We mainly posed the fundamental question: Which is the smallest physical system that can undergo self-replication and other biological behaviors attributed uniquely to living beings?”

The researchers were interested in whether these behaviors happen at the macroscopic level of a DNA module or at the few-atom level where quantum physics dominates. In their work, simulated “individuals” were represented using two quantum bits, or “qubits.” These are measures of information which can represent one, zero, or any quantum superposition of the two states. Their demonstration suggests that a small quantum system can reproduce biological behaviors and that the quantum principle of “entanglement” plays a crucial role in this possibility.

“We may easily find several applications, still to be developed, around quantum game theory and optimization problems,” Enrique Solano, another researcher on the project, told us. “The latter are a common place for applications in economy, design, aerodynamics, and complex biological systems. The natural merge of this research with artificial intelligence methods will create a novel paradigm for exploring the growth of complexity, an important asset of present and future studies from molecular systems to astrophysical objects and social behaviors.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Editors’ Recommendations

• With Q#, Microsoft is throwing programmers the keys to quantum
• Stanford A.I. can realistically score computer animations just by watching them
• Want an extra arm? A third thumb? Check out these awesome robotic appendages
• Just like an eagle, this autonomous glider can fly on thermal currents
• Judgmental A.I. mirror rates how trustworthy you are based on your looks

It’s alive! Scientists create ‘artificial life’ on a quantum computer

Here is a sentence that sounds like it’s come fresh off the pages of a Michael Crichton techno-thriller: Scientists have created “artificial life” on a quantum computer for the first time ever. And that could turn out to be kind of a big deal.

The work was achieved by researchers from the University of the Basque Country in Spain. With the aid of an IBM QX4 quantum computer, they created tiny simulated life forms capable of carrying out many of the behaviors seen in real-world life forms — including reproduction, mutation, evolution, and death. They hope that doing so will help researchers to better understand the origins of life and whether it can be explained through quantum mechanics. This is something that has been hypothesized for decades, dating back to Erwin Schrödinger’s influential 1944 book What is Life?

“Our research connects two previously unrelated areas as are artificial life and quantum computing,” Lucas Lamata, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “The former is an extensive research field where the aim is to reproduce biological behaviors in artificial systems, while the latter is an area that is growing fast in the past few years and could revolutionize computation and communication. We mainly posed the fundamental question: Which is the smallest physical system that can undergo self-replication and other biological behaviors attributed uniquely to living beings?”

The researchers were interested in whether these behaviors happen at the macroscopic level of a DNA module or at the few-atom level where quantum physics dominates. In their work, simulated “individuals” were represented using two quantum bits, or “qubits.” These are measures of information which can represent one, zero, or any quantum superposition of the two states. Their demonstration suggests that a small quantum system can reproduce biological behaviors and that the quantum principle of “entanglement” plays a crucial role in this possibility.

“We may easily find several applications, still to be developed, around quantum game theory and optimization problems,” Enrique Solano, another researcher on the project, told us. “The latter are a common place for applications in economy, design, aerodynamics, and complex biological systems. The natural merge of this research with artificial intelligence methods will create a novel paradigm for exploring the growth of complexity, an important asset of present and future studies from molecular systems to astrophysical objects and social behaviors.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Editors’ Recommendations

• With Q#, Microsoft is throwing programmers the keys to quantum
• Stanford A.I. can realistically score computer animations just by watching them
• Want an extra arm? A third thumb? Check out these awesome robotic appendages
• Just like an eagle, this autonomous glider can fly on thermal currents
• Judgmental A.I. mirror rates how trustworthy you are based on your looks