Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel 3 XL

Here’s everything we know about the                        Google Pixel 3 XL

Google pixel 3 XL

It’s been a crazy week for fans of the Google Pixel smartphone line. After a steady trickle of leaks in the first half of the year originating mainly from industry sources, we’ve now had three separate instances of the Google Pixel 3 XL appearing in public. The first and second leaks originated on our very own forums, and while they revealed the new design and some of the basic hardware specifications, the leakers were unable to share further details because the devices weren’t functional.

 This month, however, several bloggers and YouTubers, mainly from the Ukraine and Russia, got their hands on stolen pre-production Pixel 3 XL units. We’ve seen a full unboxing video, AnTuTu benchmark rundown, sample photos, and even full reviews. Given how many Pixel 3 XLs are now out in the wild, we haven’t even scratched the surface of how many leaks we’ll be getting ahead of the device’s expected October launch. To help you wrap your head around the plethora of leaks we’ve seen, here’s a summary of everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 3 XL.

At the end of the article, we have a table summarizing the differences we think we know between the Google Pixel 2 XL and the Google Pixel 3 XL. The table doesn’t go into any detail, though, so we recommend looking at the table after we describe the new features in the Pixel 3 XL in greater depth. Lastly, to improve the page load speed, all images in this article have been posted in thumbnail size. Please click or tap on the image to open the viewer to see the images in higher resolution.

Note: All of the information in this article is based on leaked pre-production units of the Google Pixel 3 XL. We can’t guarantee that the hardware specifications and software features we’ve seen on these units will match the production units, though there’s a high likelihood they will.

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What we know about the Google Pixel 3 XL

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Google Pixel 3 XL Design

The leaks have left little to the imagination here—we know basically every detail of the device from essentially every angle. First of all, let’s discuss the obvious here: It’s got a notch. A pretty large notch, in fact. We’re not getting an Essential Phone-style cutout or Huawei Mate 20-style waterdrop notch. We’re getting a deep notch that extends farther down than notches we’ve seen on other devices. If you’re a notch hater or someone who only barely tolerates notches, the design of the Google Pixel 3 XL will be a major put-off. I’ve gotten over my distaste of notches and find the Pixel 3 XL’s notch to be tolerable. The notch is just one aspect of the device, however. The Pixel 3 XL has a lot to offer, so you should consider whether the notch is truly so intolerable that the other areas where the Pixel 3 XL shines aren’t enough to make up for it. While we haven’t confirmed what the camera sensors housed in the notch area will be used for, there are a couple of possibilities which we’ll discuss below.

The only other major design change from the Google Pixel 2 XL is the material used on the back. The Google Pixel 2 XL had a plastic-coated aluminum back, but most of the leakers so far have stated that the Pixel 3 XL has a glass back. Although, one of the early reviewers states that the device has a plastic body. Anecdotally, the OnePlus 6 in Midnight Black feels like soft-touch plastic despite being made of glass, so it’s possible Google has achieved a similar finish on the Pixel 3 XL. In any case, the device almost certainly supports Qi wireless charging, which we’ll discuss in further detail below.

The positions of the rear camera, fingerprint scanner, power button, volume buttons, and USB Type-C port remain unchanged. Even the colored power button makes a return as the Clearly White model is seen with a light-green colored power button whereas the Just Black model has an orange-colored power button. The stereo speakers make a return, although the top speaker is noticeably smaller compared to the one on the Pixel 2 XL as it must fit within the notch area. The only real change in port placement is the nano-SIM card tray which has moved from the left side on the Google Pixel 2 XL to the bottom in the Google Pixel 3 XL.