These Pixel 2 cases are so thin, you’ll forget they’re there

Cases can be bulky, boring, and ugly, so I can understand why so many choose to go naked and show off their phone’s full glory for the world to see. Even the thinnest of cases can offer some small protection from scuffs, chips, and smaller tumbles, and these ultra-thin cases for the Google Pixel 2 are so thin, you may even forget you’re wearing a case!

Like totally awesome

Totallee Case

While it looks too thin to do much of anything, you really can rest easy with the Totallee case. You don’t have to worry about smudges, scuffs, scrapes, or chipping the coating Google adds to the Pixel 2. Totallee made this case so you can get a basic safeguard against regular wear-and-tear while also giving your phone a new splash of color without adding any bulk.

$18 at Amazon

Super thin support

Peel Super Thin Case

Peel is quite proud of their “0.35mm thin” cases and we agree that these cases are perfect for people who hate cases. And unlike most case makers, Peel doesn’t shoehorn logos and branding into their paper-thin cases, instead letting the beauty of your Google-designed phone show though frosted cases color-matched to each variant of the Pixel 2.

$25 at Peel

Little black case

Spigen Thin Fit Case

Most of Spigen’s line is known for thinness that doesn’t compromise protection, but the Thin Fit offers MIL-STD 810G 516.6 military-grade protection in a case that won’t make your Pixel 2 or 2XL feel like a tank. It only comes in black, but black goes with everything.

$12 at Amazon

Slim and sparkly

Bear Motion Slim Case

This sparkly case adds grip to the back and sides of your phone while leaving the top and bottom open for easy access to ports and sensors. This case wraps around the corners of the phone for protection, a hard-shell case that snaps on to protect your phone from scuffs and scratches while bringing some shine and style.

$8 at Amazon

Almost invisible

Aeska Ultra Slim Thin Case

This thin, translucent case is easy to slip on and off, with its flexible TPU offering a tiny bit more energy absorption and redirection during drops than harder polycarbonate cases. This case comes in 5 subtle colors, including this lovely Purple, a color not seen much with Pixel 2 cases that are dominated by black and teal and mint.

$8 at Amazon

I’ve always been partial to Spigen cases, but the allure of the Totallee case’s bright blue hue is hard to ignore. If you’re looking for slim protection that’s more budget-friendly, the Aeska Ultra Slim is crystal clear protection at half the price with just a hair more thickness than the Totallee and Peel cases.

Here’s everything that’s new in WWE 2K19

There’s more here than meets the eye.

WWE 2K19 is out, and as such with annual sports (or sports entertainment) titles, it can be difficult to figure out all that the new releases have to offer. Let us take that difficulty out of the equation.

We’ve gone through this game with a fine-toothed comb to find absolutely everything new. Here’s what you can find new compared to WWE 2K19.

$60 at Amazon

An amazing lighting engine

The first thing you’ll notice upon booting this game up is its beauty. WWE games have looked great over the years, but WWE 2K19 takes it to a whole new level.

Strobe lights accurately bounce off everything in the arena, your superstar included. The multi-colored display lights shoot colorful beams of energy into the sky.

The flashes from the floodlights are blinding, and the spotlight follows superstars with methodical and smooth motion. This is one beautiful game, and believe it or not, much of the improvements come from sheer lighting.

Popular match types get enhancements

WWE 2K19 seems to be a year focused on tightening up the solid foundation established in the previous year’s game, and you won’t see a better example of that than with changes to several popular match types.

Steel Cage

The classic steel cage match is back, and it’s more dangerous than ever with new environmental fighting possibilities. For starters, you can now fight your opponent as both of you are climbing the cage. You can also pick your opponent up and throw them into the side of the cage. The fighting can go all the way to the top before you make one last effort to reach the other side.

Speaking of which, there’s now a button mashing mini-game to escape the cage either over the top or through the door. It’s a simple addition, but it adds another layer of difficulty in a match that was a bit too easy to win before.

Hell in a Cell

This gruesome match type is perhaps the most iconic for WWE. Hell in a Cell has shrunken in total size this year, but the change is much-welcomed when you consider the new possibilities.

It’s now much easier to break outside the cell, and not just from one side. You can break through all sides of the cell now, which — as you may guess — means you can also fight on all four sides of the cell outside.

