First impressions of the Pixel 3 after 4 days

[Theot]

I'm coming from a OnePlus 6T, before that a Pixel 2, and various other LG and Samsung devices over the years. I tend to switch once or twice a year in search of the perfect device of course

So I now know what the big deal was about the haptics in the OnePlus 6T, while I was fine with them while using it, I don't want to go back to them now. The haptics on the Pixel 3 are fantastic, very crisp and precise. When typing I don't feel like I'm faster than the vibration motor any more.

Like my Pixel 2 I love the size of this thing. For me it fits my hands very well. I will miss the screen size of the 6T while watching videos but for one handed usability and pocketability the Pixel 3 is the hands down winner. The only device I've had recently that was close is of course the Pixel 2 and the LG G6 which was very similar in size. However when holding both the 6T and the Pixel 3 the 6T feels just to big and heavy. It literally feels three times heavier and twice as big. I won't miss that, there were times certain pants would not accommodate the 6T when sitting down and I always had to take it out of my pocket.

I forgot how well integrated Google assistant and the other Google services are in the Pixel devices. Assistant, maps, messenger all just work really well. I'm still not a fan of the Pixel launcher with the pie navigation, the double swipe to get to the app drawer drives me nuts and it's one of the things that pushed me to leave the Pixel in the first place. However, action launcher fixed that for me, and on a quick side note, as a Nova launcher user for several years, I really like some of the things action launcher has that are different.

Of course I have to mention the camera, I haven't taken a ton of shots but what I have done has been fantastic. I always felt like I got good shots with the 6T but there's no comparison in low light and the zoom seems better too.

Battery life.... Well this is where the 6T really shines. The Pixel 3 isn't bad but it does have more standby drain. However the 6T shuts so much stuff down that yeah you save battery life and the phone is always fast but you also end up missing notifications because things get shut down. At least with the Pixel 3 I can leave Waze open but shut the screen off if I don't need directions and still get traffic updates though the speakers or Bluetooth. Not with the 6T, if you shut the screen off it shut apps down. Some apps gave me errors a lot to, IDK why though.

In closing, im not regretting my decision. I still think OnePlus makes one heck of a device for the price but they lost me and the the 7 Pro. It's to big, I don't want a curved screen and that pop up camera just seems like a bad idea. I'm good with a little bezel on the top and bottom, it gives something to hold onto. That said it seems like Google got a lot right here with the Pixel 3 now that there's been a few updates and for the price @ $300 off I really can't complain so far. Hope it stays that way.

 

[anon(10274434)]

Nice review - enjoy the P3

 

[anthonium]

So great to hear you love your device. I find the Pixel 3 size to fantastic. I never got used to nor do I like handling bigger phones. It's all about comfort for me. Even the Pixel 3 sometimes takes some minor hand gymnastics due to its height. I always found the iPhone 6s,7,8 line to be perfect for me however there was a lot of screen space lost on those phones.

As for my own experience with the Pixel 3, the beginning wasn't that positive for me. For some reason it wasn't love at first sight. I had to get to know it and use it for a couple of weeks and now I love it! I actually will miss the two tone color scheme as based on the Pixel 4 leaks it looks like that will no longer be the style Google is going for. In any case until this device fails on me I won't be upgrading for 2 or 3 years.

As for what I love the most, oddly it's not even a Pixel specific feature...it's the fingerprint scanner on the back. I find this to be the best unlocking method especially when pulling the phone out of my pocket. It's just so natural. I don't like this in display fingerprint sensor or face ID unlock newer phones have. I suppose physical fingerprint scanners are going the way of the headphone jack sadly.

Also looking forward to full dark mode with Android Q. Hopefully they bring back the 3 button set up. I too dislike the double swipe up but I've gotten used to doing a long swipe to get to the app drawer. I decided to skip using Nova launcher on my Pixel and am sticking with the default launcher now.

 

[Theot]

So great to hear you love your device. I find the Pixel 3 size to fantastic. I never got used to nor do I like handling bigger phones. It's all about comfort for me. Even the Pixel 3 sometimes takes some minor hand gymnastics due to its height. I always found the iPhone 6s,7,8 line to be perfect for me however there was a lot of screen space lost on those phones.

As for my own experience with the Pixel 3, the beginning wasn't that positive for me. For some reason it wasn't love at first sight. I had to get to know it and use it for a couple of weeks and now I love it! I actually will miss the two tone color scheme as based on the Pixel 4 leaks it looks like that will no longer be the style Google is going for. In any case until this device fails on me I won't be upgrading for 2 or 3 years.

As for what I love the most, oddly it's not even a Pixel specific feature...it's the fingerprint scanner on the back. I find this to be the best unlocking method especially when pulling the phone out of my pocket. It's just so natural. I don't like this in display fingerprint sensor or face ID unlock newer phones have. I suppose physical fingerprint scanners are going the way of the headphone jack sadly.

