Pixel 2 XL vs Pixel 3 - Which to Buy?

[BrendoTheKing]

So I've never owned a Pixel device. In the past I have owned the Nexus 6 and 6P. Loved both of them. Now I want to get back in on the stock experience but I am having a hard time deciding. The Pixel 3 seems great but on Swappa you can a get a Pixel 2 XL for less than half and it seems to have about 90% of the same stuff. Having a tough time making a choice.

Any thoughts, opinions or advice on the matter?

 

[Morty2264]

I see you are a new user here - welcome to Android Central and welcome back to the land of stock Android!

Personally, I would recommend going with the Pixel 2 XL. There is not enough of a "specs gap" between the Pixel 2 and 3 line to warrant opting for the newer, more expensive model. And if you can get the 2 XL at a discount or a great deal - even better!

The only thing I would caution you about is to look at the Swappa user's success history and ratings; and to ask for pictures of screen quality if you can. Some Pixel 2 XL units have been known to have a deeper blue shift on their screens than other Pixel 2 XL units; so make sure that the phone is in good condition before you buy it.

Good luck, and please tell us what you decide!

 

[akhil8]

Imo Pixel 3..

 

[mustang7757]

my opinion the pix 3xl has the better display,chip, wireless charging, battery life.
if you don't want spend lot of money then no option pix 2xl

 

[SteelGator]

yeah, totally personal preference here. I am not a fan of used electronics, so I shy away from them. I treat my phones inordinately well, so I buy new and keep it for a couple years.

From a feature perspective, the 2XL will do almost all of the the 3XL stuff eventually. I was on the OG XL since its launch, and I feel like there was not a lot that I missed out on from the 2XL. I appreciate Google taking that approach.

Performance wise, newer is always better, especially for batteries and new chips. Most likely this will be a marginal gain, and only you can determine if it is worth $500 to you.

 

[BrendoTheKing]

So I was able to find a Mint 2 XL 128 GB black model for about $400 that I went with. At the end of the day I anted to P3 more but couldn't justify $1,000 plus taxe when compared to this 2 XL model.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[mustang7757]

So I was able to find a Mint 2 XL 128 GB black model for about $400 that I went with. At the end of the day I anted to P3 more but couldn't justify $1,000 plus taxe when compared to this 2 XL model.

Thanks for the feedback!

Nothing wrong with choosing 2 xl it's a very good phone

 

[anon(10274434)]

Nothing wrong with choosing 2 xl it's a very good phone

^^^This^^^

 

[chezm]

If the XL wasn’t so large I probably would went with a similar screen size pixel 2...but I opted in for 3, coming from last android 6p

 

[navamadhan]

So owning a pixel device is actually holding a Camera because I probably consider all other components of Pixel phones to be equal to Oneplus devices. It withstands all other phone in the camera department. So I will stick with the pixel 3 which is the greatest camera while I don't like the 3xl because of its big fat notch

 

[BrendoTheKing]

agreed.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

I see you are a new user here - welcome to Android Central and welcome back to the land of stock Android!

Personally, I would recommend going with the Pixel 2 XL. There is not enough of a "specs gap" between the Pixel 2 and 3 line to warrant opting for the newer, more expensive model. And if you can get the 2 XL at a discount or a great deal - even better!

The only thing I would caution you about is to look at the Swappa user's success history and ratings; and to ask for pictures of screen quality if you can. Some Pixel 2 XL units have been known to have a deeper blue shift on their screens than other Pixel 2 XL units; so make sure that the phone is in good condition before you buy it.

Good luck, and please tell us what you decide!

I'd have to agree with this and OP got the 2XL at what seems like a great deal, so good job on that.

The Pixel 2 XL will be getting a lot of features, including almost all of the camera features the Pixel 3 gets. Plus from what I've seen, the Pixel 3 XL doesn't take significantly better photos than the Pixel 2 XL does anyway.

 

[EMGSM]

As mentioned, Both P2 & P3 are great phones. At the end of the day if you're happy with it, then you made the right choice.

 

[YAYTech]

I've debated this same thing as I've been considering getting a Pixel 3 (regular or XL), and I've come down to:
- would have to be Pixel 2XL, not the regular Pixel 2, due to the huge bezels on the P2.
- would have to be new for sub-$500, or awesome condition used for more like $300 or less. I don't want to spend too much on a phone where the battery already has a year of degradation.

But what's "worth it" is always up to the guy opening his/her wallet!

 

[Jeremy8000]

IMHO, if cost is a factor and the very few feature differences (e.g., qi charging) aren't critical, go with the 2. While the 3's processor and screen are better, you won't really notice the screen difference much when you're only looking at the one you have, and you definitely won't find the 2 lacking for speed.

Then put away the money you saved vs buying a 3 and use that as an effective down payment next year to upgrade to the pixel 4, which should have a much broader range of actual functional upgrades that won't simply be accomplished by software.

 

[YAYTech]

I don't understand those saying the Pixel 2 XL is "much cheaper". I'm not seeing them discounted anywhere, so it's only $50 cheaper. Sure, you can get them cheaper used or refurbished, but that's apples & oranges... if they're getting heavy discounts somewhere I'm not seeing, please post up a link.

 

[klau25]

I don't understand those saying the Pixel 2 XL is "much cheaper". I'm not seeing them discounted anywhere, so it's only $50 cheaper. Sure, you can get them cheaper used or refurbished, but that's apples & oranges... if they're getting heavy discounts somewhere I'm not seeing, please post up a link.

I think brand new ones are 700, and you can easily find great condition one for around 400. I just sold mine on Monday that is in very good condition with 4 cases (one of them is a google fabric case) and 2 unused screen protector for 430. that's no tax, when you consider a new pixel 3 cost 800 plus tax, that's quite a lot of savings.

don't forget, pixel 2 xl has 2 years warranty vs the pixel 3 only one.

 

[YAYTech]

Ah, last I checked on the Google store they hadn't marked them down at all, but I see they're at $700 now. Thanks

 

[rviyer]

I forgot about the warranty extension for the 2xl - that helps me lean more towards that, plus the cost savings.

 

[Mike Dee]

I forgot about the warranty extension for the 2xl - that helps me lean more towards that, plus the cost savings.

Used Pixel 2s on Swappa are a real bargain. I prefer new but then I pay a lot more. Used has it's risks though