I’ve been using the Google Pixel 3 over the past week, and the number one question people have asked me about it is whether they should ditch their iPhone for one. Running a close second is the question that’s come from existing Pixel users—a much smaller but still enthusiastic group of people. They want to know whether to upgrade.
I’ll start by answering the second question: Yes. If you’re currently using a first-generation Pixel phone or a Pixel 2, you’ll want to upgrade. The $799 Pixel 3 is a joy to use. It has an improved camera, a better processor, and a new mobile security chip, the effects of which can’t really be felt in any discernible way except as added peace of mind. Google’s Assistant is scarily good. The new phone also supports wireless charging, which improves the whole experience in a significant way despite removing such a small barrier. The act of simply digging out and plugging in a cable, it turns out, is a drag.
The answer to the first question—whether it’s worth switching from an iPhone to a Pixel 3—is more complicated. For a many, that answer is no. The Pixel 3 is not an iPhone killer. I wish I could say it was, because stronger competition in the phone market is an excellent thing. (That’s not to say Android as an operating system needs any help; the number of devices in the world running Android far surpasses the number of those running iOS. However, Google-made Pixel phones are loaded with the most optimized version of Android out there.)
But current iPhone users still might not feel Google’s extensive software smarts can outweigh the benefits and conveniences that come with iOS. Maybe all of their friends and family are using iMessage on iPhones, and they’re wary of losing cross-device message syncing, missing out on iMessage’s embedded apps, or becoming the “green bubble” contact. Maybe they have an extensive collection of iCloud Photo Sharing albums. Maybe they have an Apple Watch, which only works with the iPhone’s software. Or maybe they just appreciate Apple’s commitment to keeping its users’ data private, which is a very legitimate thing to care about.
It turns out, as we spend each autumn examining and comparing specs on these new rectangular pieces of hardware, the thing that matters most is the software running on them. And that’s likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.
Sure, there are hardware components that matter. The Pixel 3 now has a glass back. The larger portion of the back is now a matte glass, while the top remains glossy. Its dual-tone construction is what makes it undeniably a Pixel phone. This glass back is also what enables wireless charging.
The Pixel 3’s display, an OLED panel that’s noticeably brighter than the one on last year’s Pixel 2, is improved. The 6.5-inch display on the larger Pixel, the Pixel 3 XL, now has a “notch.” This is a cutout at the top of the display where the front-facing camera sensors are housed. It also has a “chin” at the bottom. Some people make a big deal about these aesthetic attributes; personally, they don’t bother me.
The phone’s colors make a statement. Are you a Just Black kind of phone person? Clearly White? Or are you into Not Pink, my personal favorite, which is neutral-toned with just the slightest hint of a flush, like the white Pixel just walked up a flight of stairs? Color tones matter. I’ve been using the Clearly White phone for the past five days, and it smudges easily without a case.