Also looking forward to full dark mode with Android Q. Hopefully they bring back the 3 button set up. I too dislike the double swipe up but I've gotten used to doing a long swipe to get to the app drawer. I decided to skip using Nova launcher on my Pixel and am sticking with the default launcher now.

So something I love about action launcher is that you can set it so that any apps you put on a home screen are hidden or removed from the launcher which is something I've been doing manually in Nova for a year now. I don't need the apps in two different places and I love that action launcher does it automatically for me! You can't even hide apps in the Pixel launcher (unless I missed that option somewhere) so to me this is a win-win

 

[anthonium]

So something I love about action launcher is that you can set it so that any apps you put on a home screen are hidden or removed from the launcher which is something I've been doing manually in Nova for a year now. I don't need the apps in two different places and I love that action launcher does it automatically for me! You can't even hide apps in the Pixel launcher (unless I missed that option somewhere) so to me this is a win-win

Hmm I just headed to the play store and I'm not impressed with what many reviews say...I've never had an issue with Nova Launcher though.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

I had a Pixel 3 and sold it awhile ago. Got a Samsung S10E and I also have various Iphones. I recently purchased a used Pixel 3 and I can't believe how stupid I was to sell my original Pixel 3. It's hard to describe to a non-user, just how good it is. So happy to have my Pixel 3 back again.

 

[Theot]

I had a Pixel 3 and sold it awhile ago. Got a Samsung S10E and I also have various Iphones. I recently purchased a used Pixel 3 and I can't believe how stupid I was to sell my original Pixel 3. It's hard to describe to a non-user, just how good it is. So happy to have my Pixel 3 back again.

Yep, you don't know what you're missing until you come back!

 

[o4liberty]

Best device to date for me you can't go wrong with a pixel device IMO. The camera is awesome and the device itself is buttery smooth. Updates are consistent every month plus it gets three years of support second to Apple that supports their devices for years. If you want Android device the pixel is the way to go.

 

[dov1978]

I'm coming from a OnePlus 6T, before that a Pixel 2, and various other LG and Samsung devices over the years. I tend to switch once or twice a year in search of the perfect device of course

So I now know what the big deal was about the haptics in the OnePlus 6T, while I was fine with them while using it, I don't want to go back to them now. The haptics on the Pixel 3 are fantastic, very crisp and precise. When typing I don't feel like I'm faster than the vibration motor any more.

Like my Pixel 2 I love the size of this thing. For me it fits my hands very well. I will miss the screen size of the 6T while watching videos but for one handed usability and pocketability the Pixel 3 is the hands down winner. The only device I've had recently that was close is of course the Pixel 2 and the LG G6 which was very similar in size. However when holding both the 6T and the Pixel 3 the 6T feels just to big and heavy. It literally feels three times heavier and twice as big. I won't miss that, there were times certain pants would not accommodate the 6T when sitting down and I always had to take it out of my pocket.

I forgot how well integrated Google assistant and the other Google services are in the Pixel devices. Assistant, maps, messenger all just work really well. I'm still not a fan of the Pixel launcher with the pie navigation, the double swipe to get to the app drawer drives me nuts and it's one of the things that pushed me to leave the Pixel in the first place. However, action launcher fixed that for me, and on a quick side note, as a Nova launcher user for several years, I really like some of the things action launcher has that are different.

Of course I have to mention the camera, I haven't taken a ton of shots but what I have done has been fantastic. I always felt like I got good shots with the 6T but there's no comparison in low light and the zoom seems better too.

Battery life.... Well this is where the 6T really shines. The Pixel 3 isn't bad but it does have more standby drain. However the 6T shuts so much stuff down that yeah you save battery life and the phone is always fast but you also end up missing notifications because things get shut down. At least with the Pixel 3 I can leave Waze open but shut the screen off if I don't need directions and still get traffic updates though the speakers or Bluetooth. Not with the 6T, if you shut the screen off it shut apps down. Some apps gave me errors a lot to, IDK why though.

In closing, im not regretting my decision. I still think OnePlus makes one heck of a device for the price but they lost me and the the 7 Pro. It's to big, I don't want a curved screen and that pop up camera just seems like a bad idea. I'm good with a little bezel on the top and bottom, it gives something to hold onto. That said it seems like Google got a lot right here with the Pixel 3 now that there's been a few updates and for the price @ $300 off I really can't complain so far. Hope it stays that way.

Only 2 features for me on my Pixel 3xl that I REALLY miss and drive me back to using my Huawei Mate 20 Pro quite regularly and they're One Handed Mode and Scrolling ScreenShots. One Handed Mode or lack of is the biggest for me especially with the P3XL being so big and wide. Even iPhones have it and it makes the usability of the device a real pain. It's such an easy thing for them to implement too which I think makes it more frustrating.

 

[tfitzpat03]

Best device to date for me you can't go wrong with a pixel device IMO. The camera is awesome and the device itself is buttery smooth. Updates are consistent every month plus it gets three years of support second to Apple that supports their devices for years. If you want Android device the pixel is the way to go.

Got a 3a last month and I agree with every word of this.