The match has been propped up with a host of new animations for cell-fighting, making the match feel more impactful throughout all stages.

When you decide to climb to the top, you’ll find that lateral movement is now possible mid-climb. Superstars can fight each other before reaching the top. And once on top, you’ll now have four cell panels to break instead of just two.

The cost of all this is the inability to grab weapons from beneath the ring. That’s sure to be a big downer for some, but if it makes for a more meaty match in all other areas, then it’s a welcome tradeoff.

Showcase mode is back

For some inexplicable reason, 2K removed Showcase mode from last year’s game. This mode places a spotlight on prominent moments in WWE history.

Well, it’s back in WWE 2K19, and this time we get a great retelling of Daniel Bryan’s rise to fame in the WWE. From his early days as a tryout talent through to the YES! Movement and on his way to the WWE Championship, you’ll get to relive all of his biggest moments.

Showcase mode includes digital renditions of promos and matches, with the real commentary from these moments used to heighten the authenticity. You’ll also hear from Daniel Bryan himself as he chronicles his musings documentary style.

MyPlayer

MyPlayer is back as the most personal mode in a WWE video game. You’ll create your character and see which new heights you can take him to. Here’s everything that’s new.

MyCareer Story

MyCareer is back to offer an original story. While MyCareer isn’t a new feature in and of itself, WWE 2K19’s MyCareer is the first in series history to have a fully-voiced dialog.

There are close to 30 WWE superstars featured in the story, each with multiple pages worth of lines. There are also several original characters and radio personalities who will chime in on what’s going on in the world of wrestling.

While there isn’t much room for user freedom, the linearity allowed 2K to deliver a truly memorable and fun story. You’ll start out as a fledgling wrestler from an independent company and go as far as your drive can take you, hopefully to the WWE Hall of Fame someday.

Progression

Character progression in WWE 2K19 is a bit different. You now earn MyPlayer Skill Points which can be used to purchase upgrades on a massive skill tree.

Each node of the skill tree corresponds to a few points of stats for any of your attributes, and you’ll also unlock special character abilities on the way. There are maximum stats for each category, and some of these categories can go much further once you settle in on your preferred fighting style.

And yes, VC is still in the game, but it’s not used for character progression outside of purchasing new moves, superstar parts, and theatrics (all of which can still be unlocked through loot crates, by the way).

2K Towers and Road to Glory

New to MyPlayer this year is 2K Towers. This mode lets you take your superstar into a series of matches gauntlet-style, with the match types, participants, and victory conditions adhering to a set of fun stipulations.

For instance, one Towers session might have you facing a series of opponents who have all won the Royal Rumble. There are both daily and weekly events to partake in, and you’ll earn increased rewards in this mode.

Of course, Road to Glory is back to offer a standard ranked ladder for those who are ultra competitive.

Improved Universe Mode

Veterans to the series know that Universe Mode can do with some big improvements. While we wouldn’t necessarily call the changes made to the mode in WWE 2K19 “meaty,” there are several quality-of-life changes that shouldn’t go unappreciated.

For one, show management and customization have gotten a lot better. Matches with rivalry cutscenes can now be edited in a way that lets you retain the rivalry status. You can also now choose the outcome of matches you decide to simulate. The ability to assign a manager to any superstar you want is also welcome, and the fact that Universe finally properly includes those managers in matches and rivalry cutscenes is exciting.

2K also hooked us up with a match tables editor. This feature essentially allows you to customize how often certain match types appear on your shows. The tool, along with the aforementioned improvements, should go a long way toward improving AI-based booking.

Moving on, each show can now have up to 6 titles, mixed and match however you’d like. You could have an entire Divas-only show with Divas-only championships if you so wish. And the Money in the Bank briefcase now also counts as a title.

Speaking of Money in the Bank, it’s now possible to create your own briefcase with custom logos, colors, and materials.

And speaking of championships, you now organize the pecking order of your WWE Universe rosters by championship so that you can ensure certain superstars only fight for certain titles. This seems to affect how Universe mode automatically books shows, so random weird occurrences like Undertaker vs Aiden English in a Falls Count Anywhere match should no longer happen (unless, of course, you want it to).

