Simple and powerful Google Pixel 3 Flagship value Samsung Galaxy S9 It's a small phone, but the Pixel 3 has all of the same features and power of the larger 3 XL. The 5.5-inch 18:9 display looks great, and is supported by all of the modern specs and hardware features you want. Plus, you get to experience Google's simple, fast, and up-to-date software. $799 at Google Store Pros Excellent cameras Clean, simple software Stereo speakers Wireless charging Guaranteed software updates Cons No headphone jack Weak battery life Samsung's approach of packing in the most features makes the Galaxy S9 an excellent choice for the widest number of people. In hardware, it has everything the Pixel 3 does, and then some — but the trade-off comes in its tougher-to-manage software and inferior overall camera quality. What this comparison ultimately comes down to is the price. $650 at Amazon Pros Fantastic screen Good cameras Headphone jack Stereo speakers Wireless charging Cons Software can be cumbersome Missing second camera features Weak battery life Future updates are questionable There aren't many flagship-level phones with all the bells and whistles that are also small enough to use in one hand. If that's what you want, the Pixel 3 and Galaxy S9 are two of the best options. Here's how they differ. Should you buy a Google Pixel 3 or a Samsung Galaxy S9? These phones' larger siblings take the spotlight, but what's great about the Pixel 3 and Galaxy S9 is that they're nearly identical to their larger counterparts — which means you get a fantastic phone in a smaller size at a lower price. But which is the best? At their core, the Pixel 3 and Galaxy S9 are incredibly similar — and that's a good thing for everyone. At their core, the Pixel 3 and Galaxy S9 are incredibly similar. The spec sheets match up closely across the board with only a few notable differences: the Galaxy S9 has a microSD card slot for memory expansion, a slightly larger battery, and a marginally bigger screen. Those similarities carry over to other parts of the hardware experience — these are relatively compact phones finished in glass on both sides with a metal frame and rounded edges. The Pixel 3 is ever-so-slightly smaller and lighter, but you wouldn't really notice since the Galaxy S9 also feels light and its curved screen helps usability. The Pixel 3's matte etching on the back dramatically reduces fingerprint accumulation, and its fingerprint sensor is also just a bit more natural to feel — it also doesn't have a Bixby button to accidentally press. Samsung's screen is a bit more colorful and gets much brighter to help combat direct sunlight, but in every other respect, the Pixel 3's display matches its quality. Above and below the screens on both phones you find stereo speakers, but Google's are louder and both face you for a proper stereo feel. Though that may not matter to you as much as the fact that it's missing a headphone jack, which Samsung has in the Galaxy S9. Category Pixel 3 Galaxy S9 Operating system Android 9 Pie Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience Display 5.5-inch OLED 2160x1080 (18:9) Gorilla Glass 5 5.8-inch AMOLED 2960x1440 (18.5:9) Gorilla Glass 5 Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Pixel Visual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 RAM 4GB 4GB Storage 64/128GB 64/128/256GB Expandable No MicroSD Rear camera 12.2MP, 1.4-micron f/1.8, OIS, PDAF 12MP, 1.4-micron f/1.5 or f/2.4, OIS, PDAF Front camera 1 8MP, f/1.8, auto focus 75-degree lens 8MP, f/1.7, auto focus Front camera 2 8MP, f/2.2, fixed focus 97-degree lens n/a Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS Audio Stereo speakers USB-C Stereo speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Battery 2915mAh Non-removable 3000mAh Non-removable Charging 18W USB-C PD Qi wireless Quick Charge 2.0 Qi wireless Water resistance IP68 IP68 Security Fingerprint sensor Fingerprint sensor Iris scanner Dimensions 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm 148 g 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm 163 g Colors Just Black, Very White, Not Pink Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, Slate Grey For many people, this comparison hinges on the software experience. Google and Samsung have dramatically different approaches to what's important on a phone, and Google trends toward simplicity while Samsung typically values the volume of features and customizability. Android 9 Pie on the Pixel 3 is dead simple for anyone to use, but its performance and functionality scales nicely to diehard Android power users as well. Integration with Google's apps and services is unparalleled, and so long as you're okay with that, you'll be rewarded with a lack of bloat and unnecessary apps. Samsung still has trouble walking the line between being all things to all people while also trying to keep things simple. For the most part, it works, but it requires a lot more setup and management. The Galaxy S9 is dramatically more customizable, but the trade-off is having a lot more to "deal" with. Google arguably has the better performance and software experience — but the GS9 has a compelling feature set. The discussion of software performance brings us nicely into the cameras. Google is the champ in the camera segment, and it does it by leaning heavily on software to augment its single rear camera. Every photo is great and the results are often spectacular — you'll just be happy with this camera, no matter what. The Galaxy S9 has a great camera in its own right and is great in a variety of situations with great shot-to-shot consistency and a high level of overall speed. However, the smaller Galaxy lacks the secondary lens of the GS9+ — meaning it doesn't do portrait mode or have that 2X optical zoom; those are both things the Pixel 3 has, even though it has just one camera. The raw quality of the GS9 isn't far behind the Pixel 3, but Google has the lead here.