12 Reviews
The Guardian
100
New phone reaches Apple-level of polish, with top-notch performance, fantastic camera and attractive design.
The Pixel 3 can be summed up in one word: refinement. Every element of Android 9 Pie is slick and responsive. It’s simple to use but powerful in its execution. From the simply brilliant camera to the auto-complete in Gmail, on-device AI proves truly useful. Plus you get at least three years of software updates, which is still a rarity outside of Apple’s iPhone.
Digital Trends
90
Google’s Pixel 3 is a hair away from pocket-sized perfection.
The Pixel 3 isn’t likely to excite you at first glance, but it’s a smartphone with hidden depths. Google offers the best Android experience hands-down, unique A.I. features that are unmatched elsewhere, and a camera that captures wonderful photos. The trade-off is dull design, though it feels a lot better than it looks, and a worrying lack of stamina.
- Beautiful OLED screen
- Perfect size
- Fantastic camera
- Slick software
- Unique A.I. features
- Less than average battery life
- Big bezels
Tom's Guide
90
The Best Android Meets the Best Camera.
The Pixel 3 is the ultimate expression of Android and proof that AI done right can make your life easier.
- Excellent performance
- Quality OLED display
- Top-tier cameras
- Charming design
- Call Screen is a godsend
- A bit expensive
- Bezels could be slimmer
Gizmodo
90
The Pixel 3 highlights the best of software-first smartphone development process, and aside from a handful of minor issues, it’s an overwhelming success.
The downside to Google’s software-centric approach is that it can feel like you are always waiting for the next update to get things like Duplex or the camera’s Night Sight mode, which aren’t available yet.
The micro-ectched glass back is a joy to touch and the black painted USB-C port is nice detail, but the Pixel 3’s overall appearance is still a little underwhelming.
The kind of images the Pixel 3 can capture with a single rear camera are amazing, but then you wonder how much better things might be if Google cared more about hardware.
PCMag
90
The Google Pixel 3 is the best small Android phone you can buy with the latest specs, impressive camera capabilities, and genuinely innovative AI features.
- Compact
- Fast performance
- Beautiful OLED screen
- Sharp front and rear camera with impressive low-light, zoom, and bokeh capabilities
- Useful Google Assistant functionality
- Highly optimized software with guaranteed updates
- No headphone jack or memory card slot
Android Central
90
The Google Pixel 3 takes what’s good about the iPhone and applies it to Android. Whether you think that’s a good or a bad thing, the Pixel 3 needs to be experienced to be fully understood. It is one of the best Android phones you can buy right now and quite possibly has the best camera available.
- Outstanding camera
- Great screen
- Better build quality
- Wireless charging
- Very smooth software
- Bundled Pixel Buds
- Average battery life
- Screen brightness
Wired
90
The Pixel 3 phone, more than any other Google-designed phone before it, is an example of what sophisticated software can do when the hardware it runs on is incrementally improved. It’s not perfect, but that’s the thing about a phone that’s driven by its software: it will change and get better over time, even as the glass-slab-and-guts part of it stays the same.
- If you’re buying a new Android phone this year, it’s the one to get
- Great camera with AI-assisted goodies
- Great battery life
- Wireless charging adds convenience
- Google Assistant is elegant, and it knows more about you than Siri ever will
- Call-screening feature is remarkably satisfying
- Lack of futuristic details in the hardware
- Fingerprint sensor is the only form of bio-authentication on the phone, making it feel one step behind Apple’s face-scanning handsets
- Unless you’re on Verizon or Fi, you’ll have to buy it unlocked and navigate the upgrade yourself
- Android’s native messaging apps cannot compete with iMessage
TechRadar
90
The Google Pixel 3 has the best smartphone camera you can buy today. Don’t let the raw specs fool you: its very ordinary sounding single 12.2MP rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture is enhanced by machine-learning software, Google’s secret sauce to making your photos better. The phone design doesn’t stand out and the battery life is underwhelming for power users, but Google does pack in a 5.5-inch screen and dual front-facing speakers into a one-hand-friendly phone. It’s Google’s best phone in a smaller size.
- Google’s great camera got better
- Much improved 5.5-inch OLED screen
- Great one-hand-friendly size
- Weaker battery life on the small phone
- Rather muted colors this year
- 4GB of RAM when others do 6GB
Engadget
90
The Pixel 3’s best new features lie in its software, which will ultimately mostly roll out to older Pixel phones. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth shelling out for an upgrade. The latest flagship’s gorgeous new display and exquisite build make your photos, videos and games look so good you won’t mind the $150 price hike.
- Brilliant display
- Powerful cameras
- Premium build
- Capable performance
- Clever Assistant features
- Cheaper than the competition
- Not all software ready at launch
CNET
89
The best Android phone of 2018.
The Pixel 3’s truly exceptional cameras and AI-powered call screening give it an edge on the other great phones in 2018’s crowded winners’ circle.
The identically priced 128GB iPhone XR is a tempting alternative, but its camera just doesn’t measure up to the Pixel 3.
- Brilliant photos, even in super low-light
- Single rear lens can capture wider selfie photos
- Water resistant
- Wireless charging
- Can screen unwanted calls
- No expandable memory
- No headphone jack
- Shot-to-shot camera delay can be sluggish in certain modes
The Verge
85
The best Android experience and the best camera you can get on a phone.
I only have two complaints: the matte finish scratches too easily and its carrier exclusivity to Verizon in the US.
- Larger, better screen
- Beautiful design
- Excellent camera and wide angle selfie cam
- Largish top and bottom bezels
- Easily scratched rear finish
- Limited availability from US carriers and internationally
Mashable
80
Google’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL are showcases of how AI can improve the hardware and software in significant ways not immediately noticeable at first.
- Cameras take super sharp photos
- Handy secondary selfie camera
- Really loud and clear speakers
- Bloatware-free Android 9 Pie
- Call Screen is insanely awesome
- Supports wireless charging
- Comes with fast charger and headphone dongle
- Pixel 3 XL isn’t as powerful as Pixel 3
- Huge notch on the 3 XL
- Slippery frame
- Most AI features are coming to older Pixels
- Prices inching closer towards $1,000