Big Head Mode

This is a fun one. Your matches can now be played with Big Head Mode enabled. It’s just as you’re imagining: wrestlers go at it with huge heads on their normal now-tiny bodies.

It’s sillier than we’re used to in WWE games of late and can be ignored if you’d like, but those who come to love it will enjoy oversized versions of their favorite superstars where all the hurt and pain in the world can be seen on their faces without having to squint.

Huge Roster

WWE 2K19 has the biggest roster to date, with over 200 superstars from the past and present being featured. Indie darlings turned champion like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. Legends like Ric Flair and The Rock. Electrifying acts like The New Day and the Hardy Boyz. Fierce women like Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. This roster is packed, and you can add to it even more by downloading custom superstars from the Creation Suite.

New Creation Mode options

While we’re on the topic, the Creation Mode is also getting its fair share of new bits. You can find hundreds of new parts and over 200 brand new moves to use on your created superstars.

That includes a new superstar body type: blocky. That’s right, you could create an entire Minecraft or Roblox wrestling federation if you wanted.

For the less creatively inclined, a new randomizer feature generates a full-blown superstar. These aren’t jumbled messes of characters, either. The result is often something so cohesive that you’d wonder if the wrestler was in the game as a default character.

You can also do something similar for the WWE superstars included on the disc, as you can now customize the attire colors for the superstars and give them a random spin of their own.

Are you ready?

WWE 2K19 isn’t the single biggest leap in the series’ history, but it certainly feels like the most meaningful one. The game is out today. Will you get it?

$60 at Amazon

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Canadians can now pre-order the Toshiba Fire Edition televisions

No more window shopping.

The Toshiba Fire TV Edition televisions are finally up for pre-order in Canada. They’ve been available for awhile in the United States, and now the tech is finally crossing the border. You can pre-order now from Amazon and Best Buy, and your new TV will ship on October 19th.

If you’re looking for 4K, your options include a 43-inch model for $550, a 50-inch model for $600, and a 55-inch model for $700. There are HD versions, too, which start at $300 for a 32-inch 720p model, $450 for a 43-inch 1080p model, and $550 for a 49-inch 1080p model.

Every version features 3 HDMI inputs and a built-in RF antenna for the preloaded OTA tuner. There are also other various ports like Ethernet, USB, and more. Each model comes with an Alexa voice remote, similar to the ones you’ve seen with Fire TVs. Aside from basic controls like power and volume, you can use your voice and Alexa to browse and play media, and there are shortcuts for Prime Video, Netflix, and more.

See at Amazon Canada

Google Pixel Slate hands-on: Chrome OS built to take on the Surface

The hardware is gorgeous, but Google has something to prove in the software.

Google threw a little shade at “laptops trying to act like tablets” as it announced its latest convertible two-in-one device, the Pixel Slate. Google doesn’t want to call this new device a laptop, or a tablet (though it’s listed in the “tablets” section on the Google Store), but something new altogether — a convergent device that splits the difference, without compromising.

In reality the Pixel Slate falls right in line with other convergent devices like the Surface line: it’s a large tablet-like device that can work on its own, and is filled with enough power to replace a laptop when a full-featured keyboard is attached. And most importantly for Google, this is its first tablet detachable device running Chrome OS, with a refreshed and improved tablet interface.

Looking at the Pixel Slate as a tablet, was surprised by just how big and heavy it is. Remember this is a 12.3-inch device, which is much larger than you typical tablet, and it has laptop-like specs (and a battery to support it). That display is surrounded by decent-sized bezels to promote holding it as a tablet, and also to make room for a pair of front-firing speakers. It’s surprisingly thin, just 7 mm, but that makes it feel extra dense. The 1.6 pound weight is seemingly perfectly distributed throughout the tablet, so it doesn’t feel top- or side-heavy as you hold it, but it still feels heavy regardless. For comparison the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also roughly 1.6 pounds. I wouldn’t want to hold this up in the air for more than a handful of minutes, unless I was perhaps cradling it in my hand in portrait mode to draw with the Pixel Pen.

This is typically great Google hardware — but it’s pretty big and heavy as far as tablets go.

The rest of the Pixel Slate is rather featureless. The entire back is flat and smooth, and the edges are just rounded metal save for a couple spots used for antennas. There are two USB-C ports, both of which work for charging and data, which is great to see — but you give up the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is just a step too far for many people.

