Need a good reason to get a Google Pixel 3 XL? Read on.
[This is a very brief review focused on the display.]
With the new 6.3-inch Pixel ($899), Google got the OLED display right. This time ditching the Pixel 2 XL’s muted colors and blue tint. That makes for an almost perfect phone.
The original sin
I had the Pixel 2 XL from day one. Many (if not all) of the initial Pixel 2 XLs were marred by an inferior OLED display, courtesy of supplier LG Display. I had two Pixel 2 XLs with awful screens, i.e., muted colors and excessive blue shift (aka, a blue tint) — the latter especially apparent when viewed from an angle.
Finally, on my third try, I got a Pixel 2 XL with a great screen replete with vibrant* colors. But that came months after the Pixel 2 XL’s release and on late builds of the phone.
Fixed
Thankfully Google fixed that problem once and for all with the Pixel 3 XL’s Samsung-supplied display. No more hit-or-miss on builds. No more muted colors or blue shift. Buy a Pixel 3 XL and you get a great display. Period. Rivaling the quality you get on a Samsung Galaxy S9 or Note 9.
Another fix: Android on Pixel keeps getting better
Until Google’s Pixel phones (I’ve used all three generations), Android didn’t have the fit and finish of the iPhone/iOS. But Android married with the Pixel 3 XL is so fluid and fast that the experience is as good as my iPhone XS Max — and that’s saying a lot.
Combine that with a top-notch design/materials and another great Pixel camera (especially in low light) and you have a worthwhile upgrade from the Pixel 2 XL.
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*The display itself was better, irrespective of Google software tweaks such as the “saturated” switch in the advanced settings.
