Google has recently launched its latest smartphones at the Hardware 2018 event. The main highlight of the evening was the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. After a slew of leaks, rumours and speculations the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were finally revealed by the company. Now that the phones are out and it is days away from making a touch down in the market, it is expected to wage war against other flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the iPhone XS. Both the new phones by Google, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL come with a bigger battery, better processor and a larger display as compared to the predecessors. To quench your curiosity about how the Pixel 3 performs better as compared to the Pixel 2, we have detailed the differences and similarities between the two generation of Pixel phones.
Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2: Design and Display
The latest Pixel 3 comes with the dual tone design which we also get to see on the Pixel 2. This time around, Google has also launched a Not Pink hue variant of the Pixel 3 along with the Black and Clearly White options. The phone has been made out of aluminium with hybrid coating, and it comes sandwiched between Gorilla Glass 5. On the other hand, the Pixel 2 comes with a metallic back and matte finish on the bottom whereas there’s a glossy finish up top. The new Pixel 3 comes with an IP68 rating, whereas the older Pixel 2 used to come with an IP67 rating.
In terms of display, the Pixel 3 sports a 5.5-inch OLED screen with full HD+ resolution, HDR support and an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The older Pixel 2 used to come with a 5-inch screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. However, both the phones sport an always on display.
Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2: Hardware and Software
The Pixel 3 comes with only the best hardware as it packs the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC which comes with cores clocking 2.5GHz and 1.6GHz of speed. Along with the processor is the Adreno 630 GPU for graphics. To recall, the Pixel 2 used to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. It’s notable that the Pixel 3 also comes with 4GB of RAM similar to its predecessor. For storage, the Pixel 3 offers either 64GB or 128GB internal storage depending on the variant. There is also no microSD slot for expansion.
On the software front, the Pixel 3 comes with the latest Android 9 Pie with Google Lens integration. Although the Pixel 2 has also received the Android 9 Pie package, the significant difference is going to be in the timeline of updates as the Pixel 2 will only receive major updates for the coming two years, whereas the Pixel 3 will receive them for three more years.
Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2: Camera
In terms of camera and imaging, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 bear resemblance, however, there are going to be some bumps in the camera for improved imaging. The primary thing to note is that Google has decided to stick with the single rear shooter of 12.2MP similar to the previous Pixel 2. The rear camera will come with f/1.8 aperture, 1.4-micron, 76-degree field of view and along with Dual Pixel autofocus, LED flash, and optical and EIS. There is a noticeable upgrade on the front as the Pixel 3 gets two 8MP selfie snappers on the front, as opposed to just one. One of the 8MP sensors comes as a wide angle one.
The Pixel 3 undoubtedly comes with new camera modes which put it ahead of the Pixel 2. There is a Top Shot mode which uses Machine Learning to choose from best frames while clicking a picture. The Super Res Zoom mode makes sure that the images capture and retain details even while zooming in. Additionally, there are other modes like Group Selfies, Photobooth and more. The Playground AR stickers will also make their way to the Pixel 3, followed by the Pixel 2 later.
The battery on the latest Pixel 3 is a 2915mAh unit with an 18W fast-charger. This is a small step up from the previous 2700mAh unit. The connectivity options on both the phones include 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GP and, USB Type-C 3.1.
Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2: Verdict
The Pixel 3 is definitely a leap ahead as compared to the Pixel 2. The new device gets an updated design as it comes with a larger bezel-less display and there is also a substantial improvement in the imaging department as now the Pixel 3 comes with dual selfie snappers. With the specs, the price tag of the phone has also been raised to Rs 71,000 which is indeed more than the previous price of Rs 61,000 for the Pixel 2.