Drop the Pixel Slate into its folio keyboard case, and things get a bit more interesting. Looking at the device as more of a laptop, the 1.6 pound weight doesn’t seem all that daunting. Despite not having a battery, the keyboard itself weighs another 1.1 pounds — for a total package of 2.7 pounds, about normal for a thin-and-light laptop. This keyboard is also a massive step above your typical tablet accessory — this thing turns the Pixel Slate into a proper laptop. The keys have more travel than the Pixelbook, and it only takes a moment to get over the awkwardness of the round keys — I was typing quickly and accurately in no time at all. It’s also backlit, which you don’t often see on these removable keyboards. The trackpad felt just as smooth and responsive as my MacBook Pro, which is high praise.

The keyboard does well with its mix of materials to accentuate the experience. The exterior is a soft suede-like material that’s easy to grip and should hold up pretty well. The base has a grippy silicone-like material, similar to the base of the Google Home Mini, so it won’t slide around in laptop mode. It also makes clever use of magnets, which is something we’ve seen over Google’s hardware history. The case portion of the keyboard folds around back and attaches to the Slate with magnets at a wide range of angles, and flips back over and magnetically connects to the screen — albeit not as securely as the Pixel C did back in the day, unfortunately.

Chrome OS feels a bit more at home on a tablet than before, but it doesn’t feel as good as iOS or Android.

Google really wants Chrome OS to be capable on tablets, and the Pixel Slate is its fresh attempt. There are a few subtle changes that make it feel more at home on an all-touch Slate — like a Pie-styled quick settings panel, cleaner window management, and a new app drawer view that’s displayed by default when there’s no keyboard attached. Chrome OS still feels a little awkward without a keyboard and mouse, to be honest, and the issues with running some Android apps are well-documented at this point. Google needs devices like this out in the wild to make the experience better, though, so it’s hard to chastise it too hard at this point.

In my limited time with the device at Google’s hardware launch event in New York City, I couldn’t discern just how fast (or slow) the Pixel Slate was. We were using freshly power washed devices with dev-release software, and it wasn’t clear which spec variants were deployed in the demo area. The base model with 4GB of RAM and a Celeron processor isn’t going to blow anyone away, but you can spec up this exact device to a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM where it could compete with the best Chromebooks available today.

Then we bring it all home with the pricing: starting at $599 + $199 for the keyboard, this is not a device for everyone. And really, chances are if you expect this to be your main portable computing device, you want to bump up one level to a Core m3 processor and 8GB of RAM, which is $799 (again +$199 for a keyboard). That’s $998 for a two-in-one running Chrome OS. So that raises the question, then: is the Pixel Slate worthy of this high price when it may not be as good at tablet things as an iPad Pro, but also not as powerful for laptop duty as a Surface Pro? That conclusion will come with time. Right now, I’ll say that the hardware is great and the keyboard is smartly made — a device worthy of attention, if not your money right away.

Canada Daily Deals: Mechanical keyboards, Nintendo Switch games, and more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Aukey mechanical gaming keyboards, Nintendo switch pre-release games, Weiser keyless door locks, Logitech mice, ILIFE Robo Vacs, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA, sign up for the Canadian newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

Stardew Valley Coming to iOS on October 24, Pre-Orders Available Now

Ultra popular farming simulation RPG Stardew Valley is set to expand to iOS devices starting on October 24, developer ConcernedApe announced today.

For those unfamiliar with Stardew Valley, it’s an incredibly in-depth game where players take on the role of a character who takes over their grandfather’s small, failing farm, working to bring it back to prosperity by planting and tending crops, raising animals, and crafting goods to sell. It’s similar to other games like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing.

Players are also tasked with fighting monsters to earn money, mining ores, getting to know all the townspeople, and engaging in various social activities within the town. There are cyclical seasons and different crops and activities to partake in as the game progresses through different years.

The mobile version of Stardew Valley is the full version of the game that “plays almost identically to all the other versions.” It has been rebuilt for touchscreen controls by London-based mobile development studio, The Secret Police.

All single-player content from the 1.3 patch, including the night market, skull cavern changes, and new character events, will be available, but the game will not support multiple players.

Those who have played Stardew Valley on the PC will be able to transfer their save data to the iOS version of the game using iTunes.

