Pixel 3 XL Unboxing Video (Leak)

[RaRa85]

People seem to think that just because there's a notch there shouldn't be a chin. Not sure why. There's a bottom front facing speaker. The chin has nothing to do with whether there is a notch at the top or not.

Rumor has it that the whole idea of a notch was to maximize screen real estate while reducing the chin.

 

[Eggmundo]

But the top side of the phone does have more available screen. Even though the bottom still has a sizeable bezel.

I'm not defending anything btw, the phone looks awful.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

People seem to think that just because there's a notch there shouldn't be a chin. Not sure why. There's a bottom front facing speaker. The chin has nothing to do with whether there is a notch at the top or not.

Correct, they're entirely unrelated because they house different components and serve different purposes. The notch is adding screen real estate in the following way: 1) The status bar on the Pixel 2 XL is approximately 50 pixels tall. Now content gets to adopt all 50 of those pixels. 2) The display size increase includes making the device slightly more wide, so the area of the space below the notch will still be larger than the usable area of the P2 XL.

 

[Mike Dee]

But the top side of the phone does have more available screen. Even though the bottom still has a sizeable bezel.

I'm not defending anything btw, the phone looks awful.

I'm thinking once you're usiing it for awhile the awfulness diminishes. When I first saw the notch on the Iphone X I was like no way. I even made sure that both my daughter and wife knew what to expect and they had no issue with it. I look at it now and I don't even see it.

 

[ClintRo]

Eggmundo,

No reason to have a notch if you are not going to try and go full screen, might as well just do as worldsoutro suggests.

Google pretty much had my money until they did everything they could to turn me away. .

Every leak made the device worse.

couldnt they just thin the top and bottom bezels on the pixel 2 xl, add 2gb of ram and bump the battery a bit.... sigh.

 

[ClintRo]

I may just have to go with the Note 9, better bezel situation, wireless charging, bigger battery, more RAM and that S-Pen (I do miss the S-Pen)!! I will miss the updates, but if I can get the Note 9 cheaper than the Pixel 3 XL in a few months I may have to jump. I would end up putting the bar around the bezel anyhow, at least we have a choice on android.

I am vain and like a pretty phone.

 

[Eggmundo]

I agree with you, but from Google's POV there is still a bit more usable screen space even with this design. Am I wrong?

Eggmundo,

No reason to have a notch if you are not going to try and go full screen, might as well just do as worldsoutro suggests.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

couldnt they just thin the top and bottom bezels on the pixel 2 xl, add 2gb of ram and bump the battery a bit.... sigh.

No, they could not do that. Otherwise that'd be exactly what would have happened. Every one of those things is a major engineering change, and so engineering constraints have to be the topic of what you're asking for, not superficial spec sheet items.

The Note 9 did that over the Note 8 by getting bigger and changing the internal configuration of components, etc. The Note 9 has 1.8% more surface area and 4.1% more volume.

But Mario - I'm ok with a slightly bigger phone if it has better specs! If Samsung can do it, why can't Google? Well - I'm glad you asked. It's because, as we've talked about dozens of times in this thread and others, Samsung is a Hardware company, and is among the best in the world at Hardware engineering and innovation. Google, on the other hand, is a Software company and is basically using what it sees in the devices made the year prior to keep up as best it can. There's almost zero hardware innovation happening in smartphone design on the Google front. But didn't Google buy HTC's engineers? Yep, they did. But that was too recent to have any positive impact on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, both of which are merely enhancements of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL existing designs.

 

[Mike Dee]

Rumor has it that the whole idea of a notch was to maximize screen real estate while reducing the chin.

I don't think I ever heard that rumor, however it would still be a rumor and not a certainty.

 

[ClintRo]

I agree with you, but from Google's POV there is still a bit more usable screen space even with this design. Am I wrong?

Not for me since I am going to black it out anyhow..LOL

 

[Eggmundo]

Haha yes but even then the status bar will be moved up a bit.

