The Google Pixel 3 was officially presented at the Made by Google conference on October 9, 2018. Like many Android manufacturers, Mountain View company could not help but compare itself with Apple during the presentation. That’s why we wondered what arguments the Pixel 3 could offer against the iPhone XS. Of course, we’re not going back to the differences we already know between Android and iOS (spoiler: Android > iOS).
Is the Google Pixel 3 better at photos than the iPhone XS?
Google has insisted on this most, without hesitation to suggest that the Pixel 3 blasts the Apple iPhone XS in photos. Pixel 3 is equipped with a single 12 MP f/1.8 aperture sensor on the back and dual 8 MP f/1.8 + 8 MP f/2.2 97° wide-angle sensors on the front. The iPhone XS has dual 12 MP f / 1.8 + 12 MP f / 2.4 wide-angle photo sensors at the back and a TrueDepth 7 MP f / 2.2 module at the front.
Google’s new smartphone is shaping up to be a selfie champion by making it easier to fit more people into the frame during group photos. The icing on the cake is that the camera takes a series of photos with each shot, and the AI can analyze the faces and pick the best ones. Another positive point is the Pixel 3 will be outstanding in low light conditions, as we can see in the comparison below. Our future testing will or may not confirm this fine arrangement, but the Pixel 3 should be an incredible photophone like its predecessors.
Google Pixel 3 and iPhone XS: Which is better?
Another point to evaluate Pixel 3 is performance. As for the iPhone, it doesn’t benefit from an incredible tech sheet with 4GB of RAM and a tiny 2915mAh battery (4GB RAM and 2658mAh for the XS). But the two have one thing in common: flawless software optimization (Google and Apple develop the operating system they use), which allows them to compete with less hardware or be better than the competition.
| Google Pixel 3 | iPhone XS | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm |
| Weight | 148g | 177g |
| Screen | 5.5″ AMOLED | 5.8″ OLED |
| Definition | Full HD+ (1080 x 2160) 18:9 | 2436 x 1125 pixels |
| Photograph | rear: 12.2 MP, f/1.8 / front: 8 MP + 8 MP 3D sensor | Rear: 12 MP f/1.8 + 12 MP f/2.4 Front: 7MP f/2.2 |
| BONE | Android 9.0 Pie | iOS12 |
| internal memory | 64/128GB | up to 512GB |
| Micro SD | Yup | Number |
| connection | WiFi a/b/g/ac, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 5.0, DNLA certified, Google Cast | Wi‑Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| NFC | Yup | Yup |
| SoCs | Snapdragon 845 | at 12 |
| data store | 4GB | 4GB |
| fingerprint reader | Yup | no |
| face recognition | Yup | Yup |
| water resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
| battery | 2915mAh | 2658mAh |
| charging port | USB 3.1 Type-C | Lightning |
| Fast charging | Yup | Yup |
| Wireless Qi charging | Yup | Yup |
| Colors | black, white, pink | Grey, Silver, Gold |
| Price | 859€ | from 1159€ |
But even though the Pixel 3 doesn’t have any performance issues, we still give the iPhone XS a clear advantage in this area, running under the brand new A12 Bionic SoC etched at 7nm. The Google smartphone, for its part, is “content” with the Snapdragon 845 carved at 10 nm, which has been used in high-end devices since the beginning of 2018. Inevitably, performance will be affected and it looks like only the Huawei Mate 20 can compete. With iPhone on Android before the Galaxy S10 arrived.
Price of Google Pixel 3 and iPhone XS
Google has raised its prices this year, and with the S9, S9+ and Note 9 on the price list, it’s getting even closer to what Samsung had to offer in 2018. However, Apple remains the most expensive by a margin of 1159 Euros for the XS 64GB and 859 Euros for the Pixel 3 64GB, or 300 Euros! The Cupertino company has even managed to market a smartphone with the iPhone XS Max 512 GB for 1659 euros.
- Pixel 3 64GB : 859 euros
- Pixel 3 128GB : 959 euros
- Pixel 3 XL 64GB : 959 euros
- Pixel 3 XL 128GB : 1059 euros
- iPhone XS
64GB: 1159 €
256GB: 1329 €
512GB: 1559 € - iPhone XS Max
64GB: 1259 €
256GB: 1429 €
512GB: 1659 €