Pre-orders for the new iOS version of Stardew Valley are available starting today, with the game priced at $7.99 with no in-app purchases.
Discuss this article in our forums

Google takes on iPad Pro and Surface Pro with its new Pixel Slate

After months of endless leaks and speculation, Google finally took the wraps off of its premium new Chromebook at a media event in New York City on October 9 alongside its flagship Android phones. New this year is the Pixel Slate, Google’s take on a detachable Chrome OS tablet. The Pixel Slate supports a removable keyboard folio, making it a direct competitor to Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface Go.

The Pixel Slate launches at an interesting time — Google announced the tablet a week following Microsoft’s New York City press event where we saw the Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 6, and Surface Studio 2, and ahead of Apple’s rumored Mac and iPad events. Though Apple has not scheduled a date for its media event, rumors suggest that Apple will launch update its devices, which would give the Pixel Slate some major competition in the premium hardware space.

Pixel Slate

The Pixel Slate is designed for productivity and life on the go, Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh said of the device, which represents Google’s re-entry into the tablet space after a three-year absence. The Pixel Slate comes in a midnight blue hue and has a folio keyboard accessory that lets it convert between tablet and laptop mode.

The Slate is described as Google’s new vision for Chrome OS, and gives you powerful productivity in a new mobile form. The Pixel Slate has a magnetic connector on the bottom edge that allows the Slate to snap into Google’s keyboard cover with a circular key design for the key caps. Google claims that the round hush keys will be comfortable and quiet to type on. The folio is described to be infinitely adjustable so you can use it at any angle you like.

Previous

Next

1 of 4

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The UI supports split screen for productivity and a full desktop experience. And for downtime, there is a do not disturb feature to minimize distraction. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint sensor for easy unlock. Google also partnered with Adobe to launch a new version of Acrobat for Pixel Slate, which allows you to fill out forms and sign documents with the Pixel Pen.

The Pixel Slate takes a different language than the rest of Google’s lineup. Unlike the Pixel phones and the Pixelbook, both of which utilize a glass and aluminum design on the rear, the Pixel Slate’s back side is constructed of a solid piece of metal. For productivity and entertainment, the screen has a 3,000 x 2,000-pixel resolution with a similar 3:2 aspect ratio as Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 and Surface Go.

Google says there is a custom display that’s more responsive than a traditional display. For a multimedia experience, the Pixel Slate has front-facing stereo speakers that “deliver surprisingly big sound,” Google said at its event. The speakers have a custom audio profile that supports crisp highs and deep lows.

The Pixel Slate 2 was designed for cord cutters, Google said, with three months of YouTube TV bundled for free. Google is also bringing the excellently rated cameras from its Pixel phones to the slate, with 8-megapixel cameras on the front and rear. The front camera supports crisp videos for video conferencing, while the rear camera also supports portrait mode.

The Pixel Slate starts at $599 and will be available in several configurations. The folio keyboard will be available for $199, and the $99 Pixel Pen comes in a color matched midnight blue tone this year. The Pixel Slate will be available later this year, Google said, in the US, Canada, and the UK. Google did not reveal memory configurations or processor details.

Want to know more? Here’s the full details on Google’s Pixel Slate.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Everything you need to know about the Pixel Slate
• Google Pixel Slate — the first detachable Pixelbook 2-in-1
• Leaked Intel processor could help Google Pixel Slate dual-boot into Windows
• Surface Pro 6 vs. iPad Pro
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review

Google Pixel 3 vs. Pixel 2 vs. Pixel: Picking the perfect phone for you

As the developer of Android, Google turns out the slickest Android phones. Snag a Pixel and you don’t have to worry about Android security or fragmentation — you can simply enjoy a silky smooth, swiftly updated slice of Android heaven.

The original Pixel is getting on a bit and the Pixel 3 offers some upgrades over the still-excellent Pixel 2. If you’re thinking of upgrading, or wondering if last year’s Pixel might be good enough, then we have you covered right here. Learn exactly what separates the three Pixel generations as we compare them.