<doc-sep>The Pixel 3 -- sleek and slick in the hand, a refinement over past Pixels -- has the specs to take on the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9, and win. There's no one killer feature, but its camera is fantastic and it will be the first in line for Android software and security updates. That's a real bonus that avoids the anguish experienced by other Android users who might wait months for Android updates. New to the Pixel 3 is a pair of 8-megapixel front-facing cameras, and support for wireless charging. Google will even sell you its own tricked-out wireless charging stand, the Pixel Stand, for $79. More importantly, the third-generation Pixel also has the weight of Android Pie software and the deep well of Google's services behind it. Retooled camera processing in the Night Sight feature (not officially out yet, but we've experimented with it) makes low light photography extremely vivid, and another in-development feature will select your best photo. The Pixel 3 also uses AI software, called Google Duplex, to field robocalls on your behalf. The Pixel 3 is an excellent phone through and through, and one of our favorites for 2018. Then again, so's its fiercest competition. While our long-term photography tests play out, here's how the specs compare with the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9. Read also: iPhone XR vs. Pixel 3: Which phone has the best camera? Update, Nov. 1: This story originally was published Oct. 10, 2018, and was updated on Nov. 1 with more details. Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XS vs. Galaxy S9 Google Pixel 3 Apple iPhone XS Samsung Galaxy S9 Display size, resolution 5.5-inch "flexible" OLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED; 2,436x1,125 pixels 5.8-inch AMOLED; 2,960x1,440 pixels Pixel density 443ppi 458 ppi 570 ppi Dimensions (Inches) 5.7x2.7x0.3 in 5.7x2.8x0.3 in 5.81x2.70x0.33 in Dimensions (Millimeters) 145.6x68.2x7.9 mm 143.6x70.9x7.7 mm 147.7x68.7x8.5 mm Weight (Ounces, Grams) 5.2oz; 148g 6.2 oz; 177g 5.75 oz; 163g Mobile software Android 9 Pie iOS 12 Android 8.0 Oreo Camera 12.2-megapixel 12-megapixel (standard), 12-megapixel (telephoto) 12-megapixel Front-facing camera Dual 8-megapixel 7-megapixel 8-megapixel Video capture 4K 4K 4K Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz octa-core) Apple A12 Bionic Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz), or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7 GHz) Storage 64GB, 128GB 64GB, 256GB, 512GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB RAM 4GB TBD 4GB Expandable storage None None 400GB Battery 2,915 mAh TBD 3,000mAh Fingerprint sensor Back cover None (Face ID) Back cover Connector USB-C Lightning USB-C Headphone jack No No Yes Special features IP68, wireless charging support, Pixel Buds USB-C headphones in the box Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID; Animoji Water resistant (IP68); dual-aperture camera; super slo-mo video; wireless charging; iris scanning Price off-contract (USD) $799 (64GB); $899 (128GB) $999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB) Varies: $720-$800 (64GB) Price (GBP) £739 (64GB); £839 (128GB) £999 (64GB), £1,149 (256GB), £1,349 (512GB) £739 Price (AUD) TBA AU$1,629 (64GB), AU$1,879 (256GB), AU$2,199 (512GB) AU$1,199 (64GB), AU$1,349 (256GB) Read now: Google Pixel 3 review Read next: Best phones of 2018<doc-sep>The iPhone XS and XS Max are the top-tier 2018 iPhones, but the cheaper iPhone XR is capturing people's attention with specs that are mostly on par with the more expensive iPhones. No, you won't get the dual camera lenses that come with the XS or XS Max, and screen resolution won't be quite as high, but all the features such as Face ID, portrait photography, water resistance and Memojis are all part of the XR package -- starting at $250 less. We decided to put it side-by-side with the top phones from its biggest price competitors. Recognize that these are the top-tier phones from the other big companies and -- while they'll handily beat the XR in some categories -- Apple's lower cost phone turns out to be a solid offering regardless. Have a look at the specs:<doc-sep>Josh Miller/CNET Amid the hoopla of all the top phone launches from Apple, Samsung and the recently released Google Pixel 3, Huawei had its own ideas for how to wow its userbase with features not found in other phones. Even though its latest Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro