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Google Pixel 3 XL vs Galaxy Note 9 vs iPhone XS Max: Specs comparison

By Peter Kostadinov

Published: Oct 09, 2018, 11:50 AM

11comments

Google Pixel 3 XL vs Galaxy Note 9 vs iPhone XS Max: Specs comparison

With the Pixel 3 XL, Google is certainly betting big on becoming a mainstream smartphone maker, which it kind of failed with the previous generations of its smartphone lineup due to certain supply and availability issues that plagued it. Hopefully, the Pixel 3 XL won't be subjected to the same set of problems.

Anyhoo, now that the Pixel 3 XL with its eye-sore notch is official, a slew of specs comparison are in queue to mercilessly stack it up against some of the very best phones out there, and chief among these are the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max. Each is ponying up a rather commendable bag of features that will certainly give the new Pixel 3 XL a run for its money, though we shouldn't underestimate the new Google flagship at all.

How does the Pixel 3 XL stack up against those two, pound for pound? Of course, specs aren't everything as they don't factor in the software and the overall experience, yet it's still rather important to compare the hardware prowess of all three devices and see which one would net the most bag for the buck.

Design

Dimensions

6.20 x 3.05 x 0.30 inches
157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm

6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches
161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm

6.22 x 3.02 x 0.31 inches
158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm

Weight

7.34 oz (208.0 g)

7.09 oz (201.0 g)

6.49 oz (184.0 g)

Materials

Back: Glass
Frame: Stainless steel

Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
Frame: Aluminum

Resistance

Water, Dust; IP68

Biometrics

3D Face unlock

Iris scanner, 2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch)

Fingerprint (touch)

Features

Notification light, Stylus

Display

Size

6.5-inch

6.4-inch

6.3-inch

Technology

OLED

Super AMOLED

Screen-to-body

84.29 %

83.51 %

83.12 %

Peak brightness

625 cd/m2 (nit)

Features

HDR support, Pressure-sensitive, Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip

Apple A12 Bionic APL1W81 (7 nm)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SDM845 (10 nm)

Processor

Hexa-core
2490 MHz
Vortex and Tempest
64-bit

Octa-core
2800 MHz
Kryo 385
64-bit

Octa-core
2500 MHz
Kryo 385
64-bit

GPU

Apple 4-core GPU

Adreno 630

RAM

4GB (LPDDR4)

6GB (LPDDR4)

4GB (LPDDR4)

Internal storage

64GB

128GB

64GB

iOS (15.x, 14.x, 13.x, 12.x)

Android (10, 9.0 Pie, 8.1 Oreo), Samsung One UI

Android (12, 11, 10, 9.0 Pie)

Battery

Capacity

3179 mAh

4000 mAh

3430 mAh

Charging

USB Power Delivery

Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging

USB Power Delivery

Talk time

25.00 hours

38.00 hours

Stand-by time

12.0 days (288 hours)

Talk time (3G)

29.00 hours

Internet use

3G: 14 hours; LTE: 16 hours; Wi-Fi: 17 hours

Music playback

65.00 hours

95.00 hours

Video playback

15.00 hours

21.00 hours

Camera

Rear

Dual camera

Single camera

Main camera

12 MP (Features: Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor)

12 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF)

12.2 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor)

Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Aperture size: F1.5/F2.4
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 28 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Second camera

12 MP (Telephoto, Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor)

12 MP (Telephoto, OIS, Autofocus)

Optical zoom: 2.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 52 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.4"
Pixel size: 1 μm

Video recording

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (120 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps)

OIS, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing

Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, EIS

OIS, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing

Front

7 MP

8 MP

Video capture

1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)

2560x1440 (QHD) (30 fps)

1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)

Buyers information

MSRP

$ 1099

$ 1000

$ 899

See the full Apple iPhone XS Max vs Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs Google Pixel 3 XL specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison Tool.

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View Full Bio

Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.

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