Specs

Google Pixel 3

Google Pixel 2
Google Pixel

Size
145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm (5.73 x 2.69 x 0.31 inches)
145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm (5.74 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches)
143.8 x 69.5 x 8.5 mm (5.66 x 2.74 x 0.33 inches)

Weight
148 grams (5.22 ounces)
143 grams (5.04 ounces)
143 grams (5.04 ounces)

Screen size
5.5-inch AMOLED
5-inch AMOLED
5-inch AMOLED

Screen resolution
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (443 pixels per inch)
1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441 pixels per inch)
1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 9.0 Pie
Android 8.0 Oreo (upgradeable to Android 9 Pie)
Android 7.1 Nougat (upgradeable to Android 9 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
Single 12.2MP rear, dual 8MP and 8MP front camera
Single 12.2MP rear, 8MP front camera
Single 2.3MP rear, 8MP front camera

Video
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, 720p at 240fps
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, 720p at 240fps
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, 720p at 240fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
USB-C 2.0
USB-C 1.0
USB-C 1.0

Fingerprint sensor
Yes (back)
Yes (back)
Yes (back)

Water resistance
IP67
IP67
Splash resistant

Battery
2,915mAh

Fast charging

Qi wireless charging

2,700mAh

Fast charging

2,770mAh

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
Kinda Blue, Just Black, Clearly White
Quite Black, Very Silver, Really Blue

Price
$800
$650
$650

Buy from
Google
Google

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

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

A look at the spec sheet reveals the Pixel 3 has the popular Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor inside — the same chip you’ll find in everything from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 to Sony’s Xperia XZ3. It’s fast and plenty powerful. The Pixel 2 has last year’s Snapdragon 835 and the original Pixel has the Snapdragon 821. Each new generation of Qualcomm’s processor brings speed boosts and power efficiency enhancements. The Pixels all have 4GB of RAM.

There’s 64GB or 128GB of storage in the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, and you can also get a 128GB Pixel. The original, entry-level Pixel offered just 32GB of storage, which is definitely not enough, especially since there’s no MicroSD card slot in any of these phones.

Battery size hasn’t changed much, going from 2,770mAh in the original to 2,700mAh in the Pixel 2 to 2,915mAh in the Pixel 3. Although it has a slightly larger screen to power, it also boasts better power efficiency, so we expect the Pixel 3 to offer the most stamina. these are all phones that will require daily charging, but the Pixel 3 is the only one to offer support for Qi wireless charging.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google’s understated style could also be described as dated. It has been slow to react to the bezel-less trend, with each Pixel release featuring unashamedly large bezels around the screen compared to contemporaries. The Pixel 3 is certainly the most modern-looking of the trio. While the back of the Pixel 2 had a two-tone finish that combines matte aluminum with a glass portion at the top, the Pixel 3 is all glass. In the original Pixel, the glass took up perhaps a third of the back with the fingerprint sensor embedded in it, but in the Pixel 2, that glass portion shrank and the fingerprint sensor was found in the metal below. The Pixel 3 retains a similar style, but the back is all glass now. None of the Pixels have a 3.5mm headphone jack, relying on a single USB-C port instead.

The original Pixel was only splash-resistant, but the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 can be fully submerged in water without sustaining any damage. The relatively small size makes each Pixel easy to handle, and the original Pixel and the Pixel 2 should cope with falls better than their more delicate successor. The Pixel 2 and 3 both boast Gorilla Glass 5, while the original Pixel has Gorilla Glass 4.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Display

All three of the Pixels boast OLED screens, but while the Pixel 2 and original Pixel have 5-inch displays with 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolutions, the Pixel 3 has a bigger, 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels. The shift to a 19:9 aspect ratio, from 16:9 in the first two Pixels, gives you a decent extra chunk of screen real estate without increasing the size of the handset — in fact, the Pixel 3 is slightly smaller.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Camera

Tinh tế Photo/Flickr

The Pixel 2 has been our reigning camera phone champion for the last year. Despite relying on a single 12.2-megapixel lens, it takes consistently excellent shots in all kinds of different conditions — and it appears Google has stuck with it for the Pixel 3. The original Pixel was no slouch either, with a 12.3 megapixel camera. The Pixel 3 offers a range of new and exclusive A.I. smarts in the camera that enable it to snap shots before and after you press the shutter button, so it can choose the best one, where your subject is facing the camera, smiling, and has their eyes open. There’s also an A.I.-enhanced zoom capability, automatic subject tracking, so you don’t have to tap to refocus if you or your subject move, and improved low-light performance.