won't see wide distribution in the west, with most of its phones slated for release in China, the company had a few tricks up its sleeve to differentiate it from the other big names. What kind of unique features are we talking about? Well, you can use your Mate as a wireless charger for starters -- for other phones! That means if your Mate is plugged in, you'll be able to charge other phones wirelessly. Like the iPhone XS, it has Face ID, but it also has an on-screen fingerprint sensor -- something a lot of people thought might come to the newest iPhones, but instead it's the Huawei Mate that has the feature. The Mate also has three rear-facing cameras, one each for telephoto, wide angle and super wide angle. These are all interesting features that make it a worthwhile contender if you live where Huawei phones are available. To break it down even further, we put Huawei's new phones side-by-side with today's top phones to see how they stack up against one another.<doc-sep>
Now that the October Pixel event has wrapped up, we’ve seen all the new flagship phones coming out from Google, Apple, and Samsung this year. The much-leaked Google Pixel 3 still had some surprises, like Google spam call screening transcription and improved AI photo capabilities on top of an already great camera. Some of the new features Google introduced today are completely exclusive to the Pixel line, while others are features we’ve seen before on other phones. Take for example, Top Shot, a new Pixel 3 feature that uses AI to automatically pick out the best frame from the moment a photo was taken. Apple’s Live Photos does a similar thing, saving the moments a photo is taken and letting you manually choose which frame you want to keep. The iPhone’s photo burst mode does this as well when you hold down the shutter to take multiple photos, but the AI will choose what it thinks is the best photo for you. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL also got the added advantage of another camera in the front, introducing a new feature called Group Selfie Cam. Manually zooming out with the wide-angle lens will let you capture “184 percent more of the scene than the iPhone XS”, as Google claimed during its presentation. Numbers-wise, Samsung wins at battery life capacity and the lowest starting price of $719 for the Galaxy S9. It also gets brownie points in my book for keeping the headphone jack. If you want to take a look at all the specs across the board, take a look at the chart below and make your own judgements. Google Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XS vs. Galaxy S9 Specification Google Pixel 3 Google Pixel 3 XL iPhone XS iPhone XS Max Galaxy S9 Galaxy S9 Plus Galaxy Note 9 Specification Google Pixel 3 Google Pixel 3 XL iPhone XS iPhone XS Max Galaxy S9 Galaxy S9 Plus Galaxy Note 9 Display 5.5 inches 6.3 inches 5.8 inches 6.5 inches 5.8 inches 6.2 inches 6.4 inches Resolution 2160 x 1080 2960 x 1440 2436 x 1125 2688 x 1242 2960 x 1440 2960 x 1440 2960 x 1440 Processor Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz and 1.6GHz, 64Bit octa-core) Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz and 1.6GHz, 64Bit octa-core) A12 Bionic A12 Bionic Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) RAM 4GB 4GB 4GB 4GB 4GB 6GB 6GB, 8GB Storage 64GB, 128GB 64GB, 128GB 64GB, 256GB, 512GB 64GB, 256GB, 512GB 64GB 64GB 128GB, 512GB Rear camera 12 megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) 12 megapixels 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) Front camera 8 megapixels, 8 megapixels(wide) 8 megapixels, 8 megapixels(wide) 7 megapixels 7 megapixels 8 megapixels 8 megapixels 8 megapixels Battery 2,915mAh 3,430mAh TBA TBA 3,000mAh 3,500mAh 4,000mAh Water protection IPX8 IPX8 IP68 IP68 IP68 IP68 IP68 Wireless charging? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Ports USB-C USB-C Lightning port Lightning port USB-C, headphone jack USB-C, headphone jack USB-C, headphone jack Weight 0.33 pounds 0.4 pounds 0.39 pounds 0.46 pounds 0.36 pounds 0.42 pounds 0.44 pounds Dimensions (in.) 5.70 x 2.70 x 0.30 6.20 x 3.00 x 0.30 5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 6.20 x 3.05 x 0.30 5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 6.22 x 2.91 x 0.33 6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 Starting price $799.00 $899.00 $999 $1,099 $719.99 $839.99 $999.99 Misc. Google Duplex spam transcription, Active Edge squeezable sides Google Duplex spam transcription, Active Edge squeezable sides Face ID, Dual SIM, software-adjustable aperture Face ID, Dual SIM, software-adjustable aperture Iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture, Dual SIM Iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture, Dual SIM Dual SIM, Bluetooth S Pen, iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture If you’re thinking of buying a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, Google’s including six months of YouTube Music Premium and unlimited Google Photos storage with your purchase. Here’s how to trade in your old Pixel phone if you want to upgrade, and some different options for preordering. The phone ships October 18th, so get your preorders in by then.