ISSUE 66 • ANDROID ADVISOR 59BUYING GUIDEgenerations’ designs in the classiest way possible.
It still feels hefty and premium and the finish is
awesome. Fewer fingerprints, but it’s glass, so it’s
still at the peril of the ground.
The top section is smooth glass and houses a single
rear camera and flash. The phone comes in three
colours, Just Black, Clearly White and Not Pink – there
is no contrast ‘panda’ edition like we got last year.
White and pink models have contrasting green
andorangepowerbuttonsrespectivelywhilethe
blackstaysall‑black stealthy.
Thatnotchalsoallowsthephonetoretaindual
front‑facing speakers like the last generation Pixel,
with a wider speaker at the bottom of the phone.
Google said they are 40 percent louder and richer
than on Pixel 2. We’re not sure about that measure,
but they do sound better.
There’s also a G logo and fingerprint sensor, but
noheadphonejack.There’sa dongleinthebox
though,alongwithUSB‑C headphones that look
and fit like the wireless Pixel Buds.
Just like those headphones, we find them very
uncomfortable after just an hour’s use. Your mileage
may vary, but we only used them once because of this.
It’sa shamebecausetheyhaveaninlineremoteand
offerreal‑time translation just like the expensive Buds.
There’s also IP68 waterproofing and massively
improved haptics. Where the Pixel 2 (and other phones
with less good vibration motors) shook the whole
phone when you tapped buttons, the 3 XL’s sharp,
precise haptics are a pleasure to use, and as good as
those on the iPhone XS and LG G7.