The first two Pixels have 8-megapixel front-facing cameras, but the Pixel 3 kicks it up a notch with a dual-lens, front-facing camera that pairs two 8-megapixel lenses, one telephoto and one wide angle. That should enable you to get a solid bokeh effect, with blurred backgrounds on your portrait photos. The second lens is wide angle, allowing for wider group selfie shots, or enabling you to capture more of your background.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Software and updates

Google’s Pixel phones are mercifully free of manufacturer meddling, with the purest stock Android, which enables some of the best performance you’ll see on an Android phone. They’re also the first devices to get software updates, as Google can roll them out whenever it likes. We’re giving the Pixel 3 the win here because it will continue to be updated for longer than the other two, but the software experience on these phones is going to be close to identical, with Android 9.0 Pie on all of them.

Some of the new Google Assistant capabilities, like the ability to screen your calls to weed out spam and the ability to make calls and makes restaurant reservations for you, will be rolling out on the new Pixels first.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Special features

Google has something of a no-frills approach to its smartphones, preferring to focus on a slick, well-rounded experience. While there are no glaring flaws here, there also isn’t much to point to in terms of special features. The Pixel 3 sets itself apart from the other two with its dual-lens selfie-camera and the A.I. enhancements in the main shooter.

The Pixel 3 is also the only one with Qi wireless charging support, and if you charge it using a Google Pixel Stand, you get access to schedule and commute information and more via one-touch shortcuts or voice commands.

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Price

The first two Pixel phones cost $650 at launch for the lowest-capacity model, but the original Pixel can be found for significantly less now and we expect to see price drops on the Pixel 2, now that the Pixel 3 is here. The Pixel 3 costs significantly more at $800 for the 64GB version and $900 for the 128GB version.

Stock issues impacted the original Pixel and the Pixel 2 as Google seemed to be caught off guard by the demand, but we don’t expect to see a repeat with the Pixel 3. Google has offered each Pixel unlocked and ready for use on any major U.S. carrier, and you’ll also be able to buy the Pixel 3 on an installment plan if you prefer.

Overall winner: Google Pixel 3

It’s somewhat surprising to see how little the Pixel has changed in three generations. The Pixel 3 is definitely the best of the bunch, but we’re talking about refinements here, with a slightly more modern design that squeezes in more screen and a better front-facing camera. It should also be faster and have a little more stamina than its predecessors, but there are no giant leaps. If your budget is limited and you can snag a discounted Pixel 2, we think it will serve you well for some time to come. If you’re looking to upgrade, we think you’ll feel the difference if you’re trading in an original Pixel, but Pixel 2 owners can stick with that model for another year.

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
• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 8 vs. Note 5: All the changes of note
• 11 common Google Pixel problems and how to deal with them
• The Google Pixel Stand turns your Android phone into an Assistant-powered hub

Google’s Home Hub includes a large display, will go on sale for $149

Google Home Hub is here to turbocharge the Assistant experience.

The Google Home is a great product for controlling smart lights and streaming music, but as we’ve seen with the Lenovo Smart Display, a display makes things much better. Google is now rolling out its own offering in this space, the Home Hub. Like the rest of the Google Home ecosystem, the Home Hub is made out of custom fabrics and premium materials, and the large screen up front is ideal for viewing information at a glance.

The Home Hub has an Ambient EQ mode that automatically adjust the screen’s brightness, and interestingly, Google said it consciously decided to not put a camera on the Hub. The move could go some way to assuage buyers, but it limits the functionality of the device — you won’t be able to make Duo video calls from the Hub.

And with the Home Hub offering Voice Match, it will be able to offer personalized results for different family members. The device also comes with a dashboard that shows you a list of all the smart home devices in your home in a single place. The dashboard will also be making its way to the Google Home mobile app.

A product like the Hub is ideal as a photo frame, and you’ll be able to do just that by integrating your Google Photos albums with the device. Google is leveraging its AI smarts to filter out blurry or duplicate images, with only the best photos showing up on the screen.

The Home Hub also comes with six months’ worth of YouTube Premium for free. Google Home Hub will be available in four color options, with pre-orders starting today for just $149. It will be hitting store shelves from October 22 in the U.S., UK, and Australia. What are your thoughts on the Home Hub?