Not for me since I am going to black it out anyhow..LOL

 

[atakin77]

Agree, Google decided to keep the front facing speakers so this is what they had to do. Personally, I would have preferred they drop the front facing speaker and go for less bezel. Plus side of their choice is most likely I'm just going to hang on to my 2XL and I will keep an extra $900 in my pocket.

 

[ClintRo]

Haha yes but even then the status bar will be moved up a bit.

Hopefully we will be able to put the notifications to the bottom of the HUGE notch.... So it still looks normal.

 

[RaRa85]

Agree, Google decided to keep the front facing speakers so this is what they had to do. Personally, I would have preferred they drop the front facing speaker and go for less bezel. Plus side of their choice is most likely I'm just going to hang on to my 2XL and I will keep an extra $900 in my pocket.

I mean they literally didn't have to change it much from last year. It's too much going on in that notch area with the camera sensors and front firing speaker. I predict stronger sales for the smaller Pixel 3.

 

[Mike Dee]

I mean they literally didn't have to change it much from last year. It's too much going on in that notch area with the camera sensors and front firing speaker. I predict stronger sales for the smaller Pixel 3.

I would never let the notch dictate which size phone. I don't like small phones. Hell I would even take a 7 inch screen.

 

[Eggmundo]

Will the puny RAM size be noticeable in this new age of more RAM?

 

[Mike Dee]

Will the puny RAM size be noticeable in this new age of more RAM?

I don't think it will impact my usage. I'm running 4GB now. I have to admit that it's very tempting to look at a Note 9 with 8GB of ram and 512GB of storage. 512 kills the need for an SD card however it would be useful for transferring data. It certainly is a powerhouse and future proof to a high degree. That battery will buy a little extra time as it deteriorates but how long do most of us here keep a phone. Right now I go 12 months before swapping. A lot of people here change back and forth or jump every 6 months so future proofing is irrelevant for most of us here unless we change our habits.
I won't touch it because I don't like Sammy's skin, the curved display, and their update timeline just to name a few reasons. I also don't need the S pen.
It's a great phone but it's just not for me. For someone who wants the best hardware specs out there it's hard to beat. It is expensive but so is a Pixel or an iPhone.

 

[anon(661246)]

No, they could not do that. Otherwise that'd be exactly what would have happened. Every one of those things is a major engineering change, and so engineering constraints have to be the topic of what you're asking for, not superficial spec sheet items.

The Note 9 did that over the Note 8 by getting bigger and changing the internal configuration of components, etc. The Note 9 has 1.8% more surface area and 4.1% more volume.

But Mario - I'm ok with a slightly bigger phone if it has better specs! If Samsung can do it, why can't Google? Well - I'm glad you asked. It's because, as we've talked about dozens of times in this thread and others, Samsung is a Hardware company, and is among the best in the world at Hardware engineering and innovation. Google, on the other hand, is a Software company and is basically using what it sees in the devices made the year prior to keep up as best it can. There's almost zero hardware innovation happening in smartphone design on the Google front. But didn't Google buy HTC's engineers? Yep, they did. But that was too recent to have any positive impact on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, both of which are merely enhancements of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL existing designs.

I realize google's constraints with hardware. I just really wanted this to a great phone.

 

[Mike Dee]

I realize google's constraints with hardware. I just really wanted this to a great phone.

I think we all would like to see that. I'm just hoping there are a few software surprises that we don't know about.

 

[Eggmundo]

You are me!

I don't think it will impact my usage. I'm running 4GB now. I have to admit that it's very tempting to look at a Note 9 with 8GB of ram and 512GB of storage. 512 kills the need for an SD card however it would be useful for transferring data. It certainly is a powerhouse and future proof to a high degree. That battery will buy a little extra time as it deteriorates but how long do most of us here keep a phone. Right now I go 12 months before swapping. A lot of people here change back and forth or jump every 6 months so future proofing is irrelevant for most of us here unless we change our habits.
I won't touch it because I don't like Sammy's skin, the curved display, and their update timeline just to name a few reasons. I also don't need the S pen.
It's a great phone but it's just not for me. For someone who wants the best hardware specs out there it's hard to beat. It is expensive but so is a Pixel or an iPhone.