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

by Peter Kostadinov / Oct 09, 2018, 11:51 AM

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.

Google Pixel 3 XL vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Apple iPhone XS Max

Display

Display size

6.3 inches

6.4 inches

6.5 inches

Resolution

1440 x 2960 pixels

1242 x 2688 pixels

Aspect Ratio

18.5:9

19.5:9

Pixel density

522 ppi

516 ppi

458 ppi

Technology

Super AMOLED

OLED

Screen-to-body ratio

83.12 %

83.51 %

84.29 %

Peak brightness

625 cd/m2 (nit)

Camera

Rear

Single camera

Dual camera

Main camera

12.2 megapixels

12 megapixels

Hardware Features

Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor

Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus

Sapphire crystal lens cover, Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)

Specifications

Aperture size: F1.8; Focal length: 28 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: 26 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.55"; Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Second camera

12 megapixels

Hardware Features

Telephoto, Optical image stabilization, Autofocus

Telephoto, Sapphire crystal lens cover, Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)

Specifications

Optical zoom: 2x; Aperture size: F2.4; Focal Length: 52 mm; Sensor size: 1/3.4"; Pixel size: 1 μm

Video recording

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

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

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

Features

Optical image stabilization, Digital image stabilization, Video calling, Video sharing

Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, Digital image stabilization

Optical image stabilization, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing

Front

8 megapixels

7 megapixels

Video capture

1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)

2560x1440 (QHD) (30 fps)

1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)

Design

Dimensions

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

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

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

Weight

6.49 oz (184 g)

7.09 oz (201 g)

7.34 oz (208 g)

Materials

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

Back: Glass; Frame: Stainless steel

Resistance

Water, Dust; IP 68

Biometrics

Fingerprint (touch)

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

3D Face unlock

Features

Notification light, Stylus

Hardware & Performance

System chip

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SDM845

Apple A12 Bionic APL1W81

Processor

Octa-core, 2500 MHz, Kryo 385, 64-bit, 10 nm

Octa-core, 2800 MHz, Kryo 385, 64-bit, 10 nm

Hexa-core, 2490 MHz, Vortex and Tempest, 64-bit, 7 nm

GPU

Adreno 630

Apple 4-core GPU

RAM

4 GB LPDDR4

8 GB LPDDR4

4 GB LPDDR4

OS

Android (9.0 Pie)

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

iOS (12.x)

Battery

Capacity

3430 mAh

4000 mAh

3179 mAh

Charging

USB Power Delivery

Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging

USB Power Delivery

Talk time

38.00 hours

25.00 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

95.00 hours

65.00 hours

Video playback

21.00 hours

15.00 hours

Shopping information

MSRP price

$ 999

$ 1250

$ 1449

Google Pixel 3 XL

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12 Comments

1. BLUEBLASTER

Posts: 926; Member since: Feb 23, 2014

Big notch, 4GB of Ram, 128GB max storage........One Plus 6T show em how it done.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:00 PM 2

3. Atechguy0

Posts: 918; Member since: Aug 03, 2018

When you pre-order the Pixel 3's right now you get the Pixel Stand wireless charger included for free as well. You also get in the box a Quick charger, matching cable, USB to USBC dongle, and USBC pixel buds. Plus the Android devices do real multitasking and have split screen multitasking. Picture in picture, mouse support, and more. The iPhone XS or XS Max are phablet in size only, with NO phablet(tablet) capabilities what so ever. The real joke here is people buying the overpriced XS Max. Talk about a waste of money. Where as the Pixel 3's offer more and can do more compared to any iPhone.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:21 PM 0

6. BLUEBLASTER

What the hell does that have to do in reply to my comment? I'm talking about One Plus 6T not iPhone.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 2:36 PM 2

9. Atechguy0

Well the first part is telling you what you are getting with any Pixel 3 right now, if you pre-order. So you are getting a good bit. Plus the unlimited storage for the life of the device. Now over the Pixel 3 has OnePlus it's real Android and not a forked version of Android, called Oxygen OS. Plus updates are faster. Oh, and the Pixel 3 has a lot more security over the OnePlus, especially since it has Titan security chip embedded on the Pixel 3's for better authentication and security. The Pixel 3's also have a separate AI chip called the Pixel Visual Core which the OnePlus 6T does not. Oh, and the Pixel 3's support a much faster USBC (USB 3.1) transfer speed. The OnePlus 6 supported only USB 2.0 speed.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 3:54 PM 0

8. darkkjedii

Posts: 30964; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Why do you think it’s a joke for people to buy what they want? Did it ever occur to you, that people buy the Max cause they simply want one, or maybe they want to stay in the iOS ecosystem, while having the best iPhone, or maybe both plus they can afford it? I love the XS Max, and I’m primarily a Note user, but the Max is a damn good phone. C’mon dude, don’t be a typical troll man. People buy what the hell they want. What’s so hard to understand about that? And what did your post have to do with BLUEBLASTER’s???

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 3:38 PM 1

12. Leo_MC

Posts: 7203; Member since: Dec 02, 2011

You just ignore and ignore what I have told you many times before: iPhones do real multitasking, in fact iOS makes them capable to hold more apps in their memory than most Android devices.