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL have arrived — here’s everything you need to know!

From specs, pricing, features, and more, here’s the latest on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

Following months of leak after leak, Google’s officially taken the wraps off its Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones. The two handsets look exactly like what we saw in all the early photos and renders, and while the element of surprise may be gone, we’ve still got two impressive Android handsets to talk about.

Without further ado, this is everything you need to know about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL!

Check out our hands-on coverage

Our review of the Pixel 3 and 3 XL isn’t ready quite yet, but in the meantime, make sure you check out our written and video coverage for our hands-on impressions.

This year’s Pixel phones aren’t drastically different compared to their predecessors, but improved displays, a faster processor, wireless charging and more all result in a really well fleshed-out package that makes for what could be some of the best smartphones you can buy in 2018.

Here are the specs!

If you’ve got a Pixel 2, a lot of the specs for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will look very similar. There’s still 4GB of RAM and a starting storage amount of 64GB, but the Snapdragon 835 processor from last year has been replaced by the newer 845.

For a full rundown on both phones, check out the link below. 👇

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL specifications

The displays are a lot better

Shortly after its release, one of the biggest controversies that popped up for the larger Pixel 2 XL was its poor display. We have an LG-made OLED panel once again, but the year-over-year difference is huge.

Google’s touting 400+ nits of brightness for both phones, 2X less burn-in potential, and less color shifting.

There are still three different color profiles to choose from so you can fine-tune your experience, and out of the box, both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been optimized so that their displays look identical next to one another.

There are three colors

Google’s probably the best when it comes to naming its device colors, and this year we have Just Black and Very White. New this year is a pink hue that’s been aptly named “Not Pink.”

All three colors are available for both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL no matter where you decide to buy them.

An all-glass back brings wireless charging support

For the past two years, Google’s used a mixture of aluminum and glass on the back of its phones. This year, the Pixel 3 shakes things up by adopting an all-glass construction.

There’s still an etched section near the top that adds a nice matte finish that allows for more grip and fewer fingerprints. Google’s also integrated Qi wireless charging support and selling a new Pixel Stand wireless charging accessory that’ll charge the Pixel 3 + 3 XL and put them into a new “dashboard” UI that shows a slideshow of pictures on Google Photos and various Assistant info.

The Pixel Stand is a $79 wireless charger for Pixel 3 that unlocks special display modes

Google’s made a ton of camera improvements

The Pixel 2 and 2 XL have some of the best cameras we’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and with the Pixel 3, Google’s making the camera experience even better.

Perhaps the biggest change includes the addition of a second front-facing camera. You now have access to a regular and wide-angle lens for all of your selfies and portrait mode works no matter which one you use. Google’s also integrated an algorithm to remove any distortion caused by the wider lens.

Other changes include:

• 40% faster HDR+ processing
• Improved detail retention while zooming
• Night Sight mode improves low-light shots
• Top Shot mode captures multiple frames before and after your picture and then recommends an alternative shot compared to what you actually captured

Along with all this, Google Lens is also built right into the Pixel 3’s camera app and works automatically when it detects something.

Android 9 Pie is available out of the box

As you’d expect, Android 9 Pie is running on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL from day one. This is the same Android Pie we’ve been using on the Pixel 2 phones, including the new navigation gestures, quick settings panel, etc.

The Pixel 3 does bring a handful of new software goodies, including the full release of Digital Wellbeing outside of its beta state and a slightly updated UI for the camera app.

There’s also a new call screening feature that’ll allow you to send your caller to a system that asks them to provide information about who they are and why they’re calling. What they say comes through in real-time and you can choose to hang up or pick up at any point.

Here’s when and where you can buy it

If you want to pick up the Pixel 3 for yourself, pre-orders are open right now. The Pixel 3 costs $799 for the 64GB model and goes up to $899 if you get the 128GB variant. For those same storage configurations on the Pixel 3 XL, you’ll pay $899 and $999, respectively.

The Pixel 3 series will be sold at Verizon, Best Buy, the Google Store, and Project Fi.

See at Google Store

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL hands-on preview
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 3 vs. Pixel 3 XL: Which should you buy?
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL specifications
• Join our Pixel 3 forums

Best Buy
Verizon
Google Store
Project Fi