Two (Maybe Three?) Phones
The Pixel 3 rumors have reached a stage where certain blogs have begun posts to debunk fan theories. But the forthcoming Google event is unlikely to have any ‘one more thing’ moments if a few trusted leaksters are to be believed. Google will be announcing two new phones — the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL. Both of them will be largely the same except for three differences — battery, screen size, and the front design.
Design
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will inherit the same dual-tone rear from their predecessors but instead of aluminum, they will be made out of glass. The latter will feature a notch-equipped display, while the former will have a more conservative symmetrical front.
Specifications
The Pixel 3 XL will have a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a Quad HD resolution, while the Pixel 3 will feature a 5.4-inch 1080p display. Both will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of onboard storage with no MicroSD card expansion. The Pixel 3 XL will run on a 3,430mAh battery and the Pixel 3 on a 2,915mAh pack.
Dual Cameras But Not Where You’d Expect
Google’s Pixel phones will, at long last, offer a dual-camera setup. But there’s a catch. They’re for selfies, while the rear continues to hold a single sensor. Yes, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will come with two 8-megapixel lenses (f/1.8 and f/2.2) on the front for something called ‘Super Selfies’ which most likely simply means wide-angle group selfies. The rear 12.2-megapixel camera, like before, will rely on Google’s computational photography for the Portrait Mode.
Stereo Speakers
In spite of the OLED screen, the Pixel 3’s front will still have a huge chin in addition to the top bezel or notch. That’s primarily because of the presence of stereo speakers on the top and bottom just like last year.
Software
As you’d expect, both the Pixel 3 phones will be preloaded with a stock build of Android 9.0 Pie. We’re not expecting any major interface changes but there are still a few — the camera app will have a refreshed look with real-time Google Lens recognition, a new set of live wallpapers which is somehow already available for download, and an updated always-on display feature.
Colors
Instead of the third blue option, the Pixel 3 phones will this time offer a new mint color variant along with black and white. Moreover, a recent Japanese teaser also suggested that there might a fourth pink color too.
Wireless Charging
Thanks to the glass rears, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be compatible with wireless charging. However, we’re not yet sure whether it will have support for fast wireless charging. I guess there is something, after all, we don’t know yet about the new Pixel phones.
Price
That’s right. Even the pricing has been leaked and it’s quite believable as well. The Pixel 3 will reportedly have a starting price of $649, while the Pixel 3 XL’s base variant will cost $849.
Pixel Stand
To complement the new wireless charging feature, Google is also expected to introduce an accessory called the Pixel Stand. It will function as a regular desk stand and wirelessly charge your phone as well. There’s a good chance it will be based on the QC standards, therefore you may be able to use it with non-Pixel phones.
Bundled Wired Pixel Buds and Stickers
The Pixel 3’s box will have a couple of new additions this year. For starters, it will come with a wired pair of Pixel Buds Type-C earphones instead of the regular ones. Plus, Google will be bundling two stickers, one of which will say #teampixel.
Pixel Buds 2
While details are quite scant on this one, Google will be announcing the second-generation of its wireless pair of earphones — the Pixel Buds 2. Apart from that, though, we don’t know much yet. Hopefully, they will be true-wireless like Apple’s AirPods this time.
New Pixel Chromebook
Google’s flagship Chromebook, the Pixelbook will be getting an upgrade as well at the event. As per a few leaks and rumors, the new model will possibly have smaller bezels, a detachable keyboard, and an affordable variant.
Google Home Hub
Google’s first smart display, the Google Home Hub will be unveiled at the event as well. The device was extensively leaked in an earlier report which said it will have a 7-inch touchscreen mounted to a giant speaker base, the same software we’ve seen a bunch of recent Google Assistant powered smart displays, a physical mute switch, 5GHz WiFi compatibility, and more.
